STUFF YOU DIDN'T KNOW YOU DIDN'T KNOW!

Stuff you didn't know you didn't know! 

If a statue in the park of a person on a horse
Has both front legs in the air, the person died in battle.
If the horse has one front leg in the air,
The person died because of wounds received in battle.
If the horse has all four legs on the ground, the person died
Of natural causes

Only two people
Signed the Declaration of Independence on July 4, John Hancock
And Charles Thomson. Most of the rest signed on August 2, But
The last signature wasn't added until 5 years later.

Q. Half of all Americans live within 50 miles of what?
A. Their birthplace

Q.Most boat owners
Name their boats. What is the most popular boat name
Requested?
A. Obsession

Q.. If you were to
Spell out numbers, how far would you have to go until you
Would find the letter 'A'?
A. One thousand

Q. What do Bulletproof vests, fire escapes,
windshield wipers and laser Printers have in common?
A. All were invented
By women.


Q. What is the only
Food that doesn't spoil?
A. Honey 

PLANNING A ROSE GARDEN

Planning and Designing your Rose Garden

As the garden design chosen will impact on the health of your roses, the choice of position should be guided not only by aesthetical reflections but also by practical considerations.

It is certainly a good idea to visit rose gardens in your area to get some inspiration and general idea of the various ways roses can be presented and combined to form a harmonious entity.

Air circulation and full sunshine are important for growing healthy roses. Roses should be planted where air circulation is not hampered by screens, walls, fences, buildings, hedges or other plantings.

They should receive a minimum of six hours of direct sunlight per day. Choose an area of your garden where the roses receive sunlight in the morning (bright afternoon sun may affect the color of the flowers and burn the leaves of some roses).

Roses are also particularly allergic to draught and the dripping of water on their leaves. Choose a part of your garden not overhung by trees, shrubs or other plants that can lead to rain drip.  

If you have a larger garden, you may want to group your roses in one area of your garden so as to form a separate rose garden. There are many advantages to creating a separate (enclosed) rose garden. When separated from the rest of the garden the design of the rose parterre can be adapted to the cultural needs of your roses and a separate, rose-friendly watering system can be reserved for that area. Indeed, roses should not be watered from the top as this tends to encourage the growth of leaf fungus and the appearance of pests. The garden hose, soaker or a drip watering system should be placed in the bed with the water running slowly. Also, remember that monocultural rose gardens can look very dull in Winter, so either reserve them to an area that is not visible from the house or mix them with evergreen, grey-leaved plants that will give that area a colored touch during the Winter months.

SUNSHINE ALL DAY LONG

“Some people are so much sunshine to the square inch.” 
― Walt Whitman


“A flower cannot blossom without sunshine, and man cannot live without love.” 
― Max Muller

Amazing Physiology

                                              Can sunlight actually improve health?

Like plants, human beings also need sunlight for optimal health. Although many believe that any exposure to sunlight is harmful, it is actually an overexposure to direct sunlight that should be avoided.

In fact, in moderation, sunlight can …

• ease tension,
• increase immunity,
• prevent diseases,
• improve sleep,
• increase mental performance,
• heighten metabolism,
• relieve arthritic pains,
• and boost energy levels. 

Many of sunlight’s benefits are connected to vitamin D. Our bodies must have the UVB radiation found in sunlight to make this essential, health-promoting vitamin.

When exposed to sunlight, our skin begins to protect itself from overexposure by producing melanin, a chemical that darkens skin, and vitamin D precursors. Increased melanin and vitamin D allow increased exposure to the sun without burning.

STILL MORE ABOUT SUNFLOWERS

That’s right. One of history’s ironies is that the native of the Americas returned, changed and its properties heightened by Russian intervention. Perhaps if Stalin had known this he might have demanded their return to the motherland a century later when the two nations threatened to annihilate each other. It is thought that Russian immigrants to the US and Canada took seeds with them and by the 1880s companies were offering the ‘Mammoth Russian’ in their catalogues - a variety that was sold until the nineteen seventies.

It took a while for the Americans to take advantage of the sunflower as a cash crop and it is first recorded as silage feed for chickens. Then in 1926 the Missouri Sunflower Growers Association started processing sunflower seed in to oil. The secret was finally out and nothing would be the same for the sunflower ever again. The Canadians got the same idea about the same time and the government there started its breeding programme in 1930. In both countries the breeding material (the seeds) came from members of the Russian Mennonite community.

MORE SUNFLOWER TALES        

Although many people would not know from where the sunflower originated it is not really a mistake for which they could be blamed. It would not take long for Europeans, after the discovery of the New World as they called it, to see the benefits of transporting seeds across the Atlantic and beyond. It is thought that the plant arrived in the Old World (to Spain) around the beginning of the sixteenth century but because of its wonderful size and beauty (it was considered very exotic) the sunflower was first used mostly as an ornamental plant. There is a record of a patent for squeezing the oil out of the sunflower much later – in England in 1716.

  It was  not until the eighteenth century that the sunflower gained huge popularity as a cultivated plant and the person we have to thank for that is perhaps not the first who might spring to mind. Peter the Great of Russia went on one of his many trips    and landed up in Holland. There, he became so enamored of the giant flower that he took seeds back to Russia where the people were no doubt nonplussed by it – at least to begin with. During Lent, the Russian Orthodox Church forbad its adherents from consuming oil. However, the oil of the sunflower was not on the prohibited list and the Russian people jumped on Peter’s bandwagon wholeheartedly. By the third decade of the nineteenth century sunflower oil was manufactured in Russia on a large and highly

lucrative commercial scale.

Russia was awash with the giant flowers, growing over two million acres a year. They identified two types, one for oil production and one for their own consumption. The government even invested money in to what we now call research projects and one scientist, VS Pustovoit was the originator of the most successful breeding project. Even today scientific awards for the study of the sunflower are awarded in his name. So, by 1830 the time was ripe for the sunflower (as it had become in Russia) to make a triumphant return to the Americas.

SUNFLOWER TALES 

Sunflowers originate from North America but would travel to the Old World and back – and back again - in their centuries old journey to become the plant we know today. They were probably one of the first crops to be grown in the Americas. Before this they were picked by hunter gatherers as a natural source of fat. The seeds could be ground up and mixed with flour to make bread much like the pita variety we eat today. Around five thousand years ago people began to farm them in the south-western parts of North America in what is now Mexico. As they were cultivated over the generations the plants were encouraged to produce ever bigger seeds – and many more of them as well. So, the sunflower we have now bears no resemblance to how it started out as the human race has interfered with its characteristics for all these thousands of years.
It has been suggested that the sunflower was even domesticated before corn. It was during this time that the Cherokee and other Native Americans also began to farm sunflowers. They became an important part of the diet of these peoples as a good source of fat – which hunter gatherer societies needed to supplement the lean meat they would eat. Down south in Mexico the Aztecs were also cultivating the plant but also they also worshipped it. In their temples to the sun, the priestesses would wear headdresses made of sunflowers to give themselves the air of the divine. The past of the sunflower, then, already reveals some ‘secrets’.

Yet no one would have guessed what the future of the sunflower held – and the travels it would endure.
As today, the sunflower seed was cracked and snacked on - something you can eat between meals without ruining your appetite - albeit a much healthier snack than many we eat today. There are early records of the oil being squeezed and used to make bread too. However, the sunflower was not only a food source. It was used to create a dye of a purple color which was used then to enhance clothing, paint bodies and decorate objects. Other parts of the plant were used to make medicinal remedies for snake bites and ointments. The seed oil was used to lubricate hair and skin. As ancient societies could not afford to waste anything the stalks were dried and then used as a building material.

FIGI HONEYMOON

                           
                                  FIGI HONEYMOON

 Fiji would have to be the ideal location for a romantic getaway.

• secluded resorts including couples/honeymoon resorts
• beautiful unspoilt nature including diving
• all year exotic weather
• scrumptious fresh food
• the friendliest people

It's paradise.

However the one drawback would be that Fiji, price-wise, generally is a mid-range upwards location. You can do it on the cheap but generally speaking the majority of options are mid-range and above.

Top-end options are truly world class. If you can do a luxury honeymoon, don't hesitate. You won't be disappointed.

Fiji is well renown for it's stunning beaches, fantastic diving, unspoilt nature, and year round warm weather. That's not even the best part. It is how friendly Fijians are, it's unmatched anywhere in the world.

There would not be too many places around the that could do an exotic, secluded honeymoon better than Fiji. Certain resorts target the couples market, and therefore, have adults-only resorts to ensure privacy. If you have money to burn, and let's face it, your honeymoon is the definition of a once-in-a-lifetime experience, then Fiji does luxury honeymoons exceptionally well.

Within these couples-only resorts, there's romantic activities to die for. One of the favourites would have to be the trip to a deserted atoll or beach for a champagne picnic for the day. That memory would last lifetime. Dinner on the beach, or next to a waterfall, or dinner on a pontoon on the ocean are all examples that some resorts offer. And by the way, food in Fiji is absolutely amazing. The reviews will tell you that.

The recommendation, for your honeymoon in Fiji, is to get to a couples-only resort, which means your 'bure' often right on the beach, will ensure absolutely privacy and seclusion. That by itself, is hard to beat.

LOOK OUT I'M HUNGRY

                                                     LOOK OUT I AM HUNGRY

A hungry fly darts through the pines in North Carolina. Drawn by what seems like the scent of nectar from a flowerlike patch of scarlet on the ground, the fly lands on the fleshy pad of a ruddy leaf. It takes a sip of the sweet liquid oozing from the leaf, brushing a leg against one tiny hair on its surface, then another. Suddenly the fly's world has walls around it. The two sides of the leaf are closing against each other, spines along its edges interlocking like the teeth of a jaw trap. As the fly struggles to escape, the trap squeezes shut. Now, instead of offering sweet nectar, the leaf unleashes enzymes that eat away at the fly's innards, gradually turning them into goo. The fly has suffered the ultimate indignity for an animal: It has been killed by a plant.

WEDDING TOASTS

                                    WEDDING TOASTS 
Sam Keen
You come to love not by finding the perfect person, but by seeing an imperfect person perfectly.

Khalil Gibran
And think not, you can direct the course of love; for love, if it finds you worthy, directs your course.

David Myers
For those passionately in love, the whole world seems to smile.

Victor Hugo
The most powerful symptom of love is a tenderness which becomes at times almost insupportable.

Elizabeth Bowen
When you love someone, all your saved-up wishes start coming out.

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EARLY AUTUMN SPENDOR

                                    A nice mixture of  burnt oranges and rust Bridal Bouquet.
                                       The green Bells of Ireland set the rusty tones apart.

AUTUMN

Autumn 
I know we haven't even reached the 4th of July yet but it's not too early to starting thinking about your Autumn Wedding plans. The list of Fall colored flowers grows longer every year with calla lily, Thai orchids and rich hydrangaea leading the way. New rose varieties are reaching the market frequently now days and there are exceptional off whites and creamy browns available. Are you planning an outdoor wedding in an apple orchard or an old barn? Enjoy the Autumn landscape and make it part of your Wedding tapestry. 
Visit our website at www.sunglowflowers.com  We have created an Autumn bulk flower catagory and are adding flowers to it daily. Until then have the Summer of your life

WALK IN THE PARK

Today is a perfect day for a walk in the park. Summer is here at its best. Enjoy it while it lasts!                  

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MAYA ANGELOU QUOTES

WWW.SUNGLOWFLOWERS.COM

I've learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.
Maya Angelou 
 
If you don't like something, change it. If you can't change it, change your attitude.
Maya Angelou 
 
While I know myself as a creation of God, I am also obligated to realize and remember that everyone else and everything else are also God's creation.
Maya Angelou 
 
We may encounter many defeats but we must not be defeated.
Maya Angelou 
 
If you find it in your heart to care for somebody else, you will have succeeded.
Maya Angelou 
  

SUNGLOW FLOWERS

                   SunGlow for all your D.I.Y. Flower needs.

BACK TO MY WEDDING DAY

All right, Wedding party flowers done and starting on the Church and Reception decorations with an interruption for the Rehearsal. I got Back at it after that was finished but I was tired so I decided to come back early to finish in the morning. This was turning into a nightmare and the clock was against us. After finishing the Flowers I shaved, washed and did my hair with the blow dryer, (remember 1977) got dressed in my tux in the basement of the flower shop and off  we went to set up the reception. April 16th and it was 77 degrees and before I was finished with the reception and I was drenched. So, off we go to decorate the Church. The Church is decorated in a hurry but it looked nice! Oh yes, we cleared away a hundred Easter lilies that were everywhere around the church.
 Picture time and I had dried off for the most part. When myself and the Groomsmen sat down in front of the alter for a photo is when I noticed I was wearing 2 different color socks. My tux was too large and the legs dragged on the floor and were torn by the end of the night. Nightmare? No way it was my my Wedding day and I was married to my High School sweetheart. Happy life everyone.

My Favorite Wedding Quotes

Two souls with but a single thought, Two hearts that beat as one.

~ Friedrich Halm ~

Once in awhile,
Right in the middle of an ordinary life,
Love gives us a fairy tale.

~ Anonymous ~

You know you're in love when you can't fall asleep
because reality is finally better than your dreams.

~ Dr. Seuss~
This day I will marry my best friend,
the one I laugh with,
live for,
dream with,
love

~ Author Unknown ~
Within you I lose myself
Without you I find myself
Wanting to be lost again.

~ Unknown ~

MY WEDDING DAY STORY

 It's been awhile, 1977 that I was married. I was still in flower school and ready to graduate but had to finish up my Internship at different Flower Shops. My first Internship was at a small shop in Minneapolis and happened to coincide with my Wedding. After turning down my classmates who offered a hand with them I  insisted doing the flowers myself. The bridesmaids dresses were peach and the "Sonia" rose was new on the market. A lovely fragrant perfect peach rose chose to use in the Bridesmaids Bouquets.                                      I chose my Brides bouquet. What a mistake it had cymbidium orchid flowers that were cream with a light almost peachy center and Sonia roses, and for whatever reason dried beige tiny grass with small pods on the end. It had a sort of cascade look to it but the doily was showing more than the flowers.(remember it's 1977) And it was flat! It was too small and when I look at pictures I am still ashamed of it. She said she loved it but how could anyone of?                                                                                                                                               The shops manager switched my fresh and perfect stage of openness Sonia roses with her older ones she had in her inventory thinking I wouldn't know. So I caused a stink and got mine back. The day went on with many regrets I hadn't asked for help from my fellow students.

Tomorrow Church And Reception Flowers

FATHER OF THE BRIDE TOASTS

More Wedding Posts As Promised

Father Of The Bride Toast.

 I raise my glass to toast my daughter, (Bride's name). She's dreamed of this day since she was a young girl, and now her dream has come true, complete with her very own Prince Charming. (Bride & Groom), I wish you much love and happiness in your new life together.

Here is to my daughter and her new husband. Raise your glasses and remember this truth, her lucky man and I have each gained something this fine and blessed day. He gains a wife and a companion for life, while I gain a whole new stack of bills to pay.

Famous Wedding Toasts

"Grow old with me!
The best is yet to be,
The last of life,
For which, the first is made."--Robert Browning

"But here's the joy: my friend and I are one...
Then she loves but me alone!"
-- William Shakespeare

These are just suggestions, remember get creative and unique for the moment. Craft your toast filled with emotions. Bring out some tears and end with a laugh.

Happy toasting!

BRIDAL TOASTS

Best Man Wedding Toast to the Groom

Here is to my friend. Today I had the honor to stand beside him on this most important day, as he has so often stood by me in good times and bad.
I wish him and his lovely bride nothing but happiness, prosperity, and good health for as long as they shall live.
 Mix it up a little guys. Let your juices flow and take off with a natural spin that fits the Groom you are toasting. 

Maid of Honor Wedding Toast to Couple

It can be hard to share your best friend with someone else, but I have been thrilled to share (Bride) with (Groom.)
The love you show to each other is inspiring and beautiful and I look forward to seeing it continue to grow.
I am honored to be able to raise a toast to my wonderful best friend and her new husband.
To (Bride) and (Groom)!
 Try and hold back the tears of joy Ladies. And you too, be natural and improvise whenever possible. Some of the most memorable toasts are the ones that come from your heart. 

Tomorrow more toasts for parents and to the couple from both the Best Man and Maid of Honor! Happy day everyone.

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