All my orders were local. I never went farther than the Applegate Store or to the city of Jacksonville. There was no stress to fill orders in towns farther away, and at the end of the day I actually had a smile on my face.
So now I am looking forward to Valentines Day, even though, of all the holidays it is my least favorite. But we will endure.

We will have lots of beautiful flowers: roses, Gerbera daisies, lilies and lots more.

We will have plenty of blooming plants including bulb pots with a primrose, daffodils, hyacinth and tulips.  Other plants will include mini roses, kalanchoe, and more.

This year in our store we are carrying local hand crafted jewelry from local artists Janet London, Janine Leonard, Jill Cobb, and Annette Trujillo.  There is a definite variety here.  From agates to hand fired glass to fused glass.

We are also carrying local hand crafted cards from my own mandala cards to Annette’s nature cards, 5×7 cards ready to frame.  Janet London also has some special pressed flower Valentine heart cards that include a heart bookmark.  These are very nice and the bookmark is a gift for the whole year.

I have some Dennis Minear hand crafted vases for sale also.  They would make a beautiful container for the pretty flowers.

We really are trying to keep things that are made in America in our store, which is a great challenge, but we are getting there.

We make all our arrangements to order, each one is a custom design,  no two will ever be the same.  We also offer a 7 day guarantee that your flowers will last at least 7 days or we will replace them,  no questions asked.

So this Valentine’s Day, if you are looking for something special and one of a kind,  give us a call.  We would love to make a beautiful flower arrangement for your loved one.

Thank you in advance for your business and supporting your local brick and mortar flower shop.  We appreciate it so much.

Here’s wishing you a love-filled Valentines Day.

Barb Wallgren, Floral Artist

Cowboy Flowers 541-899-5709

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

I am thankful for all the men and women who have, are, and will serve to keep this great country free.

I am thankful for my family,  my husband Jeff, who stands by me through thick and thin. He thinks my ideas are a little out there sometimes, but he gives me the space to try.

I am thankful for Shannon, my daughter, who gave me Morgan, the best granddaughter a grandma cold have.  She is so sweet and innocent, and such a happy kid. And my son, Joe, who has turned out to be an exceptional young man.

I am thankful for my family in PA., especially my Mom. She taught me respect for my elders, work ethics, and family values. At 88 she is still going strong.

I am thankful for a roof over my head, and a garden to grow my own food, and for the many friends who have encouraged to me to dig down deep inside and let the inner child out.

So on this Thanksgiving holiday, I encourage all of you to stop and reflect on the good things in your life, the things that are free, the things that make you happy.  Forget about the money and the black Friday at all the big corporate stores.

Shop local and support your small local brick and mortar businesses.  This keeps money in your community, and hopefully that small business open to see another holiday.

I appreciate your business more than you can imagine.  It’s an honor for me to create beautiful floral designs for you.  My only regret is that summer is over and all the locally grown flowers are done for the season, but I get beautiful flowers from the next best source and can pass along the beauty to you.

From my family to yours, I wish you a Happy, safe, and Healthy Thanksgiving.  Count your blessings while you can, we only get to stay on this earth for a short while.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Mother’s Day is officially behind us now, and it was the best Mother’s Day ever!!  The key to it’s success was No More Wire Services.  I felt no stress whatsoever and was a very happy camper on Sunday.

Happy Campers at the end of it all.

All the deliveries were located from the Applegate Store to Jacksonville, it was perfect.  I want to extend a big thank you to my awesome drivers, Barb and Gail, and Captain Chaos,  the delivery dog. Look, we’re all smiling, and a week later I am still smiling.

What a wonderful feeling to go into work and know that every design you do is going to be your own creation.

No more worrying about how many lilies or alstro or roses because you just MIGHT get orders for the Fields of Europe, or some other arrangement that every other Bloomnet Florist is doing.  Not to say I didn’t make beautiful arrangements of them, I did, but now it’s my own design, color pallet, flower choice, vase, etc,etc,etc,….

I really don’t know what took me so long, but I’m glad I finally did.  Wire services become an addiction after a while, kind of like working for a big corporation, because that’s what they are.

You think just because you get a paycheck, you gotta stay.  WRONG ANSWER.  I’ve kicked that addiction, and it’s the happiest I’ve been since I’ve owned the flower shop.  People are shocked at how happy I am.   It’s amazing!!

So now on with the rest of my life.  Time for the big store clean out.  Flower buckets, baskets, vases, plush, anything 1800 flowers is going.  The next thing is to get ready for  the organic meat cooler and holding some flower arranging and pressed flower art classes.

With that said, here are a few of my favorites from Mother’s Day.  Thank you again to all the loyal customers, and helpers, from drivers to Web Designer, to flower cleaners.

Good night all.

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Mother's Day Featured Flower Arrangements for 2012

Mother’s Day Featured Flower Arrangements for 2012

If you would like to see larger images of our Mother’s Day Featured Arrangements, please visit our website at www.cowboyflowers.com

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Just a little update about what’s been happening. I suspended myself for the rest of the month from 1800fowers, so I am now wire service free.  Yippeee!!!!!!! I still have the Flowershop Network, but seriously, I think they are going to be next. We will see.

I’ve had a few really good months with Easter and all, here is the arrangement I did for Hannah from her Mom for Easter.

Rejoice

The greenhouse is full of 10″ hanging fuchsia baskets with some lobelia, impatiens, and some nasturtiums. Ivy and zonal geraniums of different varieties I really like the tricolor leaf ones and the green with white edged leaves. I think they would make pretty pressed flower leaves.

Nice pressed flower leaves

I haven’t been able to work on that in a while, but I will, nor make any new Mandala cards, but that too is coming.

After Mother’s Day I will be having a huge sale of most of the leftover vases, plush, and all that kinda related stuff, so I can make room in my store for my friend to put his organic meat freezer there and my art table and supplies. I am so ready.

This weekend I get to see my beautiful granddaughter and she’s coming to spend the night, if you’ve never met her here’s her picture. She’s gonna have her own garden space this year, we’ve already started pumpkins, she’s the best.

I’ll be glad when Mother’s Day is over and we can move on. I was thinking of just advertising for custom made bouquets and just put pics of the vases I have and have people pick the flowers which I will list also on my flyer, which is my project for tomorrow.

So thinks are moving along and we will see where they go.

Lots of different starts of tomatoes in the greenhouse, Cherry blend, which I just planted the seeds and didn’t separate them so it will be a mystery as to what you get,,,same with the red and yellow grapes, and the cayenne blend, could be fun. Wanna try one??? I have Sweet Cluster tomatoes, which was a good one last year, Heinz 1839, Grand Marzanos, Fantastic, Brandywine and a few others.

Well folks that’s all for tonight, I gonna download a few pics and that ‘s it.  Have a good day, night or whenever you read this is. Good Night.

Combo Moving In, Sympathy Bouquet

Bookmark It

Hide Sites

Working hard to make a successful business, but really not doing it the way I’ve dreamed….getting caught up in corporate America again.

Working for a wire service is not being self employed………the creativity gets stifled by the pressure you feel, thinking because you get a paycheck every month from them it’s all good…..WRONG.

They make you feel squashed.

I’ve really felt deprived by not doing some sort of art, and realize I’ve just not been very fair to myself.

So no matter what it takes, I will follow this dream and follow MY heart, and if it fails, then I guess it’s just not meant to be.

I’ve written my termination letter to Bloomnet, and sent it registered mail, return receipt requested.  As of May 1st, I will be an “Independent Floral Artist”, and I cannot wait!

Mother’s Day will be a very local Mother’s Day, with more indoor and outdoor green and flowering plants, hanging baskets, geraniums and herb baskets. Who knows what else I will come up with?! We will of course, deliver for our friends in Medford and Central Point.

My greenhouse is full of overwintered Ivy and Zonal Geraniums, Fuchsias, Verbena and Scented Geraniums.  Two weeks ago I started seeds of Cherry and Grape tomatoes, Lettuce, Spinach, Hot and Mild Peppers, Basil, Sweet Peas, Morning Glory and Statice.

Ready to take cuttings

Hopefully I can direct seed in the garden tomorrow, snap peas, radishes, carrots, lettuce and transplant the geraniums.

Last fall I tried my very first winter garden.  Garlic, Onions, Kale, Cabbage and Broccoli.  I am amazed how well they have tolerated the very chilly nights we’ve had this year.  I’ve been eating the Kale all winter, and with a few warm days, the onions should be good to pick for green onions.  Homemade sauerkraut is on the agenda for this year.

Waiting for Bigger Pots

Changes are coming.  We’ve thought about using part of my store for a growers market/art co-op.  It’s hard to get people to commit to that because there are so many Growers Markets going on in the Valley, but none in Ruch.  So my solution to that is I will be the grower and sell my own plants and produce.

I’ve tried so hard to make this work, and now I know diversity is the key. Within me lie many, many talents. The problem has been finding the time to let them out. The time, my friends, is now.

Houseplants seem to interest me more and would like to branch into dish gardens in awesome containers that I’d like to make myself and unusual houseplants….so if you have unusual houseplants, we can trade.

I’ve also gotten back into my pressed flower art….I just came home one day and decided that I need to make time for that, so I turned my awesome granddaughter’s bedroom (she’s 6) into our art room. I hung all her finger paintings that we’ve done together since she was really little on the wall. There are even 2 she painted with Uncle Joe. I even put Joe’s old artwork up there, along with a little bear hanging on a tree branch I painted when my daughter was a baby, 30 years ago.

All the pressed flowers were already on a book shelf in there, so why not…  I guess my inner child is really starting to come out again, yea!!!!!!

So what does all this have to do with being a floral artist??? Diversity!!!

To bring more art to the Applegate would be awesome.  I would like to hold some classes in my store and am looking for any of my Artist friends who would be willing to teach a class of their craft, getting paid of course to do it.

My store is located at the Gateway to the Applegate Valley, and the gateway to all the Vineyards.  I think local art would have a draw there, maybe I could even get on the wine trail.

I’ve discovered the Art of Digital Mandala Cards that I make from the photos I take of my flowers.  I even kaleidoscoped a horse!  They seem to be selling well and I’ve even sold a 12×12 print.

The Applegate Grange Hall is for sale, and what a great place that would be for community gatherings.  Certified kitchen, community dinners, dances, classes, etc.  However, I don’t have the capital to buy it on my own. Does anyone know anything about applying for a grant for the community interest?  Please contact me if you do.

Spring has sprung inside me and all around me. Tulips, Hellebros Blooming, Daffodils ready to burst.  Plants and starting plants gives me a great connection with the earth. It is in my heart.

Just wanted to put this out there for all my friends who know what I can do.  Looking forward to my future to be successful as an artist and let that little kid out that’s been hiding deep down there for a long time and afraid to come out.

She’s out now and she’s ready to rock and roll…………..thanks for reading!

Bookmark It

Hide Sites