Flower of the month: garden roses

First, I can't believe it's already July! 2014 is flying by!

This month, let's celebrate roses, one of my favorite flowers to arrange with and arguably the most popular flower of all time. There are hundreds of types of roses in so many colors. They traditionally thought to have a beautiful scent, but unfortunately, most varieties available these days for commercial purposes have no scent at all (to lengthen vase life). If you like your roses to have that sweet fragrance, I recommend purchasing garden roses (sometimes referred to as cabbage roses or old-fashioned roses).

As for purchasing roses at the grocery store or at the flower market, I look for outer petals that are beginning to unfold and check to see if the middle of the rose is slightly firm to the touch, with a closed swirl of petals. Then when I get home, I condition them immediately to maximize their life. I cut the stem at a sharp angle, remove thorns and any leaves with will be below the water level, dip the stem in Quick Dip and then immediately, place in a bucket of stem with tepid, clean water.

One of the most beautiful, peaceful space in downtown Evanston--Merrick Rose Garden:

Lilacia Park in Lombard

In my opinion, the best flowers are in bloom during the month of May (it's one of the reasons I chose to name my flower business May Floral). For instance, the extraordinary lilacs. I love their beautiful color palette of purple and white, heavenly fragrance, and fluffy blooms. So I am thankful that there is a nearby park dedicated to lilacs! The Lombard Park District’s Lilacia Park is an 8.5-acre paradise of over 700 lilacs! Yesterday, I visited to inhale the lilacs' sweet fragrance and take in their beauty. This flower has a short blooming season. For us midwesterners, it is usually on full display during mid-May and then falls dormant again until the following year. For me, this makes lilac an even greater delight to cherish.

Orchids at the Chicago Botanic Garden

I recently attended the Orchid Show at the Chicago Botanic Garden. Orchids are one of my favorite flowers, and the botanic garden did such a wonderful job celebrating one of the planet's largest and most diverse flowering plant families. The Orchid Show is month-long exhibition ending on March 16. What a great way to chase the winter blues away!

Spring, I can't wait for you!

Here is a snippet of today's weather forecast in Chicago: "Bitterly cold. Variable cloudiness and windy. Dangerous wind chills as low as -40F. High around -10F." Weather like this makes you dream about spring's arrival, for sure.

Above photo of cherry blossoms, such a cherished symbol that spring is finally here, taken during my unforgettable visit in April 2010 at the Brooklyn Botanic Garden, which hosts a cherry blossom festival every year.