Home » Squidoo Community » About Me

For the Love of Flowers

Ranked #238 in Squidoo Community, #33,876 overall

A Fascination with Flowers

I have loved and been fascinated by flowers from a very young age. I have a picture of myself in my grandmother's flower garden when I was 2. I am examining a gladiola that is as tall as me. Sometime later I was in a fashion show and I was given a white carnation wrist corsage. I was enthralled! The slightly spicy fragrance of a carnation still brings back that early memory after all these years. I don't remember much about the fashion show but I do remember the scent of that carnation! These days carnations are considered simple and plain but I still love them.

Photo, Sunlit Carnation by dacotahsgirl

Age 2

Flowers and Mother's Day

For the love of Carnations

Buy atAllPosters.com

One Mother's Day my mom, my sister and I were at the florist and Mom was buying plants for my grandmothers. I had 75 cents. I remember going up to the counter which was above my head and asking if I could buy a corsage for my mother. The two clerks conferred and said they could make me something for that price. As I grew up and thought back on this I realized I probably didn't have enough money but they made something for me anyway. I have never forgotten that carnation corsage they made for my Mom.

Fashion Show, My First Corsage

Carnation Wrist Corsage.

I am the girl in the second row. I'm wearing a carnation wrist corsage but you can't see it. All of the girls in the picture wore one.

For the Love of Geraniums

Geraniums, the Gardener's Favorite.

Buy at AllPosters.com

Geraniums are easy to grow and come in several different colors and varieties. To me, geraniums are a sure sign of summer. The odd scent of geraniums reminds me of home.

Flowers and Gardening

Love of Flowers and Growing Things

I love hollyhocks and I love watercolor painting so of course I love this poster.

Buy at AllPosters.com

Every summer our family would have a big garden. There would be rows of tall corn with golden tassels, potato vines, tomatoes, peas, green peppers, onions, cucumbers and other vegetables. I loved helping to plant everything, but especially the flowers. In any given summer my mom might have four o'clocks, cosmos, zinnias, marigolds, and salvia. There were hollyhocks and poppies too. Sometimes Mom would plant tulips, geraniums, petunias or pansies. There was also a patch of pink peonies which would be ready by Decoration Day so they could be cut and taken to decorate graves. On the north side of the house was a bed of lilies of the valley, a beautiful, delicate flower traditionally used in wedding bouquets. Across the road was my grandparent's house and they had a bridal wreath bush that I just loved. I loved it so much that I now have two of them growing in my front yard and they bring back childhood memories for me.

For the Love of Peonies

The Traditional Flower for Decoration Day (Memorial Day)

Buy at AllPosters.com

They say that ants must crawl on the bud of the peony before it will open. I do not know if this is true or just an old wive's tale.

For the Love of Bridal Wreath

An elegant cascade of flowers.

The growth pattern of the bridal wreath (spirea) is like a fountain with a round top giving it lovely arching boughs. Despite its name, I've never seen it used commercially as a cut flower in wedding work or any other kind of work. I am partial to the white but it also comes in a beautiful pink.

Photo by beautifulcataya

For the Love of Marigolds

A bright, cheery favorite of the flower bed.

Buy at AllPosters.com

The marigold comes in a variety of gold and rust colors. It is bright and beautiful and is said to help keep insect pests away from the garden.

Becoming a Floral Designer

A Spring Arrangement of Beautiful Lilacs

Buy at AllPosters.com

When I went off to college at Iowa State University I majored in Horticulture and spent two years learning about plants and such. I suppose it was inevitable that I would become a floral designer. I got sidetracked and left college and went to floral design school in Denver, Colorado. When I came home I found my first job as a floral designer at Lozier's in Des Moines, Iowa. Beginning designers were put to work doing sympathy arrangements. There was funeral work to be done every day as Lozier's had a big share of that kind of work. I learned a lot there and always enjoyed doing funeral work. Funeral flowers don't have to be somber. They can be inspiring, hopeful and comforting. Flowers inspire me to come up with new color combinations and new floral designs. When I am done I want the customer to say, "Wow!"

For the Love of Pansies

Cute Pansy Faces

Buy at AllPosters.com

Perky pansies add cheer to a flower bed and are always a favorite. Who can resist them?

For the Love of Violets

Sweet violets

Buy at AllPosters.com

As a kid I loved discovering violets in purple, magenta, yellow and white growing wild in the yard.

I used to often visit our elderly neighbor. She seemed elderly to me at the time as she had white hair, but looking back I really don't know if she was all that old. She had a magnificent flower garden and she would be out there working in it on most any summer day. Nothing was in rows and there were paths throughout the garden. She would tell me about the flowers and cut me a big bouquet to take home.

For the Love of Washington Rhodies

Rhododendron, Washington State Flower

Buy at AllPosters.com

Here in Washington state we are in the midst of rhododendron season. The Rhododendron is the Washington state flower. They grow plentiful and well here and they splash our state with gorgeous color in the spring. There are so many colors and shapes and they are just gorgeous. I love this time of year!

Stargazer Lilies

How stargazer00 got her name.

Buy at AllPosters.com

When ordering flowers or working with flowers, one of my favorite combinations is stargazer lilies and red roses, hence my online name, stargazer00. My family knows I love flowers and they sometimes bring them to me as gifts on special occasions. This year one of my sons gave me a stargazer lily plant for Mother's Day. After it was done blooming profusely I planted it in my flower bed. I hope it survives!

For the Love of Orchids

Beautiful, Exotic Orchids

Buy at AllPosters.com

I eventually went back to school and graduated from the University of Iowa. Along the way I worked part time as a floral designer to help pay for college. I have never lost my love of flowers. I just can't get enough of looking at them. They are a wonder to me and evidence of God's grand design. Something about the colors, delicate textures and unique shapes totally intrigues me. Flower blossoms can be lavish, intricate, elegant, sumptuous or simple. They can be subtle, pastel or vibrant. I love them all from the simple white daisy to the most showy orchid.