Ashland Addison Florist Company

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How to Care for Your Succulent

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One of our favorite ways to decorate is with plants, and what better plant to start off with than a beautiful succulent garden! Succulents come in thousands of different varieties and colors, plus they are super easy to keep alive (these ones are perfect for you serial plant killers). If you’re having a hard time with your garden, or you’re new to plant care, look no further! Follow our tips and tricks to our most common questions on how to keep your succulents healthy & happy!

1. How Do I Water My Succulents?

Succulents are naturally desert plants, so you don’t need to water these guys very often. You’ll want to make sure to let the soil completely dry between watering. When it’s time to water your garden, remember that succulents like to be soaked, not spritzed! A small watering can with a long spout is the perfect tool. That way, you can water in between the succulent plants rather than on top of them.

A good rule of thumb to follow is to make sure you’re checking your plants at least every two weeks. Simply check the state of the soil by sticking your finger in about one inch from the surface. If it feels dry, water those babies!

2. Where Do I Put My Succulents?

Succulent-No Sun

Succulents love direct sun, so make sure you place your garden in a bright room and, if possible, near a window. Remember that these are desert plants and they’ll want plenty of bright light to grow!

If it looks like your plant is stretching out and the bloom isn’t as compact as it used to be, you may need to move your garden to a brighter location.

3. Why Is My Succulent Lopsided?

Succulents thrive from direct sunlight, but if your garden is placed in a windowsill, it’s likely that only one side is getting enough light. You may notice after time that your succulent seems to be “leaning” towards the window – no good! Make sure you rotate your garden consistently to ensure your succulent is getting plenty of bright rays on every side.

That’s pretty much it! Like we said, succulents can be the easiest plants to keep healthy. You can rest easy knowing that we will plant your garden in a beautiful, and very healthy environment for your brand new plants. Order our pre-made gardens and follow these easy steps and your garden can last for years!

Shop for Succulent Gardens Now!

Small Business Saturday Ho Ho Holiday Celebration

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We’ve been family owned and operated since 1932, so we understand that there is no better way to spend the holidays than quality, family time. We don’t want you running around on Black Friday searching for sales. For that reason, we will NOT be offering Black Friday discounts or sales. We want you to spend the day with your family!

Instead, we will be offering a family-friendly Ho Ho Holiday Celebration on Small Business Saturday! Join us for special discounts, free gifts, and family fun!

What?

  • Free hot chocolate
  • Free Ashland Addison mug with purchase*
  • Write your letter to Santa and mail it using our special mailbox that goes directly to the North Pole!
  • 1-day only Poinsettia sale! Biggest discount of the season – 20%**

Who?

Anyone who wants to celebrate the season with us! This is a family-friendly event and it’s a great time to get your Poinsettias, drink hot chocolate, and write your letter to Santa!

Where?

Our Lakeview Location – 3118 N Lincoln Ave, Chicago IL 60657 (click here for directions)

When?

Small Business Saturday! Saturday, November 30 | 9am-4pm

How?

RSVP using our Facebook event so we can make sure we have a letter and hot chocolate ready for you! Click here to RSVP.

For more information, email info@ashaddflorist.com or call us at 312-432-1800

*for free mugs and poinsettia sales: minimum $10 purchase – while supplies last

How To Make Your Flowers Last Longer in 3 Steps

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How To Make Your Flowers Last Longer in 3 Steps

In this post, we’ll explain 3 easy steps to help keep your floral arrangements fresh and beautiful for days (and sometimes – weeks)! 

Step 1: Cut and Clean the Stems

The first, and maybe most important, step to keeping your flowers fresh is to make sure you prep them for their vase. 

We cannot stress this enough – cut your stems. Garden shears are the easiest way to make a clean cut, but any sharp scissors will do the job. Make sure you cut your stems at an angle, about two inches above the bottom. Cutting at an angle will give your flowers a much larger surface area to stay hydrated. After the initial cut that you make, be sure to re-trim the stems every 2-3 days. 

To extend the life of your blooms even further, you’ll want to clean and prune the leaves and stems. Remove all of the leaves below the waterline. After your initial pruning and cleaning, make sure you remove any loose leaves that may fall in the water to prevent bacterial growth.

There are some flowers, like roses, that have extra guard petals which are the two or three outermost petals of the flower. Removing these will allow your flower to open up fully and you won’t have to worry about those falling into the water. 

Step 2: Hydrate, Hydrate, Hydrate

This is one of the most common mistakes that we see. Everyone knows the classic care tips like cutting the stems, but many people forget to keep the water fresh. Not only is it important to make sure your vase has enough water for your plants to stay hydrated, but the fresh water will keep out unwanted bacteria, plus it will keep your flowers smelling fresh! Make sure to change your water at least every three days to see the best results. 

Step 3: Keep your Flowers in a Safe Place

Once your flowers are pruned and ready to display, where you place your arrangement will affect its lifespan. You want to make sure your flowers are avoiding direct sunlight, avoiding heat, and avoiding drafts. Open windows, heating or cooling vents and ceiling fans as they can cause the flowers to quickly dehydrate which means early wilting. Always keep your flowers hydrated to keep your blooms fresh.

That’s it!

These three steps are the three key ingredients to keeping your floral arrangement fresh and beautiful for a lot longer. Of course there are “hacks” like additives that you can try, but we like to stick to the classic tried-and-true steps. This is how we keep our flowers fresh and it’s what we suggest to you!

Now that you know how to keep your flowers fresh, try out these steps yourself and see how long they last! Browse our collection of same-day flower delivery to find the perfect bouquet for any celebration. 

We have a few reasons to send flowers today

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Here you go

  • Flowers make the best impression*
  • You want to make someone else feel good
  • You want to make yourself feel good
  • You love knowing that your gift is supporting a hard-working farmer who loves to grow perfect blooms
  • You love the feeling that an artist has carefully crafted your gift
  • You know that flowers make people feel special
  • You know that when people hear that someone sent flowers that responses are often, “ohhhh!!!”
  • Flowers smell nice
  • Flowers are pretty
  • Flowers make small rooms look bigger
  • Flowers make everything feel a bit more special
  • Flowers make ordinary celebrations extraordinary
  • Local florists have cool jobs and the world needs more cool jobs
  • Local businesses help our urban metropolis feel more warm and fuzzy
  • Family businesses have cool stories to share
  • Flowers help gloomy days feel better
  • Flowers cure seasonal depression (or at least help it)
  • When you carry flowers around with you, people smile at you
  • Fresh beautiful flowers do not affect your waistline
  • Research shows – proves! – that flowers make people more productive*
  • Flowers come in a lot of different colors
  • Research shows that flower givers are considered more likable, friendly and emotionally intelligent.*

*Cool research available at aboutflowers.com

People smile when they receive flowers!
People smile when they receive flowers!

 

We say Mom, you say….

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It was fun to ask our team members what they think of when we say “Mom”.   For me, the first word that pops up is patience.  My mom has six children, and I’ve never seen her flip her lid of spilled milk or blink an eye when one of us called from college upset or in a parenting nightmare… she is calm.  She is patient.

When I asked Justin for his thoughts, he said “Mom’s home cooking.”  Momma Sheffield must have made some fine meals for the four Sheffield kids.  We know around the shops that Bill was a really good cook, too!

But one of my favorite stories is right here in this shop.  Zoe has been working at Ashland Addison Florist since she was a teenager!  She loves flowers, creative design and has a place in her heart for our customers like no one else.  She knows their names, their family members, their special occasions. She has cared for them over the phone through hard times and life’s celebrations.  We are lucky enough to have Georgia, her daughter, join our team while she works on her Bachelor’s Degree at Chicago’s DePaul University.  We get to see her impressive son, Anthony, as he prepares for West Point in just a few short weeks.  We are entertained by her school-aged Luis as he stops by after school and shares his wealth of 1st grade knowledge.

Happy Mother's Day to all of our team members and customers - thanks to role models like Zoe who remind us what this holiday is about!

When I asked Georgia what she thought when I said, Mom, she listed:

Caring    *   Generous  *  Humble  
Strong    *    Devoted    *    Optimistic    *    Leader
We couldn’t agree more with her description of Zoe.  We are lucky to have Zoe and each of our team members who nurture their families, their partners, their friends, our customers and our communities!
Happy Mother’s Day to all of our team members and customers – thanks to role models like Zoe who remind us what this holiday is about!