We will be closing for the 25th, 26th & 27th of December, and also 1st & 2nd January.
Other days over the holiday period may be slightly shorter hours, but just call us… even if you need something on the 27th or the 2nd, you never know, we might just decide to come in…

It’s Christmas time again, the bell tinkles as the afternoon breeze comes through, and the little bird looks out our shop window at the world going by; how busy we all are, how tired. If you’re anything like us you will be feeling that although the end of the year has come too soon, it has not come soon enough! It’s hard to feel like celebrating when things in life are so difficult at times, but that’s why we need to celebrate! To remember the good things, and the most important things.

From all at Adam’s Garden, may the stresses of your year fall away, and may your Christmas be a joyous one.

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We will be open right up until the 24th, and as usual will have a variety of arrangements and bouquets, plants and such if you require anything or for gifts… the Tillandsia in fishbowls and the carnivorous plants are something different if you’re after an idea…
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Our bride has chosen a bright orange rose for her bouquet, we think it turned out quite lovely.

Bride’s bouquet with ‘wow’ orange roses, pearl pins, and ivory ribbon. Bouquet was natural stems and using only the rose leaves as a trim around the roses.
Bridesmaids bouquets were using ‘wow’ orange roses, and ‘advance’ ivory roses, using the spare fabric from the bridesmaids dresses to wrap the stems.
Flower girls had a traditional hair circlet using miniature or ‘spray’ roses in orange and ivory, with ivy and baby’s breath, or gypsophila

Or should we say ‘pet’?
We have been staring lovingly at this cute little carnivore. It is a ‘pitcher plant’ and quite exquisite in its own way. There are two types in store at the moment, this tall one, and also one called a nepenthes which is a strange sort of plant with hanging gourd-shape fly-capturing extensions coming off the ends of the leaves. What darlings!

To have flowers that would last forever and ever! Many years ago we used to be horrified at the thought of artificial flowers, but they’re getting better all the time. Our main focus is definitely fresh flowers, but it’s nice to see some different things in the silks. Here are some examples from what’s in store at the moment.

I particularly love the white amaryllis. The others are green cymbidium orchids.

White hydrangea with succulents and magnolia leaves in chalky white ceramic.

Lilac and green hydrangeas with lichen sticks and leaves in chalky green ceramic.

Congratulations to the year of 2011! Stay safe and remember to go for your dreams no matter what! If you don’t get the results you want, remember there is always a back door or a window to get where you want to go. It’s up to you.

Here are a couple of corsages from last weeks graduations…

Blue-purple Singapore orchids on diamante bracelet, with ivy leaves

Dainty white spray-rose wrist corsage with silver wire and ivy leaves

Now, we have never been big carnation fans, but they have been growing on us lately, and undergoing their own mini renaissance, if you will.
Why? You ask. Let me tell you.

1. Carnations, generally, are fairly long lasting.
2. They come in a variety of colours.
3. They usually have a country garden fragrance which make you want to stick your nose right up to their soft petal-pom-pom and breathe in deeply.
4. They remind us of our Grandmas and Nannas.

(Most of all we like the white ones, all clustered together. But unfortunately I can’t find you a photo of these this morning, so you’ll have to see the orange and red!)

super close up

red ones

So you love lilies but hate the pollen and the yellow stains! What can you do?

Firstly – stop! Don’t rub it! Don’t wet it!

We have found the best way to remove lily pollen is to get a piece of sticky-tape and dab it gently picking up the pollen. Not rubbing, just lightly dab and lift. We have had success using this method, not only on clothing, but also on the flower itself, if very gentle.

Remember lily pollen is almost like a paint pigment – add water and it will colour whatever it’s on. Rub and it will stain.

But by far the easiest and best way to avoid getting stains is to remove the lily stamen before it drops the pollen.

Hope this helps!
The Adam’s Garden Team.

It’s what we loved last week: Purple lilacs and lemon butter cream roses. Mmm, so special.

Last week was hectic getting multitudinous table and reception arrangements ready for corporate suites at the GC 600. Here’s a few snapshots of some of the things that went out.

Reception arrangement in tall square vase with: White Singapore orchids, white tiger (Asiatic) lilies, white roses, white carnations, molucca balm, tropical leaves.
Table arrangement in a vase with: Yellow Asiatic lilies (to open), dark purple Vanda orchids, and greenery.
Reception arrangement in tall cylinder vase with: White anthuriums, white oriental lilies (to open), white cymbidium orchid, molucca balm, pussy willow, dusty millar, and tropical leaves.

Table arrangement in 15cm fishbowl vase with: White anthuriums, and tropical greenery.

These little fellows are something different…

What’s the best way to buy flowers? Is it cheaper to buy flowers online? We have been getting these questions more lately, so here’s our brief wrap-up for you.
If you can’t get into the shop or are ordering something for a friend who lives a distance away, the next best thing is phoning your local florist, or the florist closest to where you want your flowers delivered, and talking through what you would like with them. Even ask a friend in the area to recommend somewhere. You can talk to the real people and go through the occasion and how you would like your flowers. Many individual florist shops also have online ordering now, which is handy if you need to place an order after hours, although as a florist I still prefer to talk to you!
If you are needing to order for a distance away or overseas and do not know any florist shop in the area, the next best way is to order using an established relay service such as interflora, or somewhere like direct2florist which enables you to order through local florists. You can do this online or by going into your local florist and getting them to place the order for you. Although those companies may have a fee for processing.

Be aware that unlike many items flowers are not cheaper online in most cases, prices will in the case of individual florists be about the same as in-store, (though possibly more, as the cost of setting up and maintaining a website must be taken into account), and also many relay or third-party flower ordering companies take either a fee per order, or a percentage of the value, leaving the florist that makes the order  with less than the value you have paid, which takes away from the value you receive in flowers.
In some cases we have seen third-party companies taking up to 80% of the value, and we believe this is unfair to the customer, when if they only knew that if they were to call the local florist directly, they may find themselves saving a great deal.
For example –
At the time of writing this, a little research shows that one third party site charges $102 for 12 long stem red roses, one relay company charges $108, but our price is $75.
To avoid the charges of middle men shop local if you can! That’s our advice.
Hope this helps,
Adam’s Garden Florist
Flowers Gold Coast

BemBem & Reuben are two little giraffes. They live in the studio at the moment, along with many other hand-made bears and animals.We think they’re cute!

Lately soft tones seem to be very popular… here are just a couple of snaps from the studio…

Also new in this week: 
Goats milk soap – lovely and gentle and fragrance free!
New silk flowers including: hydrangeas in lilac, green and white, white amaryllis (these are so sublime!), green cymbidiums, and succulents.

This is a wedding from a previous year, that was in early September.

This is the bride’s bouquet, with the bridesmaids bouquets in the background.

The bouquet includes roses, Singapore orchids, sweet peas & freesias, with camellia leaves informally through and around, and silver wire collar around outside.

Bridesmaids bouquet includes roses, Singapore orchids, blue butterfly delphiniums, freesias and sweet peas.

Everybody’s buttonholes; a simple but classic single rose with camellia leaf, plus a simple corsage for mother of the groom, with an added freesia.

Waratahs are stunning flowers, but only available for a short season.

bears and things

Just another example of a bright upright box arrangement. This one includes Asiatic lilies, iris, gerberas, and heliconias.

What are Tillandsias? They are air plants! Why do we like them: they are hardy and cute!
Check out these little guys that are attracting comments in store at the moment, thought we’d put them up for you to enjoy as well:

Small and medium sized fishbowl sand terrariums, the tillandsias remind us of beach grass. What could be more calm.
This is a larger tillandsia in a low white ceramic with pale grey stones and driftwood. and on the right, a small hanging fishbowl with small red-tipped tillandsia, sand and beachcomber objects.
A swirling shaped beach-grass-like tillandsia in hanging fishbowl with sand and shells.

A fine leafed tillandsia in fishbowl with sand and stones.

Another silk flower wedding! We love blue hydrangeas.

The bride’s bouquet and one of the bridesmaids bouquets.

from underneath.