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 291 – Celosia is used as a treatment
for intestinal worms (particularly tapeworm), blood diseases, mouth sores, eye
problems. The seeds treat chest complaints and the flowers treat diarrhea. The
leaves are used as dressings for boils and sores, and the boiled vegetables are
said to be slightly diuretic.
Day 292 - Orchids have been used in traditional
medicine in an effort to treat many diseases and ailments. They have been used
as a source of herbal remedies in China since 2800 BC. Gastrodia elata is one of the three orchids listed in the
earliest known Chinese Materia Medica. This variety of dendrobium orchid is
called Galaxy.
Day 293 - The underground tubers of some terrestrial
orchids are ground to a powder and used for cooking, such as in the hot
beverage salep or in the
Turkish frozen treat dondurma. The dried leaves of some orchid varieties are
used to flavor rum on Reunion Island. And some orchid species of the group Gastrodia produce potato-like tubers
and were consumed as food by native peoples in Australia and can be
successfully cultivated. This variety of dendrobium orchid is called Fuji.
Day 294 – Huckleberry grows as a shrub and
is part of the heath family of plants. Huckleberries were traditionally an
important part of the diet of many Native American tribes of North America,
including the Crow tribe.
Day 295 – Lily grass lends itself well to a
myriad of floral designs, whether in long blades or twisted and looped into
contemporary designs. There are 2 widely used species: Liriope, which was the name of Narcissus' mother and she was a
fountain nymph, and Ophiopogon, which is from the Greek "ophis" (a
snake) and "pogon" (a beard).