One of the most frequent questions we get this time of year is about whether Easter Lilies are poisonous to their pets.
The National Animal Poison Control Center says that certain types of lilies can cause kidney failure in cats that have ingested any part of the lily. Specifically those known as the Tiger, Day, Asiatic, Easter, and Japanese Show lilies are shown to be poisonous to cats. 
​Thankfully, lily poisoning doesn’t cause kidney failure in dogs, but if a large amount is ingested, it can result in some gastrointestinal signs in our canine friends.

How Much? Just 2-3 leaves, or even the pollen groomed off the fur, can result in poisoning in a cat.
If untreated, acute kidney failure will develop and be fatal.

What about other types of lilies?
​Other types of lilies such as Peace, Peruvian, and Calla lilies don’t cause deadly kidney failure, but they also can be mildly poisonous too, as they contain oxalate crystals which result in tissue irritation to the mouth, tongue, pharynx, and esophagus – resulting in minor drooling.
If your cat is seen consuming any part of a lily, bring your cat (and the plant) immediately to a veterinarian for medical care.

Anchor Floral recommends keeping all lilies out of the reach of cats. ​

Bells of Ireland: Also known as shell flowers, Bells of Ireland are native to Turkey, not the Emerald Isle , but their fresh green color and symbolism of luck (derived from the bell shape) give them their Irish nickname. Bells of Ireland have been in cultivation since the 1500s.
Grow Bells of Ireland from seeds from Ace Hardware of Adams.

​
Shamrocks: Probably the most popular floral to represent Ireland and with great reason as well.
Legend says St. Patrick used to use the leaves to demonstrate the Holy Trinity.
However, the history of shamrocks goes farther back, to the Druids of Ireland, as it is a symbol of the mystical number in the Celtic religion. 
Read about Shamrock Houseplant Care Tips here.

​Here at Anchor Floral we love the rich rainbow of colors that flowers come in and green is no exception!  
​
We wish the luck of the Irish to you all and may you discover a leprechaun and a pot-of-gold at the end of a rainbow! Here is an Irish blessing just for you...

May the road rise up to meet you.
May the sun shine warm upon your face,
And rains fall soft upon your fields.
And until we meet again,
May God hold you in the palm of His hand.
​
Sláinte!

1. Have all important information ready.
Make sure the recipient’s name is spelled correctly. (We write the name exactly as you give it.)  Use both first and last name.
Give the recipients phone number to the florist. If the recipient isn't home we'll need to call them to schedule a delivery when they will be.
If the flowers are being delivered to a school, business, or hospital, more information, such as department, work hours, floor, room number, etc., helps us get your flowers to the right person and the right place!

2. Be Ready With A Great Card Message
Valentines Day card messages should be from the heart.  Sometimes when we’re put on the spot, it’s just so much harder to think of the right words.  Think about a special moment you shared or how much your sweetheart means to you. 
If you need help, check out our suggested list of Valentines Day Card Messages.

3. Choose The Right Arrangement
There are only three things you really need to think about when choosing flowers: (1) your sweetheart's favorite color, (2) their favorite flowers, (3) your budget. We can work with all of those and send the perfect arrangement!
If you don’t know those, go for something classic for Valentine's Day, like Roses.
​
Check out these recent posts for even more ideas:
The Flower Language of Roses
The Flower Language of Lilies
The Flower Language of Carnations

1. A message for my Sweetheart. Everyday with you is Valentine’s Day for me. I Love You.

2. Everywhere you go love and beauty just seem to follow. Happy Valentine’s Day

3. Life is filled with lots of things that make it all worthwhile, but none is better than the love found in your little smile.

4. You are my partner, my sweetheart, my confidant and adviser, my comforter and friend. You are my quiet place away from the rest of the world.
With all my love,

5. Darling, words cannot begin to express how much I appreciate you for bringing a spark of excitement, a touch of tenderness, the light of love to every day of my life.
Thank you for filling my life with love.

6. May your life be filled with the kind of heartfelt beauty that you bring to mine.

7. Remembering you and the many reasons you’re so dear to me.

8. For Valentine’s Day, let’s have a nice, romantic candlelight dinner for two. I’ll find the sitter, you pick up the pizza and beer!

9. Even in a fairy tale where every dream comes true, I could never hope to find a husband/wife as sweet as you.

10. Wishing someone close to my heart a warm and wonderful day.

11. Have the most delicious, super-duper, stupendously fantabulous Valentine’s Day ever! Did I get carried away again?!

12. “How do I love thee? Let me count the ways. I love thee to the depth and breadth and height my soul can reach.” -Elizabeth Barrett Browning

13. Everyday is Valentine’s Day when I’m with you.

14. I think you’re really precious and cute! In a studly, manly kind of way, of course.

15. It’s a joy to share my heart with you

16. Warmest Valentine Wishes

17.  Know what I like about you? Everything! Happy Valentine’s Day

18. May your every heart’s desire come true for you today.

19. Right from the start, you stole my heart. Happy Valentine’s Day

20. Thank you for all the countless, caring ways you’ve filled my life with love.

21. Thank you for being a constant source of laughter and love, strength and support.
The laughter, the smiles, and the tears, the memories we’ve shared through the years, a love on which I can depend, my sweetheart, my forever friend.

22. Wishing you a day filled with happiness because you’ve filled my life with love.

23. You’re always on my mind and in my heart. Happy Valentine’s Day

24. Your face lights up my world.

25. Without you my world would be empty.

26. I love you more everyday.

27. Sweetheart, these tulips should suffice until my two lips can touch yours.

28. You + Me = Perfect

29. Life is filled with lots of things that make it all worthwhile, but none is better than the love found in your smile.

30. Thank you for filling my life with love.

31. May your life be filled with the kind of heartfelt beauty that you bring to mine.

32. I hope your Valentine’s Day is as special to you as you are to me!

33. Valentine, So many of my smiles begin with you! I hope this starts to return the favor.

34. Although I hope you already know, my love for you just grows and grows!

35. I love you THIS much!

36. Of all the things that I love in my life, they could never compare to how much I love you.

37. No matter what life brings for us, I smile every time I know I’m sharing life with you.

38. My constant companion, heart beats in time with yours. I breathe in; you breathe out. I know I’ve found my soul mate.

39. I am blessed to have you in my life. You mean everything to me. Happy Valentine’s Day

40. May this be the first of many happy nights spent telling you how much I love you.

41. I know we’ve had many of these before, but may this be the Valentine’s Day that we remember forever. I love you.

42. My heart is found wherever you are.

43. If I spent a thousand years telling you how much I love you, it would never come close to the full breadth of my desire, devotion and adoration for you.

Happy Valentine’s Day.

Common name
Poinsettia
Botanical name
Euphorbia pulcherrima

Zone
Prefers moderate home temperatures of 60-75°F (16-24°C)
Light
Medium
Height
Varies
Habit
Mounding
Bloom Time
Blooms late fall to winter
Feed
Use all-purpose houseplant fertilizer monthly when actively growing.
Water
Water thoroughly, dry out moderately between waterings. Mist lightly every 1-3 days if home air is dry.