As
part of our 125th Anniversary celebration at Stein Your Florist Co.
we are sharing a year of floral education, November 1, 2012 thru October 31,
2013. Each day we will post something new on our Facebook page to share
our knowledge of our favorite things, flowers and plants and we'll be updating
our blog every 5 days or so. No need for pencils and notebooks, just sharing
some simple lessons in floristry.
Day 241 –
Lavender flower spikes are used for dried flower arrangements. The fragrant,
pale purple flowers and flower buds are used in potpourris. Lavender is also
used extensively as herbal filler inside sachets used to freshen linens. Dried
and sealed in pouches, lavender flowers are placed among stored items of
clothing to give a fresh fragrance and to deter moths. Dried lavender flowers
have become recently popular for wedding confetti. Lavender is also popular in
scented waters and sachets.
Day 242 - The
ancient Greeks called the lavender herb nardus, after the Syrian city of Naarda
(possibly the modern town of Dohuk, Iraq). It was also commonly called nard.
Lavender was one of the holy herbs used in the biblical Temple to prepare the
holy essence, and nard is mentioned in the Song of Solomon. During Roman times,
flowers were sold for 100 denarii per pound, which was about the same as a
month's wages for a farm laborer, or fifty haircuts from the local barber. Its
late Latin name was lavandārius, from lavanda (things to be washed), from the
verb lavāre (to wash). The Greeks discovered early on that lavender if crushed
and treated correctly would release a relaxing fume when burned. In medieval
times powdered lavender was used as a condiment.
Day 243 –
Commercially lavender plants are grown mainly for the production of essential
oil of lavender. This has antiseptic and anti-inflammatory properties. These
extracts are also used as fragrances for bath products. English lavender yields
an essential oil with sweet overtones, and can be used in balms, salves,
perfumes, cosmetics, and topical applications.
Day 244 -
Sunflower "whole seed" (fruit) are sold as a snack food, raw or after
roasting in ovens, with or without salt and/or seasonings added. Sunflowers can
be processed into a peanut butter alternative, sunflower butter. In Germany, it
is mixed with rye flour to make Sonnenblumenkernbrot
(literally: sunflower whole seed bread), which is quite popular in
German-speaking Europe. It is also sold as food for birds and can be used
directly in cooking and salads. American Indians had multiple uses for
sunflowers in the past, such as in bread, medical ointments, dyes and body
paints.
Day 245 -
Rhizomes of the German Iris (I.
germanica) and Sweet Iris (I.
pallida) are traded as orris root and are used in perfume and medicine,
though more common in ancient times than today. Today Iris essential oil
(absolute) from flowers are sometimes used in aromatherapy as sedative
medicines. The dried rhizomes are also given whole to babies to help in
teething. Gin brands such as Bombay Sapphire and Magellan Gin use orris root
and sometimes iris flowers for flavor and color.
Day 241 –
Lavender flower spikes are used for dried flower arrangements. The fragrant,
pale purple flowers and flower buds are used in potpourris. Lavender is also
used extensively as herbal filler inside sachets used to freshen linens. Dried
and sealed in pouches, lavender flowers are placed among stored items of
clothing to give a fresh fragrance and to deter moths. Dried lavender flowers
have become recently popular for wedding confetti. Lavender is also popular in
scented waters and sachets.
Day 236 -
Cosmos is native to scrub and meadowland in Mexico where most of the species
occur, Florida and the southern United States, Arizona, Central America, and to
South America in the north to Paraguay in the south. Some species of Cosmos are
extinct in the wild, such as Cosmos atrosanguineus (Chocolate Cosmos). The species
was introduced into cultivation in 1902, where it survives as a single clone
reproduced by vegetative propagation. These cosmos are #Jerseyfresh
Day 238 -
Lavender lends a floral and slightly sweet flavor to most dishes, like
cupcakes, and is sometimes paired with sheep's-milk and goat's-milk cheeses.
For most cooking applications the dried buds are used, though some chefs
experiment with the leaves as well. Only the buds contain the essential oil of
lavender, from which the scent and flavor of lavender are best derived. In the
United States, both lavender syrup and dried lavender buds are used to make
lavender scones and marshmallows.
Day 240 -
Lavender oil can be a powerful allergen for those that are sensitive, achoo!
And it is also recommended that it should not be ingested during pregnancy and
breastfeeding. In vitro, lavender oil is cytotoxic (toxic to cells). It
increases photosensitivity as well.
Day 231 -
Make your own preservative to keep cut flowers fresh longer. Dissolve 3
tablespoons sugar and 2 tablespoons white vinegar per quart (liter) of warm
water. When you fill the vase, make sure the cut stems are covered by 3-4
inches (7-10 centimeters) of the prepared water. The sugar nourishes the
plants, while the vinegar inhibits bacterial growth. You’ll be surprised how
long the arrangement stays fresh!
Day 235 – Lavandula (common name Lavender) is a
genus of 39 species of flowering plants in the mint family, Lamiaceae. It is
native to the Old World and is found from Cape Verde and the Canary Islands,
southern Europe across to northern and eastern Africa, the Mediterranean, southwest
Asia to southeast India. Many members of the genus are cultivated extensively
in temperate climates as ornamental plants for garden and landscape use, for
use asculinary herbs, and also commercially for the extraction of essential
oils. The most widely cultivated species, Lavandula angustifolia is often
referred to as lavender, and the color is named for the shade of the flowers of
this species. These lavender flowers are #Jerseyfresh
