Pumpkin Time

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Crisp cool mornings and sunny days. The colors are starting to change ever so slightyly. It's that time of year, PUMPKING TIME!!

Let's hope the harvest for pumpkins is plentiful. Last year,2009, was not a good year for pumpkins in Illinois. And as a result there was shortage of canned pumpkin on our grocery shelves. I really missed making pumpkin pies and bread this past year.

Here are a few fun facts about pumpkins according to www.urbanext.illinois.edu/
website.

Pumpkin Facts

Total U.S. pumpkin production in 2008 in major pumpkin producing states was valued at $141 million.
Total production of pumpkins by major pumpkin producing states in 2008: 1.1 billion pounds.
496 million pounds of pumpkins were produced in Illinois in 2008.
The top pumpkin production states are Illinois, Ohio, Pennsylvania and California.
Pumpkins are grown primarily for processing with a small percentage grown for ornamental sales through you-pick farms, farmers' market and retail sales.
Around 90 to 95% of processed pumpkins in the United States are grown in Illinois.
Pumpkin seeds can be roasted as a snack.
Pumpkin contain potassium and Vitamin A.
Pumpkins are used for feed for animals.
Pumpkins flowers are edible.
Pumpkins are used to make soups, pies and breads.
In early colonial times, pumpkins were used as an ingredient for the crust of pies not filing.
Later, Colonists sliced off pumpkin tops, removed seeds and filled the insides with milk, spices and honey. This was baked in hot ashes and is the origin of pumpkin pie.
Pumpkins are 90% water.
The largest pumpkin ever grown weighed 1,140 pounds.
The largest pumpkin pie ever made was over five feet in diameter and weighted over 350 pounds. It used 80 pounds of cooked pumpkin, 36 pounds of sugar, 12dz. eggs and took six hours to bake.


At LaRosa's Flowers, pumpkins and other fall items like wheat, cattails, preserved fall leaves and gourds add stylish, creative and fun touches to fall decorating in our fresh and silk flower arrangements. Use these colorful elements of nature to add autumn elegance to your home.

As always, wishing you peace + and love.


LaRosa's Flowers
O'fallon - Belleville, IL
"the flower people since 1962"
Call, Click or Visit today
http://www.larosasflowers.com

Autumn Weddings

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What is a wedding without flowers? Flowers are an important part of every wedding.
Although one can get married with no flowers, it just doesn’t have the same traditional and romantic feel of a wedding with beautiful wedding flowers.

More flowers are used on a single wedding day than any other day of the year. And as
everyone knows, more marriages take place in the spring through fall months of the year.


As we move through the month of September, it is a great time to think about the fabulous fall shades available. I love designing fall weddings. The first being, fall roses are by far the best performers and come in a spectrum of vibrant shades, oranges, burgundy, browns, golden yellows and burnt reds. Secondly, I adore using items like pumpkins, gourds, twigs and berries incorporated into our wedding bouquets. These extra textures really make incredible designs.

Deep purple or wine toned dresses are very popular this year and they can provide a really fabulous fall palette, one that is rich and dramatic.

Just convey to us what your wedding theme or colors are and we will walk you through your flower selection help you chose flowers that will look terrific and keep you within your designated budget.



For your convenience, we have provided a couple of links on our website click here with pictures of some wedding designs and another click here illustrating wedding packages priced moderately to extravagant. I believe even a simple wedding through flowers can express the elegance and happiness of this special occasion.

With our wedding bouquet ideas and unique designs, you can choose the perfect flowers for your special day. Every bride has her own special style and taste, no two brides, no two weddings or floral arrangements are the same.



Remember, you can trust La Rosa’s Flowers to do everything within our power to make sure your wedding flowers look just as elegant as the bride.

As always, wishing you peace + and love.

LaRosas's Flowers
O'Fallon - Belleville, Illinois
Call, Click, or Visit today
Creating beautiful weddings since 1962
www.larosasflowers.com

Falling For Sunflowers

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The sunny yellow blooms of the sunflower plants are some of the most cheerful
types of annual flowers you can grow and have become a favorite end of summer
garden flower.

No flower can lift your spirit quite like a sunflower can. Bright & cheery with brilliant yellow petals that surround the flower’s center, sunflowers have an unmistakable sun-like appearance that has made them a preferred flower choice of many.

It’s of little surprise the beautiful flower that turns it’s head to follow the sun originated
in North America and was a common crop among American Indians where for centuries they were cultivated as a valuable food source. Evidence suggests the plant was cultivated by Indians in present day Arizona and New Mexico about 3000 B.C. Some archaeologists even suggest that sunflowers may have been domesticated before corn.



However, the sunflower was not only a food source to Native Americans, they were used to create a dye of a purple color which was used then to enhance clothing, paint bodies and decorate objects. Other parts of the plant were used to make medicine for snake bites and ointments. The seed oil was used to lubricate skin and hair. As ancient societies could not afford to waste anything the stalks were dried and then used as building material.

With the European exploration of the New World, the sunflower was brought to new areas, and the flower’s popularity eventually spread as people around the world began to appreciate its beauty and sustenance. Commercialization of the sunflower first took place in Russia in the late 19th Century and finally made it’s way back to the US

The sunflower resemblance to the sun has also influenced their meanings and is often associated with feelings of happiness and warmth. It’s little wonder people love decorating with sunflowers to bring positive energy and spread good vibes into homes or area where they are placed.

We are fortunate, here at La Rosa’s Flowers, that we are able to carry sunflowers most of the year, thanks to our dedicated growers worldwide, who cut and ship these blooms to us within 24 hrs.

So remember, even as the last blooms fades from your garden, you can still enjoy basking in the sunflower’s warming glow throughout most of the winter season.

As always, wishing you peace + and love.

LaRosa's Flowers
O'Fallon - Belleville, Illinois
Call, Click or Visit Today
1.800.944.7441
http://larosasflowers.com