Category Archives: Decorative Ideas

I don’t know if you’re like me or not but at this time of year it’s always hard to think of what to get for Great Aunt Bertha or cousin Tilly for a Christmas present. Did you know that last year 34% of presents received were classified as ‘unwanted’ generally meaning that the good idea to get Uncle Eric that rotary soup maker wasn’t such a good idea.

Some people go for gift vouchers or cash but that seems too impersonal or shows a lack of thought, so what’s the alternative?

It’s a bit unusual, and personally I’ve thought it a bit unseasonal to do so, but why not send flowers. They last for a good while at this time of year, brighten up drab days and the everlasting message that flowers are sent with love fits in nicely with the season. Last year I sent my aunt a bouquet from Cosmea Gardens; red carnations and gold sprayed bracken and it looked beautiful. The carnations had a slight scent that pervaded the rooms of her house and the colours were in keeping with the season. Each time I spoke to her in the year she brought up that gift. So it shows that if you’re stuck for ideas, give flowers!

Although the weather is noticeably cooler, I can’t believe it’s nearly Christmas, so it’s time for some tips on how to make your home look effortlessly festive.

I love poinsettia plants and although there’s a myriad of colours to choose from these days, I still love the ones with the red bracts. You can spice them up by putting them in a festive looking container or simply get a terracotta pot, paint it green and then when dry, daub some wood glue in patterns such as bells, snowflakes or Christmas trees around it and press on some contrasting glitter. Don’t forget to bung up the drainage hole before putting the plant in it or you’ll have a soggy mess on your table!

If you want to keep the pot plain, then a quick squirt of spray-on glue over the leaves, followed by a dusting of silver glitter gives an instant effect.

If you can get hold of any evergreen foliage, it doesn’t have to be holly or ivy, make up a wreath by intertwining the stems and tie in red or gold ribbon in bows, add small Christmas decorations or small sprayed pine cones – there are hundreds in Cyprus at the moment – then hang it on your door or over a fireplace.

Finally, if you can’t afford one of the really expensive real Christmas trees this year which, to be honest, won’t survive long in the Cypriot climate, buy an Araucaria, otherwise known as a Norfolk Island Pine, which looks exotically similar and which will grace your garden afterwards. A 1.2 metre specimen in a pot can be bought for around 20 euros, less than half the equivalent for a Norwegian Spruce. Check out Cosmea Gardens for their range of festive plants and have a Plant-astic Christmas this year.

I was feeling a bit low for a week or so and I think it’s because it’s autumn, even in Cyprus, and the days are getting shorter, the weather’s unsettled and the temperatures have dropped considerably – but should I really be that depressed about it all?

We’ve got plenty of friends back in the UK who’ve said that the constant rain, gale force winds and even darker days are making them miserable and when I look out of the window, I now feel a little ashamed. For here in Cyprus, now is the time when you can get out and see the island without being exhausted by the heat or dripping with perspiration. There are still many sunny days and warm evenings and if it does rain, it’s all over in minutes and the sun shines again.

My guilt came out in talking to my parents who hadn’t been out of their flat in days because the weather was so bad. They’d decided to live off the food in their freezer and sit in and watch TV, shutting the world and the weather out. It would be cruel to describe our sunny, warm but very windy day to them and so I decided to send them a bit of sunshine in a bouquet of flowers from Cosmea Gardens.

I’m a great believer that flowers lift even the darkest of moods and they really appreciated the thought, only I then got to thinking – wasn’t I the one that was feeling low? Again, part of the joy of sending flowers is in the giving and seeing the look on the faces of those receiving them, and after all, I’ve still got sunshine so perhaps I should count my blessings!

I’ve just spent over a month in the UK experiencing what you might call the English summer which, with its usual washout had left gardens and parks looking dull and bedraggled. All it did was to make me wish for the sunnier climate of Cyprus so last Wednesday we grabbed the easyJet flight out of Gatwick and headed for the sun. Before leaving, I texted a friend to ask them to open up the windows so it wouldn’t be too oppressive in the apartment.

We arrived late in the evening and struggled with our bags up the stairs and flung open the door, glad to be home. I wasn’t prepared though for the surprise that greeted us when we went into the dining room for they had organised a bouquet of all my favourite flowers that brighten the island so even though it was dark when we arrived we immediately had a taste of what we’d missed back in the UK. There were the roses that bloom through the most intense heat set against white bougainvillea that in the garden looks like fresh snow in the wintry sun backed with rolled banana leaves. What an amazing creation I thought and looked at the label that accompanied them – Selected and hand-tied especially for you by Cosmea Gardens I should have known!

So it goes to show that if you want something really special or just to say something as simple as ‘Welcome home’ Cosmea Gardens are the ones to help.

I’ve never been in Cyprus in May or June before so this year is a new experience for me. Last weekend my wife and I went over to stay in Ayia Napa for a few days and she kindly drove. This gave me the chance to look around at the countryside, gradually dessicating in the strengthening summer sun but what amazed me was the beautiful sight of the Oleander bushes planted by the Cypriot transport authorities in the central reservation of the motorways.

I’d tried growing an Oleander at home in the UK with no success at all so to see the magnificent display here was breath-taking. It made me think of them as the Cypriot equivalent of the UK’s rhododendron displays.

Now I wondered whether I could do a display of Oleander in the house. I chose a selection of branches from a white and pink Oleander, being careful to wash my hands afterwards as the sap is extremely poisonous. The result was stunning and lasted nearly two weeks. The benefit with Oleander as a cut flower is that it has its own framing greenery, you can just put it in a vase and off you go. Being a semi-hardwood stem, you’ll need to break up the ends first with something heavy but then afterwards you’ll be rewarded with a beautiful display.

I was completely knocked out of the water though by a much simpler and elegant arrangement from my wife who simply took some wasted blooms and put them in a white china cup – so much for the years of study…..!!

if you haven’t got access to any Oleander, you can buy plants cheaply from florists and garden centres such as Cosmea Gardens. Don’t take too much off the plant in the first year though – you don’t want to ruin it!

Some weeks ago I ordered a mixed bouquet of flowers from Cosmea Gardens for my wife for our anniversary. When they arrived they were beautiful as ever but I noticed a special touch they done in pushing little clear gemstones on pins into the centre of some of the red roses. It made them look extra special, the deep red of the flowers and the sparkle of the stones.

The flowers lasted well over a week, surprising in the early summer warmth we’ve had but, inevitably, they began to wilt and die. However the flowers that lasted the longest were the red roses with the crystals in them. These lasted a good five days longer than the rest of the roses and one is still going now, three weeks on. Intrigued, I spoke to one of the ladies I’ve got to know quite well at the shop and she explained that it’s air bubbles that get trapped in the flower stems that prevent moisture and food getting to the flowers making them die. By pushing the pins into the heads and the stalk, as well as making them look pretty, it lets the air escape and the flowers last longer.

You can now picture me pushing pins into the flower heads of gypsophila, antirrhinum, etc! The flowers I’ve found it works best with are the roses and gerberas although it looks prettiest in the roses. You can buy the pins from many garden centres or florists including Cosmea Gardens – give it a go and see how much longer you can enjoy your flowers for.

I find that at times when I’m feeling a bit low, a visit to a florist or garden centre often brightens up my mood and so last weekend after returning from seeing my wife, I called in at Cosmea Gardens to look at all the beautiful plants and flowers they had for sale.

I love the bright colours and the beautiful fragrance of such shops but this time my eye was caught by a plant that seems popular in garden centres all across the island and it’s the Kalanchoe.

I remember them from my youth and their common name of ‘Flaming Katie’ because the only colour you used to be able to get back then was a scarlet red.

On this occasion I was faced with a carpet of nearly every colour you could imagine. White, yellow, pink, purple and the list goes on. I picked out three to go in a basket arrangement and brought them home.

Looking at them brightening up my lounge I was persuaded to find out more about them and so out came the Flower and Plant Encyclopedia.

Before too long I’d found out that they can grow up to 6m high (a little too big for my lounge) and that in some countries they are used as a treatment for hypertension.

I wasn’t sure whether it was just looking at them in their colourful glory made stress disappear or whether I’d have to eat some part of the plant but I though isn’t it amazing that a plant that does so much good, just because it’s bright, cheery and easy to look after, can also restore us with the helpful chemicals it contains.

Nearly a year on from my first post and I’m now living in Cyprus, seeing the changes in the countryside as spring takes its first tentative steps.

Outside my apartment complex there is a patch of waste ground which has changed from a dirty brown through late summer and winter to a verdant green in the last few weeks. On closer inspection anemones are opening their deep blue-violet flowers and gentians in electric blue fight for space with the oxslips and daisies pushing for the sun.

I had never been in Cyprus at this time of year before now and I was surprised at how quickly the first rains and the warming late winter sun bring out the flowers.

Years ago I was told that March was the best month to visit for the flowers but the earliness has made me realise just how long Cyprus is blessed with blossoms compared to the arid conditions of summer.

If you live on the island or are planning to visit, get out into the countryside now. The warm sunny days are ideal for walking and the rewards will be exhilarating.

A visit to Cosmea Gardens recently introduced me to commercially grown anemones in deep dusky pink and the stunning blue of the wild variety but in much greater size. The flowers are beautiful arranged with small bud white roses or white daisies. Give it a try and bring some of the early Cyprus springtime into your home.

You know when you long for a kiss from a special person but you aren’t forward enough to ask for one directly? Well it’s that time of year where good natured Christmas cheer and some help from handily placed mistletoe could be your salvation!

Mistletoe is a semi parasitic plant that takes root in the sap of a host tree where, left unchecked, it can eventually kill it.

It is an attractive plant with lime green smooth leaves and pearlescent white berries.

In pagan times it was seen to represent male fertility and was linked with romance. Since the 18th century, the romantic aspect has come to the fore and now mistletoe is commonly used as a Christmas decoration. According to custom, the mistletoe must not touch the ground between its cutting and its removal as the last of Christmas greens at Candlemas; it may remain hanging through the year, often to preserve the house from lightning or fire, until it was replaced the following Christmas Eve.

According to Christmas custom, any two people who meet under a hanging of mistletoe are obliged to kiss.

The writer, Washington Irving noted, “The mistletoe is still hung up in farm-houses and kitchens at Christmas, and the young men have the privilege of kissing the girls under it, plucking each time a berry from the bush. When the berries are all plucked the privilege ceases.”

Mistletoe is found in many florists this Christmas but to be sure to get your Christmas kiss check out Cosmea Gardens

Last weekend I had to go to my local DIY centre for some wood and even before I’d got close to the door I was struck by the glorious carpet of colour stretching out ahead of me.

The store had just taken delivery of a huge expanse of Poinsettia plants in every shade through from cream to burgundy. The plants were so perfect I didn’t think they were real and they were very good value for money too!

It got me thinking about where such a plant came from and why we buy millions of them at Christmas.

They were originally from Mexico and were mentioned in ancient Aztec writing. They got their name from Joel Poinsett, the first US Minister to Mexico. The Spanish that conquered Mexico called them the Christmas Eve plant or Nocha Buena. Its association with Christmas comes from the shape of the leaf whorl which is in a star shape like the star of Bethlehem. The deep red is to represent Christ’s blood on the cross. Another tradition says the plant’s association with Christmas began in 16th century Mexico, where a young girl was too poor to provide a gift for the celebration of Jesus’ birthday. The tale goes that the child was inspired by an angel to gather weeds from the roadside and place them in front of the church altar. Crimson “blossoms” sprouted from the weeds and became beautiful poinsettias from the 17th century, Franciscan friars in Mexico included the plants in their Christmas celebrations.

At the end of my road there’s a Poinsettia ‘tree’ that must have been a relic from years gone by. Now about five metres high it’s beginning to display its colourful bracts just in time for the Chrstmas season.

Bring a bright splash of colour into your home this Christmas with a beautiful poinsettia from Cosmea Gardens.