365 Days of Floral Education - Days 86-90

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 86 - Derived from the Greek words “anti,” meaning like, and “rhin,” meaning nose, antirrhinum, the snapdragon’s botanical name, is a fitting description of this snout-shaped flower. It’s said that the common name for this colorful flower comes from the snap it makes when the sides of the “dragon’s mouth” are gently squeezed. While their actual origin is unknown, it’s believed that snapdragons were originally wildflowers in Spain and Italy. Legend has it that concealing a snapdragon makes a person appear fascinating and cordial, and in the language of flowers, snapdragons are said to represent both deception (perhaps tied to the notion of concealment) and graciousness.

Day 87 - The most obvious and well known meaning of the red rose is deep love and affection. In the 18th century, a special rose language evolved as a means of communication between lovers who were forced by society to keep their feelings a secret. And the red rose came to symbolize true love that would stand the test of time. Staunchly promising affection that is forever riding high is what the red rose means. The red rose denotes a true love that is stronger than thorns and can outlive all obstacles.

Day 88 - Through ancient societies, the aster flower has come to be known as a symbol of charm and patience as well as refinement and elegance. The Ancients also believe that, by burning aster leaves, they could drive away serpents with the smell as well as be used as a love charm. Today, the message conveyed by giving asters can be sometimes taken as a lack of trust that a person has remained faithful. The flower offers a unique beauty that has also offered some medicinal properties. It is related to other flowers, such as mums, marigolds, and daisies.

Day 89 - With a recorded history that dates back thousands of years, it’s not surprising that even the mythology surrounding the origin of the peony has multiple versions. One legend has it that the peony is named after Paeon, a physician to the gods, who received the flower on Mount Olympus from the mother of Apollo. And another tells the story of that same physician who was “saved” from the fate of dying as other mortals by being turned into the flower we know today as the peony.

Day 90 - There remains some debate over the hydrangea’s symbolism – with some connecting it to vanity and boastfulness (perhaps reflecting its abundance of petals and lavish, rounded shape) and others suggesting that a bouquet of hydrangea expresses the giver’s gratefulness for the recipient’s understanding. Still others suggest it represents anything that’s sincerely heartfelt. Despite this variation in flower meaning, there appears to be an overwhelming consensus that this 4th wedding anniversary flower possesses enduring grace and beauty.

365 Days of Floral Education - Days 61-65

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 61 - First discovered in Japan, the name hydrangea comes from the Greek “hydor,” meaning water, and “angos,” meaning jar or vessel. This roughly translates to “water barrel,” referring to the hydrangea’s need for plenty of water and its cup-shaped flower. With its wooden stems and lacy, star-shaped flowers packed closely together in a pompom, the hydrangea’s color ranges from white to blue to pink and purple, determined by the acidity level of the soil.

Day 62 – The beginning of January has primrose plants popping up in flower shops and markets all along the east coast. With a vast array of colorful blooms they are a cool weather favorite of many flowering plant lovers and perfect to keep indoors this time of year. They enjoy bright light and cool temperatures, so a nice sunny window away from the heat is a great location for your indoor flowering garden. They like to stay moist, but not wet. Because of their need to be moist and cool, some leaf mold or fungus growth may occur, simply remove any troubled leaves and enjoy.

Day 63 - Grown for both its colorful flowers and its everlasting calyx (the green leaf that encloses the flower bud), statice is also considered an herb, referred to as “sea lavender.” Statice is commonly used in dried flower arrangements as well as fresh bouquets. Its botanical name is derived from the Greek word “limonium,” meaning meadow, referring to the plants original habitat and likely why this versatile flower is also called marsh-rosemary. With a misty and seafoam appearance (two more names associated with this wildflower-like plant), in the language of flowers, statice symbolizes remembrance.

Day 64 - The Matsumoto aster is a fast-growing annual that has long, sturdy stems along with long-lasting flowers. It is native to East Asia and was developed in Japan. It is prized among both home gardeners and commercial floral growers. It tends to last between seven and ten days, depending on the bud stage and is good only as a fresh flower as it does not dry well. It is best to re-cut it about a half-inch from the base of each stem while it is still under water. The water should be changed out every three days and no foliage should be submerged in water or this may lead to bacterial growth.

Day 65 – Many of us remember dyeing flowers as children for a school experiment with food coloring or ink, but floral processors dye flowers by the thousands. Typically flowers are dyed through absorption, the dye is in the water and taken in through the stem and into the petals as the flower drinks, but immersion is another, faster method, where the flowers are dip-dyed. When dyeing fresh cut flowers the dyes are generally used at the rate of 1-2 ounces per gallon of water. One pound of dye tints approximately 5,000-10,000 stems. That’s a lot more than we remember dyeing in elementary school! The daisy pom pons pictured here have been dyed a fun neon pink!