roses

Summer Roses for National Rose Month

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summer roses

The rose is an incredible flower. It has been employed over the centuries both as a symbol of romantic love and passion, as well as a symbol of war. Its flowers are beautiful and elegant – yet the rosebush is one of the most resilient plants in the world. Roses are given to express the most intimate of sentiments, yet rosebushes are often landscaped into yards and campuses for security and protection. The rose is known as the Queen of flowers for many reasons – and this June, during National Rose Month, the floral designers at Walter Knoll Florists would like to share some amazing facts about this spectacular flower.

Looking for more summer roses and rose bouquets? Browse our online Rose Collection, or check out our Pinterest Board. Continue reading →

Romance Inspired Floral Designs

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The truest romantics among us convey their affection constantly. They don’t wait for Valentine’s Day or anniversaries to give away the love – these romantic heroes understand that romance cannot be defined by the calendar. Therefore it is in this spirit of love that we celebrate National Romance Month in August; a month set aside to tell the love of your life that you adore them every day. In St. Louis and Valley Park, love is in the air – and the talented professionals at Walter Knoll Florist are ready to help you to surprise your loved one with romance inspired floral designs that will stop them in their tracks.

romance inspired floral designs

Red roses are the quintessential flower of love, and you cannot go wrong by having a dozen of these long-stemmed blooms delivered to the object of your affection. If you aren’t one to stick to the classics, we can help you to create a romantic gift of roses that is more your style – send their favorite color rose, conspire with their boss to cover their office in rose petals, or stop by once a week for our Grab and Go roses to keep them in roses all month long!

Of course, roses aren’t the only flowers that exude romance – consider lilies, orchids or even vivid daisies to tell them how you feel. After all, it’s your love story, and your story is unique.

romance inspired floral designs

This month, let your heart inspire you. Whether you are meeting for a picnic in the park or an intimate dinner at your favorite restaurant, flowers infuse romance into any setting. Call Walter Knoll Florist or stop into one of our many St. Louis area locations. After all, we’ve seen a lot of romance in our day. We’d love to help you to create a romance inspired floral design to celebrate yours.

Grab & Go Roses at a Hot Summer Price

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grab & goYou’ve heard of Valentine’s Day roses, wedding roses and anniversary roses. But you know what are the very best kind of roses?
The ones you give “just because”.
We call them “grab and go ” roses, a dozen wrapped beauties ready for you to run in, grab a beautiful bouquet and be on your way. And at only $12.99 a dozen, you’ll find lots of reasons to give these gorgeous flowers to those who deserve them. Perhaps your assistant has done a great job this week. Maybe your daughter has been working really hard at her summer job. Then again, who really needs a reason? We still like “just because”. Although these roses are a summer tradition at Walter Knoll, this summer we have introduced another quick option that is even easier – for only $29.99, just “grab and go” a dozen roses complete with a vase and ready to be displayed. Not only that, we will deliver them if you order by phone or through the website*. Sending roses has never been easier!
grab & go
If you are wondering how we can offer roses for such an amazing price, and wonder if they are as high quality as our normal floral offerings; you have nothing to fear. Roses bloom four times a year, and because we need enough rose bushes to provide the demand over Valentines Day, we find ourselves with an overabundance of roses during the summer months. These blooms have shorter stems but are just as beautiful – and the oversupply means that you get great prices for these coveted flowers for the special people in your life. Then again, you may decide you’d love some for yourself.
Please note that summer roses at this special price are only available in the Saint Louis metro area, and daily color choice may vary. Stop by any Walter Knoll Florist location and “grab and go” a dozen wrapped roses for only $12.99; or a dozen in a vase for $29.99.
*Delivery charges apply.

Birthday Roses for June

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rosesWe look forward to June for many reasons – from the beginning to summer to the end of school , the season stretches out before us full of possibility. June is also a big month for celebrations, with graduations and Father’s Day on the calendar. Of course, many of your friends and loved ones will be celebrating birthdays this month as well – and they happen to have one of our very favorite flowers representing their month. The coveted rose is the birth flower of June, and we couldn’t think of a better flower to observe such a beautiful time of year.

rosesMythology ties roses to Venus, Aphrodite, Cupid, and Adonis; while history tells us that both Cleopatra and Napoleon Bonaparte’s wife were enthusiastic patronesses of the rose. Roses have long been sent as tokens of deep affection – no matter the sentiment; it is made more profound with the rose. For instance, any yellow flower can be sent to represent friendship and loyalty, but a yellow rose speaks to the most cherished friendship. Any pink flower will show appreciation, but a pink rose expresses undying gratitude. There is just something special about the rose, and this month, you have the opportunity to send gorgeous birthday rose bouquets to everyone on your list.

rosesJune 12 is also a little known day on the florists calendar, but one observed by rose aficionados everywhere. Red Rose Day celebrates the unique and exquisite red rose, the undisputed reigning champion of flowers. If there is someone in your life who loves red roses, sending them a small token on June 12th is a great way to recognize both them and the popularity of their favorite bloom.

rosesWalter Knoll Florist provides gorgeous floral bouquets to the Saint Louis area year round, but in June, we are all about the roses! Call us today to send this iconic flower to those you love.

Roses- The Color of Love

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What says “I love you” better than a bouquet of roses? This iconic floral symbol of love has long been considered the epitome of romance; and June is the month we celebrate this gorgeous bloom. The most prolific variety is the red rose, which represents true and lasting romantic love. The red rose has also been adopted throughout history and across many cultures as a religious, political and social symbol. But although the most popular color, other hues have deep meanings as well. The color yellow has evoked an affinity for sunlight, and thus they are often used as agents of cheerfulness and hope. Yellow roses represent a platonic, joyful affection, with no hint of romance.

White roses are the traditional bridal flower, and early on in their history were considered the rose of true love. Although red took over that honor, white roses retained the aura of a fresh, new love, and so still work well in weddings. Lavender roses signify enchantment and royalty, and as such have a fairy-tale splendor and majesty. Light pink roses bring to mind grace and sweet, innocent romance; while dark pink roses are meaningful as symbols of appreciation, making a dark pink rose bouquet a wonderful thank you gesture.

 

roses

All My Love

Walter Knoll Florists can create a bouquet of roses of a single color, or can assemble roses in multiple colors, resulting in a truly spectacular and meaningful arrangement. One of our more popular bouquets is the All My Love arrangement, consisting of a spectrum of blooms from pale pink to lavender to dark pink.

Remember, June’s official flower is the Rose – celebrate the people in your life with this magnificent expression of love. Call us today or visit one of our many St. Louis flower shop locations.

 

Say it with Different Color Roses

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shutterstock_14492851Roses, also known as the queen of flowers have been popular for centuries. Represented as a symbol of love, you will find these beauties mentioned in poetry, literature, songs, mythology, and throughout history.

Originally, roses grew in the wild; they were indigenous to Asia, although some were discovered in North America, Europe, and Africa. There are more than one hundred species of these blossoms.

Over the years, cultivators have continued to develop their skill in breeding roses, which have resulted in a vast spectrum of various shades of color. These hues have become significant in expressing how an individual feels about the recipient of a lovely floral arrangement.

Communicate with Colors

Valentine’s Day is the perfect time to give attention to the people who have made an impact in you life; we can deliver your message in vivid colors.

Your mom will be smiling from ear to ear, as she receives a spectacular bouquet of a Dozen Pink Roses this February 14. These long stem beauties are a delicate pink, which can represents gratitude for all the love and sacrifices she has made for you. Tucked inside a crystal vase and surrounded by green foliage, these Ecuadorian roses will make her day.

If you have a boss or teacher that is like a mentor to you, let them know that you appreciate them, by surprising them with these Yellow Roses for the Desktop design. The color yellow conveys a since of warmth, caring, and friendship. These classy flowers will look great on a desk or any area that could use a bit of brightening up.

Your sweetheart will be impressed when we deliver these magnificent 12 Red Roses in Glass Vase into their hands on Valentine’s Day. The color of red suggests love, admiration, and desire. These velvety blooms are handpicked and specially arranged for maximum affect. With this present, that person you have in mind will realize that you feel they are exceptional.

About Walter Knoll Florist

We are a fifth generation floral business with multiple outlets and wholesale facilities. We have been providing excellent services to our customers since 1883.

We can help you create a memorable Valentine’s Day as well as assist you with any other events you may have planned.

If you have any questions are comments, please do not hesitate to contact us. Our helpful and friendly staff is available 24 hours a day

 

Snow Day Lunch – Spinach Tortellini

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Brr it’s cold outside and the streets are a mess – luckily I can work from home today as I have a lot of computer work to do getting all the marketing ready for Valentine’s Day – after about four hours of uploading pics and describing flower arrangements I was ready for some sustenance – and realized I had some homemade tortellini in the freezer and some left over sauce!  Then I remembered I had photographed making the tortellini so aren’t you lucky you stopped by the Amusing Florist blog today!

I use a Marcella Hazan recipe published in a Bon Apetit magazine from the early 80s.  Noodles were one of the first things Gramma taught me how to make – I remember at a very young age standing on a chair and grating noodle dough into a pot of boiling water.  Eventually I got to mix dough and roll it out with a rolling pin over newspaper – the cartoon section – had to be able to read the cartoons through the dough – so anyway, this is easy for me – with some practice you can master noodle dough too.

For the pasta:

10 oz pkg frozen leaf spinach, cooked, cooled, drained and squeezed dry and chopped fine

3 to 4 cups unbleached flower (oops, I mean flour – Valentine’s on the brain today)

4 large eggs

1 tbl extra virgin olive oil

1 tsp salt

pulse the spinach with 3-1/2 cups of the flour in your food processor, add eggs, olive oil and salt and pulse until it comes together – poke it with your finger, if it is sticky add more flour a little at a time until it is a cohesive but slightly crumbly mass.

dump the dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead it for a minute or two until smooth – then shape into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap and let the dough rest for about an hour.

When you are ready to roll it out, you can find all kinds of instructions on the internet for rolling and shaping dough.  I use a crank roller and dream of the day I can buy that pasta roller for my KitchenAid mixer!   My roller has 6 settings and I roll my dough out to #5 “thinness” as I like a little “tooth” to my tortellini and I find that #6 sometimes has blowouts when the tortellini cooks.

While your pasta is resting you can prepare your filling.

1/4 to 1/2 pound (Marcella’s the recipe called for pork butt but I like to use a lean cut)

1/4 to 1/2 pound veal shoulder – I could only find ground at the market and it worked out fine

2 tsp butter

1/2 to 3/4 cup fresh ricotta (ricotta salata from Viviano’s is my choice)

2 tbl mortadella, chopped very fine (Viviano’s)

1/2 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (again Viviano’s)

1 or 2 egg yolks

Freshly grated nutmeg (to taste, I like lots and lots of nutmeg)

salt and black pepper

Cut the pork and veal into thin slices and then into small dice – keep the meats separate.  Cook the pork in the butter for about 5 minutes, browning all sides, then add the veal and cook for only a minute or two – just until the pink is gone.  Add a bit of salt and pepper, stir to coat well, then drain and cool.

When the meat is cool enough to handle, chop the pork and veal together to a grainy, slightly coarse consistency.  Put the chopped meat into a bowl and add the ricotta, grated cheese, egg yolk and at least 1/4 tsp of freshly grated nutmeg.  Add the finely chopped mortadella.

Mortadella tastes like fatty bologna! Find it at Viviano's on the Hill

Mix well, then taste and correct for salt and pepper (and nutmeg).

Time to roll out the dough – this recipe is a double batch, only roll out 1/2 a disk of dough at a time or the pasta gets dry and doesn’t stick to itself to form the little Venus’ navels.  Cut 1-1/2 to 2 inch squares, put about a 1/4 tsp of meat filling in the center, top with one pea (my addition, nothing better than the pop of a pea when you bite into a tender tortellini!)

Shape your tortellini by folding opposite corners together to make a triangle, then flip it and pinch the wide ends together, the point will kinda flip on its own.  Set your tortelli on a cookie sheet, freeze until solid then store in zip lock bags in freezer for up to a couple months.

Now for the sauce – and this is the easiest most delicious tomato cream sauce ever.

1/3 cup butter

1/4 cup each onion, carrot, celery, all chopped very fine.

1 large can imported Italian plum tomatoes with their juice

pinch of salt

1/2 cup heavy (high fat) whipping cream, at room temperature or warmed slightly

Lightly saute celery, onion, carrot & salt in butter until onions are translucent.  Add tomatoes and cook for 45 minutes at a low simmer.

Bring a large pot of water to boil and add frozen tortellini – they will only take 3 to 5 minutes to cook.

When carrots are tenderm puree tomato sauce in blender until smooth (or use one of those handy dandy boat motors!) – return to pot, add heavy cream and warm it back up but do not boil.  It is important to use heavy cream at room temp or even warmed up a bit in the microwave, ALL OTHER MILK PRODUCTS curdle – although it will taste fine it looks ugly.

Top your tortellini with the tomato cream sauce and some freshly grated parmigiano-reggiano and dive in.  You’ll want to eat this with a spoon!

Okay, back to work – check out our Valentine’s Line Up – we have some great flowers and gifts for you!

My One and Only Deluxe 18 Long Stemmed Premium Ecuadorian Roses

 

 

 

Get Your Daily Dose of Vitamin F: Nature’s Remedy for Emotional Energy

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Flowers will fill the need

Flowers from Walter Knoll Florist will fill the need .

Personal Fulfillment Expert Reveals
Flowers Fuel the Soul and Create Inspiring Spaces

(Walter Knoll Florist – Saint Louis MO) – From A to E, vitamins are responsible for strengthening our senses, bolstering our bones and invigorating our bodies from the inside out. Research proves that flowers, being dubbed by some as Vitamin F, help feed our need for serenity, inspiration, wellness, gratitude, love and optimism.

Mind and matter are interconnected, according to personal fulfillment expert and best-selling author Jayme Barrett, as she points to university research studies linking flowers with happiness, creativity, compassion and tranquility. Barrett’s interiors expertise coupled with the floral investigations demonstrate that flowers hold an intrinsic, natural energy that, when used throughout the home, can create positive shifts in emotions, and lead to truly inspired living.

“People and flowers both have a life force that needs oxygen to thrive, and light and water to live. And, when we are surrounded by nature, our emotions are calmed and harmonized,” says Barrett, who has applied the principles of Zen and feng shui to floral design. Her philosophy is that we can cultivate idyllic atmospheres by purposefully integrating flowers throughout our living space.

In fact, research from America’s leading universities has cemented the connection that flowers have both scientific and emotional powers. As early as 2000, Rutgers University found that flowers create instant delight and happiness, and increase enjoyment and life satisfaction. Most recently, a Harvard University study introduced small bouquets of flowers into people’s morning routines and discovered that respondents immediately perked up, much like they would with a morning vitamin.

“We need and deserve simple ways of creating homes where we feel happy and harmonious by disconnecting from the hectic pace of the world outside,” says Barrett. “Flowers are a wonderful way to ease the stress of everyday life and refocus our emotions more constructively.”

So that anyone can introduce a range of positive floral energies in the home, Barrett shares a simple, do-it-yourself guide to creating Vitamin F arrangements. Her seven soul-stimulating energies include gratitude, wellness, inspiration and motivation, love and romance, new beginnings, serenity, and prosperity. Her floral formula factors in color combination, shape and significance, vase style, placement in the home and flower variety.

Barrett’s Blueprints for Mood-Boosting Vitamin F

Gratitude: Reminds us to be grateful for the little blessings in life

Key Colors: A low, clustered arrangement in all shades of pink symbolizes opening the heart and making others more receptive to you.

Vase Style: A glass container of any size is fitting, as its transparency exhibits openness.

In the Home: To start and end the day counting your blessings, place this depiction of gratitude on a nightstand, dresser or in the kitchen.

Suggested Flower Options: Ranunculus, alstroemeria, tulips, spray roses

Wellness: Evokes balanced feelings of mind, body and spirit

Key Color: Yellow is the primary color for this emotional energy, as it represents the sun, life force and health. Supplement a big burst of blooms with greens, which induce nature’s healing energy, and white, which reflects serenity.

Vase Style: Choose an oval or round, terra-cotta, wood or bamboo container to replicate the Earth’s element, providing grounding and balance.

In the Home: Locate this energy in the living room or family room to enhance the space of relaxation, meditation and family connection.

Suggested Flower Options: Gerbera, carnations, solidago, hydrangea (white or green), callas, pompons, chrysanthemums

Inspiration and Motivation: Infuses the soul with rejuvenating energy

Key Color: Red epitomizes motivation, fame, courage and power. Design an up-shooting spray that also includes sensuous, rich orange and fuchsia, which suggest enthusiasm and exuberance.

Vase Style: A tall mirrored or shiny metal container of any kind will stoke inspiration. Mirrors boost positive energies and bring good luck, which will circulate through all endeavors.

In the Home: The home office is an ideal place to inject motivational energy — or the power of now. Anyone will feel encouraged to reach for the stars and live life to the fullest.
Suggested Flower Options: Roses, callas, Asiatic lilies, snapdragons, hypericum

Love and Romance: Sparks intimate connections and blossoming love

Key Color: A tight bunch of flowers flush with burgundy and red embodies feelings of passion and romance. Incorporating lush pinks and peaches will help invite love and inspire kindness.

Vase Style: A circular vase is the perfect shape for never-ending love.

In the Home: Spark feelings of adoration during a meal in the kitchen or dining room. As you nourish your body, you will be dually energized by love and encouraged to show your affection throughout the day and night. Flowers are a great addition to the bedroom too.

Suggested Flower Options: Stock, roses, alstroemeria

New Beginnings: Welcomes change with open arms and mind

Key Color: Stimulate joy, enthusiasm and excitement with a simple arrangement featuring the color orange. Complement it with white — the color of purity and freshness — and green, characterizing new opportunity and growth.

Vase Style: A square, ceramic vase brings an earthy energy, proclaiming that while the sky’s the limit, it’s good to keep your feet firmly rooted on the ground.

In the Home: Put the spirit of new horizons on display on a mantle or coffee table, where it will instill faith, creativity and endless possibility.

Suggested Flower Options: Gerbera, carnations, Asiatic lilies, spray roses, alstroemeria

Serenity: Allows our minds to unwind and release tension, bringing a sense of calm to our lives

Key Color: Loosely arranged hues of blue, violet and lavender evoke serenity and will help clear the mind of stress. Blue represents the ocean and sky, while shades of purple invoke spiritual energy.

Vase Style: A cobalt blue glass vase represents inner wisdom and will help add balance. The blue is yin (soft, curving, cyclical) and the glass is yang (straight, shiny, linear) for a perfect equilibrium.

In the Home: Setting this in the entryway will set the tone for tranquility as you step inside your home from the chaotic world outside.

Suggested Flower Options: Hydrangea, delphinium, lisianthus, stock

Prosperity: Stimulates action and indicates success and richness

Key Color: Let red or deep purple dominate this abundant arrangement, intimating accomplishment and wealth. Accent with shades of gold, the preeminent color for good health and fortune.

Vase Style: Select a metallic, perhaps golden container, representing a pot of gold.

In the Home: Give your home a boost by placing this inspirational bouquet where you welcome guests or potential buyers.

Suggested Flower Options: Lilies, roses, lisianthus, snapdragons

“We all strive to surround ourselves with positive energy, and nature is a powerful and proven tonic,” says Barrett. “Anyone can let Vitamin F fortify their home, whether it’s a refuge, haven, retreat or sanctuary.”