The beautiful poinsettia plant is widely known as the staple flower and symbol of Christmas.

Its vibrant Christmas-themed red and green leaves are reminiscent of everything that is Christmas.

Poinsettia (Euphorbia pulcherrima) has a long and interesting history. Its origins go back to southern Mexico and Central America. In its native Mexico, the poinsettia has long been associated with Christmas, as early as the 16th century.

A story relates that a young poor Mexican girl did not have any gifts to offer for Jesus’ birth celebrations. While walking by the roadside, an angel appears to her and tells her to gather the weeds by the roadside and to place them in the church altar. Soon after, beautiful crimson red ‘flowers’ blossomed from the weeds and the stunning poinsettia was created.

The poinsettia was introduced to the United States in 1826 by Joel Roberts Poinsett (1799-1851) who served as the US Ambassador to Mexico. Poinsett was fascinated by the leaves of this beautiful plant that bloom in the short months of winter in Mexico. The poinsettia plants can grow up to 3 metres in their natural environment. The name for the flower is taken from the person who introduced it to the States. In Mexico, the poinsettia has been employed by Franciscan friars in Christmas celebrations since the 17th century. The flower is called “Noche Buena” or Christmas’ Eve in Mexico and Guatemala.

At Teleflora Malta, we provide many varieties of poinsettias as well as other Christmas plants, flowers, and floral arrangements.

• In spring, enjoy cool-season flowers like forced bulbs, primroses, and pansies.
  
  
• In summer, grow tender perennials and annuals like impatiens and begonias.
  
  
• In fall, enjoy late bloomers like asters and mums.

• Plastic
• Clay
• Ceramic
• Fiberglass
• Brass
• Bronze
• Tin
• Stone
• Cement
• Cedar
• Redwood
• Compressed fibers
• Compressed peat moss

Choosing the perfect gift for your sweetheart can be a difficult as most of us want to buy a gift is which is unique and memorable forever. Flowers are the most divine creations of nature and its beauty and purity can captivate anyone’s imagination.

“Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into.” Flowers do not have a soul living within them but still extravagantly manifest the splendor and the prowess of almighty. Flowers are symbols of love and make wonderful valentine gifts. Roses, Tulips, Candies, Lilies etc are the popular flower gifts.

Valentine flowers are the best expressions of love and an ideal way to honor your lover. On this day millions of flowers and cards are exchanged among the lovers promising their eternal love for each other. Red roses have always been eye- catching and among the favorites choice for valentine flowers. A single stem rose is known as the “signature rose” is the most ideal choice of most valentine lovers.

Red roses have always been a universal symbol of love and purity. Red roses have always been associated with strong emotions of love and romance. Red, Pink and White roses are among the most common Valentine flowers. Red symbolizing passion, white purity and pink is a fusion of both.

Every valentine flower has its own importance and therefore giving your sweetheart the best flower is essential. The valentine flower expresses emotions which a lover may not have been able to express and helps in expressing your heart’s truest and purest emotion.

The love virus certainly comes in our lives and infects us with the disease called “love” and valentine flowers are just the perfect injections which directly deliver the message of love into our veins. Flowers are universal way of expressing hidden feelings of love. The beauty of flowers is that it reflects the beauty of your mind as it not only helps start a relationship but also in building and maintaining it. 

With the advancement of technology flowers can be ordered online and with means to deliver them the very same day making the Valentine’s Day a special day in the lover’s life. Many big flower stores have an arrangement for taking orders online and in fast paced life style we seldom have time to visit the stores and going through the products available. The flowers can be ordered sitting at home without personally visiting the shop.

Summer Flowers add brilliant color and beauty to the landscape through the heat of summer and until frost, with only minimum care. Summer is a time of beauty and abundance with Summer Flowers in the garden.

Though, many Summer Flowering Plants are likely to suffer winter injury and need the tender care of spring, the magnificence, color and fragrance of Summer Flowers are a valuable addition to any garden.

Summer time is a time of brilliance and beauty with Summer Flowers in the garden. The season requires special care and attention for the maintanance of Summer Flower plants.

For flower lovers, hearts beat faster in summertime. Summer is also peak season for buying bunches of cut summer flowers. It is best to plant containers in early summer.

Summer Flowers and in patio pots, window boxes, and hanging baskets are breathtakingly beautiful. The containers can be placed outdoors but should be fed well as the summer progresses.

There are number of Summer flowering bulbs. Summer Flowering bulbs can add beauty to the home landscape. Many bulbs bloom with small flowers and should be planted in groups or beds to best show off their flowers.

Some Summer Flowering bulbs have large flowers and may need to be staked to be properly displayed.

There are a great number of plants that bloom with Summer Flowers from late June into September through several light frosts. Listed below are some of the Summer flowers of the season to help you prioritize your flower and act accordingly.

    •  Amaranthus
    • Asters
    • Carnation
    • Chrysanthemum
    • Cockscomb
    • Freesia
    • Ginger
    • Gladiolus
    • Heather
    • Hydrangea
    • Iris
    • Lisianthus

Everybody is, of course, familiar with the poinsettia. In addition to the traditional red, the poinsettia now comes in white and pink. Utilize each different poinsettia color to create a stunning display in any area of your home or office. It is an inexpensive way to make the holiday spirit come alive.

The poinsettia also has a rich history. It starts with the Aztec culture that commonly referred to the plant by the name of Cuetlaxochtl that translates into “skin flower” or “flower of leather petals”. This culture looked to the poinsettia as a symbol of purity and new life. Aztec legend says that warriors who died in battle would return to earth to sip the poinsettia’s nectar. Another culture to honor the poinsettia is the Mexicans. Here the flower is referred to as “The Flower of the Holy Night”. During the 14th to 16th century, red dye from the plant was utilized to create fever reducing medication. This is how the plant now became known as the “Christmas Flower” throughout North America.

Another favorite Christmas Flower is the Christmas cactus. It comes in a wide variety of colors, including red, white, pink, violet, yellow and salmon. Each color can create quite an exciting display when clustered together. A great display location for this colorful arrangement would be in a foyer or other prominent corner of the room. This flower is a great selection for a hanging Christmas Gift Basket. It also goes by the name ‘orchid cactus’ whose sweeping arms design has been known to produce over 100 blossoms per plant.

Add an unusual touch to your Christmas Gift Basket display by choosing some Star of Bethlehem blossoms to decorate your home. A flower from the lily family, the Star of Bethlehem has more elongated petals than other variations of lilies. Pure white, the Star of Bethlehem is native to Illinois, as well as Europe and parts of the Middle East.

Consider a rather unknown flower such as the protea. These come in a gallant array of bold colors, with petals that make crown-like displays around their large eyes. Legend has it that the flower got its name from the Greek god Proteus, who was known to come to earth in various shapes. The protea can also come in other shapes. Online retailers such as 1800flowers.com can help create the perfect gifts for loved ones.

Consider the following Christmas flowers:

Mistletoe

Some species of mistletoe are evergreens. They are parasitic plants that grow on trees such as oak or apple. They have beautiful green leaves and white or yellowish berries. A sacred plant for both the Norse and the Celts, mistletoe has been adopted into the Christmas decorating tradition. Kissing under the mistletoe is a custom dating back at least to the early 17th century. The man is supposed to pluck a berry when he kisses a woman under the mistletoe and when all the berries are gone, no more kissing takes place.

Holly

The Christmas colours of green and red are derived from the colours of the European holly plant, with its spiky green leaves and bright red berries. The custom of decorating with holly probably goes back to the Roman festival of Saturnalia, a precursor to Christmas.

Christmas Trees

The decoration of Christmas trees goes back to Roman times and was introduced into England from Germany soon after Queen Victoria's marriage to Prince Albert. Evergreen branches are also used to decorate homes, and give off that wonderful Christmasy scent.

 

Poinsettia

Is a plant known for its bright festive display of colour right around Christmastime. There is a Mexican legend that a young girl walking to Christmas mass was upset because she had no appropriate offering. She was told that even a humble gift was acceptable if given with the proper spirit. So she picked some weeds from the side of the road.

When she took them to the church, they burst into coloured Christmas miracle.

Amaryllis

Actually the holiday flower is a hippeastrum, though popularly called an amaryllis (a related flower native to Africa). It is grown from a bulb and blooms around Christmas time. They come in a variety of sizes and colours.

Some flowers are used in the manufacture of perfumes, although they have been replaced largely by chemically manufactured products. The oils of lavender, thyme, and rosemary are three perfume oils taken partly from flowers. Flowers are also used to a certain extent as drugs. The drugs arnica and cannabis both come from the flowering tops of plants. The nectar of flowers is used by the bees in the manufacture of honey. But the principal value of flowers to man is for beauty and the fruits which follow them. Great business enterprises deal with seeds, the breeding of young plants in nurseries, and the sale of trees, shrubs, and flowering plants as well as cut flowers.

Florists are able to produce blooming plants all year round by planting in greenhouses and through artificial forcing. In forcing tulips as potted plants for an early Easter, the florist keeps them at a low temperature for a considerable period and then at a higher temperature to promote growth and flowering. In certain other plants, length of exposure to light each day is most important. For example, chrysanthemums can be forced into earlier bloom by covering them with a black cloth morning and night so that they receive light for only 10 to 12 hours a day; on the other hand, poppies bloom only when exposure to light periods are long.  For greatest amount of bloom, plants should not be given an excess of nitrate fetilizer. 

Flower production by potted plants can sometimes be increased by growing the plants in rather small pots so that root growth is limited. Flower production by shrubs can sometimes be increased by pruning, so that the remaining branches get more light; but care must be taken not to remove so many leaves that food manufacture for the entire plant is decreased.

Men love to get flowers for the same reason they send them - to be recognized. Everyone likes to feel special.

A good indicator of when it might be appropriate to send flowers would be to consider his favorite occasions for sending them. Does he send flowers for birthdays, or perhaps as a thank you? Don't forget that no reason is often the best reason!

Just as women love receiving flowers for no reason at all, a surprise floral gift will surely catch his attention too.

The Best Designs and Colors for Men

• Men are stimulated by color and are visually oriented. Research shows that men prefer vivid colors such as yellow, orange and red.
  
• Flower arrangements that are contemporary, linear styles or natural styles are best. Other favorites might include green or flowering plants.
  
• Tell your florist that you want flowers for a man and ask for specific suggestions. If your recipient has a hobby, perhaps you could highlight that. For example, if he is a golfer, tuck in a box of golf balls. If he is into cars, add an auto magazine or two. Your florist can offer creative suggestions for flowers that are sure to please.

LOS ANGELES, June 24, 2009: Teleflora, the world’s leading flower wire service offering only hand-arranged, hand-delivered floral arrangements, today announced its exclusive two-year partnership with MiGi®, a design and lifestyle company known for embracing individual, affordable style.  Designed by Teleflora and the trend-setting designers known as the MiGi Girls, Michele Adams and Gia Russo, four new baby-themed floral gifts showcase the girls’ eyes for high style and demonstrate Teleflora’s arrangement know how.  
 

“We are delighted that Teleflora is the first floral wire service company to offer an exclusive line of bouquets with the MiGi Girls,” said Shawn Weidmann, President, Teleflora.  “All of our floral arrangements are hand-arranged, hand-delivered by local florists and arrive in exquisite keepsake containers that can be used even after the flowers are gone.  Michele and Gia have developed a reputation for being experts who offer practical yet forward-thinking solutions to design challenges, making them the perfect partner for Teleflora.”
A new baby is an exciting time for many reasons, one of which is decorating a new room. When deciding on the décor, there are many styles, patterns and themes to choose from. According to Consumer Reports, a typical middle-income family in the U.S. will spend an average of $12,673 on baby’s first year alone.  Parents want the best for their children and finding clever gifts that offer functionality even after the first year will help cut down on cost.  Flowers give any nursery a finished look, and Teleflora and the MiGi Girls have created floral gifts that combine practicability and fashion.  For example, MiGi’s Baby Circus Bouquet by Teleflora, available in blue or pink, and decorated with circus animals, is the perfect accessory in any nursery.  This charming, double-handled ceramic container arrives bursting with white roses, white button-spray chrysanthemums, white spray roses and eucalyptus.  
Once the flowers are gone, this keepsake container is great for holding baby combs, cottons balls and other accessories.  
“We know how exciting it is to welcome a new baby into the world,” said Michele Adams, Partner, MiGi.  “We are so thrilled to be partnering with Teleflora on this new line of arrangements that will offer friends and family a chic yet practical way to send their congrats and well wishes,” added Gia Russo, Partner, MiGi.
Baby showers are fun parties to plan, but they can be a lot of work—selecting the menu, designing the invitations, choosing decorations and deciding which games to play. Teleflora, with its network of industry leading florists, is the authority on personally designed flowers that make the most impact on its recipients and the MiGi Girls, who have written best-selling books including “Baby Showers,” know how to create an incredibly special and elegant baby shower.  A beautiful flower decoration such as Teleflora’s MiGi Baby Elephant Bouquet is an easy way to add a light, fresh touch to the décor. This stylish yet modern floral gift reveals MiGi’s unique flair and features a pull string and movable wheels.  It is available in pink or blue with white roses, white button-spray chrysanthemums, white spray roses and eucalyptus.

Gerbera is a genus of the family of Sunflowers, Daisies and Asters - Asteraceae, with a wide distribution from Africa to Madagascar, tropical Asia and South America. Through hybridization, Gerberas are available in a massive array of colors.

 
Gerberas are perennial flowering plants featuring a large capitulum with striking, 2-lipped ray florets. The capitulum on the Gerberas has the appearance of a single flower, but is actually a closter of hundreds of individual flowers. The morphology of the flowers varies depending on their position in the capitulum of the Gerberas.

Facts About Gerberas

• Having a long vase life, Gerbera flowers are widely used in the cut flower Industry. Gerberas are great flowers for adding color to any room or garden.
• Gerberas are also referred to as Gerbera Daisies, daisy being a general name for all species in the family Asteraceae, to which Gerberas belong.
• Some species of Gerberas, such as Gerbera anandria, Gerbera aurantiaca and Gerbera jamesonii bear the suffix Daisy - Ghostly Daisy, Hilton Daisy, Barberton Daisy, Gerbera Daisy and Transvaal Daisy
• Gerbera flowers often measure 7 inches (17.8 cm) across.
• Gerberas come in a wide range of colors - from light to dark yellow, orange, pink, brilliant scarlet, deep red, and many more colors.
• Gerberas can be used in landscapes as bedding plants for borders and flower beds or as Cut Flowers for table arrangements.
• Gerberas are native to Transvaal, South Africa.
• Hybrid Gerbera varieties cloned through tissue culture are uniform, and have long-lasting flowers with thick peduncles that are not light sensitive; hence, flowers remain open in the dark, lending themselves to indoor use in flower arrangements.

Various Forms of Gerbera Flowers

Gerberas come in various forms. Broadly, they can be put into four groups-

• Single Flowers - These Gerberas have a row of non-overlapping petals (ray florets) with a green center (disc florets). These are the most common gerberas available in the market.
• Double or duplex - These Gerberas have a double row of overlapping petals with a green, black, or dark red eye.
• Crested doubles - These doubles contain two rows of overlapping petals with one or more inner rows of shorter petals with a green, black, or dark red eye.
• Full crested doubles - These have solid overlapping rows of petals with an inner row diminishing in size, covering the eye entirely.

• The most inexpensive way to produce gerberas is from seed obtained from reputable seed suppliers.
• Seed should be germinated in an artificial growing medium. Germinating seed in field sand or field sand mixed with materials such as perlite and/or peat moss is not recommended because field sand is usually not sterile. Artificial growing media that are sterile, lightweight, and have good water retention capacity and drainage can be purchased in garden supply stores. These materials often have fertilizers incorporated.
• The medium can be placed in flats or pots that have drainage holes. Make shallow rows in the medium approximately twice the depth of the diameter of the seed, sow seeds in the rows, cover lightly with extra medium and water carefully.
• After seeds are planted and watered, cover the container with a sheet of glass or clear plastic and place the germination container approximately 18 inches (45.7 cm) below a fluorescent light. Check the medium daily for moisture and for signs of seed germination.
• The medium should never be allowed to dry, especially when gerbera seeds are starting to germinate. When watering is necessary, apply a sufficient amount to allow excess water to drain out of the container. Any water that collects in the saucer beneath the germination container should be discarded.
• Tall and spindly seedlings can be avoided by transplanting seedlings to small pots as soon as the first true leaves appear. Seedlings can be grown in small pots until they are large enough to transplant into flower beds.