Hawaii Orchid Nursery Tour

Aloha, last week I was lucky enough to leave the shop for more than 48 hours, hop on a plane, and sit on the beach in Hawaii for a week.  Don't worry, I wasn't a bum the entire time while on vacation.  I spent so much of my time there drooling over the beautiful flowers and the extremely low prices for tropicals and plants.  One of the highlights during the trip was visiting a local orchid nursery.  Fragrant Orchids of Maui is located in the hills of Haiku on the island of Maui.

Owners Lloyd and Karen showed us around their beautiful nursery describing the many types of orchids they grow.  The majority of their harvest are Phalaenopsis, which is the most common type of orchid houseplant. (shown below) 

Fragrant Orchids of Maui provides orchids in Maui at locations like Whole Foods and Long's Drug Stores.  They also ship throughout the United States.  (We're hoping to possibly carry some at Main Street Florist soon)  I was fortunate enough to hand pick two orchids that they shipped right to the store on 2nd day air.  I received them they day after I returned to Carlinville. It was like having a piece of Hawaii follow me home!   

I can't even begin to describe how beautiful they all were in person. I took a hundred photos but they don't even begin to do them justice.  If there was ever a question of the difference between the $9.99 orchid you buy from the big box store and these Maui grown beauties, the answer would be 100% quality.  One single blossom itself was twice the size of the typical orchid I'm used to seeing, the colors were so vibrant, and each stem has so many buds.  I could go on and on... but I'll spare you and just share some fun facts I learned along with some my pics!

Fact #1: Many orchids are epiphytic (meaning they grow on branches and trunks of trees).  They only use the trees for support. They do not take nutrients from them.  This is why you will often see them planted in pots of bark and not soil. After purchasing an orchid be sure to research how best to re-pot them if needed.

 

Fact # 2: Orchids are the largest family of the plant kingdom with over 25,000 naturally occurring species in the world.  Hundreds more have also been genetically created by growers.

source: www.fragrantorchids.com

Fact # 3: Cut orchids can last up to 2-3 weeks when properly cared for and in water.  Phalaenopsis plants are known well for the length of time their blooms can last – 3 or 4 months is typical; Lloyd, of Fragrant Orchids of Maui, mentioned he has seen some last a half a year in bloom.

Fact # 4: Orchid flowers can grow to be as small as a head of a pin.  The heaviest orchid Grammatophyllum speciosum is capable to attain the weight up to 2,000 pounds.  In nature the adult orchid produces up to 10,000 blooms.

Fact # 5: Tap water has often been chemically treated, generally with chlorine, so it should be used with caution when watering orchids.  The best water for orchids is undoubtedly rainwater.  Rainwater, as it passes through the air, dissolves and absorbs many substances such as dust, pollen and other organic matter.

Fact # 6: The name orchid comes from the Greek word “orchis” meaning testicle; because of the shape of the bulbous roots.  We're you dozing off??  Got your attention again... you won't forget that fact. There will be a short pop quiz tomorrow.  

Fact # 7:  I was joking about the pop quiz.   :)

Fact # 8: Vanilla beans come from the fruit of an orchid; Vanilla Planifolia.  These vining orchids have to reach 10 feet in length before they can be pollinated.  To create the vanilla bean fruit the fully grown plant must be pollinated by hand.  Wow... that's a lot of work.  Now we know why real vanilla is so darn expensive! This is a Vanilla Vine below.

 

Fact # 9:  Hawaiians have been making salad dishes that include cooked orchids and scallops, along with sugar coated orchid candies since the 1960s. Orchid farmers in Singapore have recently began to conduct cooking classes using orchids, introducing stir-fried orchids and orchid sauces. Not only are orchids edible, but also gardeners say that it is a source of fiber and vitamin C. So what does it taste like? Opinions vary; some say it is somewhat sweet, others say it tastes like tannin or raw chives.

 Fact # 10:  An orchid plant has the reputation of being difficult plant to care for, which is not always the case.  A little bit of research can go a long way.  More importantly, caring for an orchid is rewarding. Take a little time to admire the stately display; go closer and explore the intricacies of the floral structure. I think you’ll find a bit of peace of mind and a brief mental vacation in your small tropical paradise.

Our friends Mike and Melanie, my husband Lee and I, and our friends (and wonderful hosts while in Maui) Rick and Tamra at the Fragrant Orchids of Maui Nursery.

This is the orchid I had shipped home for myself.

The other orchid I had shipped home.  This one belongs to Carmen.

 

I hope you've learned a little about orchids today and are excited to try growing one on your own! If you're interested in purchasing a Hawaiian grown orchid please give us a call to place your order.  217-854-8224.  To keep costs as low as possible we purchase in large quanities, this also helps with shipping.  Once we have recieved enough orders we will place one large order.  

 Mahalo  ~Sarah

 

Fall Flower Spotlight: SUNFLOWERS

With the first day of fall coming in two days (Sept. 23rd), we thought we would talk about one of the most common fall flowers: the SUNFLOWER!

We all have seen the traditional sunflower -- either in a flower shop, growing wild along the interstate, or if we are really lucky, in a sunflower field. Most of us, though, only think of the traditional flower when we hear the word 'sunflower', right? Let me demonstrate....

Picture a sunflower...

You ready??


You pictured this, right?

This is the image that the majority of us think when we hear the word 'sunflower'. However, there are many different types of sunflowers, some of which you may have never heard.

Here is the Teddy Bear Sunflower. We actually just had a few of these in the shop this past week -- they were gorgeous!!

And this is the the Ring of Fire Sunflower

the Red Sun Sunflower ..

the Italian White Sunflower

the Rostov Sunflower

And we can't forget the Strawberry Blonde Sunflower!

So you get the point, right? There are LOTS of different types of sunflowers out there -- 33 to be exact! Remember this when you are ordering sunflowers to be included in your fall arrangement -- if you want something different than the traditional yellow flower with the dark brown center, speak up! Just make sure you give us a couple days notice to get the sunflower you want.

Next time you hear the word sunflower, we hope more images come to your mind!

- The girls at MSF

Thank you for the Donations!

 

We can't thank you enough for all your donations!  During our 1st Anniversary Celebration we handed out over 75 FREE FLOWERS to customer who brought in a donation.  Everyone who made a purchase of over $25 also walked out the door in style with a new Main Street Florist T-shirt.

We can't wait to do it again next year!!

Sincerely,

The Girls at Main Street Florist

Did you know that we offer... BRIDAL REGISTRIES?!

A new service that we offer at Main Street Florist is bridal registries! We want to get the word out about this new service because we are so incredibly stoked….

Since bridal registries are primarily done in the big stores, and Carlinville doesn’t have those, we thought, ‘Why can’t we offer bridal registries right here in Carlinville?’ And so it began… All a bride has to do is come into MSF and tell us she wants to register. A design expert (most likely Sarah!) will grab a camera and walk around the store with her taking pictures of all items the bride would like to put on her registry. Of course, the design expert will be there to answer any questions about the products and to offer design ideas. Once the bride has went through the initial registry, we will then put all the pictures into a document with a short description of the item, the quantity wanted, and the price. We will make a printout of the registry so that any time a customer wants to shop from the registry, they can easily do so. Since we are continually getting in new product, the bride and groom are urged to come in regularly to add items to their registry.

Just in case you are wondering, 'what would I register for at Main Street Florist?', we've got a couple examples for you (we could go on all day)!

ALL items in this pic are perfect 'registry' items: Gorgeous mirror, candlesticks, candles, picture frames, and a silk tabletop arrangement.

Who doesn't want more modern vases in their home?! Such a simple way to bring in contemporary pieces, and depending on what you put in them, can match any home!

We have a fabulous array of artwork that you can't find just anywhere! This is just one example.

Not only is this amazingly convenient for brides and grooms, but also for their guests! How many times do you make a ‘quick’ trip to the city to make a purchase off a registry so that you have it in time for a shower/wedding? You don’t have to anymore! All you have to do is run up to MSF! And don’t forget, we wrap it for you too! Can you say, one stop shopping?!

We wanted to give a shout out to our first bridal registry participants – Katie Goodman and Chris Thomas! Katie has been an absolute blast to work with! She pops in every once in a while and adds a few items to her registry when we get in new product or when her registry starts to get slim. How convenient is that?! No trip to the city or an internet site where you are not quite sure of the quality of the item you are adding!

An added bonus: We offer 20% off all remaining items on a bridal registry to the bride and groom for 1 month after their wedding date!

Spread the word: REGISTER AT MAIN STREET FLORIST!

- The girls at MSF