365 Days of Floral Education - Days 221 - 225

As part of our 125^th 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 221 - Chamelaucium, also known as waxflower, is a genus of shrubs endemic to south western Western Australia. They belong to the myrtle family Myrtaceae and have flowers similar to those of the tea-trees. The genus was first defined by French botanist René Louiche Desfontaines in 1819. The derivation of the name is unclear. They are commonly known as waxplants, or wax flowers from the waxy feel of the petals.

Day 222 – The wildly popular “Green Trick” dianthus, a relative of carnations and Sweet William, is imported to the US from Holland, Israel, Ecuador and Colombia.

 

 

Day 223 - Plant pharmacological studies have suggested that Calendula extracts have anti-viral, anti-genotoxic, and anti-inflammatory properties in vitro. In herbalism, Calendula in suspension or in tincture is used topically for acne, reducing inflammation, controlling bleeding, and soothing irritated tissue. Pretty and practical!

Day 224 - Hydrangeas are fascinating in that, unlike most other plants, the color of their flowers can change dramatically. The people who have the most control over the color of their hydrangeas are those who grow them in containers. It is much easier to control or alter the pH of the soil in a container than it is in the ground. On the other hand, hydrangeas often change color on their own when they are planted or transplanted. They are adjusting to the new environment. It is not unusual to see several different colors on one shrub the next year after planting. It is much easier to change a hydrangea from pink to blue than it is from blue to pink. Changing a hydrangea from pink to blue entails adding aluminum to the soil. Changing from blue to pink means subtracting aluminum from the soil or taking it out of reach of the hydrangea.

Day 225 - Your liatris and other cut flowers will stay fresh longer if you add a copper penny and a cube of sugar to the vase water. The copper in pennies is thought to act like an acidifier, which prevents the growth of bacteria.

365 Days of Floral Education - Days 216 - 220

As part of our 125^th 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 216 - The name cornflower comes from the fact the flowers grow abundantly in corn fields in Europe and the U.S. They are edible and have a sweet, cucumber-like taste and can be used to make tea. They have been used in traditional herbal medicine as an anti-inflammatory.

Day 217 - Dianthus barbatus (sweet william) is a species of Dianthus native to southern Europe and parts of Asia which has become a popular ornamental garden plant. It is an herbaceous biennial or short-lived perennial plant growing to 30–75 cm tall, with flowers in a dense cluster of up to 30 at the top of the stems. Each flower is 2–3 cm diameter with five petals displaying serrated edges. Wild plants produce red flowers with a white base, but colours in cultivars range from white, pink, red, and purple or with variegated patterns.

Day 218 - Achillea millefolium, known commonly as yarrow, is a flowering plant in the family Asteraceae. It is native to temperate regions of the Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe, and North America. In New Mexico and southern Colorado, it is called plumajillo (Spanish for 'little feather') from its leaf shape and texture. In antiquity, yarrow was known as herbal militaris, for its use in staunching the flow of blood from wounds. Other common names for this species include gordaldo, nosebleed plant, old man's pepper, devil's nettle, sanguinary, milfoil, soldier's woundwort, thousand-leaf, and thousand-seal.

Day 219 - The exact origin of Sweet William's English common name is unknown, but first appears in 1596 in botanist John Gerard's garden catalog. The flowers are edible and may have medicinal properties. Sweet william attracts bees, birds, and butterflies.

Day 220 - Silene is a genus of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae. Common names include "campion" (shared with the related genus Lychnis) and "catchfly". Silene undulata is used by the Xhosa tribe in Africa as an oneirogenic agent. Reputedly, a small amount of the root bark of this species is pulverised with water to produce a white froth. This froth is then sucked off and swallowed. The user's dreams for the following several nights are said to be more vivid and memorable than usual, although no effects are felt while awake.

365 Days of Floral Education - Days 211 - 215

As part of our 125^th 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 211 - Sunflower heads consist of 1,000 to 2,000 individual flowers joined together by a receptacle base. The large petals around the edge of a sunflower head are individual ray flowers, which do not develop into seed.

Day 212 - Having roamed Earth before bees evolved, magnolia trees are pollinated by beetles. Despite the misconception, magnolia trees aren't actually delicate. Since they evolved to allow beetles to crawl all over them, magnolias are actually pretty tough and pest-resistant. Magnolias are the national flower of North Korea, the state flower of Mississippi and Louisiana, and the state tree of Mississippi.

Day 213 - It’s just about snapdragon season for your home gardens and these pretty petals will attract bees and butterflies to your outdoor havens. In Asia snapdragons are called "rabbit's lips" and "lion's lips" in Holland.

Day 214 - Bouvardia can have single or double star-like blooms that open from tubular necks. Thin, branching stems open up to clusters of blooming florets. Leaves are bright green and pointed. Bouvardia comes in white, pink, salmon, and red and lives one to two weeks. The dainty flowers and soft colors bestow an air of femininity wherever they make an appearance.

Day 215 - Rose proliferation is when a new bud along with its unfurling leaves will grow through the center of a rose that is already in full bloom. The science behind rose proliferation is that the plant’s cells multiply so quickly, they don’t have a chance to stop dividing even when a flower is formed. They will continue to divide and produce new buds in the center of the flower.

365 Days of Floral Education - Days 206 - 210

As part of our 125^th 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 206 - Cane has an interesting history. It is one of two species of bamboo, a type of grass, native to North America. Preferring full sun and disturbance, river cane was formerly most common on floodplains where it occurred beneath open forest canopies. Cane also occurred under canopy openings in upland forests and in scattered-tree savannas. Such sites and soils have been coveted by humans for various purposes for centuries. In the floral industry river cane is dried and used as an accent in many floral arrangements.

Day 207 - Expedite lily blossom opening by using warm floral food solution and by covering the buds with a clear plastic bag to maintain high humidity. Bright light (not direct sunlight) also seems to hasten the opening process as well as assuring good color in the blossoms.

 

 

 

 

 

Day 208 - Many floral designers today are using yarn and felt to add intriguing texture to their arrangements. Another way to add this element is with "floral" cotton. The bolls, still on the stem, have been removed from the stalk, hand cleaned and fluffed. The sturdy, star-shaped burrs (which hold the cotton on the stem) are also used sans the cotton at times for a different rustic look. Wonderful for autumn, rustic and country designs.

Day 209 - Chinese lantern, Physalis alkekengi, is a relative of Cape Gooseberry, easily identifiable by the larger, bright orange to red papery covering over its fruit, which resemble paper lanterns. It is native from southern Europe east across southern Asia to Japan. It is an herbaceous perennial plant growing to 40–60 cm tall, with spirally arranged leaves. The flowers are white, with a five-lobed corolla, with an inflated basal calyx which matures into the papery orange fruit covering.

Day 210 - Lei is a garland or wreath. More loosely defined, a lei is any series of objects strung together with the intent to be worn. The most popular concept of a lei in Hawaiian culture is a wreath of flowers draped around the neck presented upon arriving or leaving as a symbol of affection. This concept was popularized through tourism between the Hawaiian Islands and the continental United States in the 19th and 20th centuries. In modern times, a lei is usually given with a kiss - a custom which began in World War II. Traditionalists, however, give a lei by bowing slightly and raising it above the heart, allowing the recipient to take it, as raising the hands above another's head, or touching the face or head, is considered disrespectful.

365 Days of Floral Education - Days 201 - 205

As part of our 125^th 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 201 - Seen from interstate 5 in Carlsbad, CA, the 40 acres of wildly colorful fields where these Ranunculus are grown are such an incredible sight that over the years the farm has been opened up to the public and has become one of the few flower "destinations" in North America. First established by the Frazee family back in the 1930's, the Flower Fields of Carlsbad are now managed by Mellano & Co. The Ranunculus bloom from mid-March to mid-May and during peak production more than 11,000 bunches will be harvested for the professional cut flower industry EACH DAY! Once the flowering season is over the bulbs will be dug up for sale to the home gardening industry and the fields will be re-planted from seed for next year’s crop!

 

Day 202 - Greenhouses in Latin America are mostly not heated, so when there is a big difference between daytime and night time temperatures, roses respond in a way that the pigments concentrate. In yellow and pink varieties, concentrated pigments appear as red flames or intense color chips, but in red varieties, pigments appear black.

Day 203 - More than 100,000 people—many displaced by Colombia’s guerrilla wars and rural poverty—labor in greenhouses spread across the savanna. Seen from an airplane, the greenhouses form geometric gray-and-white patterns reminiscent of an Escher drawing. Up close, they turn out to be bare-bones structures of plastic sheeting stapled to wooden frames. But the low-rent look is deceptive; the operations are highly sophisticated, producing some of the most beautiful blooms you’ve ever seen.

Day 204 - Scabiosa “pods” are currently on trend, favored by brides and other fashion savvy flora appreciators for their intriguing texture and delicate muted colors. Though not pods in the botanical sense, these pale globes, comprising papery, funnel shaped bracts, do have a dried flower look. The species is Scabiosa stellata, and the spherical inflorescences are marketed as “stellata pods” from late July to late October.

Day 205 - The Uluhe (oo-loo-hay) fern (false staghorn) can be found all over the east (wetter) side of the Big Island of Hawaii. The ferns grow well from sea level on up to 5,500 ft, but the most spectacular Uluhe ferns are found in Volcano and the Hawai'i Volcanoes National Park. The Uluhe begins growth as a shoot that comes straight out of the ground - with the fern tightly coiled at the shoots end. The shoot is about the thickness of a drinking straw. As the shoot grows the end uncoils and the fern leaves begin to appear. As the leaves mature they split into two sets of leaves, and from those another shoot can appear that will make another two sets of leaves. This can continue as the plant grows becoming almost vine like. These uluhe fern coils, fondly referred to as monkey tails around the shop, are very popular with trendy brides and look great in tropical bouquets.

365 Days of Floral Education - Days 196 - 200

As part of our 125^th 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 196 - As the longest lasting commercial Orchid variety on the market, Cymbidiums are wonderful whether used by the stem or the individual bloom (although they will last longer on the stem). Cymbidiums are best stored between 8 and 10 degrees Celsius. Stems should be re-cut upon arrival and placed in cool fresh water with the proper dose of floral preservative (If storing in water tubes, the water should be changed every 3 days). When properly handled and stored, Cymbidiums can often last 15 to 20 days!

Day 197 - Roses are grown in areas with lots of intense light energy. Production areas close to the equator (Colombia and Ecuador) get 12 hours light every day of the year and the light energy (luminosity) is strongest at the equator vs. northern latitudes.

Day 198 - Most flowers grown in Colombia are bred in European labs, especially Dutch labs, which ship seedlings and cuttings to growers. A single gerbera plant, for instance, can last several years and produce hundreds of blooms, each one taking 8 to 12 weeks to mature.

Day 199 - Convallaria majalis commonly known as the Lily of the Valley, is a sweetly scented (and highly poisonous) woodland flowering plant that is native throughout the cool temperate Northern Hemisphere in Asia, Europe and in the southern Appalachian Mountains in the United States. A limited native population occurs in Eastern USA (our area, you may have seen them blooming over the last couple weeks). There is; however, some debate as to the native status of the American variety.

Day 200 - While Callas are produced year round in South America, the peak months of production are from May to October where one farm can produce up to 100,000 stems per week. This, of course, coincides perfectly with the spring and summer wedding and event seasons where Callas are widely used in bridal bouquets and arrangements. During the low production months from December to April the number of stems produced can be as low as 40% of regular production numbers.

365 Days of Floral Education - Days 191 - 195

As part of our 125^th 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 191 - The name Shampoo Ginger comes from the peculiar trait that if rubbed, it will release a “shampoo like” smell. It produces flowers that come out on the cone that must be taken off as they will rot and turn the cone mushy and smelly. At the beginning of the season, the cones are yellowish and small and produce the least amount of flowers. Later on the cones grow taller and yellow, and at the end of the season they are peach, and it produces more flowers.

Day 192 - Pincushion protea are one of the longest lasting flower varieties available. With proper care, they last a minimum of 15 days!

 

 

 

Day 193 - Cut Hypericum berries start out as a yellow flowering shrub and the berries only develop after the flower fades away…..a little like your grandmother’s rose hips… It takes almost 8 months from planting to berry stage to produce a single stem of florist quality berried Hypericum!

Day 194 - The common name for Hypericum is St John’s Wort and it is widely available in health food stores as a homeopathic remedy for ailments such as depression and as a natural antibiotic.

 

Day 195 - Heliconia flowers are almost exclusively pollinated by Hummingbirds, and sometimes bats too, in Costa Rica.