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 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.
Day 246 -
Wealthy Romans would lie on couches with roses laid on them and would wear
roses tied onto string around their neck. Anything which was said "under
the rose" was considered to be a secret.
Day 248 - In
the Victorian language of flowers, sweet william symbolizes gallantry. At the
wedding of Prince William and Catherine Middleton on April 29, 2011, Catherine
included sweet william in her bouquet, a tribute to her bridegroom.
Day 250 - The
Sweet William plant is widely used in borders, rock gardens and informal
country cottage style gardens. Sweet William is a good candidate for a
naturalistic garden because its nectar attracts birds, bees, and butterflies.
Its flowers are considered edible. These Sweet William are #jerseyfresh !
