Author: Jill Brooke
Star Valley Farms Outsmarts Competitors with Winter Flora
By Jill Brooke Like a memorable meal, one needs good ingredients and the same holds true for eye-catching flower arrangements, which is why Wisconsin’s Star Valley Flowers has built a reputation for providing great fillers to help boost the beauty of the flowers in any vase. Yes, the farm creates bouncy fluffy peonies and …
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Creekside Growers Charms Michigan Flower Lovers
By Jill Brooke Creekside Growers is the type of place you want to go visit for the beauty, versatility and fun. Launched in 2000 by flower lover Sue Dykstra, she started her business as a wholesale grower of perennials and annuals. The business was building but after a decade, she longed for being close to …
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Monarch Butterflies Now Endangered! What We Can Do
By Jill Brooke Because of climate issues, North America’s monarch butterfly, whose fluttering delicate beauty and extraordinary migration have made it one of the continent’s most beloved insects, has been classified as endangered by the International Union for Conservation of Nature. As Catrin Einborn reported in the New York Times, the decision comes after decades …
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Study Says Chocolate Can Be as Healthy as Blood Pressure Meds!
By Jill Brooke Stop feeling guilty about eating chocolate since a new study from the University of Surrey shows that cocoa flavonols can lower blood pressure and arterial stiffness just like the best blood pressure medications. “High blood pressure and arterial stiffness increase a person’s risk of heart disease and strokes, so it is crucial …
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Heat Relief? Flower Inspired Ice Cream, Drinks and Tulips to Plant
By Jill Brooke With record heat breaking records across Europe and the United States, who can’t think of anything but a source of relief through cool refreshing ice cream? So here are a few DIY ideas. First, since we always look for the positive, we thought a fun project would be making homemade ice cream …
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To Mulch or Not to Mulch? – Tis the New Gardening Question
By Cathy Ludden We are re-thinking mulch. Gardeners are routinely advised to apply a 2 to 3-inch layer of wood chips or bark mulch around new plantings, and to mulch regularly thereafter. We are told that mulching maintains soil moisture, suppresses weeds, improves soil, and looks tidy. This advice has been given and followed for …
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A Vase is Not Just a Vase in FTD Flower Competition
by Jill Brooke As part of the FTD World Cup competition taking place at AIFD2022 in Las Vegas, the 10 finalists had to do something with the theme of “Roots” as well as tackle a surprise where they were given this low-sitting stone round urn. While the previous competition of exploring what the theme of …
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Finalists for FTD World Cup Tackle Theme of “Roots”
By Jill Brooke With the theme of “Roots” and “Textures,” floral artists used their special talents at the AIFD 2022 event to win a slot at the FTD World Cup representing the United States. Sustainability was a common inspiration talked about as what roots us not only together but makes us more resourceful and grateful …
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Red Twig Farm Focuses on Quality vs. Quantity
By Jill Brooke Red Twig Farm is a six-acre specialty cut flower and woody farm in New Albany/Johnstown Ohio. Known for its peonies, tulips, ilex, dogwood and willow branches for gardens, owners Josh and Lindsey McCullough also run an uber-popular peony festival where more than 7000 people visit. Furthermore, they offer a self-serve flower stand …
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Flowers vs. Animals Being Used for Science Experiments
By Mallory Locklear What if scientists could study human psychiatric illness in plants? Yale researchers think it’s possible and they’ve taken an important first step. In a study published June 2 in Cellular and Molecular Life Sciences, they investigated a gene very similar in both plants and mammals and looked at how it affects behavior in …
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