LeFiores is pleased to bring you California Scents, a global provider of high quality air freshening products. Based in Irvine, California, the company is a leading manufacturer of organic air freshening products for your home, office or automobile and offers a special line for Pet owners.

Here are the fragrances in stock now:

California Scents’ products are produced based on the following key initiatives:

Recyclability – Our products are packaged in recyclable materials to reduce waste. Additionally, many of our products and packages are made from recycled materials.

Biodegradability – The fiber pads used in many of our products, including our core Spillproof product, are made from recycled plant refuse. This helps us contribute to waste reductions in the production process and allows the pads to degrade naturally reducing waste in the environment.

Volatile organic compounds – Our products are made from organic fragrance oils that we produce within EPA guidelines.

Non aerosol sprays – Our consumer Fragrance Spray, Citrus Spray and Pet Scents Odor Neutralizing products are all non-aerosol products which contain no harmful fluorocarbons.

Organic – We produce and use organic, non toxic fragrance oils in our products providing our consumer with a safe and earth friendly product.

Animal Friendly – All California Scents products are free of animal testing.

Each can of fragrance is RM14.90.

To purchase, please send an email to ammie@lefiores.com, and kindly bank in the funds to the following Maybank Account: 1127-6301-4668 (Ms Chua Sok Wei).

For orders above RM100, shipping fee is waived. Otherwise, the following shipping fee applies:

Add RM7.00 for West Malaysia, Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

Add RM12.00 for East Malaysia except Kuching and Kota Kinabalu.

Item will be delivered via Skynet within 2-3 working days.

The importance of flower food

I’ve been getting puzzled looks when I explained the use of flower food to my customers who purchased fresh cut flowers from me in this country. Many flower lovers are still unaware on the importance of floral preservative and the role it plays to keep the flowers fresh.

Floral preservative or more commonly known as flower food is essential to your fresh cut flowers. Flower food lengthens flowers’ vase life by providing carbohydrates to the flowers, preventing build-up of bacteria in the water, and altering the pH level of water in the vase.

You can make your own flower food at home if you wish to have a more environmental-friendly alternative or if you do not have access to the commercially available ones.

Here’s a simple recipe:

1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of household bleach (preferably eco-friendly bleach)
2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice
1 quart of lukewarm water

(Source: Rose G. Edinger)

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients together and pour the flower food into a vase.

Step 2: Add your fresh cut flowers into the vase.

Step 3: Change the water in the vase with new flower food every 3 days. Don’t forget to re-cut the flower stems too.

To read more on flower care, please go to Flower Care 101.

'Organic Butterflies on Roses' Bridal Bouquet

Here is a bridal bouquet with pretty earthy hues of green dendrobiums and creamy champagne roses for a pre-wedding photo-shoot session. I always love to pair some dendrobium orchids with flowers of softer look such as roses, because it brings out an edgy touch to the overall feel of the bouquet. Don’t you think that the green dendrobium orchids in the bouquet resemble so much like butterflies?

Sometimes, I have clients who requested for artificial butterflies in their bridal bouquet and wedding centerpieces to complement their garden or fairy theme. You know, those butterflies made of wires, nylons, and tons of glitters. As I have always believed in using natural ingredients in floral designing, I usually prefer to substitute these artificial butterflies with orchids because it’s more organic and natural. Moreover, it is more cost-effective to use natural substitutes than artificial factory-made ones.

Below are some of the pictures taken during the weekend at my grandma’s organic farm. She’s an expert when it comes to growing organic vegetables. My grandma did all the plowing and planting all by herself despite of having an eye-condition that affects her vision. Every morning and evening without fail, she tends to her garden so that we could have fresh, chemical-free, home-grown vegetables on our diet. I especially love the harvesting part! Enjoy the pictures!

Organic Birds Eye Chillies

Organic Okra Plant

Organic Long Bean Plant

Organic Chinese Greens

Organic Vegetable Harvests

Eco-Friendly Irony

This flyer was found attached to my Telekom Malaysia’s bill in the mail this afternoon. It’s ironic that Panasonic claims to give away eco-products but their supposedly free “eco-products” are refrigerators, washing machines, and air-conditioners?!!! Maybe the staffs over at the company’s promotional department do not know that these “eco-products” are one of the most energy-intensive home appliances no matter how energy-efficient it claims its products to be. Either that or Panasonic Malaysia is trying hard to portray an image of an eco-caring company for all the wrong reasons.

This is a simple guide for those of you who are interested in growing your own organic flower garden.

(EHow) The lovely aroma of flowering plants can awaken the senses, giving a person a true appreciation for nature. Growing your own organic flower garden can bring the beauty of nature to your own back yard, without harmful pesticides. This can be a real treat both for you and the flowers. Pesticides can take a toll on your health and even reduce the life span of your flowers. Toxic chemicals such as mancozeb and chlorothalonil have been labeled as carcinogens. A carcinogen is a substance that is known to cause cancer. Pesticides and herbicides are toxic substances that kill living organisms. The Organic Trade Association has stated that side effects from pesticide exposure range from nausea, asthma, headaches and fatigue, to more serious side effects such as cancer and neurological disorders.

You will need:
Organic seed compost
Flower seeds
Natural predators
Organic sulfur spray
Pruning sheers
Garden tiller

Step 1: Select a spot in your yard where the flowers are likely to get plenty of sun shine.

Step 2: Prepare the soil. Loosen the dirt with a garden tiller. Sprinkle organic seed compost on the dirt.

Step 3: Choose the type of flowers you would like to plant. Buy organic flower seeds at your local nursery or online (see Resources).

Step 4: Soak your seeds. Prior to planting your organic flower seeds, pre-soak the seeds. Soak the seeds in purified water, preferably distilled. Soak the seeds for 15 to 24 hours before planting. This will help the seeds soak up additional moisture.

Step 5: Dig several small holes in the dirt where your seeds will be planted. Plant and cover your seeds in the dirt. Lightly water the seeds.

Step 6: Wait for your flowers to grow. Water your flowers early in the morning on a daily basis.

Step 7: Keep up with pruning. Mildew and black spots can show up on flowers without warning. If the problem is not taken care of right away the disease will spread to other flowers. Prune any diseased flowers and spray all the flowers with organic sulfur spray (see Resources). Spray the flower itself, and the leaves.

Step 8: Allow natural predators in your garden. For an organic garden to flourish, the garden must have beneficial insects, such as lady bugs, praying mantis, ambush bugs, spiders and lacewings. Include plenty of these friendly little critters. Lady bugs can be purchased at many garden centers or online (see Resources).

Tips and Warnings
City water typically contains high levels of chlorine and other chemicals. If you want to give your flowers only the best, invest in a water filtration system that also filters the water outdoors. Or, buy a simple charcoal chlorine filter at your local home improvement store.

Resources
1. Buy organic sulfur spray at Extremely Green.
2. Purchase organic flower seeds at Seeds of Change.
3. Buy live lady bugs at Gardening Zone.

Lately, my household diet has changed drastically to an all-organic, locally grown veggies and fruits. We rarely consume red meat these days and approximately twice a month, we’ll get a whole free-range kampung chicken to slow-cook some herbal soup. The reason is because the more I read and researched about organic farming methods versus the commercially non-organic farming methods, the more I’m worried about the health consequences of eating fruits and veggies that are contaminated with high level of toxic pesticide residues.

Following is a list of the most and least contaminated fruits and vegetables in the order of importance, researched and compiled by The Environmental Working Group (EWG), a non-profit consumer organization based in the States. There are many people who are reluctant to switch to an all-organic food diet because of the higher price tag in most organic produce, although sometimes you’ll be surprised to find that non-organic produce are more expensive or at a similar price range. If you want to go partially organic, the list below helps you determine which fruits and veggies are best to go organic and which you can go without.

The Dirty Dozen – Twelve Most Contaminated (Buy These Organic)
1. Peach
2. Apple
3. Bell Pepper
4. Celery
5. Nectarine
6. Strawberries
7. Cherries
8. Kale
9. Lettuce
10. Grapes (Imported)
11. Carrot
12. Pear

The Clean Fifteen – Lowest in Pesticides
1. Onion
2. Avocado
3. Sweet Corn
4. Pineapple
5. Mango
6. Asparagus
7. Sweet Peas
8. Kiwi
9. Cabbage
10. Eggplant
11. Papaya
12. Watermelon
13. Broccoli
14. Tomato
15. Sweet Potato

Download a comprehensive Shopper’s Guide to Pesticides here.

An elegant blend of lush red and creamy white roses centerpiece accented with fresh green tea leaves which I’ve created for a photo shoot session last weekend.

This tall and round floral display is versatile enough as the perfect centerpiece for a contemporary romantic wedding or as a classic centerpiece for a vintage tabletop.

The contrasting colors and textures of the flowers and foliage play off each other harmoniously without being too tacky.

If your budget permits, you can arrange a few of this floral display in different vases of various heights to make a dramatic statement.

Spread a few tea light candles on the table and voila! Flowers and candles – you can never go wrong with these two.

When: 28 March 2009 (Saturday) , 8.30pm – 9.30pm (MYT)

Where: Your house, offices, businesses, billboards etc.

How: Switch off all your lights for one hour!

Why: The world’s first global election to fight global warming and climate change! Vote results will be presented to world leaders at the Global Climate Change Conference in Copenhagen 2009.

Who: YOU – yes, YOU… can join participants from over 931 cities and towns in 80 countries, including other iconic world landmarks e.g. the Merlion in Singapore, Hong Kong’s Symphony of Lights, the Shanghai Hong Kong New World Tower, Paris’ Eiffel Tower, Christ the Redeemer statue in Rio de Janeiro, Sydney’s Opera House, Table Mountain in Cape Town, and Las Vegas’s MGM Grand Casino.

VOTE EARTH NOW at Earth Hour 2009!

Following are links of two articles regarding the shocking truth behind the multimillion-dollar cut flower industry. The first article talks about the impact of cut flowers on our environment and society.

Are Cut Flowers Bad for the Environment?
by S.E. Smith

…Most cut flowers are grown in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia in large greenhouse environments staffed by underpaid, non-unionized workers. The greenhouses are carefully climate controlled to yield the best cut flowers, and they are also heavily sprayed with pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. Because cut flowers are grown in nations with more lax environmental laws, many banned substances including DDT and methyl-bromide are used in flower production. These substances have a profound impact on the health of the workers: many suffer from health problems such as skin conditions, respiratory problems, impaired vision, and birth defects thanks to their exposure to these chemicals…

Continue reading here…

The second article spells out in detail the growing demand of cut flowers in the United Kingdom and its implications on our earth, especially the pollution of CO2 and the working environment of the workers in flower farms. Read on and you will find that your beautiful imported flowers might not have a very beautiful story after all.

Is it OK to Buy Cut Flowers?
by Leo Hickman

…In fact, the true extent of the trade’s environmental impact was only recently recognised officially. Figures released by Defra last November following parliamentary questions from Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Norman Baker showed that almost 17,000 tonnes of flowers – worth £46.1m – were imported more than 4,000 miles from Kenya in 2004. Roses accounted for almost 5,000 tonnes of the imports. Overall, this signified a 83% increase in air-freighted flowers from Kenya in just four years. Baker has since calculated that this trade from Kenya leads to 33,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year – meaning that the transit of each flower creates far more than its own weight in CO2 pollution…

Continue reading here…

The article below is meant for Valentine’s Day but it still applies regardless of occasions. It spells out the problem of harmful chemicals on flowers imported to the States from South America. We’re also facing the exact problem in Malaysia as most growers use lots of pesticides on the plants and this explains the ‘stubborn’ white residues (and ‘funny’ scent) that you see (and smell) on your fresh cut flowers. Unfortunately, many local farms still lack awareness when it comes to sustainable floral farming. At least, there are a few organizations in the States and Europe that regulates the flower industry for sustainable growing practices but none that I know of in this country. Thus, it is important for us to be more aware of this issue and make the best out of what we have got. So, say yes to local, organic, fair trade, and environmental friendly flowers and NO to flowers with toxic pesticides!

*****

Organic roses say “I Love You” not pesticides

via GreenYour

Nearly 80% of cut flowers sold in the US are imported from Ecuador and Colombia, due largely to the elimination of import taxes on South American flowers. An unintended byproduct of the off-shoring of the flower industry has been an increase in the chemicals coming into the US on the flowers. All flowers that enter the United States are closely inspected for pests and diseases but not chemicals.

One-fifth of the chemicals used in flower production in South America — such as DDT and methyl-bromide — are restricted or banned in the United States and Europe but products contaminated with these chemicals ARE allowed in. Environmental laws in South America are either lax or not enforced and the consequences are frightening; according to a survey of workers on flower plantations near Bogotá, the workers were exposed to 127 different pesticides, 3 of which are considered extremely toxic.

So this Valentine’s day, say “I love you”, not only to your sweetheart but to the thousands of workers in the flower industry who will continue to be affected until consumers speak out with their wallets and embrace organic.

*****

So, whenever you want to buy flowers for that special someone, think GREEN! Well, most importantly, it won’t cost you a bomb to go green. The above is a beautiful organic bouquet consisted of pink hydrangeas and tropical gingers which I’ve just arranged. Have a great and green weekend!

Photo by Jon Snyder/Wired.com

This is great news! Motorola recently launched its first eco-friendly phone at the Consumer Electronics Show early last month. The casing of the Motorola W233 Renew phone is made solely from recycled plastic bottles, and the phone takes 20% less energy to manufacture in comparison to other cell phones because it uses recycled materials. The casing and its retail packaging which is also made of recycled papers are completely 100% recyclable. Motorola also includes an envelope in the package for you to recycle your old phone! This is what being responsibly green is all about!

In addition, according to Businessweek, “Motorola also offsets the energy required to manufacture, distribute, and operate the phone by investing in renewable resources and reforestation efforts with CarbonFund.org.”

This device comes with a 2GB memory and the battery lasts up to nine hours of continuous usage. And here’s the best part, the phone won’t burn a hole in your wallet for going green! T-mobile in the States has started selling the Renew phone since February 4, 2009 for just $9.99 with a two-year contract. Otherwise, you can get it retail for only $59.90! This is going to be my next phone!

Special Update (Feb 13, 2009 – 4.45pm): We’re out of dendrobium orchids for Valentine’s day! Do not fret, we still have other beautiful fresh blooms! Gerberas, Lilies, Tulips, and of course, Roses in assorted colors!

Special Update (Feb 13, 2009 – 4.16pm): Thank you for all your support! Delivery to office address is closed for today as our delivery schedule is full. We’re still accepting orders for Valentine’s delivery (Feb 14, 2009) to residential address until 11 pm today. So keep the orders coming!

Special Update (Feb 12, 2009): Fresh tulips in assorted colors just flown in from Netherlands are available for sale this Valentine’s Day. Prices range from RM120 (6 stalks) and above. For further inquiry, please email me (ammie@lefiores.com).

Pre-order your eco-friendly Valentine’s Day flowers now to ensure your sweetheart receives his/her favorite fresh blooms on time.

Valentine’s Day, 14 February 2009 will fall on a Saturday. If you want to surprise your Valentine at his/her office, please order your flowers or gifts early, as our final delivery to offices will be on Friday, 13 February 2009. Our delivery crew will be extremely busy on Friday, thus, delivery orders accepted will be on a first come first serve basis.

To avoid the rush and occasional order mistakes, the best time for Valentine’s delivery is from 10 to 12 February 2009. Most florists will be insanely busy by 12 February, so procrastinate no longer! I would suggest sending the flowers earlier in the week so that your loved ones get to enjoy the best blooms whole week!

We regret to inform you that delivery orders to Klang Valley is now fully booked. Thus, we will not be accepting orders for Klang Valley delivery. However, we are still accepting orders for delivery to Melaka town.

Please note that we will stop accepting Valentine’s Day orders on 13 February 2009 (Friday).

Choose from our Eco-Friendly Vase Bouquet Collection now. You can also add a box of Ferrero Rocher chocolates (16 pcs) for only RM30 with your vase bouquet.

Looking for other flowers apart from roses? We have a huge selection of fresh blooms. Just send me an email at ammie@lefiores.com for a special quote.

“Water has no substitutes. We can transition away from coal and oil to solar, wind and other renewable resources, but there’s no transitioning away from water.” – Sandra Postel, Global Water Policy Project.

By Alexandra and Philippe Cousteau via Reader’s Digest

Consuming less water is easier than you think. Here are some suggestions about making smarter choices.

1. Clean Green
Sixty-nine percent of the rivers and streams analyzed in 2002 contained metabolites of strong detergents, and 66% contained disinfectants, so look for non-toxic cleaning products.

2. Vegetarian Once a Week
Did you know that more than 500 litres of water are required to produce a steak? As an alternative, why not opt for a vegetable casserole or whole grains from time to time?

3. Creative Landscaping
Select local plant species that will thrive with minimal maintenance. Remember to water early in the morning or at dusk.

4. Sustainable Fish and Seafood
If you’d like to be able to still enjoy eating fish in 40 years or so, make discerning choices now. Find fish that are healthy for you and the ocean at m.ed.org/seafood.

5. In the Bathroom
Adjust the thermometer on your water heater to 50 degree Celcius and install high-efficiency toilets.

6. In the Kitchen
Wash your fruit and vegetables in a salad spinner. You can reuse the water on your houseplants.

This Christmas season, grab some great green gifts for your loved ones. Here are some of my favorites.

Elegant Watercolor Silk Clutch
A perfect compliment for all the year-end and new year parties for the diva of your life. This silk clutch from Naturally Knotty is beautifully-crafted out of scraps of silk from the factory, that would otherwise end up at the landfill.

Recycled Jewel-tone Glass Vases
These gorgeous frosted bottle vases made from recycled glasses have such unconventional shapes that will surely brighten up your space with the accompaniment of your favorite blooms. ‘Gift’ them in a set to make a bold statement or individually from VivaTerra.

Red Felted Wool Slippers
I’m totally in love with this cute little pair of wool slippers from VivaTerra! These slippers are handmade in Nepal by a group of women supported by the UN Global Compact’s Program. Plus, they’re made from luxurious New Zealand wool! A good enough reason to keep your loved one’s feet warm this winter season!

Recycled Chopstick Soap Dish
This soap dish has a very creative yet functional design by artist Bryan Parks. Handmade in the Yunnan Province in China from recycled chopsticks, this one makes a great conversational piece for the guests and it’s very affordable at $10 a piece. Here’s a little background story of this design by uncommongoods.

After living in China for several years and witnessing, on a large scale, the wasteful habit of disposable chopsticks, artist Bryan Parks decided he had to do something about it. So, he set to work designing functional, sculptural folding pieces handmade from recycled, sanitized bamboo chopsticks.

And now, to know what NOT to give for this holiday season, hop over to PlanetGreen to read Josh Peterson’s Anti-Gift List.