The Joys of DIY!

One of my favourite places to visit is the fridge in our flower shop (especially on hot days in the summer).  I love the many bright colours and varieties of flowers that suggest endless possibilities of beautiful artistic designs.  And combining different colours and textures of flowers into a new design is always so satisfying.

All of our floral designers at the Silver Horse are passionate about floral design - and we have decided to share that passion with others who would like to learn more about it.  We are very excited to launch our Do It Yourself Floral Design Club, and our floral design classes.  Starting in January, we are offering five classes where you can come to the shop for an evening of fun with our floral designers.  We will show you how to design a seasonal arrangement - and then you get to design your own and take it home with you.

Register for an individual class - or join the club and get three classes plus a 10% off discount card that you can use all year to buy fresh flowers and floral design supplies.  We would love to share our passion with you - come and design with us!

Call us for more details -   678-4728 or drop us a line at info@silverhorseflorist.com

The arrangement above is the one we will be making in our first class in January 2013.

Spread Happiness With Sunflowers!

Today I drove the old road to the flower shop, because there was construction on the main highway.  As I was traveling along enjoying the beautiful sunny morning, suddenly I came upon a stunning, HUGE field of gorgeous sunflowers in the community of Mount Denson.  I have always thought of sunflowers as flowers of joy – so big, bright and bold.  Seeing a whole field of them nodding in the morning sun put a smile on my face for the rest of the day.

I stopped by on my way home to learn that the field is owned by Dakeyne Farm, who have created Nova Scotia’s first sunflower maze.  What a fabulous idea.  Not only can you enjoy a walk in the beautiful outdoors amongst the sunflowers, but when you crest the hill you will enjoy splendid views of Avon River and surrounding countryside.

It gets even better.  The Dakeyne family are spreading the joy even further.  Proceeds from the maze go to the Valley Regional Hospital Foundation’s Our Community Our Health Campaign (which also happens to be the charity we support as well).  

So Silver Horse Florist salutes the Dakeyne Family for spreading the joy of their sunflowers far and wide.  A visit to the sunflower maze should be on everybody’s “must do” list for September.  Don’t forget to buy a few sunflowers to take home.  Mine are smiling at me right now as I write!

Find them at http://www.facebook.com/DakeyneFarm

Combining Our Passions - the Silver Horse Jumps!

One of the questions we are asked most often is "Why is the flower shop in Kentville named Silver Horse Florist?"  The answer is that the owners have many passions - one of them is flowers, and another is breeding beautiful Spanish Andalusian Horses, most of whom are a beautiful silvery grey. 

We all lead such busy lives it is wonderful when we can weave together our various passions in life.  Last weekend we did just that when we unveiled the brand new Silver Horse Florist horse jump at the Annapolis Valley Hunt's jumper show.  We helped to decorate the event by providing lovely silk tropical flowers and palm trees to decorate the onsite "Tiki Bar," and some of the other jumps benefitted from some of our flowers displays.  But the one below was our favourite.  This horse and rider pair are doing a fine job trying it out too!

 

When the wind came up, the topiaries had to be tied to the jump so they did not blow over, which is why they look like they might have spent a little too much time at the Tiki Bar.  Despite the wind and sometimes threatening weather, it was a fantastic horse show.  The money they raise through shows like this help to pay for the upkeep of the Hunt's hounds all year long.  The organizers did an excellent job and we were proud to be a part of this event. 

"I Feel Like A Wilted Gerbera!"

Oh the hot sticky humidity of a midsummer's day.  No matter how many fans you have blowing it seems like you can't stop sweating.  At one point in the flower shop today I said "I feel like a wilted gerbera daisy."  Upon which I was reminded that to revive a wilted gerbera you cut off the stem, plunge it in fresh water, and give it a good misting with the spray bottle and pop it in the fridge. Thankfully, no one "refreshed" me quite that way...

And then someone said, "you ARE like a gerbera daisy - colourful, playful and fun.  If you were a flower, you would be a bright purple gerbera daisy."  I love that idea.  Every flower communicates a different feeling and experience to the person who is viewing it, much like individual paintings in the gallery.  I started thinking about my friends and what flowers they might all be based on their characteristics.

So if you were a flower, what flower would you be?

A Calorie-Free Summer Soda!

I walked into the flower shop the other day to find Vance, one of our designers, engaged in an very serious conversation with one of the first clients of the day.  A seven year old girl had come into the shop and seen one of Vance's wonderful 2 foot high floral sodas and sundaes that he created to celebrate summer.  She was going to a birthday party and wanted to take flowers to a friend. She was very excited about the floral soda, only to discover that the cost was beyond her budget.  Vance found out what her budget was (with help from her Mom who was with her) and offered to create her a smaller version to fit her budget.

She was so excited!  He managed to find a smaller container that looked somewhat like a soda glass, and then invited Mom and her daughter into the walk-in fridge with him so she could help pick out the exact colours and flowers that he would use.  She stepped behind the design counter and watched him put the arrangement together, offering suggestions in answer to his questions, with the finishing touch being her request for two, not one, straws.

It was a very happy smiling young girl that left the store proudly with the arrangement she had helped to design.  And we were all smiling too.  Vance helped to create a memorable experience in so many ways, and demonstrated the standard of client service we pride ourselves on at the Silver Horse.  I still smile when I think of the enthusiasm of that young girl - who knows, maybe she will become a floral designer some day!

The Calorie Free Soda!