Our blog is an extension of our e-commerce website WWW.COLEMANFLORIST.COM Read about topics such as, wedding trends, houseplants, heirloom tomato and vegetable plants and more. We welcome suggestions on topics as this is our gift to you, our customers.
National Secretary's Day has changed it name a few times over its history of existence, it changes so often it has us florist confused! No, florist did not create Secretary's Day, nor did Hallmark. A businessman Harry F. Klemfuss created a special Secretary's Day
holiday and the holiday caught on. Call it whatever you want! It is a day to recognize and your assistant or assistants for performing small and large tasks that make the daily operations of a business run smoother.
If you are an assistant enjoy your special day even if it goes unrecognized by those around you, the rest of us know how important you are!
Some of you may have noticed that our logo has changed, we hope you like the new look. We lived with our old logo for more then a few decades and as exciting as it was to have a makeover it will always be part of our history. Our past logo spoke of the value we offered our customers with it's string tag look.
Our new logo expresses a little more about us. We have kept our colors and our font that is unique to us. The shape was changed to express the circle of life and the importance that flowers and plants and the local florist plays in ones life from birth to death. The leaf was added as a symbol of continued growth, and new life. This leaf holds additional special meaning to us,as the four burgundy sections of the lower half of the leave is a personal celebration of 4 generations of roots in the community. We take this opportunity to publicly say a warm and enormous thank you to local Fayetteville, N.Y. artist Christopher Perry, for his design capabilities, his professionalism and most importantly his awesome ability to connect on a personal level in order to achieve a logo that would speak of us, and for us. Thank you Christopher Perry for everything you did. A special thank you also to Bear Paw Printing of Chittenango, N.Y. for doing our labels and business cards in time-frame that I doubt few printers could ever meet.
Last year we brought to the public a new addition to our offerings, heirloom tomato plants. Our greenhouse grown heirloom tomato plants were a great success and our customers are asking that we once again are a source for heirloom vegetables plants in Syracuse and Dewitt, NY.
We have expanded our selection of garden plants to include other delightful heirlooms including squash, and beans. A list of what vegetables to be offered will be published soon.
We have begun sowing seeds, preparing pots and writing tips for successful gardening. Plants should be ready for purchase in the beginning of May.
Take advantage of the warm days in C.N.Y to begin preparing your garden. Don’t wait until the threat of 20 more inches of snow to pass to get your soil prepped. As soon as the ground has warmed enough to till you should begin the process. Loosing your soil and add manure, cover with black gardening cloth to kill any weeds and prevent more weeds from forming. Cool weather plants can be planted a few weeks before the threat of frost has past, so it is important not to wait until Memorial Day to get started. Tomato plants are not cold and frost resistant and can be planted safely, usually just after Memorial Day. Plan your garden, prepare your soil, gather your apparatus for tying up your plants and get excited to get your garden started. Vegetable gardening can be rewarding, mentally, physically and without a doubt financially. If you have never gardened in the past, make 2010 the year that you give it go. If you have had success in the past take a look at at what other vegetable varieties you can add to delight your taste buds
Houseplants always enhance one’s décor with their soothing
presence adding beauty and interest as well as health benefits by lifting one’s
spirit, purifying our air and, yes, providing companionship.(Have you talked to your plant today?)
DID
YOUKNOWTHAT…
…people have been enjoying houseplants for
about two centuries?
…the first plants kept indoors were medicinal
herbs grown by
monasteries and apothecaries?
…terrariums were one of the first methods used
for indoor gardening?
…growing citrus fruits “under glass” was
popular with the public when
glass windows wereavailable (about the late 1600’s) and used
for
making “conservatories”?
…it wasn’t until the 1800’s that plant
exploration together with increased
window glass availability made it possible
for the general public to enjoy
a new hobby - indoor gardening?
…during the Victorian Era it was a must
to include plants if one were to
have a “proper parlor”?
Today there is such a diversity of available houseplants for the gardening
enthusiast.They are ideal for someone
who cannot get outside and garden as well as for teaching children the value of
caring, responsibility and patience.Let
Coleman Florist be your source for choosing a houseplant (or dish garden!) as a
special gift for you or someone else.Send us an email, call us or come in and visit our conservatory (green
house) and let us help you make your selections. Pictured below is an example of what we refer to as a Garden Basket,a mix of blooming and green plants in a basket.
FERTILIZER:Spring through Summer feed monthly with
balanced fertilizer.In
Winter feed every 6
weeks.In very low light, be stingy with
the
fertilizer.
WATER:Keep soil lightly moist.Only allow plant to dry slightly
between
waterings.This plant tolerates dry air better than most
but still benefits
from being misted often when
the indoor air is very dry.
SOIL:Any good potting soil.
HEIGHT:Can reach 3’ in height but normally stays
much smaller, to 2’.
LONGEVITY:10 years or more.
DISPLAY TIPS:This is an ideal tabletop plant when
small, placed in dim living
rooms and cozy
reading nooks.Larger plants are
best
displayed with
dark-leafed plants and plants requiring similar
lighting conditions.
REPOT:About every 2 years.
HOUSEPLANT CARE TIPS
LIGHTING
LOW
LIGHT:bright enough to read by
MEDIUM
LIGHT:offices, kitchens - all
day fluorescent lighting; to the side of a
window or back a
few feet from a sunless window
BRIGHT
LIGHT:brightest light without
direct sun - under a skylight; a north
window sill or 5 -
6’ back from a sunny window
BRIGHT
LIGHT WITH SOME SUN:winter sun or sunlight
filtered through a
curtain
TEMPERATURE
Most houseplants can be quite happy in the average
home.Average refers to temperatures
about 65 - 75* F during the day and 5 to 10 * F cooler at night.Most houseplants are quite adaptable.
WATERING
SOME GENERAL RULES:
1)The warmer the environment, the more often you
need to water your plants.
2)Low light plants need less
frequent watering than those in medium or bright/sun light.
3)Small pots dry out faster
than large pots.
4)Clay pots dry out faster
than plastic pots.
5)If the plant is
“potbound”, water may run right through without getting the soil wet enough.
6)If the pot is too large
for the root-ball, the soil will hold too much water and drown the roots.
7)Using lukewarm or room
temperature water, apply until water seeps through the drainage holes into the
saucer.Let the water in the saucer be
absorbed - but if not absorbed in about 15 minutes, discard the extra water.DO NOT LET YOUR HOUSEPLANTS REMAIN ISTANDING
IN WATER.While a dry plant can let you
know it needs water by drooping its’ leaves, an over watered plant cheerily
sits while the hidden roots are rotting away - until it falls over.
HUMIDITY
This refers to the moisture plants get from the air.Most plants need more humidity than is
available in an air-conditioned or heated home., excepting cacti, succulents
and some other desert plants.Heated
rooms can have humidity as low as 5 to 10 percent, which is unhealthy for both
people and plants.Humidity at 50 to 60
percent can keep most of your houseplants happy and healthy.Keep a look-out for browning of leaf tipsor edges which let you know your plant is in
distress.
Creating
extra humidity is easily achieved simply by using a spray bottle to mist your
plants - taking care not to mist your walls and furniture of course.But do not mist African violets or other
plants with “fuzzy-leaves” as this will cause water spots.These types of plants are best place on a
tray of pebbles.The tray should be as
wide as the plant’s spread and its’ water level below the bottom of the
pot(s).Also, grouping plants together
can help provide a humid environment, if you do not use a tray, as leaves
expire moisture which is trapped by neighboring leaves creating a microclimate.
Occasionally
plants can have too much humidity which usually occurs in warm, damp weather or
due to poor air circulation which can cause gray mold or mildew.
FERTILIZING
Use any complete all-purpose houseplant fertilizer.Usually once a month in Spring and Summer and
then every 6 weeks during he winter.
REPOTTING
When rootbound or “crowded” in pot.Coleman Florist offers the service of
repotting your houseplants for you.Choose a pot from our many selections or bring in one of your own.
The following heirloom tomato plants can be purchased in store at Coleman Florist Inc 4008 E. Genesee St. DeWitt, NY
The price on all varieties is $3.49 each plant
Start planning your vegetable garden today!
You may purchase by phone for pick up with a credit card. 315-446-0862
STG= Spears Tennessee Green 80 days to maturity, 8-10 ounce size fruit, named for the Spear family of Tenesee, being grown since the 50's.
RZ=Red Zebra 85-95 day to maturity, bright red with vibrant yellow strips, this fruit is sweet and flavorful and should be great in home and speciaty gardens.
TC=Tomato Copia 80-90 days. Unique and beautiful large, striped tomato, fine stripes of glowing gold and neon red. A Flavorful must have for the heirloom gardener.
SC=Stripped Cavern 80-100 days, vibrant red with yellow stripes, lobed shaped fruit with thick walls good for stuffing, with a fine flavor.
GRS=German Red Strawberry 85 days, Wow! large (1lb) red fruit with very little seeds, very sweet and great for sandwiches and canning.
TBC=Tomato Black Cherry 75 days, Beautiful cherries tomato, look like large, purple grapes,with a rich flavor that makes black tomatoes famous. Unique and delicious with large vines that yield very well.
WO=White Oxheart 85 days, Introduce from Germany,heart-shaped tomato with a creamy color, exceptionally sweet. Good yield.
PG=Principe Borgheze Determinate, 70-75 days. Italian origin heirloom, famous for sun drying. Small 1-2 oz. grape-shaped fruit,very dry and have few seeds. They have a rich tomato taste that is wonderful for sauces. Determinate vines yield clusters of fruit in abundance.
BW=Brandy Wine 80 days, beautiful pink fruit, 1 -11/2 lbs each. A favorite of the heirlooms with a superb flavor.
GZ=Green Zebra 75 days-Stunning chartreuse with deep lime-green stripes, very attractive. Flesh is bright green and very rich tasting, sweet with a sharp bite to it. High class chefs, home gardeners and specialty gardeners, love this tomato. Yield is very high, a real beauty. 3 ounces each.
BL=Believe It or Not This varieties produces fruit 1-2lbs each, wonderful for slicing, and has a prolific yield
We are excited to announce the arrival of our homegrown heirloom tomato starter plants, for sale in our greenhouse at Coleman Florist. We have many varieties to choose from to get you started on your way to enjoying some of the most tasty varieties we have experienced.
If you have never heard of heirloom tomato plants you are missing out on gem but, you are in for an experience.
Home gardens are growing in popularity, some out of necessity during our weakened economic times, some from the satisfaction and love of tending, growing and reaping the rewards of a garden and some from the quest to grow a plant that produces a unique look and flavor not found in the local supermarkets.
What is a heirloom tomato?
Two of the industry tomato experts, Carolyn Male and Craig Lehoullier, break heirlooms down into 4 categories as follows:
The Commercial Heirloom Tomato. Introduced by seed companies before 1960,commercial heirlooms are open pollinated tomato varieties more than 40 years old.
The Family Heirloom Tomato. Favorite tomato varieties whose seeds have been saved and passed down from generation to generation. One variety is Aunt Ruby's German Green, and we have these available.
The Created Heirloom Tomato. A tomato that's been crossed deliberately using two heirlooms, or an heirloom and a hybrid, to have certain characteristics.Initially a hybrid, it becomes dehybridized through saving and replanting the seeds for about 5 seasons, until it grows consistently true to what the grower has intended.
The Mystery Heirloom Tomato. A tomato which arises accidentally from natural cross-pollination or mutation in the garden. This is the way most heirloom varieties originated.
We will be posting the varieties available in a few short days, so stay tuned for much more to come, along with tips for planting, growing and enjoying your tomatoes.
Just wanted to take a moment to extend a very Happy Passover to our friends, customers, and employees. May you have a wonder holiday in celebration with your family and friends.
We all want the best for the environment, with options that help us keep a little money in our pockets. Here at Coleman Florist we like to do just that , for you and the environment.
Glassware Recycling Program
If you are cleaning out the closets,cupboards,attic,garage, and basement, and you don't know what to do with all the glass vases and bowls you have collected over the years, call Joan @ 315-446-0862 and make an appointment to exchange your glassware for flowers.
How it works
Stop by or call for an appointment with your glass vases and we will determine a dollar value. This dollar value can be exchanged for flowers,applied to your flower order, or placed on our glass recycling account, in your name, for future puchases.
We extend an invitation to recycle your glass floral containers.
