365 Days of Floral Education - Days 6-10

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.

Flowers to Avoid with Allergies

Day 6 - There are a wide range of flowers that work well with people living with allergies, but there are also just as many flowers and plants these individuals should avoid. WebMD reports flowers with the most pollen production like chamomile, chrysanthemums, daisies, goldenrod and ordinary sunflowers are among the worst.

Spider Plants for Air Purification

Day 7 – Spider plants, named for their flowy, long branches that resemble the legs of spiders (not because spiders like them), are wonderful for cleaning the air in a home or office space. These plants work to eliminate benzene, formaldehyde, carbon monoxide and xylene - the latter of which is a solvent used in rubber and leather. They are hearty (you can go away on vacation and still return to a healthy plant) and do not require a lot of sunlight to thrive, so they are great for indoor spaces with limited light.



English Ivy for Air Purification

Day 8 - English ivy, is another great plant to keep around for its air purifying qualities. It works to reduce airborne fecal-matter particles, which is especially helpful for homes with pets (those that have accidents or use litter boxes); however, its leaves are also toxic to pets, so be sure to keep it where your pet cannot reach it. English ivy has also been shown to filter out formaldehyde found in some household cleaning products.







Chrysanthemum

Day 9 - Chrysanthemums are a flower shop staple and November’s birth flower. They come in a wide variety of colors, shapes and petal formations. Their blossoms may even look exotic and in unusual colors with single or multiple blooms per stem. It’s important to remove the foliage of chrysanthemums if it begins to droop or yellow. The foliage often deteriorates more quickly than the flowers themselves. Recutting the stems often will also increase the uptake of water and increase vase life. Most chrysanthemums will last 7 to 12 days on average.

Amaryllis

Day 10 - Amaryllis are beautiful cut flowers, but they require some extra TLC to thrive and look their best. They may arrive with some of their blooms closed, but with proper care, they will open into large flowers. Their stems are hollow and need to stay filled with water at all times, so when you refresh the water and re-cut the stems, turn them upside down and fill them with water, plugging the bottom of each stem with a cotton ball or your finger until it is back in the vase. Their stems can be brittle and may bend or break when you refresh them, so be extra careful when handling them. As new blooms open, carefully pinch off older, wilting blooms.