Our crown flower trees are now bare with hardly much leaves left.  Leaves (are) were munched by butterfly caterpillars for the last month and a half. It is a devastated sight from a crown flower farmer or a home owner perspective. But to caterpillars, fatten by every inch of leaves is a must, in order to get ready for coconing, then becoming butterflies.  We put our blinders on and let the caterpillars munch on. We welcome the devastation, knowing that there will be more butterflies for the world.  The tree will be refilled with leaves again. It will be soon be spring, summer, fall, then again butterflis return and lay their eggs.

We were in Osaka and Kyoto a few weeks ago. Like noodle shops, flower shops in Japan are plentiful.  They are in every street corners, apartment stores, train stations and even residential neighborhoods. We are much inspired to see such  high quality and affordability of floral offers. The cymbidium, ranucurus, sweet peas are among my favorite. Next to the good food and people, flower is one of the best thing that I love about Japan. Happy travel.

Did you know we use Hawaii grown lilies, snapdragons, and hydrangeas every chance we can. We found that the quality of the flowers will be nicer since they are in transport for a few hours rather than a couple of days. Besides, it is better for the environment.  We love our flower grower at the Big Island. Enjoy your Friday. 

Here is progress of our flower shop backyard.  It is a little weedy after the rainy winter season. We have a baby pineapple coming up.  So cute. Yeah. Our cactus shot up about 6 feet before flowering. We still have the basil and the rosemary plants, fighting their turfs with the weeds.  Remember, the water we changed out goes here, to grow plants in the back yard.  Less water needed from the Board of Water Supply and less water goes to the water treatment plant.  Summer is here!  Conserve water when we can.

We made our grave site delivery to Diamond Head Cemetary on Memorial Day and boy, what a sight.  Graves were doted with flowers and flags.  I would say the graves are almost as decorated with flowers as much to during Easter or Chinese Ching Ming.

Shower trees are blooming to the max around town. Soft petals of pink, white and yellow float and drift in the air with a light summer breeze. You would easily mistaken these as cherry blossoms. The most dramatic view of these shower trees are at South King Street where they color the avenue with their blossoms on each side of the street. People also noticed another dramatic cluster at the KCC’s main parking lot. Bring your picnic basket and beach mat to Kapiolani Park. Enjoy the shower.

Flower delivery is the best job in the world. I am the messenger of love, appreciation, and congratulation. Never another job would let me witness so much happiness. Have you ever seen the reaction people have when they receive flowers? It is pure happiness. Happiness that just glow and radiate from the smile and out. You could feel the energy of the happiness. It is never close to the same happiness when a mother receives her newborn child, when a child who hits his first home run, when long lost friends find each other again. But you know what I’m talking about. So, next time when you receive flowers, don’t bother tipping me (unless you’re more than happy)  because I’m already blessed to be delivering you the flowers and I’m happy that it is not just some greasy food or lost luggage.  Enjoy the flowers and show me your smiles.

Our hanging basket flowers are wilted and somehow its offspring made it in the crack of the asphalt pavement in our parking lot. That proved to me that good thing doesn’t always end up where you planned but it is still end up being a good thing.

Choose a location where family members gather. That way everyone can enjoy the flowers more often. It could be the dining room, kitchen, family room, entrance hallway, sun room. Now look for a spot to place the flower arrangement that is away from foot traffic.

Next you can choose the size and shape of the arrangement. It could be a low arrangement at the center of the dining table, a medium height arrangement in a kitchen nook, or a tall arrangement on a side table at the family room. Make sure the spot is away from direct sun or other heat source. The arrangement will last longer when it is located at a spot with a constant cool temperature. Stop by your neighborhood florist and pick out your favorite flowers. Your florist can work with you on flower selections that would meet your budget. A tropical arrangement would match any island home decor. You’re not stuck with the standard red ginger, bird of paradise and anthurium. Your florist can introduce you to the helicornia, protea, pin cushion, beehive ginger, tower ginger, purperia, caribaea and dendrobium. If tropical arrangement is too much of a just look-so-the-same to you, your florist can introduce you to a variety of seasonal flowers such as peonies, cherry blossoms, godetia, daffodil and narcissus. Some flowers were seasonal but are now available year round, such as the tulips, roses, Gerbera Daisy, Freesia, Alstromeria, mums. Carnation, Iris, and Ranunculus. Enjoy your flowers.

Nicknamed “Booming,” the Olympic flower bouquet is beautiful and is filled with meaning.  Here at Sweet Blossoms Hawaii, we give our best shot at making one of our own.

“The flower that will play the leading role is the Chinese red rose, a flower species first cultivated by the Chinese people. As red is propitious in Chinese tradition, red Chinese roses are suitable to convey the hospitality of the Chinese people,”

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“They represent friendship, unity and fairness, and bless the Olympic Games with great success.”

9 China red roses
6 fragrant plantain lilies (veronica)
6 pieces of ophiogon japonicus grass,
hypericum berries
obedient plant leaves
leather leaves

[BeijingReview] [2008BIMC] [en.beijing2008.cn]