Episode 302- Hearts and Flowers
Episode 302- Hearts and FlowersHearts and Flowers is a popular sentiment and the focus of today’s episode. We’ll take a look at several ways Hearts and Flowers combine to express feelings of love to those who are special to us, today on Life In Bloom.
“The flowers of late winter and early spring occupy places in our hearts well out of proportion to their size.” Gertrude S. Wister
According to the dictionary, the phrase “hearts and flowers”- first coined in 1915 - means a show of sentiment or sentimentality - or cloying expressions of endearment.At Life In Bloom, we choose to embrace the happy reward a bit of sentiment can bring instead of focusing on insincerity. Flowers have a way of expressing emotion and feeling that is sometimes difficult to speak out loud. For that and more, flowers have our eternal gratitude. Sometimes you need to wear your heart on your sleeve - so I’ll show you ways to let the flowers do the talking.
Creating a Heart of DaisiesLet’s begin our show on Hearts and Flowers with a heart MADE of flowers… This can be done- EASILY- by using the Oasis Floral Products® Heart Shaped Form- this mini-heart form- is created with Flower Foam and has a hard plastic back- I beveled- the edge of the foam- after float soaking in Chrysal Professional #3- flower food- and then added my flowers...This can be done with Daisy Spray Chrysanthemums- as I did in this episode-0r you can use just about any kind of flower! You will find other mini heart projects using this form on uBloom.com- where I have used Green Button Chrysanthemums, Mini Carnations and even Spray Roses... (I featured an ALL ROSE Mini Heart in Episode #103 of Life in Bloom- Romance and Flowers- Watch it here!) You can set the completed flower heart on a night stand, in the bathroom, or as a surprise on a desk... where ever you want to have hearts and flowers.
I placed the completed Daisy Heart in a Glass Tray from our Friends at Accent Decor- I filled the tray with DecoBeads- these are water storing beads- that are available from Soilmoist- there are so many things you can do with Deco Beads- (Here's a link with many of my projects with DecoBeads- Scroll Down). The water storing beads are a fun accessory- and in this tray I even used some the GIANT Deco Balls- they are amazing! I love the way these reflect the light- and thus - why I added the Acolyte Submersible Lights- these are battery operated High Intensity LED Lights- that are waterproof. You can order them on-line from www.ShopWildThings.com- these can actually go underwater- or be submerged- they have many different types- be sure to look for the "submersible" variety for projects like this that include water or moisture!
Decorating a Heart Shaped TopiaryTopiary forms like this heart shaped one, can be enhanced with a bit of ribbon to personalize your message of love and caring…This is a simple way to decorate a Heart Shaped Topiary with Ribbon- I created this project on a visit to our Friends at Schubert Nursery- (you can watch a documentary about Schubert Nursery here)... I use ribbon from TheRibbonRoll.com- and they have plenty more to choose from- it's a great ribbon source. While Schubert Nursery is no longer open- (they sold their property to the ever expanding Cannabis Industry) there are many types of topiary available at Local Nurseries, Garden Centers, Grocery Store or even on-line - like this one at Plow & Hearth. This is a fun way to incorporate Plants and Ribbon into our Hearts and Flower Theme!
Heart Shaped Open Wreath of FlowersI love a heart shaped flower arrangement- and an open heart wreath is perfect for this project. I'll use a heart shaped open wreath form of soaked flower foam to create a heart of flowers using a couple of J's Bouquets- "Pinky Swear" is the bouquet created by our friends at Sunshine Bouquet- and I'll add pretty pink Peonies from my cutting garden.Hearts and flowers are almost mandatory as decoration for weddings - what could be more appropriate? This heart shaped wreath form can be filled with flowers to express love at a wedding or any special occasion.... it's the perfect way to show some flower love!Should it hang on a door? Should it be set on an easel? Should it be set on a table with a guest book? Should we show all of these? Dessert Table? Just wondering about context when it’s done - how can we relate it to beyond weddings? Birthday? Retirement? Graduation? 
Wild Heart Cocktail #FlowerCocktailHour Heart shaped ice cubes are a symbolic addition to this cocktail known as the Wild HeartWild Heart Cocktail RecipeINGREDIENTS1 - 1/4 ounces Aperol1 - 1/4 ounces vermouth3/4 ounce fresh lemon juice2 dashes Angostura bittersBitter lemon soda (such as San Pellegrino Limonata or Fever-Tree Bitter Lemon)1/2 orange wheelPREPARATIONCombine Aperol, vermouth, lemon juice, and bitters in a cocktail shaker. Fill shaker with ice and shake until outside of shaker is frosty, about 30 seconds. Strain into an ice-filled Old-Fashioned glass. Top with lemon soda and garnish with orange wheel.
Hand Crafted Soap Scents with Ms. Margo You've met my friend Ms. Margo- www.TheBoneReader.com - in my life in Bloom show featuring Pets and Flowers- where she gave a Bone Reading for Eleanor and Ladybird- (watch Episode #209- Pets and Flowers here) Today - Ms. Margo joins me in the kitchen to discuss her hand made soap - and the many combinations for fragrance she has created. Since Hearts & flowers is the theme of today's show- Ms. Margo and I will discuss the different flower ingredients/scents as well as themes of love associated with some of her unique soap names. Learn more about Ms. Margo's Soap- and the process here!
Heart Shaped Chocolate Box with SucculentsHere’s a fun way to recycle a chocolate box to gift small succulent plants for someone special…
Let's repurpose a Candy filled Heart- with succulents! Once I've eaten all the Delicious Chocolate from my Friend MaDonna at Abdallah Candies ... I can repurpose the box- by filling it first with spanish moss... and then replacing the Candies with Beautiful Little Succulents... It's a wonderful #FlowerCraft- and a great way to repurpose the lovely Heart shaped box! .
Heart Petals Petals - especial Rose petals can be Romantic and Symbolic... Today I'll show you how to use Rose Petals to create Hearts- in the Lawn- on the Deck- on a table – maybe even on the bed… Creating the Message of LOVE with a Heart Shape and flower petals- from some Beautiful Roses or vibrant Spray Chrysanthemums- are shown in this episode! 
Featured Flower: Bleeding Hearts Let's learn some more about one of my favorite flowers in the garden- and an unexpected cut flower- that performs wonderfully- the Bleeding Heart!- Bleeding Hearts have long been a favorite in perennial gardens characterized by their heart shaped blooms.- Flowers appear in red, pink or white- The plant returns early in Spring and dies back quickly after blooming.- Bleeding Heart plants are low maintenance, deer resistant, and suitable as cut flowers- The plant typically grows 1 to 3 feet in height and prefer partial shade to full shade- Traditionally - and not surprisingly - the red and pink flowers are said to symbolize romantic love, while white flowers symbolize purity- The plant is also known as lady’s locket, lady’s heart, and lyre flower.- The bleeding heart is perfect as a pressed flower. Pick flowers early in the morning after the dew has dried. Put the flowers between paper and place between the pages of a thick book. After a couple of weeks you’ll have perfect flat, papery hearts.
Sources:https://www.thespruce.com/bleeding-hearts-whimsical-dicentra-2132547https://www.bhg.com/gardening/plant-dictionary/perennial/bleeding-heart/https://www.almanac.com/plant/bleeding-heartThe combination of “Hearts and Flowers” may seem overly sentimental to some, but their message is a clear indication of heart felt emotion. Remember, flowers are always at the ready to help express our feelings - for Life In Bloom, I’m J Schwanke.”