Fish meets world.

OK.  We've un-burrowed from the snow.  We're back to functioning in the white, sometimes fluffy winter landscape that is winter in New Jersey.  And we find a way to make it bearable, spending so much more time indoors. 

Obviously, plants and flowers are a way to bring springtime indoors during these dreary months.  But what does a florist, who spends her life surrounded by flora and fauna, do to add some warmth and fun to the cold?  She creates an ecosystem, of course! 

There are certain houseplants that can be grown hydroponically.  Hydroponics is the science of growing plants without soil.  One of those plants is the spathiphyllum, or peace lily.  If you place an established peace lily in a vase of water, it will grow every bit as well as it would were it in soil.  You can watch the root structure change and grow; it's a great science lesson and it's beautiful, to boot. 

Now, if you add another living organism, say, a certain breed of fish, to the water in which the spathiphyllum lives, it becomes an ecosystem.  In a vase.  You still need to feed the fish, but the plant gets nutrients from the fish waste, and the fish gets some nutrients from the plant.  And you have a friendly little guy to have on your kitchen table or desk. 

Meet Fish.  Fish-Who-Must-Be-Named.  He is a red, male betta fish.  He now lives at Lotus Petals.  He keeps us company, adds a different energy to the store, and is generally a good listener.  But he needs a name.  Give us a hand in coming up with a name for this new mascot, won't you?  The person whose name idea we choose will win a $25 gift certificate!  Let's see how creative you can get. 

You have until the 31st of January. Until then, we'll just call him Fish.  Boring, isn't it?