It sounds like a teacher’s command, but Johnny Jump Up is actually another name for the Heartsease flower. People who like pansies (the flowers, not people who might be called pansies) would love these flowers, as they are pretty much taller versions of the pansies we plant in gardens. In fact, Heartsease is also known as the wild pansy. The flowers are lovely surprises that can be found across meadows and alongside highways all across the United States.
Some of my dearest friends live in the Jacksonville area, and they are what I’d call supreme foodies. They are known for their culinary adventures and expertise, and even keep food blogs about the delicious delights they come up with.
If you’d like to be like my friends in Jacksonville, you should definitely keep a fresh herb garden for your culinary experiments. Some key herbs to have include thyme, sage, rosemary, dill, and oregano, though lemon thyme, mint, and many others will be helpful along your journey as well. Keep them in pots, on window sills, in old shoes or buckets, whatever you like.
With Valentine's Day right around the corner, I can imagine there are a lot of people wondering where the best place to get the flowers can be. There are so many florists to choose from that the actually selecting one can be difficult.
Depending on your search criteria there could also be a ton of places that you might want to cancel out before giving them a try. For instance if you only want organic flowers - there is probably a large list of florists that could not meet your demands. So, what is there to do in situations like this?
Probably the most important thing to keep in mind when you are looking for a florist in Jacksonville, is to make sure to read reviews from people who have shopped at the florist before. Online resources such as Yelp can help you "weed out" (get it?) the places where you will likely have a bad experience. In fact, if you have a hard time finding information about the florist - it might be a sign that you should stay away from them anyway.
Good florists, like any other business, know that the key to prospering is happy customers. I can only speak from personal experience but I love ordering my flowers online. You can get a ton of reviews, the prices are up front, and in most cases the online florist will guarantee delivery AND your complete satisfaction. Another great thing is that you can order your flowers weeks or month in advance and they can be sent automatically when the time is right.
If anyone out there knows of any good florists in the Jacksonville, Florida area please let us know and help the thousands out there who are in need of flowers for that very special Feburary Holiday, Valentine's Day.
Of all of the state flowers, Florida’s is probably the one that sums up its state on sight. The orange blossom, decreed the state’s flower on November 15, 1909, is sunny, white, and heavenly scented—reminiscent of the state itself.
The orange tree didn’t originate in Florida, of course; for that matter, it’s not even native to the United States. Oranges come from Southeast Asia, where it is also known as the Chinese apple, or China’s apple. It was also known to be a favorite tree in India and Vietnam. Today the tree is grown in tropical and subtropical areas around the world, including Brazil and the U.S. In America, the tree is especially cultivated in southern Arizona, California, Texas, Louisiana, and of course, Florida.
A hybrid of pomelo and tangerine fruits bread for centuries, the small orange tree grows up to ten meters in height. The tree features ovate evergreen leaves, leathery and shiny in appearance, that are alternately arranged around the plant’s hesperidium berries. Many varieties also sprout thorns upon their branches.
It is the white flowers of the tree, of course, that give it the traditional Floridian look—the clean, sweetly-scented visual of summertime, sunshine, and relaxation. What other plant would bloom with beautiful white flowers throughout the spring only to release gorgeous, delicious oranges by fall and winter? In fact, many of the trees sport oranges from the previous year up until the new year’s buds begin to bloom, creating an effective year-round display of beauty.
Some of the most common Floridian varieties of oranges include:
Hamlin: These are known to be extremely juicy, smooth-skinned, and without many seeds. Hamlin oranges are harvested between October and January.
Pineapple: This variety is harvested December through February, in what is typically considered the off-season.
Valencia: Thin-skinned fruits, Valencia oranges are also grown in California. These are typically cultivated between March and July.
Blood: Delicious blood oranges, famous for their use in red orange juice, contain red flesh and a light berry flavor.
Washington: This moniker isn’t solely reserved for apples! Washington oranges are considered the original navel oranges. Though they can be grown in Florida, they are usually grown in California and harvested from October through July.
Parson Brown: And you thought this was simply the name of the man who married Frosty the Snowman to his bride! Parson Brown oranges are also harvested during midseason. Unlike Hamlin oranges, they are filled with seeds.
Flowers at the 9th, Jacksonville Florida: by nsaplayer - flickr
Jacksonville Florida Water Flower: by DeusXFlorida - flickr