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 161 - Intoxicating by their very nature, apple
blossoms are symbolic of heady love, peace, sensuality, and fertility. Apple
blossoms (and trees) were honored by the ancient Celts as a symbol of love, and
they would decorate their bedchambers with these blossoms to entice amorous
nights.
Day 162 - A flowering plant's goal is to set seed. If you
repeatedly deadhead - trim off the spent flowers - the plant goes into
overdrive, putting out more and more flowers in an effort to reproduce. This
will make your flowering plant full of beautiful blooms!
Day 163 - Roses are edible flowers. From ancient times
they have appeared at feasting tables as bouquets and as food. The flavor of
roses is varied as the colors. The sweet, tart or spicy petals are easy to use
and popular additions to any kitchen. Light-color roses are more sweet or light
in flavor. Darker roses have more aroma and flavor. Taste a rose petal to
decide where it belongs on your menu.
Day 164 -
Despite their elegant, graceful appearance, orchids aren't difficult to care
for, and by following a few simple guidelines, many varieties will bloom for
you again next year. Keep your orchid in a well-ventilated spot with partial
shade, away from radiators, air conditioning, and strong drafts. To help
maintain the right level of humidity, set the planter in a tray of pebbles and
water so that the pot sits out of the water. This prevents the roots from
rotting, and allows the moisture to circulate. Orchids gain their water from
the relative humidity in the atmosphere, they do not absorb water in a
traditional way from the roots and soil. For stability, orchids are often
potted with the roots in a growing media that should not be overly wet. Orchids
require a period of dormancy during the winter in order to bloom again in the
spring, so allow it to rest in a sunny spot, and don't water it at all during
this time. When its blooms are gone, cut the spike an inch above the foliage,
leaving the old canes in place.
Day 165 - The genus Gladiolus comprises 260 species; 10 species are native to
Eurasia and 250 species are native to sub-Saharan Africa, mostly South Africa.
African Gladioli were imported from South Africa to Europe in large quantities
during the 18th century. Most of the more than 10,000 named Gladioli cultivars
were probably derived from just 7 species native to South Africa, they were
first brought to European gardens in the late 17th century. Every flower color
but blue is represented in modern hybrids, the flowers themselves vary
immensely.
Day 316 - Much of the reason orchids are so
widespread is thanks in part to humans' affinity for and desire to grow them. It
is thought that the symmetry of the flower could have a lot to do with why
people are so fond of orchids. An orchid has bilateral symmetry — like a human
face — so if a line is drawn vertically down the middle of the flower, the two
halves are mirror images of each other. 
Day 318 - Pollen from an ancient orchid was
found on the back of a bee encased in amber, as detailed in a 2007 study in the
journal Nature. The fossil was dated to around 10 million or 15 million years
ago, but it is suspected that the orchid family is far older. Some research
even dates some species of orchid to around 120 million years ago, before the
continents split into their current form.
Two species of orchids whose natural habitats are thousands of miles
apart are actually closely related. Scientists think that the plants probably
had a common ancestor before they were separated by continental drift.
Day 320 - Researchers at the John Innes
Center and the University of East Anglia, both located in Norwich in the United
Kingdom, studied how petals and leaves grow in a type of small flowering plant
called Arabidopsis.
They discovered that concealed maps within the flower buds are made up of
patterns of arrows that act as instructions for how each cell in the bud should
grow. As such, the maps essentially influence a flower bud's cell polarity, or
the functions of the cells. The study's findings not only shed light on why
geranium petals are unlike rose petals, they also explain why an individual
flower's petals and leaves are different shapes.
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 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.
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 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 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.
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 163 - Roses are edible flowers. From ancient times
they have appeared at feasting tables as bouquets and as food. The flavor of
roses is varied as the colors. The sweet, tart or spicy petals are easy to use
and popular additions to any kitchen. Light-color roses are more sweet or light
in flavor. Darker roses have more aroma and flavor. Taste a rose petal to
decide where it belongs on your menu.
