Posts Tagged stems
Posted on August 10, 2009 with No Comments
Flowers are truly blooming their best at this time of year. There are beautiful colours, scents and textures to be found in the garden. It is not all that difficult to bring this beauty indoors and to make it last through the last months of summer and autumn.
There are some measures you can take to make sure that you bring the best out of your beauties.
Flowers should be picked early in the morning or late in the evening — at these times of day flowers are not stressed by the heat and their stems are fully hydrated.
As you gather the flowers, you should have a bucket of water with lukewarm to put them in. The stems should be cut with a clean knife or pruners at an angle, allowing the stem to take in a greater amount of water.
After all of the flowers have been picked, the stems should be re-cut under water, and foliage should be stripped from the stems.
Finally, the vase you put them in should be clean, and the water at room temperate. Ensure that the arrangement is placed out of direct sunlight.
[Via: brantfordexpositor.ca]
Posted on May 28, 2009 with No Comments
Tulips are a flower that even the most amateur gardener can plant and recognize. Yet there is always new trivia to learn about even with such a common flower. For example, it is said that by putting two pennies in a vase with tulips that are starting to wilt will make them stand up straight again.
In fact, tulips are the only cut flower that continues to grow even after it has been trimmed. Some tulips even grow an inch or two after they have been cut. Tulips need to be placed where the light is right above them as they bend and grow toward light sources.
Tulips can last several days if they are taken care of in the right way. You need to cut the stems as soon as you get home. It is best to cut them at about a half an inch from the end. Placing them in a vase with fresh water and floral preservative is also a good idea. The water in the vase needs to be kept clean, and cutting the stems every other day is recommended.
[Via: Washington Post]
Posted on February 10, 2009 with 1 Comment
Most people feel that Valentine’s Day is not complete without flowers, but as just about anybody knows, February is not exactly the season for growing flowers.
So even gardeners have to join the rest of the crowd by buying fresh flowers at the local flower shop. Roses are by far the favourite — last year about 214 million flowers were put on the market for Valentine’s Day. Of course, this does not mean that other flowers and potted plants are not popular.
It really doesn’t matter what you choose for the special occasion as long as it’s from the heart, and you remember to take care of your flowers once the big day is over. This means that you keep fresh cut flowers in clean water, with bleach to prevent bacteria from attacking the stems. The stems need to be cut off as soon as you get the flowers. While potted flowers need to be kept out of direct sunlight, which is fairly easy at this time of year.
[Via: Santa Maria Times]
Posted on January 8, 2009 with No Comments
Though the Christmas season is coming to an end, we still have many reasons and occasions to give our loved ones gifts. There are many new long-lasting varieties to have a look at this year.
Flowers always add a bit of colour and fragrance to our daily lives, and if they are cared for properly they can live almost twice as long.
Keeping your flowers clean is a very important factor in helping them last — never keep you flowers in dirty vases. Adding bleach to the water is a good idea – this prevents bacteria from blocking the stems.
Cut the stems of the flowers one more time the moment you receive them.
Flowers prefer constant temperatures, so it is best to keep them in a cooler room, not one that is warm by day and cool by night.
Research has shown that fresh flowers are the gift that makes people happiest. They are not expensive and there is always a huge supply, so give your garden center a visit.
[Via: MapleBridgeNews]
Posted on October 16, 2008 with No Comments
According to reports from China’s state-run website, Xinhuanet.com, a rare white flower which is said to only blossom every 3000 years has been found blooming in China.
This report stated that 47 tiny flowers were found growing on the window of an office building in Qingdao City.
One company employee who was observing the flowers said, “It’s amazing that flowers can grow on glass, isn’t it!”
Reports were confirmed by a reporter, who said there were exactly 47 of them and they were 1 millimetre in diameter and they had a white colour, with tiny wire thin stems and bell-shaped flowers.
The stems of the flowers were attached to the glass and there was no soil between them.
A company employee stated, “When we first saw them, we didn’t know what they were. We even thought they were a dirt smear, and we almost wiped them off with a piece of cloth.”
It is believed to be the rare undumbara flower, which has been found elsewhere and looks exactly like the flowers found at this company.
[Via: The Epoch Times]
Posted on May 20, 2008 with No Comments
“From Garden to Vase,” is the name of the new program thought up by Cheryl Jackson. She is a woman who knows how important flowers can be in a person’s life. This program is a way for her to pass on her knowledge about flowers to others. It is mainly aimed at teaching those who love flowers how to create their own garden for cut flowers. At the end of the program they will even learn to make their own floral arrangements.
“Anyone who enjoys gardening and wants to enjoy the fruits of their labor, indoors and outdoors. People who just want a better appreciation of flowers. Rather than sticking (flowers) in a Mason jar, come to class and learn how to make something really stunning out of something you’ve grown,” is how Jackson described her vision for the class.
When asked about the greatest mistake people make when arranging their flowers Jackson said, “The mistake that most people make is that they try to put their stems in perpendicular, just straight up and down. It makes it so that you don’t have any control where the stems and the flowers end up, so that you get a columnar look.”
This is why Jackson is going to teach her students to make the so called “armatures.” When arranging flowers using this method, the stems are placed so that they weave together in a great mass. This is what allows bouquets to be dome shaped or even sculptural.
Jackson will be giving design tips along with practical care tips for flowers.
[Via: The Bellingham Herald]
