Wedding Flowers and Decorations

Mothers Day Flowers Mothers Day Flowers 

Flowers for Mother's Day. Show your mum how special she is by sending her an arrangement of flowers.

Sending Flowers as a Wedding Gift
Sending flowers as a wedding gift to the bride and groom can be grate idea. Flowers can be delivered to the church ceremony, to the wedding reception or banquet.

Wedding flower dilemmas solved
Silk flowers and bouquets offer an alternative to traditional wedding flowers. Silk flowers & artificial flowers look natural, are available in many colours and are not effected by temperature or humidity.

Bridal Bouquet Styles
The brides’ bouquet should complement her dress and body shape, and reflect her personality. Even if you have a limited budget for flowers, Floradiction can help create the perfect bouquet for you without compromising on style.

Wedding Reception Flowers
It is important when designing your wedding experience that you carry a theme throughout the entire day, and one of the best ways to do this is with your floral arrangements. There is nothing lovelier than a reception venue decorated in the same theme as your bridal bouquets. Many reception venues will include flowers in their package.

Ceremony Flowers
Imagine walking down the aisle on your wedding day and the venue you have selected to exchange your vows being filled with flowers that you have chosen as your bridal blooms. You will certainly feel as though you are supposed to be there. It can also put the stamp of your individual style on the ceremony. It does not have to be anything elaborate, just enough to tie the venue in with you and your wedding.

Floral Hair Accessories
Fresh flowers in the hair of the bride, bridesmaids or flower girl are the perfect finishing touch to complete the ‘bridal look’. There are many different options available using fresh flowers.

History of Bridal Bouquets and Wedding Flowers
A brief history of bridal bouquets and wedding flowers. This article covers the Posy, Biedermeier, Arm Sheafs, Composite Flower Bouquet, Crescent Bouquet, the Muff Bouquet, Prayerbook or Bible Sprays and Shower Bouquets.

Sending Flowers Worldwide
There may be a time when it's required to send flowers overseas, perhaps to a friend, relative, work related or for an occasion such as a wedding, funeral, birthday or new born baby. Finding a local florist in your destination country will make things simpler and less complicated.

Wedding Flower Origins, History & Customs
The following are some examples of how flowers have been used in different customs in the past.

Florist Search - Online Florists and Flower Shops 
Search for local in florists in Australia, florists in Canada, florists in New Zealand, florists in England and florists in the United States. Buy flowers online for St Valentines Day and other special occasions.

Florist Works
Buy flowers online with free same day delivery. Send flowers to Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Europe, Asiaand the United States.

Flowers for Mother's Day. Show your mum how special she is by sending her an arrangement of flowers.

Sending Flowers as a Wedding Gift
Sending flowers as a wedding gift to the bride and groom can be grate idea. Flowers can be delivered to the church ceremony, to the wedding reception or banquet.

Wedding flower dilemmas solved
Silk flowers and bouquets offer an alternative to traditional wedding flowers. Silk flowers & artificial flowers look natural, are available in many colours and are not effected by temperature or humidity.

Bridal Bouquet Styles
The brides’ bouquet should complement her dress and body shape, and reflect her personality. Even if you have a limited budget for flowers, Floradiction can help create the perfect bouquet for you without compromising on style.

Wedding Reception Flowers
It is important when designing your wedding experience that you carry a theme throughout the entire day, and one of the best ways to do this is with your floral arrangements. There is nothing lovelier than a reception venue decorated in the same theme as your bridal bouquets. Many reception venues will include flowers in their package.

Ceremony Flowers
Imagine walking down the aisle on your wedding day and the venue you have selected to exchange your vows being filled with flowers that you have chosen as your bridal blooms. You will certainly feel as though you are supposed to be there. It can also put the stamp of your individual style on the ceremony. It does not have to be anything elaborate, just enough to tie the venue in with you and your wedding.

Floral Hair Accessories
Fresh flowers in the hair of the bride, bridesmaids or flower girl are the perfect finishing touch to complete the ‘bridal look’. There are many different options available using fresh flowers.

History of Bridal Bouquets and Wedding Flowers
A brief history of bridal bouquets and wedding flowers. This article covers the Posy, Biedermeier, Arm Sheafs, Composite Flower Bouquet, Crescent Bouquet, the Muff Bouquet, Prayerbook or Bible Sprays and Shower Bouquets.

Sending Flowers Worldwide
There may be a time when it's required to send flowers overseas, perhaps to a friend, relative, work related or for an occasion such as a wedding, funeral, birthday or new born baby. Finding a local florist in your destination country will make things simpler and less complicated.

Wedding Flower Origins, History & Customs
The following are some examples of how flowers have been used in different customs in the past.

Florist Search - Online Florists and Flower Shops 
Search for local in florists in Australia, florists in Canada, florists in New Zealand, florists in England and florists in the United States. Buy flowers online for St Valentines Day and other special occasions.

Florist Works
Buy flowers online with free same day delivery. Send flowers to Australia, New Zealand, United Kingdom, Europe, Asiaand the United States.

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25 years later, how ‘Top Gun’ made America love war

In June, the Army negotiated a first-of-its-kind sponsorship deal with the producers of “X-Men: First Class,” backing it up with ads telling potential recruits that they could live out superhero fantasies on real-life battlefields. Then, in recent days, word leaked that the White House has been working with Oscar-winning director Kathryn Bigelow on an election-year film chronicling the operation that killed Osama bin Laden.
A country questioning its overall military posture, and a military establishment engaging in a counter-campaign for hearts and minds — if this feels like deja vu, that’s because it’s taking place on the 25th anniversary of the release of “Top Gun.”
That Jerry Bruckheimer blockbuster, made in collaboration with the Pentagon, came out in the mid-1980s, when polls showed many Americans expressing doubts about the post-Vietnam military and about the constant saber rattling from the White House. But the movie’s celebration of sweat-shined martial machismo generated $344 million at the box office and proved to be a major force in resuscitating the military’s image.
Not only did enlistment spike when “Top Gun” was released, and not only did the Navy set up recruitment tables at theaters playing the movie, but polls soon showed rising confidence in the military. With Ronald Reagan wrapping military adventurism in the flag, with the armed forces scoring low-risk but high-profile victories in Libya and Grenada, America fell in love with Maverick, Iceman and other high-fivin’ silver-screen super-pilots as they traveled Mach 2 while screaming about “the need for speed.”
Today, “Top Gun” lives on in cable reruns, in the American psyche and, most important, in how it turned the Hollywood-Pentagon relationship into a full-on Mav-Goose bromance that ideologically slants films from their inception.
The 1986 movie, starring Tom Cruise and Kelly McGillis, was the template for a new Military-Entertainment Complex. During production, the Pentagon worked hand-in-hand with the filmmakers, reportedly charging Paramount Pictures just $1.8 million for the use of its warplanes and aircraft carriers. But that taxpayer-subsidized discount came at a price — the filmmakers were required to submit their script to Pentagon brass for meticulous line edits aimed at casting the military in the most positive light. (One example: Time magazine reported that Goose’s death was changed from a midair collision to an ejection scene, because “the Navy complained that too many pilots were crashing.”)
Although “Top Gun” was not the first movie to exchange creative input for Pentagon assistance and resources, its success set that bargain as a standard for other filmmakers, who began deluging the Pentagon with requests for collaboration. By the time the 1991 Persian Gulf War began, Phil Strub, the Pentagon’s liaison to the movie industry, told the Hollywood Reporter that he’d seen a 70 percent increase in the number of requests from filmmakers for assistance — effectively changing the way Hollywood works.

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Plant feeding: application

Remember that plant foods can only be absorbed by roots when there is sufficient moisture present in the soil. If the plants are dry, apply clear water before feeding with either solid or liquid plant foods.
Apply the right amount, don’t add extra for luck. The application rate has been worked out to give maximum benefits. Overdosing is wasteful and co

uld harm your plants.

By hose-end feeder

Soluble plant foods can be watered over large areas easily and quickly with modern devices such as the Feeder. The plant food is dissolved in the container and gradually picked up and further diluted by the water jetting through the hose. The Feeder comes filled with All Purpose Soluble Plant Food so it is ready to use when you buy it. You can also use LiquaFeed All Purpose Plant Food Starter Kit system of concentrated liquid plant foods. Simply screw in a bottle to the device and the water pressure of your hose accurately dilutes the feed.

By hand

Check the recommended rate before you start. Weigh the amount in your own ‘handful’ on kitchen scales to see how this compares with the recommended application rate. Spread the plant food over the prescribed area and then rake in. Wash your hands after application.

Through a watering can

Make sure you use a watering can that has not been used previously for weedkillers unless it is thoroughly washed out and rinsed several times. Fill with clean water from the drinking tap or water butt and then add the amount of plant food prescribed on the pack or bottle. Stir thoroughly until dissolved and then water the soil around plants.

By spreader

Treating large areas of lawn is easy if you can use a mechanical spreader with wheels. It will give more even application than by hand and is quick to treat large areas. Follow the instructions for settings carefully and clean out the hopper after each use to prevent corrosion.

The advantages of controlled release plant foods

These smart plant foods are clean and convenient to use – proving a steady release of plant nutrients from one application. In warm weather when plants are growing faster, more plant foods are released. If temperatures go down, slowing plant growth the release of nutrients is reduced in line.
You can buy loose granules such as Controlled Release Plant Food for application to soil around trees, shrubs and flowering plants. All Purpose Continuous Release Plant Food Tablets or Controlled Release Plant Food Tablets are high in potash and contain magnesium and trace elements for insertion below the surface of the compost in hanging baskets, pots, tubs and other containers.

Apply at the right time

Plants need feeding just prior to their start into growth or while they are actively growing. For most plants this in the spring when new leaves, stems and flowers are being produced and during the summer. Don’t feed outdoor plants in late autumn or winter – excessive nitrogen may encourage soft growth that is more prone to frost damage.

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Growing roses

Roses are one of our favourite garden plants. Choosing the right site for planting, providing the rose with the right conditions for healthy and successful growth and correct pruning and deadheading will ensure they flower profusely throughout the summer and into autumn. Careful attention will prevent any possible rose problems.

Plant position and soil

Roses need good light, preferably full sun, and shelter from strong or cold winds. They benefit from plenty of room and air, so don’t plant roses under trees or too close to a wall, generally not less than 60cm to 90cm (2ft to 3ft) for most rose bushes, and at least 45cm (18in) away from the base of the wall for climbers and ramblers. Avoid planting where roses have previously been grown. If this is not feasible, assume that the soil is ‘rose-sick’ and will therefore have to be replaced to a depth of about 45cm (18in) or more with fresh soil or compost.
Roses root quite deeply, so the soil needs to be fairly deep. If the topsoil layer is thin, or if drainage is a problem, dig in Rose, Tree & Shrub Compost to improve the soil structure and enable fast establishment. Most roses will not tolerate extremes of acidity or alkalinity, generally preferring soils that are neutral or slightly acid. Highly acidic soils can be treated with lime well before planting and highly alkaline soils will also benefit from digging in a specialist Rose, Tree & Shrub Compost or Farmyard Manure.
Roses need soils rich in organic matter, which provide good drainage and moisture retention, as well as encouraging worms and bacteria to work to the benefit of the plant. Light, sandy soils tend to dry out easily, and nutrients are quickly leached away and they often fail to provide the physical support and anchorage needed by roses to withstand winter winds. So, incorporating additional organic matter when a rose bed is being prepared is extremely beneficial.

Planting

You can buy roses in three different ways: bare-rooted; pre-packed; and containerised or container-grown. Bare-rooted roses and pre-packed (which are basically the same as bare-rooted roses but have their roots trimmed and wrapped in plastic with a little compost) must be planted between mid-autumn and early spring, when the plants are dormant. It is worth soaking the roots of these types of roses in a bucket of cool water for a couple of hours before planting, as the roots may have begun to dry out.
Containerised and container-grown roses can be planted at any time of year, providing that the ground is not frozen, waterlogged or suffering from drought conditions. Only buy strong, healthy-looking plants and carefully check the rootball to ensure that it is strong and healthy. Choosing strong, healthy plants will alleviate many potential problems right from the start.
For bare-rooted and pre-packed roses, simply dig out a hole large and deep enough to accommodate the roots at the right depth. For containerised or container-grown roses, dig out a planting hole twice as wide and 5cm to 7.5cm (2in to 3in) deeper than the pot.
Prepare a planting mixture of Rose, Tree & Shrub Compost mixed 50/50 with garden soil. Add to this some Rose & Shrub Plant Food or Rose & Shrub Continuous Release Plant Food. Line the planting hole with a 5cm (2in) depth of planting mixture, place the rose in the hole, checking that it is at the correct depth, and fill the hole with the remainder of the planting mixture. Gently firm down, topping it up with a covering of normal garden soil to the correct depth if necessary, then water-in well with about 5 litres (approximately 1 gallon) of water.

Feeding and watering

To feed established roses, sprinkle 28g (1oz) of Rose & Shrub Plant Food evenly around each plant and lightly work into the soil. For best results aim to feed twice per year, at first flower bud stage in the spring and finally at the second flush of buds. Alternatively, feed once with Rose & Shrub Continuous Release Plant Food to feed your plants for the whole season with one application.
Whichever fertiliser is used, it should not be necessary to remove the mulch from around the rose before feeding. Usually the rain will wash the fertiliser through to the soil beneath, or it can be watered through if rain is not expected for several days.
Providing that an adequate feeding regime is practised and that the soil has been adequately prepared prior to planting, nutrient deficiencies should not occur. However if the telltale signs of yellowing leaves develop, the rose may be suffering from iron and/or manganese deficiencies. Likewise pale patches towards the centres of leaves and areas of dead tissue near the main vein indicate a lack of magnesium. Applying Sequestrene Plant Tonic directly to the soil as soon as symptoms appear should balance out these deficiencies.
As roses are deeply rooting plants they rarely need watering once they have become established, particularly on heavier soils. Mulching also helps to retain moisture in the soil. In prolonged periods of dry weather, it is better to avoid a ‘little and often’ approach to watering, as this may encourage surface roots, which are more likely to be damaged from drought. It is better to give the roots a thorough soaking by using a drip-feed, ‘leaky pipe’ system, or simply a hosepipe turned down to a trickle so that the water is applied gradually over a long period. Watering in the evening rather than in the heat of the day minimises water loss through evaporation.

Mulching

Mulches are extremely valuable to help maintain favourable conditions for the rose, as well as reducing the level of maintenance needed of the gardener, by helping to retain moisture in the soil, suppress weeds and maintain an even soil temperature.
If mulch is to be applied for the first time, it is best applied when the soil is warm and moist. Before the mulch is applied, carefully treat any small or annual weeds that are present with a contact weedkiller such as Weedol Gun! Rootkill Plus. Use a systemic weedkiller such as Roundup GC Weedkiller or TumbleWeed for deep rooted perennial weeds.
A good mulching material, such as Water Saving Decorative Bark or Miracle-Gro Moisture Control Natural Pine Bark needs to be at least 7.5cm to 10cm (3in to 4 in) thick to effectively control weeds and conserve moisture.

Rose pruning and deadheading

Roses are pruned to keep them within bounds and to make them flower well. The traditional method of pruning, hard pruning to about a quarter of an inch (6mm) above a bud, sloping away from it at a slight angle, is generally not necessary. In fact, the more foliage a rose carries, the better its flowering performance will be. Therefore, removing about half the length of the old branches on bush roses is sufficient and it is not necessary to remove twiggy and non-flowering growth other than suckers. Sucker growth, which comes from the root system onto which the rose variety is grafted, is fast growing and will take over the plant, and should be removed by gently tugging it away from the rootstock.
It does not matter whether pruning is carried out in autumn/early winter or in the spring, as long as no hard frosts are expected, as this can cause newly cut shoots to die back. However, it is generally recommended that tall rose bushes should be cut back by about one-third in late autumn to avoid wind damage.
Generally, shrub roses, ground cover roses and standard roses need only be pruned to keep them looking tidy and within bounds. Climbers and ramblers, provided that they are well supported and trained, need their sideshoots pruned to just a finger length or so. The branches of bush roses can be trimmed to about half their previous length. In all cases, remove dead, diseased, damaged and particularly old wood.
Deadheading is the removal of spent blooms before the rose is able to set seed. This encourages the plant to produce more flowers in a further attempt to reproduce, which is after all the plant’s reason for flowering in the first place. Deadheading acts a form of light summer pruning.
The traditional method of deadheading is to cut off the shoot, some three to five leaves below the spent flower. More recently it has been shown that roses perform better when they carry more foliage. Therefore the current recommendation for deadheading is simply to carefully snap off dead flower heads at the abscission layer. This is a swollen part of the stem below the bloom, where the rosehip would naturally be shed and is normally where the first leaflets can be found.

Rose pests and diseases

Prevention is always better than cure. A healthy, well cared for rose, grown in favourable conditions, will be more able to withstand pest and disease attack than one which is under stress. Therefore, good site preparation and careful planting followed by good aftercare and a simple preventative spray programme with a combined pesticide and fungicide will greatly reduce the number of potential problems that may occur.
Few insect pests are likely to cause serious problems on roses. Even heavy infestations of most pests are unlikely to be much of a threat to a healthy rose, but will look unsightly and worth controlling. RoseClear Ultra and RoseClear Ultra Gun! are a combined systemic fungicide and systemic insecticide specially formulated for roses and control many

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4 Frugal Ways to Get Your Kids to Love School

The following guest post is from Kyle James from Rather-Be-Shopping.com. Learn more about Kyle immediately following his post.
With 3 young kids heading back to school next week, I have classrooms and playgrounds on my mind. A good chunk of kids, including one of mine, dreads the first day of school and heading back for another year of early mornings and homework. But there definitely are frugal ways to make your kids like school (maybe even love school).
You don’t need expensive educational computer games or “how to” books to make school and learning fun, these tips cost nothing to implement except some of your time. I can personally vouch that these tips will instill a love of learning and help you bond even more with your children.
Set a Good Example – If your child doesn’t like reading, it can often be very hard to reverse that tide. But by reading to your child every night, and by turning off the TV and reading your own books in front of them, you can set a good example.
We did this with our oldest son who really hated to read, slowly we were able to get him to want to read with out any prompting. It takes times and a lot of consistency, but by setting a good example it can be done. Also, let him or her pick out a few books that actually interest them. A kid can only handle so many ‘Dick and Jane’ books before they get completely bored.
Participate In the Classroom – By volunteering in your child’s classroom and going on their field trips you can show them that you really value their education and are willing to put time into making it the best experience possible. Plus, if your child is very shy at school, your presence in the classroom can help them come out of their shell. Also, by being in the classroom and observing, you can decipher which kids you would like your child to foster friendships with. Whi

ch brings us to our next tip.
Set Play dates – Following up on that last thought, you can then take an active role in fostering positive friendships be scheduling play dates for your child. This obviously works best for younger children, we did this with our kindergartener and it really helped her adjust socially to school. In turn, she really started enjoying going to school and would be the first one ready in the morning.
Field Trips from Home – The Internet is a powerful learning tool. I can remember a couple years ago my son was studying sharks and he came home from school totally excited to tell me everything he had learned. Excited by his excitement, together we went on the Internet and found a bunch of really cool shark videos (just Google it) that were both fun and educational. He ended up going back to school the next day telling the class about what he had learned at home.
We do this all the time now and I call them our field trips from home. It has really helped reinforce what he learns at school, plus it has given him a lot of confidence. Before we started doing this, there was no way he would ever volunteered any information in class, but now he does it all the time. I highly recommend this tip.
The most important commodity in getting my kids to love school is my time. Time spent showing an interest in their school work and school activities. Believe me, it really has paid huge dividends. Do you have any tips to add to my list? I look forward to any suggestions that I may have missed. Thanks again Jason for letting me contribute.

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How to Show a Girlfriend Love

Instructions

1. • 1
     Touch her whenever you can. Women love gentle caresses and caring touches anytime of the day. The sense of touch can completely comfort a woman because women by nature are nurturing people.
   • 2
     Do something for her that she would never expect. Bring her something home from work, take her to a special event, surprise her with a beach picnic to show how much you are for her.
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   • 3
     Tell her how lucky you feel to have her in your life. Tell her how important she is and how much you appreciate her. A woman loves to hear that she is loved and adored.
   • 4
     Do something kind for her that you generally wouldn't want to do. Watch her favorite shows with her, take her to see her favorite singer, make a special dinner for her or even scrub the toilets. By pitching in, you can always show that you care about your relationship to share duties.
   • 5
     Plan a romantic getaway just for the two of you and surprise her at the last moment. Make it somewhere warm, tropical and isolated so you can both re-connect with each other.
   • 6
     Listen to her day. Women like to come home and chat about their day, while men like to resort to a cave for at least an hour, watch television and stay quiet. Try to be more of an active listener.

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Real Live College Guy Ryan: How to Fix Your Friendship with Your Guy Friend After You Had a Crush on Him?

Need Dr. Drew relationship advice but don’t have the sensationalistic drama to warrant TV time? Unfortunately, Real Live College Guy Ryan isn’t a reality show therapist. However, he can provide the lowdown on everything you’ve ever wanted to know about college males: how they think, act, speak and genuinely interact with the women in their lives.
I told my guy friend I liked him at the end of last semester. He told me he didn’t feel the same way and, since it was just a crush, I got over it after not seeing him over winter break. This semester it’s very awkward with us. I don’t want to tell him “I don’t have a crush on you,” but I want to make that message heard and have our friendship go back to the way it was. — No Longer Crushing at Clemson

Correct: you definitely don’t want to tell him that. If you want to get your message across and have that friendship restored, then… don’t hold your breath. He’s probably still spooked (and feeling awkward), so don’t expect any immediate return to BFF-ville.

So, keep it simple: be cordial and friendly whenever you see him and try to strike up small talk. Your original friendship won’t be immediately restored, but that shouldn’t be your goal. Take small steps such as interacting with him and catching up. Rebuild that initial rapport you two shared before you dropped that “I like you bomb” on him and hope that you two can pick up where you left off.
 

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