Van Gogh Flowers - Famous Flower Paintings of Vincent Van Gogh

Van Gogh used flowers in his paintings very frequently, and I included some of his best ones here. Like all good artists he experimented a lot with his flowers, choosing different types of flowers, including roses, irises and, most famously, sunflowers. His sunflowers were used in two series of paintings, both in a vase and also laid down. He continued to use vased flowers with poppies and roses following.

Van Gogh put a lot of attention to the backgrounds behind his subjects and generally chose simple ones for his indoor paintings. He also did a lot of landscape paintings, as is common in Impressionism and Post-impressionism, and flowers were commonly prominent features in these. Naturally placed scenes of flowers were included in the likes of "Irises".

Flowers

Vincent has become best understood and researched through his series of letters that he wrote right across his life, emotionally and illustratively teaching us about his troubled journey through life. Most notably are his letters to brother Theo which told of his difficulties in selling his art. The letters also regularly discussed his love of nature, and its importance in his life and his paintings. His inspiration in the latter part of his career was nature, and a major part of that were in his selection of flowers. He would choose them based on season, style of the flower appropriate to each painting's message, and of course color. Color was always his major concern, as with all impressionist and post-impressionist artists.

It was towards the end of his short life, particularly during his time in Provence, that his paintings of flowers and plants became more frequent and attained a greater beauty and vividness. Nature helped to give Van Gogh a feeling of beauty and love that he lacked in his own life. He loved the honesty and purity of these outdoor subjects. Flowery meadows, trees in blossom, sunflowers and irises gave Van Gogh the opportunity for experimenting endlessly with color and movement to result in a wealth of vibrant and intensely beautiful paintings.

Van Gogh Flowers - Famous Flower Paintings of Vincent Van Gogh

Are you looking to buy a high quality Van Gogh painting, perhaps one of his flowers series? Then jump to Vault oil paintings who have plenty on offer, and a whole section devoted to Van Gogh paintings.

You can also buy Van Gogh flowers from vangoghflowers.com.

Alternatives to Bridesmaid Bouquets

When you begin planning your wedding, probably one of the first things that comes to mind is flowers. As you order the bridal bouquet, you might simply order smaller versions of the same design for your bridesmaids to carry. But before you do, take the time to look into your options for alternatives to the standard bridesmaid bouquets.

If you definitely want to have your attendants carry flowers, but also want something unique, consider kissing balls. They are made of flowers arranged into a round ball, and are usually hung from a pretty satin or organza ribbon. Kissing balls have a very romantic look, and also add a pleasing architectural element to the wedding procession.

Bouquet

A bridesmaid accessory that is making a comeback is the parasol. They are most often done in a shade of white (as opposed to the bright pastel parasols that were popular in the 1970s). Some brides will have their attendants carry the parasols down the aisle for an outdoor garden wedding. In other cases, the bridesmaids will have bouquets, and will use the parasols as props for the photos.

If you choose to use a prop like a parasol, the bride should pay for it, just as she would the bridesmaid's bouquets. After all of the other expenses associated with being a bridesmaid, it would not be kind to force them to buy a parasol as well. Please do not consider the parasols to count as bridesmaid gifts, either. Bridesmaid gifts should be something that your friends would choose for themselves, like a beautiful pair of earrings, not a prop for your wedding.

Another alternative to the standard bouquets is to have your bridesmaids carry fans. This trend can go a couple of ways. If you are having an Asian inspired wedding, choose accordion fans that are handpainted with lovely cherry blossoms. For a more Southern plantation look, fans made from raffia would be a great choice.

Fans, like parasols, are popular for a prop in the wedding photos. They can add a nice repetitive element that the photographer can style into some very striking images. This is the kind of detail that can make your wedding photos very unique.

For very religious ceremonies, some brides will choose to carry a small white Bible or other book of prayers instead of a bouquet. Often the book is decorated with white ribbons and perhaps a small spray of flowers. If the bride has made this choice for herself, she could also have her bridesmaids carry prayer books, as long as there are no religious conflicts.

Each bride wants to find a way to make her wedding distinctive. Choosing an alternative to the traditional bridesmaid bouquets is certainly one way to put your own personal stamp on your day. Having unique details is what will make your wedding even more memorable.

Alternatives to Bridesmaid Bouquets

Laura is interested in wedding planning and wedding trends including jewelry, receptions and gifts. Bridesmaid gifts, such as beautiful jewelry, are a wonderful way to show your appreciation.

When Do Primroses Flower? And Other Questions Answered

When do primroses flower? This is a good question, and important to have answered if you are planning a primrose garden. The simple answer is that they bloom in early spring, and are among one of the first flowers you'll end up seeing every year. If you're considering a primrose garden, we've dug up some tips and information for you to help you grow a great garden you'll be proud of all year long. The first tip is to make sure you don't plant your flowers where there's too much light. Too much or too little sun can have negative effects on the growth of your plants, which is why it's so important to remember this rule. Primroses are known to carpet forests where there's enough room, which means that they have to get by with minimal light due to the shade-creating canopy overhead. They'd make an excellent addition to a shade garden as a result, which is one of the reasons why they are so popular. We've included some additional suggestions and advice below, but if you have any additional questions about when do primroses flower, or if you are curious about other aspects of gardening or about flowers themselves, please feel free to contact us - we'll be happy to help!

-- When do primroses flower? Additional information

Flower

When do primroses flower? We answered that above, but now we'd like to provide you with some more useful information about gardening. We discussed the importance of balancing light and shade, but there are other things to consider as well. Soil quality is very important - the richer the soil, the healthier the plants generally become. Pick up a few bags of manure or some peat moss to help enrich the earth and you'll notice a difference not only in quality, but in how the color of the blooms stands out more with darker soil. Flowering plants, like all others, require a healthy amount of water to stay alive. In wetter seasons you may not need to water as often, but in the summer it will usually be necessary two or even three times a week. Follow these simple tips and you'll start to notice positive changes in no time at all. So now that we've answered your question, "when do primroses flower," we invite you to contact us with any further inquiries you might have about the primrose itself or any other flowers you are interested in. As always, we're happy to help!

When Do Primroses Flower? And Other Questions Answered

*About* Matthew (Matt) Harley writes for Brant Florist. Brant Florist is a Burlington Ontario based flower shop, owned and operated by The Bolt family since 1977. Doyle, Tim, Elaine and Ken Bolt treat every customer the way they would like to be treated. Staff are well trained, have years of experience and are professional. Brant Florist has been on the web since 1996 and leads the way with a computerized network to manage and record all orders.

You can send flowers and order your flowers online for world-wide delivery by visiting Brant Florists 24hr website at http://www.BrantFlorist.com or learn more about flowers and other interesting floral facts at their specialty blog http://TheFlorister.com today!

Rustic Interior Design

For people who love nature, the rustic look would be a treat to their senses. Designing their house with rustic look would mean using untamed, unrefined elements for decorations. This style of decoration takes its inspiration from the awesome quality of nature itself. There is something soothing and magical about being amidst nature. Having that piece of the world right at home would give you unparalleled pleasure.

For all those who want your home to be the balm that heals you of the stressful life you lead, the good news is that you don't have to consider it to be a mere dream anymore. The wall color you use, you furniture and even the lampshades you use could contribute in getting this look and feel for your home. The materials that you would primarily see in a house with rustic interiors would be stone, metal and wood. They would give a simple, natural and elegant look to your house.

Floral

Nature has many faces and so does your imagination too! Though nature would vaguely be mountains, greenery and rivers, the finer details would surely vary based on the place you stay. There are different styles you could use to decorate your home like the farmhouse style where they use bright colors like yellow and red and bold prints too. You could choose the American cowboy style where the concept would revolve around saddle, horseshoes or antlers. You could use logs that to decorate your space, a concept widely used in many hotels and lodges specially situated near the lake front. If you want to have a countryside look, it is certainly about sober colors, accessories that are very down to earth. This look would strike you for its down-to-earth nature. The house designed with the rustic look will make your dream of sleeping in the lap of nature certainly come true.

All you have to do is be creative enough to observe your surrounding and know exactly which aspect of nature to portray through your home. You could think of economical ways of decorating your home. Rustic look signifies simplicity. Even simple items available in flea markets could go a long way in adding a classy touch to your house.

Rooms with a rustic look are a pleasure lounge around in. They are simple to create too. There are rustic area rugs available in the market. The designs that primarily adorn this area rug are bears, pine cones etc. You could select ones in shades of brown or even green. Braided area rugs or hooked wool area rugs can be custom made with designs of forests or wildlife to match the walls painted with subdued shades. Rustic area rugs could be used for decoration. They come with floral designs and motifs.

If you are a true nature lover and you always wanted a house like this, then, it is time for you to bring your dream to life. You can create a rustic look without having to spend exorbitant amounts of money by just using your imagination and creativity. If you are convinced that rustic style is a unique mixture of convenience and class, get going to make it a reality.

Rustic Interior Design

Keep up to date with Interior Design trends and enhance your home with modern area rugs.

Want A View? Start Growing Orchids On Trees

Do you live in Southern Florida or California? If you do then you can really enjoy orchids year round. Growing orchids on trees can be a blast. It can enhance any surrounding. Beautiful, colorful orchid plants will make your outdoor area very inviting.

The trees..

Orchids

Imagine the expression on the faces of your guests when they see orchids growing on your trees. First, though, you will need a tree that does allow some sunlight to beam through. Trees like palms and citrus are some prime examples. Oaks may even be candidates.
To be sure that you are in a suitable area look on an agriculture climate map and if you live in zone 11 you can do this successfully. Remember their are micro-climates that could allow you to plant these further North.

Some orchid candidates...

You will need to pair the right orchids with the right amount of sunlight that is available. In a really sunny area vandas would be a good choice to start growing orchids on trees. In shaded areas phalaenopsis or cattleyas are a great choice. If you need help an orchid grower will be helpful.

How To...

The first rule you should follow before attaching orchids growing on trees is to attach it during the time the orchids are growing their roots. For example, if you are attaching a cattleya you would do this during the months of January or February. If you choose two months before the orchid plants will bloom your in the right timeframe.

Attach the orchids with either cotton twine or a monofilament like fishing line. Wrap the plant firmly but not to damage the roots and pseudopods to the tree. It will usually take several times around to do this.
It will be important to successfully start growing orchids on trees to mist the orchids almost daily unless there is rain. This needs to continue for about two months until the roots attach themselves to the tree. Also, don't forget the fertilizer.

By the time this occurs your orchid plants should be blooming and really enhancing your landscape. Orchid plants will brighten any area indoors or out. But, to have orchids on your trees is such a beautiful "back to nature" experience.

Did you know that in our store we are selling orchids which are growing on wood bark and cork. These are all ready rooted and it will make any surroundings take on a lovely view. Take a look at our examples of growing orchids on trees.

Want A View? Start Growing Orchids On Trees

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A Mother's Day Gift That Is Alive And Growing!

What are your thoughts as Mother's Day is fast approaching? Are you wondering how best to show your feelings for your mother on Mother's Day? What is the perfect gift that can convey your genuine love and care for your mother without giving hints of flattery or appeasement?

You might get overwhelmed by the variety of Mother's Day gifts that are available in the market. If you are like many others, you would want to gift her with flowers, especially if she is someone who loves flowers. Because of the traditional associations made, the first flower that comes to mind might be carnations! The association between Mother's Day and Carnations is very strongly embedded in our minds. There is even an early Christian legend according to which carnations are the flowers that sprung up when the tears of the mother of Christ fell on the ground as she saw the sufferings of her son.

Florist

Flowers are very popular on Mother's Day and they are almost indispensable as gifts on the occasion. You could easily get carnations, hyacinths, tulips, and daffodils for her.

OK, if not carnations or any of the other three mentioned above, you could give other flowers like roses and orchids. Or a mix of carnations, orchids, and roses. Are you happy with these? Or do you, like me, feel that these flowers do not make such great gifts because they removed from their natural surroundings?

Without completely discarding traditional notions, consider this question with an open mind: 'are carnations the best plant and flower related gift you could give your mother?' In other words, can you give something that is fuller and more organic than mere flowers?

That is where my suggestion gets its relevance. Gift your mother with flowering plants. They are better than mere flowers because of many reasons. They are alive, inspiring, and ecologically more meaningful. Moreover, they give your mother a chance to make her garden richer and more beautiful.

That being the main focus, let us start off with some other Mother's Day gifts!

Simple and homemade gifts for mom

A very simple and telling way of showing your mother that you care is by doing everything for her on Mother's Day. Let her relax on her most comfortable chair and read her favorite book and watch television. You could cook her favorite seafood dish or prepare her favorite dessert.

Crafts are a popular gift item for Mother's Day. You can make them using common things such as paper by following simple instructions. Or you could write a genuine and unaffected letter for her. If you are comfortable with the medium of poetry, you could write her a poem that would delight her.

Jewelry pieces such as bracelets, earrings, necklaces, and rings can make excellent Mother's Day gifts. In the apparel category, there are some interesting modern trends. A popular Mother's Day gift these days is a nice T-shirt set for both the mother and the child.

Now we will move to the natural gifts category, the one that includes plants and flowers.

Plants and flowers for mom

Flowering plants being more natural and alive, they should logically make great gifts. It is surprising why they haven't become very popular as yet.

Flowering plants are novel gift items for Mother's Day. These are likely to be more-than-welcome gift for a mother who has been getting carnations year after year. They can be given in various types of containers. You could consider gifting them in baskets, pots, and metallic containers.

Undoubtedly, these plants are going to matter a lot to mothers who love gardening. They have the extra charm of being living things as compared to flowers, which are, although attractive, placed out of context because they are plucked out of nature.

If your mother is a lover of gardening, one of the best things you could do to her is to gift her with a pot of flowering plants. The longer the time she spends with the plants,the better she would feel about your gift and the good emotions that inspired you to give her that gift.

You could buy planted flowers from a good online florist. If you just go to their site and search for their Mother's Day catalog, you would come across some nice planted flowers. You might even gather enough audacity to go beyond the usual carnations and buy plants.

You could get some add-ons too, such as wine, chocolates, and soft toys. Based on your mother's likes and dislikes, you can decide whether it is appropriate or not.

A Mother's Day Gift That Is Alive And Growing!

Jobin is an editor and an observer of the flower industry. He occasionally writes for PickUpFlowers.com, an international online florist who aims to deliver the best of flowers all over the world. PickUpFlowers delivers flowers on all occasions including birthdays, Valentine's Day, and Mother's Day, to name a few.

Are We Rome?

At its height Rome was a terrifying power. It controlled most of the land surrounding the Mediterranean and was continually expanding. The culture was just as wide spread, falling over wherever Rome had dominance. Rome's influence over the world was so great that, even today, aspects of it can be seen in the roots of our nation. Rome, however, did not last and in the end experienced a catastrophic disintegration of the empire it had build up. America's similarities make our collapse a fear among many people. I do not believe that America will follow in Rome's footsteps, for while our country is Rome in many aspects, it is also more.

Rome and America share some scarily similar likenesses. For instance, in several ways Rome's government, before Julius Caesar, was identical to ours. They were a republic and had a large Senate that advised the people who were at the top. There was also a system of checks and balances, so that no one section of the government could gain too much power. In America's system today we even go as far as to name these aspects of government the same as Rome. We have a Senate, which helps run the country and our checks and balances keep all three sections of the government in their places.

Roses

It is not just the government that is the same either. Both of our nations were or are the economic superpowers of their time. Rome had most of the land around the Mediterranean and could pull in money from all of the places it conquered. Rome was by far the largest empire in Asia during its height. The United States is much the same, it currently holds the top spot, in the world, for GDP and has held it for quite some time. Both of these countries rose to power through imperialism, by dominating other countries and using their resources. Rome and America also both have very open policies concerning immigrants, allowing them to serve in the military before they even were citizens.

There are countless other similarities between the United States and the Roman Empire, but they are not the same. America may be Rome, but we are more, we are a better, more evolved form of the great empire. This can be seen in the way that America acts towards the nations that it is "conquering." It has been said that America is the police of the world. We get involved in foreign affairs, not to takeover and add to our empire, but to help those we believe are in need. Because of this mindset we treat these countries much gentler than what the Romans did. The Romans were out to expand their empire so their treatment could be very brutal. America also has geographic advantage when compared to Rome. A major reason Rome fell was that it spread itself too thin and thus was susceptible to invasion. While America may get spread out in the years to come, it can always retreat back to its homeland, where the oceans offer protection.

Rome and America are very similar, but they are not the same. Rome fell, but in no way does that mean that our country will follow the same path. Plus, we know how Rome fell, so we will know what actions to take if America begins to fall.

Are We Rome?

Putting Together an Asian Wedding Reception

Pulling off a wedding takes a good deal of time and a good deal of preparing. This is why women in their right mind will try to plan it six months to a year ahead of time. It allows them to make the necessary arrangements and to come up with plenty of ideas on the best way to decorate everything. First though they should come up with the proper theme.

There are a great deal of themes to select from that it can be a bit daunting to settle on merely one. The trick is to think about the colors and designs that you and your husband to be love. One that I believe is very refined and romantic is the Asian theme. The great thing about this is that there are numerous things you can do with this.

Orchids

Favors
How many times have women struggled over what favors to give to the guests? Now you don't have to worry. The best thing to utilize for this wedding theme are Chinese take out boxes. Place little ones at each place setting on the tables and adorn them with ribbons or fortunes. You can place candies, flowers, or other things that each guest will take home.

Wedding Bouquets
There are several distinct kinds of Asian flowers that you have the ability to utilize for the bouquets. Cherry blooms, orchids, poppies, topiaries, and bamboo are a few of the more elegant choices that provide a wide range of color. You can even utilize these on the reception tables.

Centerpieces
You have to make sure that you are utilizing the correct Asian wedding centerpieces that work well to complete the theme. Step away from the ordinary and use something that is unusual and distinct. Select an Asian style lantern. Pick out one style for the entire room or a different style for every table.
Be sure that they are all the same color and you get something that is refined.

Putting Together an Asian Wedding Reception

Asian Weddings are a wonderful theme to use and one that many will use. Find out affordable ways to decorate and what type of Asian Wedding Centerpieces that would be best to use.