Namaqualand: The Floral Kingdom of Africa

Foreigners and locals return time and again to this wonderland of colour. The miracle of a parched landscape slowly evolving through the seasons into a huge carpet of wild flowers is breathtaking. The best time to view this unique floral display is from mid-August to October.

To do Namaqualand properly, one would take a leisurely drive through the fields of flowers, stopping off at the nature reserves and charming towns along the way. Bear in mind that accommodation in the region is often booked out a year in advance as more foreigners hear of these wildflowers, which are unparalleled anywhere.

To view all the different species of flowers in the region, get The Botanical Society of South Africa guides to Nieuwoudtville SA Wild Flower Guide and Namaqualand SA Wild Flower Guide 1. There's also Freeman Patterson's Garden of the Gods and Fynbos by Richard Cowling.

Towns Along The Way

Kamieskroon
The locals in this area are as impressive as their colourful surroundings. They are helpful and offer advice on where the best flowers are. The reasonably priced Kamieskroon Hotel, the town B&B's and the neighbouring farms all offer splendid accommodation. Contact the Namaqualand Tourism Centre for your pick of places to stay. Roads leading out from Kamieskroon go up into the hills to the town of Leliefontein where you will find an enchanting old mission. It's worth travelling further afield to the rugged west coast of stormy seas and rocky outcrops at Hondeklip Bay and Groenriviermond.

The 50 000 hectare Namaqua National Park is a botanical and ecological conservancy whose friendly conservationists will gladly answer questions on the flora and fauna of the area. The reserve stretches roughly from the town of Garies northwards to the towns of Springbok and Steinkopf. The areas most visited are round the towns of Springbok and Nababeep. The Spektakel (spectacle) ridge is a must see with its profusion of flowers. The further north you travel from Kamieskroon to Springbok, the more spectacular the display of species in a good season.

Nieuwoudtville
The town of Nieuwoudtville is a geological treasure situated on the Bokkeveld escarpment. Within the surrounds of just 20 kilometres the plant life changes from fynbos, to Renosterveld, to Karoo. It has the richest bulb (geophyte) variety in the world. Species include the famous spring daisies, the forget-me-not family, Pelargonium (with its bizarre shapes), Heliophila (Sun lover), Vygies (little figs), and the Iris and Rose family.

The town has its own wild flower reserve; there is also nearby Oorlogskloof Nature Reserve, a giant plain of wilderness rock formation and rock art. You can view a 90-metre high waterfall in an ancient Gondwanaland geological fault. Visiting the nearby 'secret' forest with its kokerbome - strangely shaped trees with weird arms coming out of their trunk - makes you feel like you're inside 'Lord of the Rings' territory. The private farms in the area are open to the public and often have the most spectacular array of flowers. There are a couple of farms that manage to combine commercial farming with the cultivation of floral wealth.

Tips on planning your Flower Escapade
Flowers are best viewed from 11:00 to 15:00 on a sunny day

A cool box is essential for informal, off-road picnics

Don't forget comfortable walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen, binoculars and insect repellent

Most of the flowers are so tiny that you won't be able to see and appreciate them from a moving vehicle. It's perfectly safe to get out the car and view close-up

Take your flower guides, so you are up-to-date with the names of flowers you are viewing

Self-drive holidays are so popular because driving in South Africa is easy, safe and exposes you to some of the greatest attractions that you would never see on a package tour. iDrive, Southern Africa car hire, has developed a range of self-drive, travel products from our many years of travel experience in South Africa and its neighbouring countries

A Critique of Online Florists

Probably the idea of online florists doesn't appeal to you because you accept picking out flowers as a very personal act. It's not just the rose, the violets or whatever flowers you are buying, you want to smell them and examine them carefully before buying them. Many people find it weird that anyone would want to buy flowers online. I also can't seem to get used to this strange idea. However, according to a recent survey, the business of online florists is blooming. It is amazing to see how important convenience has become nowadays.

Most of the appeal of online florists has to do with packaging. Of course, when buying flowers online you cannot actually look at them. This might be a disadvantage for the online florists or an advantage; it all depends on where you are looking the situation from. Even though you don't see the actual flowers you buy, the online florist will show you a picture of the perfect bouquet, so you will think that everything will be fine. However, the flowers you buy will never look as gorgeous as the carefully arranged and photographed bouquets you've seen online.

There is one thing I really like about online florists and actually this is what made me use one for Valentine's Day. I wanted to buy a very special bouquet for my girlfriend. However, most florist shops have a poor selection of flowers. Of course, the local flower shop cannot afford to have a great variety of flowers in stock as they lack a large warehouse. The online florists have much greater selection of flowers, they stock thousands of different flowers because they run a large warehouse that can ship all over the nation. Some florists online even allow you to custom arrange a bouquet. I just love that idea.

There is no doubt that the greatest advantage of the online florists is that they deliver flowers all over the country. Getting flowers from someone you know - a friend, a family member or a loved one is always a pleasant surprise, especially if these people are far away from you. Flowers bring memories to live, they provide a reminder why you like the sender and they are one of the few things that everyone loves receiving, especially if they've been sent from our significant other.

Morgan Hamilton offers expert advice and great tips regarding all aspects concerning gardening. Get the information you are seeking now by visiting Online Florists

Florist Tips - How To Make Fresh Flowers Last Longer

By following a few simple steps on how to treat cut flowers, you will have the pleasure of them lasting so much longer. Once the stems of flowers have been cut you have removed their life support system, so flowers should be placed in water as soon as possible.

Picking Your Own Flowers If you are picking your own flowers it is best to do this in the morning or the late evening. Sugar reserves in the stems are at their highest in the mornings or evenings. Ideally the best time is early morning when flower stems are filled with water after the cool night air. You should never pick flowers in the middle of the day when the sun is at it's hottest.

The heat of the sun lowers the water content in the stems and the flowers will not last nearly as long. If it has been raining and the flowers are wet, shake them gently to remove the excess water. Too much water will often damage flowers - especially delicately petalled flowers.

When to Pick Flowers Most flowers should be picked when they are in bud or half open. You will then have the pleasure of seeing them slowly open up. The colour of the petals should be starting to show. If picked too tightly in bud, they may never open. This is especially true of tulips and roses. The green pointed sepals around the base of the rose should be starting to turn downwards. Irises and daffodils should be half opened. Gladioli should be picked when the bottom three or four florets are open and the top florets are still in bud. Carnations, dahlias, marigolds, hydrangeas, camellias, gerberas and chrysanthemums should be picked when they are fully opened.

Fill a plastic bucket a third to half way with warm water. Warm water should be used as flowers take up warm water more readily than cold. Its preferable to add preservative to the water. (The use of preservatives is fully explained further on). Flowers only drink through the ends of the stems and not through the sides of the stems, and for this reason buckets should not be filled right up to the top with water, as foliage left on stems below the water line will rot and pollute the water. This will cause bacteria and the flowers will die more quickly. The foliage of marigolds, chrysanthemums, stock and daisies send off a particularly strong odour when left standing under water over a period of time.

Take the bucket of water into the garden with you. Use a sharp pair of secateurs and cut the flower stems on an angle - a slanted cut allows a better intake of water. Remove all foliage from the lower portion of the stems which would stand under the water line. Place the flowers immediately in the water.

Never overcrowd flowers. Allow enough air to circulate between each flower. Too many flowers crowded together in a bucket may cause the petals to become squashed and bruised. Place the bucket in a cool dark place and allow the flowers to have a long drink before being arranged. When picking short-stemmed flowers, use a smaller container.

Conditioning Flowers and Foliage Allow flowers to have a good drink for four to five hours, preferably overnight before arranging. This step is called conditioning. It allows the stems to fill up with water and the flowers will become crisp. These flowers will last twice as long as those that have not been conditioned properly.

Bought Flowers Bought flowers should be placed in warm water as soon as possible. Remove the wrapping paper, as paper can bruise the flowers and cellophane can cause them to sweat. When cut flowers have been left out of water for any length of time, cells start to form over the cut ends of the stems, which will prevent the stems taking up water readily. To remove this sealed portion, snip off about 2.5cm (1") from the stem ends and then place in water preferably with preservative added, and allow the flowers to have a long drink before arranging.

You may be given flowers when you are away from home. It may well be several hours before you are able to place them in water. The best way to keep flowers fresh is to place them in a strong plastic bag with some water in the bottom. Secure the bag with a rubber band. Another method is to wrap flowers in damp newspaper. If travelling by car, place the flowers in the coolest spot. As soon as you get home, recut the ends of the stems, place them in water and allow them to condition overnight before arranging.

Preservatives A flower preservative helps destroy bacteria in the water. Flower preservatives are available in garden centres or supermarkets. Another alternative is to use a capful of household bleach in the water. If a preservative is not used, the water needs to be changed and the stems cut on an angle daily. If a preservative is used, the stems do not require recutting and water needs changing only about twice a week. Flowers like freesias, spray carnations and liliums have lots of buds. By using a preservative in the water, it helps develop the buds to open.

Special Treatment Special treatment should be given to certain flowers to give them the longest life possible. Flowers with woody stems do not take up water readily. Woody-stemmed flowers include lilac, hydrangea, and rhododendrons. To help break down the thick fibres, you can split the ends of the stems upwards for about 5 cm. (2") After this treatment, place the stems in a container filled with warm water and give the flowers a long drink before arranging.

Flowers with Milky Stems Poppies, poinsettias and dahlias have a milky liquid flowing through their stems. To seal this liquid in and make the flowers last, the ends of the stems should be held over a flame like a candle, gas jet or cigarette lighter. Hold the end of the stem over the flame for about thirty seconds until the end of the stem turns black. The flowers should be held on an angle to protect the delicate petals. Another method is to dip the stems in boiling water for about thirty seconds. Hold the flower heads away on an angle and protect the petals from steam by holding newspaper around the flowers. Place stems immediately in warm water and give flowers a long drink before arranging. If stems need to be recut later on when arranging flowers, you will need to repeat the above steps. To avoid this you could cut the stems to different lengths before sealing the ends of the stems.

Bulb Flowers Certain flowers grow from a bulb. These include tulips, daffodils, jonquils, narcissus, irises and hyacinths. These flowers often have a white portion at the ends of the stems. Cut this white portion off before conditioning as only the green part of the stem can take up water. Daffodils, jonquils and narcissus have a thick sap which oozes from the end of the stems when they are cut. Wipe it off before placing the stems in water. Keep these flowers separate from other flowers when they are being conditioned as the sap can affect other flowers. The thick sap can clog the ends of stems and prevent the uptake of water. Stand the stems in about 7.5 cm. (3") of water and allow to stand at least six hours before arranging. Bulb flowers prefer shallow water. If daffodils, jonquils and narcissus are placed in deep water, the thick stems can become water logged and the stems shrivel up and the petals go papery.

Wilted Flowers Wilted flowers can often be revived by standing the stems in fairly hot water right up to the flower heads. After the water has cooled, allow the flowers to stand in the water for a few hours before arranging. Roses can often be perked up by floating the whole stem, head and all, in warm water for half an hour.

This article may be published in its entirety on the Internet as long as the live links are included

Fay Chamoun is the Principal of Floral Art School of Australia and International Floral Design School.The school was established in 1972 and offers Floral Design Courses for a career or hobby http://www.floral-art-school.com.au

Best Personal Loans In UK: A Bouquet Of The Best Opportunities

Personal loans can be defined as a key to open the door of personal desires. Personal desires can be different according to the individual’s choice, but money is mandatory to transform all desires into reality. And for that personal loans are the best alternative. Now, being a UK borrower, you can get the benediction of the best personal loans.

Yes, now personal loans are facilitated with the best opportunities. These are as follows:

Avail loans in accordance with your choice:

Generally, choice of loans varies according to borrowers’ needs. Some may prefer those loans that will help them to borrow high amount at low interest rate, some may want to avail a loan that is risk free. With best personal loans, borrowers will get an option to choose loan according to their choice, as these loans are available in secured and unsecured forms.

Obviously, for applying a best secured personal loan, borrowers will have to pledge security against the loan amount. As security covers the risk of lending money, thus a borrower can borrow relatively high amount ranging from £5000 to£75, 000 along with a repayment period of 5-25years. Thus, the interest rate of these loans is usually lower.

On the other hand, unsecured loans are perfect for those who have no property to place against loan. Even those who do not want to take any risk with their property can also avail these loans. These loans are mainly short term basis loans, given for 5-10years. A borrower can borrow anything from £5000 to £25, 000 as an unsecured personal loan. But, the rate of interest of these loans is comparatively high as these loans are available against no collateral.

Loans for all:

Best Personal Loans are made for all sorts of UK borrowers. Therefore, these loans are also obtainable for those borrowers who have bad credit score like, CCJs , bankruptcy, IVAs, Defaults, Arrears etc. These loans are offering them a chance to improve their credit score and eradicate their bad credit history.

Swift availability

Besides traditional lenders, UK borrowers can find out the best personal loans over the Internet. It’s rather easy to look for a best deal through online as it is less time consuming. Borrowers just need to click the mouse and within few seconds, they can get different web sites, providing best personal loans. Hence, by browsing different loans sites a borrower can easily get the best deal in a minimum time.

The best personal loans can be used to fulfill various purposes. Some common purposes are as follow

• Wedding Purposes

• Holiday purposes

• Business Purposes

• Home improvement and many more

Now, it is easy for a UK borrower to fulfill his personal desires, as personal loans are customized with the best opportunities. These loans are made for all. Thus, all UK borrowers -homeowner, tenants, and borrowers with poor credit history can avail these loans to turn their desires into reality.

Tim Kelly is an expert in finance having completed his LLM in Finance (Master of Laws in Finance) from Institute for Law and Finance at Frankfurt University. To Find Personal Bridging loan, easy bridging loan, 24 Hr bridging loan in UK visit http://www.24hrbridgingloan.co.uk.

Tips For The Bridal Bouquet

The bridal bouquet is one of the most important parts of any wedding ceremony; it is important that you should have just the right flowers that project the exact image that will complete your romantic wedding. It should match your décor theme. And of course, the bridal bouquet should reflect in some way the person that you are.

To accomplish this, to find just the right bridal bouquet for your big day, begin by going to weddings (when you can get an invitation) and pay special attention to the bouquet and how they work with the rest of the wedding flowers, looking through magazines, and doing internet searches of wedding pictures. Follow up with a consultation with your wedding planner as they might have resources that you might not have thought of.

When you do see a bouquet that you like, ask yourself what you like about it. Is it the size, shape, color, style, the way the ribbon is wrapped around the stems?

Ultimately your local florist is your biggest resource. Their experience and attention to detail can really help you refine your ideas to something that will really fit with your overall theme. But make sure you have a strong idea of what you want before you go to see your florist. You want your bridal bouquet to reflect what you want – not something that someone told you that you want.

Conventional wisdom suggests that shorter brides have smaller and more compact bouquets while taller brides have the cascading style. Generally this is good advice as it is based on what is generally believed to best compliment your body style.

Of course – ultimately, the decision is yours. It’s your wedding. That means it’s your bridal bouquet. So if you have a demonstrated eye for design and you prefer a certain style and believe you can make it work, you should go with that style. That, of course, is how styles change over the years. Don’t be afraid to be a trend setter, but do so with care.

Color is another important factor when deciding on the flowers for your bouquet. You will want flowers that compliment your wedding colors yet stand out in such a way that they draw the attention to you.

Again, your florist is really the best source for helping you to decide what style of bridal bouquet is right for you. Show your florist a picture of your wedding dress. A well chosen florist will be able to come up with just the right bouquet to compliment your wedding gown and make you the picture of beauty on your wedding day.

Jeanette Shinn is a wedding professional with over a dozen years experience making dreams come alive. Find more useful tips ranging from how to get groom involved in wedding planning efforts to minimizing wedding day stress options at http://www.ExcitingWeddingFavors.com

How To Make A Seashell Bridal Bouquet

Would you like to make a seashell bridal bouquet for yourself or for the bride? Follow these simple instructions.

Materials Needed:
Wood Dowel cut to the desired length
Foam ball 3" to 4" in diameter
White seashells (bubble shells, caycay shells, nassa shells or any other shells you desire
Hot glue (high temperature)
Hot glue gun
BOND 527 Multi-Purpose Cement Glue
Pearls or Swarovski Crystals for accent
Satin ribbon
Organza ribbon

Cut your dowel to the desired length and insert it into the center of the foam ball. The dowel can easily be pushed into the foam. Remove dowel, fill hole with hot glue and re-insert dowel into the foam ball. Let dry.

Apply seashells with hot glue as pictured or create your own design. Photos can be found by refering to Resource Box.

Once you have all the shells attached, apply the pearl or swarovski crystals for accent throughout the shells. This helps to hide any foam that is showing through. Use the BOND 527 Multi-Purpose Cement Glue for the accents.

Let the bouquet sit overnight.

Wrap the satin ribbon around the dowel to the top of the boquet and then tie on your organza ribbon.

This is a time-consuming project but the results are well worth the effort.

Article by Sandra Canfield, owner of SMC Connection. Bouquet Photos

The Fragrant Bouquet Of Confidence

Are you confident?

We’ve all been intoxicated by the smell of confidence – a personal triumph, an inspirational leader, tantalizing news. Confidence comes in various degrees. There’s the “I’ve got a good feeling,” confidence, there’s the pop the cork, pour the Champagne confidence, and then there is total euphoria.

Confidence is a balm that smooths the rough spots in our lives and businesses. Where there’s confidence, there’s progress. That’s why confidence is so eagerly measured by economists and politicians. We know confidence matters.

A Flourish! reader from Brazil writes:

“I appreciate your insights about American confidence – keep up the good work.”

Another from the United Kingdom writes:

“If we could more confidently embrace the North American way, without ridicule, we could boost our numbers immeasurably.”

There’s no cultural gap here. Americans are universally seen as optimistic -- reservoirs of confidence. Despite this perception, I find many of my American colleagues in search of greater confidence:

An owner of a multi-million dollar business talks to me about the need to personally develop more confidence in his company’s ability to execute new ideas.

A real estate agent talks to me about conveying more confidence when dealing with the affluent and showing high-end properties.

A young salesman, just starting out talks to me about developing the confidence to drop in on clients, and pitch his products and services.

I am asked about the concept of confidence just about every week. So, let me put my cards on the table. Confidence isn’t something you get – it’s something you discover.

When you see people that are confident, you see someone engaged in their work and often simultaneously analyzing the result. When they step back and really understand the results – they become confident. Sometimes this happens fast and sometimes this takes time. However, confidence is usually the unintended consequence of another action – a confidence catalyst.

Let me share five of the common catalysts for confidence:

Naivety
Noland Walker, a talented young filmmaker recently sent me a copy of his work, Citizen King – a two-hour documentary about Martin Luther King that aired on the PBS series, The American Experience. Watching the film I was moved by the behind-the-scenes candor of Dr. King in film clips documenting private moments from 1963-1968. He expressed fear, vulnerability, and naivety about the response to his Civil Rights crusade. In the early going he and his colleagues were not necessarily confident, but they were passionate about their mission and knew that acting confident was part of the drill. This film illustrated that not knowing all of the answers is no reason to lack confidence – you can be naïve and somewhat afraid, but if you act decisively, you can change the world.

Responsibility
Neil Armstrong, the first astronaut to set foot on the moon, told CBS correspondent, Ed Bradley of 60 minutes that his thumbs up signal to the camera, just before the launch of Apollo 11 was, “a bit of a sham.” Knowing that the world was watching, he decided that he had a responsibility as the skipper of the first lunar spaceship to “convey confidence.” The world was counting on Armstrong and his first words upon setting foot on the moon, demonstrated that he knew it. Sometimes your responsibility to others is so significant that you just have to embrace the attitude: “One foot for man. One foot for mankind.”

Experience
You can be knee-deep in trouble, but your level of experience gives you confidence that you can work your way out of it. In a recent keynote, Donald Trump shared details about his financial collapse years ago and his real estate empire teetering near-bankruptcy. But it was his business experience in negotiation, marketing, and building that gave him confidence that he could come back. When you’ve traveled down a road before, even if it isn’t exactly the same, you have the benefit of understanding similar terrain – and thereby stirring up your confidence.

Comparison
Comparing your assets, work ethic, attitude, and commitment to those of others often elevates your mood to confident. You can either see what you have that others are lacking, or if you’re not as strong as you’d like to be, you can borrow the confidence of others as personal guideposts for your own development. Comparison is a key issue facing ABC News at the moment. They have the enormous challenge of filling the roomy shoes of evening news anchor Peter Jennings. Guess what they need? An anchor that can convey confidence.

Association
Years ago, my firm used to get calls about a project we were involved with from a fellow that worked at the White House. I know this fellow loved calling and announcing that he was from the White House. It always got the attention of everyone in the office.

An attendee at one of my workshops recently asked me about her own association – that is, how could she convey confidence when she no longer worked for a prestigious company? Yes, it’s easy if you work at the White House, but you can create your own association by connecting yourself to clients, trends, a great location, or even years in the business. We all have plenty of confidence-building associations if we are willing to see them as such.

I hope I have made the point that confidence can be rooted in a wide variety of emotions and situations. I am convinced that many of the problems companies are struggling with -- competitiveness, complexity, bureaucracy, timing, strategy, and even branding are actually confidence issues. Somewhere along the chain, someone is lacking confidence.

So clear away the clutter. If you find yourself gridlocked and unable to reach higher performance levels and have “good excuses” like staffing, financing, or connections, you may really be saying: “I don’t have the confidence.”

How can we amplify our confidence?

Use the nearest catalyst. You may not feel confident when you start, but confront the work. Analyze the results. Blow through the opinions and criticism of others. Tame your own inner dialogue. You can develop and maintain the confidence you need. Confidence isn’t just something you have. It’s something that you discover.

André Taylor is an award-winning entrepreneur, author, and advisor to growing companies and one of today’s dynamic voices on business and personal success. He’s the author of many audio and videos, courses, and coaching programs reflecting more than 25 years in enterprise management. He provides an uncommon understanding of the lessons of business and personal resilience, and extraordinary insight and commentary on the subjects of leadership, entrepreneurship, sales, marketing, innovation, and growth.

Choosing a Wedding Florist: A Difficult but Important Decision

As wedding season is fast approaching, many soon-to-be brides are scurrying to make last minute decisions regarding cakes, location, guest lists, and most importantly flowers. Deciding what wedding florist to use often is the most difficult floral decision a bride has to make. Many brides choose to design their own wedding flowers, but this can cause undo stress as the day approaches. A good florist will be able to provide remarkable arrangements that set the mood for the ceremony and reception.

Why choose anyone but the best for your special event? Flowers are a central piece of any wedding. They can provide beautiful focal points and add fragrant aromas in the air. Many times florists will design bouquets, corsages, boutonnieres, reception décor, centerpieces, and fresh flower cake decorations. With the abundant use of flowers throughout the ceremony and reception it is crucial to exercise caution to choose a competent, creative, and customer oriented florist.

Before beginning the interview process, brides and grooms need to decide the following:

 

1. The date and time of your wedding
2. Ceremony and reception locations
3. Wedding colors
4. Will your wedding be formal or casual?
5. How many bridesmaids/groomsmen will be involved?
6. What is the overall theme of the wedding?

After these questions have been addressed, interview at least three florists before making any decisions. The process can seem overwhelming and many brides aren’t sure what questions to ask. Listed below are a few simple questions that you can ask each florist to make sure that you choose the perfect person for your special day.

1. Ask for references from family and friends. If they don’t have any, ask florists to provide names and phone numbers of a few references. If they refuse, keep shopping
2. Look at pictures of previous work to see if their style matches yours. Ask to make sure it is recent work.
3. How long have they been in business and do they work full or part-time.
4. How many weddings would they provide service for on the same day or weekend as your event?
5. Will the florist deliver and set-up all floral arrangements at the ceremony and reception site? What time will they arrive to set-up?
6. After the event, do you also provide service to break down all arrangements?
7. Does the florist offer other rental equipment including candelabras, vases, plants, urns, archways, etc?
8. Can the florist preserve your bouquet after the wedding? If not, do they have any referrals for that service?
9. Is there a deposit required? If so, how much and when is the balance due?
10. What is your refund/cancellation policy?
11. Before you leave make sure the florist has addressed all concerns and questions you have.

Remember this is YOUR special day and you should not feel rushed or pressured to make a decision. Choosing the right florist is very important. Carefully review all your options before making your final decision. By taking this extra time, you will receive the most beautiful flowers and décor for your wedding day.

Camber Clenney is a technical writer with expertise in several fields. Her topics of interest include weddings, website design and development, fishing, camping, and investment. For more information visit http://www.tiptonhurst.com