The poinsettia plant is the most popular holiday flower, but not everyone knows how to properly take care of them.  Should you have the opportunity to obtain one of these beautiful plants, here are the care tips and advice for a healthly and long-lasting poinsettia.

• Keep your poinsettia in an area that maintains a daily temperature of 65-70 degrees.  At night, move your plant to a slightly cooler spot, though not below 55 degrees.
• Keep poinsettias away from drafts, as this will injure the plant. 
• Give the plant plently of sunshine.  Placing it in a sunny window facing either south, east, or west, but NOT allowing the plant to physically touch the cool windowpane.  This also injures the poinsettia.
• Before the flowers on your poinsettia plant bloom, you can fertilize it once a month.  DO NOT fertilize your plant once it blooms.
• Water poinsettias when the soil appears dry.  Give the plant water until it runs out of the drain holes.  If you have your plant on a dish, make sure to empty the dish of water right away.  DO NOT leave your poinsettia in sitting water.  Note: Plants that are in an area with high light and low humidity require more water.
• If your poinsettia should begin to wilt, water it, wait 5 minutes, then water it again.

Sandy shows you how to make a pew clip arrangement using fresh flowers.

Does a friend or loved one have a birthday coming up? Why not give them flowers. Bright and cheerful flowers are always popular as birthday gifts. You can always send someone their favorite bloom, or the flower unique to the month they were born in. Check out the list below for some birthday flower ideas and each flower of the month:

Daisies - The happy little daisy flower represents cheer, gentelness, and loyal love.

Gerbera Daisy - The ever so popular gerbera daisy comes in a wide variety of vibrant colors and means happiness and friendship.

Jasmine - These fun, dainty flowers symbolize glee and cheerfulness.

Peonies - Peonies are a beautiful, large blooming flower that represents healing, life, and happiness.

Roses - Roses are the most common flower used for any occasion. They are available in many colors and types all with their own special meaning. The general meaning of a rose though is love and perfection.

Sunflowers - The sunflower is a wonderful way to bring anyone cheer as it symbolizes pride, sunshine, and loyalty.

Birth Month Flowers:
January - White Carnation
February - Violet
March - Daffodil
April - Sweet Pea
May - Lily of the Valley
June - Rose
July - Delphinium
August - Gladiola
September - Aster
October - Marigold
November - Chyrsanthemum
December - Narcisscus

For a complete list of birthday flowers, meanings, colors, and birth stones click:
http://www.flowerstothepeople.com/birthday-flowers/

If you’re getting ready to decorate your home for fall, or are planning an autumn wedding, choosing the right flowers is essential. Not only are there certain flowers more readily available depending on the time of year, but there are also flower types unique to the fall season. Below is a list of the most common fall flowers and their descriptions and colors. Hopefully this will help you choose the perfect fall flowers for your designs.

Bird of Paradise - “Crane flower.” Leathery leaves that form a crane-shape and are held upright by stiff stalks. Bloom is a combination of blue and orange petals that grow out of the top of the leaves.
Calla Lily - Arrowhead-shaped leaves with funnel-shaped flower heads in reds, whites, yellows, and pinks.
Chinese/Japanese Lantern - Bright orange “lantern”-shaped flowers with scalloped textured green leaves.
Chyrsanthemum - Deeply lobed leaves and large flower heads with slim petals. Comes in white, yellow, or pink (common wildflower colors).
Forsythia - Shrub; bright yellow, little 4 petaled flowers wuth opposing spear-shaped leaves.
Gerbera Daisy - 2 edged ray florets in red, yellow, orange, white, or pink shades. Also hybrid into a wide variety of colors.
Gladiola - Large, sword-shaped thick stems with grooved, long leaves and tube-shaped flowers.
Lily - Large flowers with 3 petals, 3 sepals, and band-shaped leaves. Many colors and varieties including the tiger lily and the easter lily.
Marigold - Branched stems and spear-shaped leaves with orange/yellow curled petals.
Peony - Deeply lobed leaves with large, cup-shaped drooping flowers in red, pink, white, and yellow.
Sunflower - Large flower head made up of disc and ray florets arranged spirally. Has a rough, hairy stem and rough, broad leaves. Common colors are bright yellow, maroon, and orange.