A newsletter by harkins, the florist
All About Cakes......
This is a tasty morsel from the notes of
John's upcoming book.
Uncle Bob Harkins taught me much of what I know about the
flower business. He trained at my parents’ shop in Jackson, MS after returning
from service in Europe (including time in a German P.O.W. camp) during World War
II. By the late 1940s he relocated to Baton Rouge where he opened his own shop
in the mid 1950s. The premier florist there for some four decades, he had much
knowledge and business savvy to share.
One of his cardinal rules
relative to weddings was “Never Touch A Cake!” This experience no doubt dates to
his own wedding experience in Jackson. On the way to the ballroom reception at
the Hotel Heidelberg, somehow his wedding cake landed on the floor of the
lobby. Lesson learned!
“Never, ever touch a cake,” he said, “other than to put
flowers on top or around it. You can say it’s against company policy, and, if
that doesn’t work complain of a bad back. But don’t agree to move a cake.”
There are lots of cake stories out there including my own
and the Four Poster for the groom at the Art Museum, but my favorite concerns a
reception at the stately Opera Guild Home in the Garden District.
Having done everything else flower wise, I waited in the
kitchen for the cake to arrive. And waited, and waited. Finally the hostess
called the French baker and forced the truth out of him.
“We have ze slight probleme,” he explained. “ Ze driver, he
go too fast around ze corner. Ze cake is all over ze side of ze truck. But not
to worry! I am coming with a bucket of icing, and I will fix!”
He received a message from “ze florist” when he arrived:
“He can put ze flowers on ze cake as well,” the Opera Guild lady conveyed.
There was no way I was going into that crowd of Uptown people during the
reception and have it appear that I was late doing the flowers.
Deck the Halls, and walls, and doors,
and ....
We have loads of full, fat wreaths, garland, boxwood
trees, centerpieces, poinsettias and just about any other floral item you can
think of.
Our wreaths are handmade from assorted evergreens and
decorated with pinecones and a big, bright bow. They come in two sizes, 20 and
24 inch diameters. We'll custom decorate your wreath with whichever colors best
coordinate with your decor.
We have garland which is handmade locally. This is also
made of a mixture of evergreens, and is nice and full. Again, this year, it is
priced at $6 per yard, quite a bargain! Now is a great time to do your outdoor
decorating, while the temperatures are nice and cool.
Boxwood trees have always been a popular choice,
especially for older folks who prefer not to have a tree. These darling little
"trees" may be decorated in whichever colors you prefer. Here are some examples
of them:
Our range of centerpieces and vase
arrangements for the holidays is too large to include here, so here is the link
to our Christmas page, and of course any of the arrangements on our site are
available at most any time.
http://www.harkinsneworleans.com/Christmas%202009.htm
We'd love to help make your holidays bright,
and we would like to take this time to thank all of friends and customers for a
great year, and may the next find you all happy and healthy!
Did you know......?
Something old, something new, something borrowed
something blue, as the wedding ditty goes. One of our old favorites here at
Harkins are our beautiful, gracious orchids. They make such an endearing and
enduring gift for you or for someone special. Something new are the orchid
pots created by three of New Orleans finest potters; Charlie Bohn of Shady
Side Pottery, Debbie Kramer of D K Clay and Casey Willems. They come in a
variety of sizes, shapes, textures and colors with various glazes including
Raku. Photographs will soon be up on our web site so that you can select the
one that works best for the special presentation you wish to achieve. Did
you know that you also have the choice of bringing in your own favorite pot
to have one of our designers create an inspirational arrangement utilizing
kiwi branches, raffia and Spanish moss. Something borrowed something blue…
Can someone tell me the etymology of this delightful ditty? I wore a blue
garter and had a new penny in my shoe on my wedding day.
We will have these pots throughout the year, not just through the holidays.
I love that orchids
are for any day of the year.
A fantastic success!!...
Our recycling program has well surpassed our highest
expectations! We send out a hearty Thank You! to everyone who has
participated. At this point however, we need to take a little break, and
work through everything we have received so far. We will announce the start
up on our web site and Facebook page, so stay tuned.
Care and
Handling of.......
Kangaroo Paws
Origins
As its common name suggests, kangaroo paw is a native of
southwestern Australia. This novel bloom’s proper name,
Anigozanthos, combines the Greek words anoigo, meaning
“to open,” and anthos, meaning “flower,” and reflects
this flower’s inclination to open widely, flaring almost
to the blossom’s base.
Members of the Haemodoraceae
family, some 10 species of this perennial herb are
known. Perhaps the most familiar to florists is
Anigozanthos flavidus, which is available in red and
yellow varieties. Kangaroo paws are also available with
yellowish-green, green, brownish-yellow, red and pink
blooms. Some bicolor varieties are also available.
Availability and
Vase Life
Year round.
7-14 days.
Care and Handling
Handle gently to avoid damaging blooms.
Design Uses
Kangaroo Paw provides delicate textural contrast and
distinctive shape in designs. In full, massive
arrangements, these flowers have a woodsy quality. They
work in oriental style arrangments as well.
Colors: Yellow, yellowish-green, brownish-yellow,
crimson, orange, pink, and bi-colors.
Call us
to see which color we currently are carrying.
We have some beautiful burgundy kangaroo paws in the shop
this week, pass by and take a look!
Thus ends another newsletter, and another year. We reflect
warmly on the last and look forward to the new year, we'll have some new and
exciting products and surprises in store.
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