365 Days of Floral Education - Days 1-5

Parts of a Flower

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 1 - For our first day of floral education we thought we’d start with the basics, the parts of a flower. While we are primarily concerned with floral aesthetics here at the flower shops, the petals, sepal and stem, it is nice to review and remember the important role flowers play in nature. The biological function of a flower is to effect reproduction, they give rise to fruit and seeds, and many flowers have evolved to be attractive to animals, so as to cause them to be vectors for the transfer of pollen.



Cut Flowers on an Angle

Day 2 - You may have noticed that we cut our flower stems on an angle, but have you ever wondered why? Cut flowers are still living, which means that they are still drinking the water in which you put them. By cutting flowers perpendicular to the stem, it allows the stems to set directly on the bottom of the vase, impeding the ability for water absorption. An angled cut not only allows better access to the life-giving water, but also gives more surface area to the stems, allowing them to take in more water than a straight cut.






Sansevieria

Day 3 - Sansevieria, also called snake plant or mother-in-law's tongue, is remarkable in its ability to convert large amounts of carbon dioxide into oxygen (which we need to breathe), as well as in its effectiveness at removing certain indoor pollutants from the air. Studied extensively by NASA scientist B.C. Wolverton and environmental scientist Kamal Meattle, sansevieria is shown to filter out benzene, a chemical linked to Sick Building Syndrome. Sansevieria is most effective at producing oxygen at night, making it a perfect plant to keep in the bedroom.







Gypsophila

Day 4 - Gypsophila, commonly known as baby's-breath, is a genus of about 100 species of flowering plants in the family Caryophyllaceae, native to Europe, Asia and north Africa. Many species are found on calcium-rich soils, including gypsum, hence the name of the genus. Its botanical name means "lover of chalk", which is accurate in describing the type of soil in which this plant grows. We use thousands of bunches of "Gyp" at Steins every year.

Flowers for Allergy Sufferers

Day 5 - Flowers can be one of the most common allergy triggers around, though certain blooms have less or even no effect and these are the ones allergy sufferers should look for, so if you suffer from allergies it is not impossible for you to enjoy beautiful blooms. WebMD reports there are actually quite a variety of flowers out there that allergy sufferers can live in harmony with. Begonia, cactus, clematis, columbine, crocus, daffodil and geranium are some of the most allergy-friendly plants and flowers. Hosta, hydrangea, iris, lily, periwinkle, rose, tulip, zinnia and more are also known for being good choices.