Banner Flower House

Banner's Gone Wild!

2010-07-27T13:21:00.000-07:00

When I was a little girl, I would go foraging with my Grandmother Collins on a regular basis. It was common back in the "olden" days to make a meal of dandelion greens or asparagus. Black raspberries were considered a direct gift from God and mushrooms were always an exciting find. It is interesting to see that over the years these free "found" foods are elite fare and very expensive.

It is also interesting to note that many of these delicious foods are still available and free for the taking. Many, many are simply delicious and others, while not so tasty, would sustain us if we could not access the local pizzeria.

Berries, nuts and mushrooms are my particular favorites. You have to be quick to catch the wild strawberries and the fox grapes before the wildlife enjoys them. My husband and I gather Linden blossoms for the most delicious tea. Our home is in the woods, so we never lack for wild onions and garlic.

As a florist, I can appreciate the use of sugared violets or rose petals for decorations. Many blossoms like the nasturtium make tasty additions to salads. Native Indians utilized over 250 varieties of fruit alone. In these days of empty expensive calories, you might benefit from a good guide to edible wild plants. I really appreciate Edible Wild Plants by Thomas S. Elias and Peter A. Dykeman. It is a very comprehensive field guide of wild edibles.

The hunter-gatherer in you will really come out after just one successful find-very tasty-and we all can use the exercise!

Expressions of Sympathy

2010-07-01T05:59:00.000-07:00

When we lose someone we love, it is important to send floral tributes for the funeral service and calling that perfectly express our feelings.

At Banner Flower House, we take extraordinary care to make sure special wishes are absolutely carried out. It is always nice to include flowers that were especially meaningful to the deceased or flowers that are sure to touch the bereaved. Often Banner can include Dad's beloved fishing pole or Grandma's garden hat - items that evoke warm memories that will linger in the heart.

We have created a floral likeness of a favorite cat and a guitar done entirely in flowers. Believe it or not, we did a floral rooster for a lady who loved to collect roosters! I am very sure mushrooms will appear in my floral arrangements when I pass from this world. Banner can zero in on significant interests or special moments and bring your request and inspiration to life in a floral tribute.

When you need to honor someone with a beautiful symbolic tribute, talk to Banner - we can do!

Herb Baskets at Banner's

2010-06-16T09:27:00.000-07:00

One of the very nice aspects of working in a flower shop is working with like-minded individuals. In addition to being artistically creative on a daily basis with flora and fauna, Banner's have a couple of Master Gardeners, Rebecca and Susan, on staff who are personally involved in cultivating and using herbs for more than decoration. Taste, both literally and figuratively, is a big consideration for our florist group!

Since we here at Banner are acutely aware how just chopping basil creates happiness and transforms one instantly into a gourmet, we are adding small herb baskets to our inventory. Formulating the perfect combination of herbs in a pretty basket for a great culinary gift...yum. Not only are these baskets beautiful and a nice addition to the kitchen windowsill-you can eat them. How practical! And if you are not familiar now with using fresh basil and oregano in spaghetti or perhaps fresh dill on your grilled salmon, your friends will soon be amazed with your new delicious improved cuisine.

Always use fresh flowers on your table!

Bon appetit