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.
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| African Violet |
Day 21 - A healthy
African violet will bloom for nine months and then rest for three. Despite
their delicate appearance, they are not difficult to care for. Keep their soil
moist to dry and allow it to dry out between waterings to encourage blooming.
Because water can damage their leaves, always water them from the bottom by
placing the container in a tray of water. Allow the plant to absorb the water
for about 30 minutes. Place your African violet in moderate to bright, indirect
light, and avoid exposing them to sudden temperature changes. Pinch off wilted
blossoms and leaves to encourage blooming, and fertilize monthly or when the
plant is actively growing new leaves and buds.
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| Areca Palm |
Day 22 - Areca palms are
generally hardy plants and prefer medium to bright light. Keep their soil moist
but not soggy. If you allow the soil to become too dry, areca palms wilt
dramatically, but it's easy to revive them with just a little water (though
some of their fronds may turn yellow). Trim back palm fronds that become
damaged or turn brown.
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| Spathiphyllum |
Day 23 - With dark green leaves that can be more than a
foot long, the spathiphyllum plant, commonly known as a peace lily, produces
hood-shaped white blooms, and in some cases, can grow up to 4 feet tall
(although many varieties are developed to be compact). These plants can wilt
easily, so it's important to keep the soil moist, providing good drainage and
emptying excess water from trays or saucers to prevent their roots from
rotting. If your plant does begin to wilt it will typically perk right back up
after being watered. Display them in a spot with bright, indirect light. Low
light slows their blooming cycle, and too much direct sunlight may cause burn
spots on their leaves. Wipe their leaves with a damp cloth to remove dust.
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| Pollen |
Day 24 – What’s up with plant allergies? Allergyware.comreports
one of the main reasons certain plants and flowers effect people with allergies
stems from the plant's gender. Monoecious plants are ones that have separate
male and female flowers living on the same plant, such as a corn plant. Because
the male and female flowers are separated, the males, which contain the pollen,
must send the pollen through the air to fertilize the female flowers, in order
to make more blooms. Although the pollen is meant to be delivered to the
female, some bits get sent out into the air, causing people to have allergies.
Plants that are dioecious, that have either all male or female flowers also
rely on wind travel to pollinate and create more blooms. Allergy sufferers may
want to instead look for what is referred to as "perfect flowers," or
ones that contain both female and male parts, like the rose. This is the best
option as these flowers don't need to use air travel to pollinate.
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| Pet Friendly Bachelor's Buttons |
Day 25 - Here is a brief list of common pet friendly flowers and
plants:
· Common
Name| Scientific name
· African
daisy | Arctotis stoechadifolia
· African
violet | Saintpaulia spp.
· Alyssum
| Allysum spp.
· Bachelors
buttons | Centaureaa cyanus
· Begonia
| Begonia spp.
· Celosia
| Celosia spp.
· Common
Snapdragon | Antirrhinum majus
· Easter
Daisy | Townsendia sevicea
· Orchids
| Barbrodia, Sophronitis, etc.
· Peruvian
lily, Brazilian lily | Alstroemeria spp.
· Rose |
Rosa spp.
~Dr.
Sharon Gwaltney-Brant, DVM, PhD, DABVT, DABT
Vice President and Medical Director
ASPCA Animal Poison Control Center
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.
