Keep the memories of your gift forever.
Turn a flower arrangement into Potpourri.
Potpourri is a very easy way to capture a memory for a lifetime. First gather as many of the flowers as possible from your arrangement. Try to do this just before the flowers reach full bloom.
Dry the flowers using either silica or just air drying. Once the flowers are dried, separate the flowers from their stems, keeping only the flowers.
Mix the flowers together, adding any extra flower essence that you might want. Mix the ingredients well. Some of the flowers will actually give off more fragrance when broken or crushed.
Store the mixture of flower petals in a sealed container for 2~3 days. Finally, continue to enjoy your flowers.
Tuesday, July 31, 2007
Air Drying Fresh Flowers
Learning how to dry your fresh flowers will allow you to enjoy their memories for many months or even years longer.
Certain flowers such as baby's breath, statice, mimosa acacia and asters are excellent choices for air drying. Roses are often also successful candidates, however some varieties can lose their color.
To air dry your flowers, first cut them before they have reached the peak of their bloom, they will continue to bloom during the drying process. Try to cut them at about the same or similar length. Gather the flowers in small bundles, using a rubber band to keep them together. Once flowers are cut and ready to dry you should try to keep them out of direct sunlight which can often fade their color. Hang them upside down in a dark, well ventilated room such as a closet.
Your flowers should dry in about a week to 10 days depending on the air circulation and the type of flower. This is certainly the least expensive method of drying flowers, and often very successful.
Certain flowers such as baby's breath, statice, mimosa acacia and asters are excellent choices for air drying. Roses are often also successful candidates, however some varieties can lose their color.
To air dry your flowers, first cut them before they have reached the peak of their bloom, they will continue to bloom during the drying process. Try to cut them at about the same or similar length. Gather the flowers in small bundles, using a rubber band to keep them together. Once flowers are cut and ready to dry you should try to keep them out of direct sunlight which can often fade their color. Hang them upside down in a dark, well ventilated room such as a closet.
Your flowers should dry in about a week to 10 days depending on the air circulation and the type of flower. This is certainly the least expensive method of drying flowers, and often very successful.
Arranging Fresh Flowers
Tips for Making Flower Arrangements:
The way in which you arrange fresh flowers conveys your sense of inspiration and imagination and can craft different moods in your home. Although arranging flowers may take a little time and look a little tricky, producing flower displays is easy if you use a little creativity.
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Cut the stems at an angle, about 1~1.5 inches above the bottom, under lukewarm water to prevent air bubbles from forming. Air bubbles in stems prevent the movement of water into the flowers. Use a sharp knife so that you can cut the stem as cleanly as possible and not damage the flower.
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Place the flowers in room temperature water. If flowers are wilting, give them the hot water treatment: boil water in a bowl, put the ends of the flowers together and wrap them in newspaper and secure with a rubber band, put the stems in the boiling water for 30 seconds to a minute and then immediately immerse in cold water. Periodically check the flowers as times may vary based on the type of flower. The flower absorbs the water, which strengthens the stem.
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After cutting the stems to the desired length, strip off all the foliage that would be underwater in the arrangement.
Birthday Flowers & Birthstones
| January |
| Flower: Carnation |
| Stone: Garnet |
| February |
| Flower: Violet |
| Stone: Amethyst |
| March |
| Flower: Jonquil |
| Stone: Aquam |
| April |
| Flower: Sweet Pea |
| Stone: Diamond |
| May |
| Flower: Lily |
| Stone: Emerald |
| June |
| Flower: Rose |
| Stone: Pearl |
| July |
| Flower: Larkspur |
| Stone: Ruby |
| August |
| Flower: Gladiolus |
| Stone: Peridot |
| September |
| Flower: Aster |
| Stone: Sapphire |
| October |
| Flower: Calendula |
| Stone: Opal |
| November |
| Flower: Chrysanthemum |
| Stone: Topaz |
| December |
| Flower: Narcissus |
| Stone: Turquois |
Roses
Fossils prove that roses grew millions of years ago. Today, there are more than 12,000 varieties of roses and they remain a favorite among most people. The rose is versatile and comes in a wide variety of colors, heights, and fragrances.
Roses range from antique varieties to hybrid teas. There are climbing roses and miniatures that can grow in the house so you can have fresh flowers all year. There are also, the long stemmed varieties that have been a staple among florists for decades. Low maintenance roses include garden roses and shrub roses. Hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, shrub and miniature roses are long flowering.
Old garden roses are any rose that was here before the introduction of the hybrid tea rose in 1867. The old rose varieties produce flowers once a year, usually in May or June. Old roses are usually pink or red with a loose flower compared to the tight budded hybrid tea roses. The old roses are known for having many blooms and are easy to care for. Most old rose varieties are hardy in winter, are disease and pest resistant, and do not require a lot of maintenance.
Hybrid tea roses are the classic long stemmed rose you order from the florist when you are sending flowers. These make great fresh cut flowers. The hybrid tea rose grows two to five feet tall. Some hybrids are hardy but most require special winter care. Whether you chose a hybrid tea rose or a garden rose you will be pleased with your blooms year after year with proper care.
Roses range from antique varieties to hybrid teas. There are climbing roses and miniatures that can grow in the house so you can have fresh flowers all year. There are also, the long stemmed varieties that have been a staple among florists for decades. Low maintenance roses include garden roses and shrub roses. Hybrid teas, floribundas, grandifloras, shrub and miniature roses are long flowering.
Old garden roses are any rose that was here before the introduction of the hybrid tea rose in 1867. The old rose varieties produce flowers once a year, usually in May or June. Old roses are usually pink or red with a loose flower compared to the tight budded hybrid tea roses. The old roses are known for having many blooms and are easy to care for. Most old rose varieties are hardy in winter, are disease and pest resistant, and do not require a lot of maintenance.
Hybrid tea roses are the classic long stemmed rose you order from the florist when you are sending flowers. These make great fresh cut flowers. The hybrid tea rose grows two to five feet tall. Some hybrids are hardy but most require special winter care. Whether you chose a hybrid tea rose or a garden rose you will be pleased with your blooms year after year with proper care.
Blue Roses
On Mothers' Day thousands of roses will be given to moms all over the country. Valentine's Day and Sweetest Day are no different.
Scientists are working on creating a true blue rose. There are still some problems to be worked out to give us a naturally grown blue rose.
The verse roses are red, violets are blue might one day have to be rewritten as they get closer and closer to making a true blue rose. Maybe it will have to go: Roses are red, Roses are blue? We will leave it up to the poem masters to work this out once the blue rose has been worked out.
Roses can be grown in a lot of different colors such as pink, yellow, peach, and even green but so far blue roses can only be made synthetically. One way to make blue roses is to get fresh cut flowers and put their stems in blue-colored water. However this is not permanent, and does not make a naturally grown true blue rose.
Scientists so far have come up with a liver gene that when inserted in the growing rose plant can create a blue bloom however it also makes the stem of the flower blue spotted. One day you will be able to plant blue roses in your garden as easily as you can red.
Scientists are working on creating a true blue rose. There are still some problems to be worked out to give us a naturally grown blue rose.
The verse roses are red, violets are blue might one day have to be rewritten as they get closer and closer to making a true blue rose. Maybe it will have to go: Roses are red, Roses are blue? We will leave it up to the poem masters to work this out once the blue rose has been worked out.
Roses can be grown in a lot of different colors such as pink, yellow, peach, and even green but so far blue roses can only be made synthetically. One way to make blue roses is to get fresh cut flowers and put their stems in blue-colored water. However this is not permanent, and does not make a naturally grown true blue rose.
Scientists so far have come up with a liver gene that when inserted in the growing rose plant can create a blue bloom however it also makes the stem of the flower blue spotted. One day you will be able to plant blue roses in your garden as easily as you can red.
Are Lilies Right for Your Garden?
Lilies are an easy to grow, vibrant addition to your garden. Choosing a mixture of early, mid-season, and late-blooming lilies, you can have fresh flowers from June through September. These resilient bulbs do not take much care. Each can grow into a large cluster of blooming stems.
Many flowers have "lily" as part of their name (like daylily or peace lily) are not really lilies. Real lilies belong to the genus Lilium. They come from bulbs. Real lilies have rigid stems with thin band-like leaves. Huge, flashy flowers develop at the tip of each stem. These flowers may be trumpet-shaped, bowl shaped, or bell shaped with relaxed petals. They dip down, face outwards, or turn upwards and they come in a variety of colors.
Asiatic and Oriental lilies are the two most popular of lilies. Asiatic lilies are the easiest to grow. They are hardy and do not need staking. Oriental lilies have become well-liked due to the big blooms and heavy fragrance. They can grow well in many places.
When selecting your lilies, think about plant height, season you want blooms, as well as colors you would like to have. Make a point of visiting gardens where plants are shown. It will be easier to decide which lilies are for your garden after seeing them in bloom somewhere else and you can ask questions of the grower. This should be all you should need to make a wise choice in selecting the right lilies for your garden.
Many flowers have "lily" as part of their name (like daylily or peace lily) are not really lilies. Real lilies belong to the genus Lilium. They come from bulbs. Real lilies have rigid stems with thin band-like leaves. Huge, flashy flowers develop at the tip of each stem. These flowers may be trumpet-shaped, bowl shaped, or bell shaped with relaxed petals. They dip down, face outwards, or turn upwards and they come in a variety of colors.
Asiatic and Oriental lilies are the two most popular of lilies. Asiatic lilies are the easiest to grow. They are hardy and do not need staking. Oriental lilies have become well-liked due to the big blooms and heavy fragrance. They can grow well in many places.
When selecting your lilies, think about plant height, season you want blooms, as well as colors you would like to have. Make a point of visiting gardens where plants are shown. It will be easier to decide which lilies are for your garden after seeing them in bloom somewhere else and you can ask questions of the grower. This should be all you should need to make a wise choice in selecting the right lilies for your garden.
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