THE VIRGINIAN-PILOT
Copyright (c) 1997, Landmark Communications, Inc.
DATE: Sunday, January 26, 1997 TAG: 9701240067
SECTION: HOME & GARDEN PAGE: G1 EDITION: FINAL
COLUMN: Around the House
SOURCE: BY MARY FLACHSENHAAR, SPECIAL TO HOME & GARDEN
LENGTH: 69 lines
IF YOU PLAN to say it with flowers this Valentine's Day, make sure you say it right. These tips from professional florists, which first appeared in the Washington Post, tell the best way to place an order, and how to care for it once it's arrived.
If you know what you want, make sure you say so, including type of flower, color, container and size of arrangement. According to florists, many people specify a flower type familiar to them, without knowing its longevity. Ask questions.
Ask about the policy for delivery when nobody is home. Florists usually deliver until 5 p.m. Some leave the arrangement on the front steps if no one answers. Some leave a note on the door saying the flowers have been dropped at a neighbor's. Others call before coming to arrange a delivery time.
If you are on the receiving end, remember that flowers are fragile. Don't put them in direct sunlight, near a vent or on top of the TV.
Change the water every day or two to make the bouquet last longer. If you don't do that, at least top it off daily. Snipping the stems daily keeps flowers fresh too. To keep the arrangement looking good, pluck out blooms as they wilt.
If the flowers are wrapped in cellophane, unwrap them immediately or they will wither.
Warming up inside
When the weather outside is frightful, make indoors cozy and delightful. The January issue of Romantic Homes magazine lists ways to create rooms that hug you on days when the outdoors doesn't.
Lend a golden glow with light from the fireplace or from a collection of candles. An alternative warm focal point might be a lighted cabinet, piece of art or shelf display. Throughout your home, use incandescent or tinted bulbs instead of cool fluorescents.
Replace crystal and glass with the warm, rich tones of brass. Bring out wooden boxes, chests and bowls to add a mellow touch.
Cushion yourself in fabric. Add chenille, plush or oriental area rugs where bare feet will tred. Use flannel sheets and thick down comforters on the beds. Add plump pillows to sofas, beds and chairs. Drape a sofa or chair with a soft throw.
Accessorize with nature's ornaments, like branches and pinecones.
Close-knit communities
Cohousing is not exactly sweeping the nation. But, according to the current issue of Metropolitan Home magazine, this young movement toward more convivial shelter, born in Denmark in the mid '60s, is coming on strong in this country.
In the United States, there are about 20 cohousing communities, with 150 more in the works. The first, built in the mid '80s in Davis, Calif., today is a thriving community of 26 homes.
A rejection of the isolation of single-family housing, cohousing is a grouping of homes owned by people with common social goals. The idea at its core is to recover the intimate sense of community so often lacking in urban or suburban settings. Residents stand to gain not only richer friendships but more pleasant ways of dealing with life's humdrum chores.
Typical in a community is a common house where group dinners, meetings and other activities are held. Cohousers do most of the maintenance work themselves, often sharing workshops, tools, laundry rooms.
Clearly, points out the magazine, cohousing is not for everyone. It may look like too much togetherness to some, but one of many benefits is that residents get to do more of the things they enjoy. ILLUSTRATION: Color photo of carnations