The idea of starting something new can be exciting & daunting at the same time… especially when you have no idea how to go about making an idea into reality! When I began to research how to start Heliotrope for Hospice last year, I was overwhelmed- all the paperwork filled out correctly, the waiting time to have it all approved, for California, then with the IRS, for the actual 501(c)(3) non-profit status. The process, the...

Happy New Year! 2012 is going to be a great year- I am hopeful in so many ways, that this idea of flowers for people in hospice care will touch your hearts- and you might find a way to give a blossom or two to someone who needs a spark of beauty in their lives. January is one of those slow months. Most florists are  getting ready for the next  floral holiday, Valentine’s Day! To be honest, it’s not my favorite- and I always...

It’s become the thing to do; to request “No Flowers” for memorial or funeral services or “in lieu of flowers” to give a donation to a specific organization or charity that the bereaved specify in the announcement of a loved one’s passing. As a floral designer, and simply a person who loves flowers and plants, I ask: why must this option be announced to the guests who will be attending the celebration of life,...

A color… a flower… a fragrance… an herb… what comes to your mind when you see this word, lavender? For me, all of the above! I can’t separate the tactile sense and smell of the flower from  the cool, calm tint of purple origin. The many benefits of lavender are well known, but here are just a few: – in aromatherapy as a fragrance that relaxes the mind and body – in medicine and soaps as an...

Things are going so well with the website- as you can see, we are up and running, with photos and now the ability to post current updates! Just recently added, the ability to contribute online thru PayPal (see Donate Button) I hope to add more photos as the weeks go by, and also have plans to expand Heliotrope for Hospice in the New Year, by organizing Floral Workshops for volunteers to make even more bouquets to reach people in home hospice...