The Behnkes Florist Shop in Potomac is ready for rush season in the florist biz, with cut roses and this special Valentine’s arrangement, the “Love Nest.  It’s made up of roses, spray roses, a wax flower, foliage, satin ribbon and a sequin heart and is downright charming.  Call 301-983-4400 to place an order.

If you’re closer to our Beltsville Store, they’re ready for Valentine’s with roses, boxed or arranged with greenery and baby’s breath – a classic.  Other choices include the “For My Valentine” mixed flowers in a vase, bouquets of mini-carnations or tulips.  For a long-lasting gift there are orchids and other flowering plants in pots.

Stop by or, better yet, phone ahead and they’ll have your order ready.  Call 301-937-1100.

Tips for Choosing and Caring for Valentine’s Flowers

• Order early – now!
• Roses last up to 3 weeks IF you follow the care instructions and IF you buy high-grade roses, which Behnkes does.
• Safeway and other chains often buy from the same suppliers – usually in Ecuador – but they buy a cheaper grade, which means they don’t last as long.
• After delivery, remove foliage below the water line.  To re-cut stems underwater with a sharp knife, then immediately place stems in a clean vase filled with warm water and floral preservative.  Then display in a cool location away from direct sunlight.  And add water with floral preservative daily.

Posted by Susan Harris.

It may surprise our Beltsville customers to know we have a full floral department at our Potomac location (in the photo above), and it’s headed up by a world-class florist.  She’s Evelyn Kinville and she grew up in dry, West Texas, where she learned at an early age the soothing effects of plants and how fresh flowers can brighten a room.  At college she combined her love of flowers and artistic abilities, earning a BS in horticulture from Texas Tech.

Following a stint in the Peace Corps in Bolivia, she moved to Madison, Wisconsin, where she began her floral career and managed the largest floral shop in Wisconsin for 22 years.  Over that time she estimates that she designed the flowers for over 1,500 weddings!  (Not to mention having the chance to discover and hire Behnkes’ own Larry Hurley long before he came to Maryland.)

Looking for a change, Evelyn next joined Hallmark, where she was tasked with figuring out how to add fresh flowers offerings to their gift stores.  Her next move was to 1-800-Flowers, where she opened new retail stores in several states, served as product manager for fresh flowers, and did floral styling for many professional photography sessions.  She also served as director of marketing for USA Floral Products, during which time she worked with Martha Stewart’s team to develop packaging for MarthaStewart.com floral products.

When she came to Maryland and visited Behnke Nurseries, she fell in love with our little flower shop at the Potomac site, and she’s been Potomac’s “florist of choice” for 10 years now.  She specializes in custom work for homes and commercial venues, as well as for parties, weddings and other events.

Evelyn’s style?  Definitely cozy, charming, and naturalistic or garden-like.  None of the stiff FTD-style arrangements with their dated ’50s look.

Here are a few more designs by Evelyn, because it’s late winter and we need to see blooms!

 

Behnkes Potomac Florist Shop History

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The garden center sits on 5.9 acres, part of which Behnke’s shares with ”Behnkes Landscape and Design Division”.  This allows customers to get quality plants and installation at the same time.

Records show that the area was farmland in the 1700′s, and later an orchard. Originally called Linda’s and then the Potomac Garden Center, it was opened by the Hahn family in the 1940′s, in what was still essentially a rural area.

Potomac retained this rural flavor through the 1950′s, as Maryland’s ” country.” Through the years, much of the original land was subdivided for houses, although the garden center was granted an exception to remain. In 1983, the garden center was sold to new owners, and renamed Potomac Nursery. A landscape division and other amenities were added over the years. In 1998 Behnke’s acquired the property.

Behnkes Florist Shop

The house on the south side of the property was the office of the original garden center. In those early days, the Hahn family lived upstairs. By the 1990′s, having fallen into somewhat of a state of disrepair, it served as a Halloween haunted house. Behnke’s has converted this building into a “Florist Shop“.

Future plans call for renovation of the existing attached greenhouse in order to extend the florist display area, perhaps creating a pleasant place to sit and linger in the fragrance and beauty of fresh-cut flowers. The florist maintains an excellent selection of unusual fresh flowers, both for walk-in sales and delivery.

Today you can visit Behnkes Forist Shop Online or call and speak to one of our talented designers. Behnkes Florist Shop – Potomac Location 9545 River Rd, Potomac Md. Phone: 301-983-4400 – Email Us At: behnkes@behnkes.net

Flowers have been used to honor mothers for many years.  On May 10, 1908 a church service was held in West Virginia as an observance of Mother’s Day.  Anna Jarvis, generally credited as the founder of Mother’s Day in the U.S. wore her mother’s favorite flower to the service and encouraged others to do the same. 

Ms. Jarvis, along with several supporters went on to play an active role in encouraging the government to establish a national holiday to honor mothers.  On May 9, 1914 President Woodrow Wilson signed a joint resolution designating the second Sunday in May as Mother’s Day.

Florist Shop – Potomac Location 9545 River Rd, Potomac, MD
Phone: 301-983-4400
Email Us at behnkes@behnkes.net

Hot Colors for Spring

-by Evelyn Kinville, Manager, Behnke Nurseries’ Floral Division

When choosing fresh flowers, how do you decide what to buy? Throughout my many years as a florist and floral designer, I have been asked by people who are choosing flowers “what do you recommend…you’re the expert”. My standard response involves asking a few questions of my own. Close to the top of the list right after “what is the occasion?” is “do you have any particular colors in mind?” Most do – but many don’t.

 It’s always fun to use the season’s hottest colors if the occasion allows! Pantone, Inc. has been the world’s color authority for 45 years. Pantone’s anointed colors for Spring 2008 have exciting and delicious names such as Daiquiri Green, Pink Mist, Cantaloupe, Rococco Red, Golden Olive, Croissant, and Snorkel Blue……there are more at Pantone.com so you are sure to find one that appeals to you.

If you are planning a Spring event as lavish as a wedding reception or as intimate as a dinner party in your home, you can not only impress your guests with your savvy fashion sense by

 wearing a Daiquiri Green ensemble that brings sparkle to your eyes….but also with Pink Mist and Cantaloupe flower bouquets that make your surroundings sing.

If you decide that Pink Mist and Cantaloupe bouquets are perfect for your surroundings, you have chosen an analogous color scheme….colors that are next to each other on the color wheel. You will be using softer hues of red and orange, which are adjacent to each other on the warmer side of the color wheel. Adding deeper hues such as coral, salmon, and orange to the softer hues can create a lively and pleasing bouquet.

There are many flower types in these shades including myriad rose varieties such as ‘Ambiance’ (pink, peach, coral multicolor), ‘Orange Unique’ (clear, vibrant orange), and ‘Attache’ (a deep, but vibrant pink). Tulips are of course wonderful in the Spring and are available in many shades and combine beautifully with roses. Consider godetia in salmon, pink hyacinths for fragrance, and ranunculus in many shades of pink, peach, and orange. Gerbera daisies and snapdragons certainly span this color palette.

If flowers in various intensities of the same color are more your cup of tea and make a stronger statement in the surroundings, then you will be happiest with a monochromatic color scheme. If Pink Mist will have the most impact in the setting, select all the same flower variety… or using various flower types in many hues of pink will bring texture.

For a little excitement, be bold with a complementary color scheme…colors that are opposite on the color wheel. We all know about the electricity that can be generated when opposites attract.

Add sparks to Pink Mist and your Daiquiri Green ensemble with green blossoms such as viburnum, bupleurum, green anthurium, or a rose called ‘Green Tea’. Consider adding deeper shades of pink or even a little red for real zing.

When it’s time to plan your Spring party, whether your favorite “hot” Spring color is Snorkel Blue, Golden Olive, or Rococco Red, the same principles apply. To decorate with flowers that make a real statement, consider the occasion and the surroundings. I assure you that we can help you choose flowers that express your thoughts fashionably.