Flowers of the world - Lavandula (lavender)
Characteristics: This shrubby herb, a favorite in herb and perennial gardens, has decorative silver-gray foliage and fragrant lavender flowers that bloom from July through August. Lavender forms dwarf-flowering hedges and is attractive lining a walk or edging a perennial garden, and is also a common selection in Ultimo flower delivery. The fragrant flowers and foliage are the mainstay of sachets and potpourri and are equally at home in dried or fresh arrangements. Native to the Mediterranean, lavender has naturalized in the southern United States. There are some 28 different species. The most popular varieties are Lavandula angustifolia, found in every old-fashioned herb garden, with tiny clusters of blue to purple flowers; fringed lavender (L. dentata), with green, fernlike foliage and blue flowers; English lavender (L. officinalis), with needlelike silvery-gray foliage and deep purple or white flowers. Hardy in most climate zones, munstead dwarf (L. munstead 'Hidcote') grows to a height of 18 inches and has silvery foliage and lavender flowers almost the whole summer.
Growing Orchids
Many people who try to grow terrestrial orchids attempt to grow them in potting soil, which as previously discussed is going to make things very difficult for the plant.. The saprophytic orchid has underground roots just as the terrestrial orchid does. Some species of saprophytic orchids grow completely underground and never come above the soil line. If you can understand how to grow other plants inside the home, then you can understand how to grow orchids without too much bother.
So the next time you're considering ordering a flower delivery from your Hastings florist, the beautiful orchid could well be the best flower for you to choose.
Suitable flowers for all-round arrangement
To achieve the type of shape necessary for this design, a spike-shaped flower or foliage is ideal. The astilbe flower and foliage has been used well to form the outline shape. Other suitable flowers would be aconitums, campanulas, wax flowers, crocosmias, small or large gladioli or deiphiniurns, combined with ruscus, leatherleaf or eucalyptus foliage.
Once an outline has been established, a main line of more dominant flowers is taken through the centre of the design. Flowers suitable for this would include roses, carnations, gerberas, lilies and chrysanthemum blooms. The design is then completed using filler flowers, such as freesias, alstroemerias, and spray carnations, using the essential design principles to give the arrangement a pleasing shape. These include balance, harmony, scale, proportion and texture and each will be integral to any flower delivery Bradbury you design.
Quick drying of flowers
Remember that it is by drying quickly that you will get the best results. If drying in a shed or garage, watch the seed heads carefully because if they dehydrate very rapidly they shrivel and tend to slip out of the strings holding them together. Place bundles well apart so they get as much air as possible circulating round them.
Light materials like grasses take about a week or so to dry, and heavier stems of, say, seed heads of hollyhocks, sedum, cardoons and lupins, take about three weeks. You can get these within a flower delivery Hornchurch if you don't have the time to do it yourself. When dry these can be cut down and stored in boxes in a dry place. Always keep a lid on the box to exclude light, as they fade very quickly.
The more precious seed and flower heads, like statice and acrolinium, I tie in small bunches and dry them over the boiler in the kitchen. They dry very quickly like this and are not in the way too long!
Flower Power
Throughout history flowers have played an important role in famous love affairs, unforgettable fashion trends, and even in international relations. Never underestimate the impact of flowers or their place in history. For example, you will enjoy finding out about how tulips became the centre of a frenzied fever of investment that swept across Europe in the mid 17th century. More recently, flower power swept the world as part of the hippy movement of the 1970s. Flower songs, floral kaftans and even VW vans took up the theme as flowers became a symbol of the peace movement during this era. Spike Island florists everywhere will often convey tales of the real power of flowers, which is of course their ability to melt a girl's heart.
Unusual flowers - Daucus carota (Queen Anne's lace)
Characteristics: Queen Anne's lace has lovely lacy, creamy white flowers that bloom in late summer. It grows alongside roads and in meadows where it has naturalized. In fact, in many areas it is illegal for Droitwich florists to sell the seed because it has escaped from gardens and is now so prolific that it crowds out many native flowers. It is perfect for both fresh and dried arrangements and is easily air-dried.
Cultural Information: Queen Anne's lace, which is usually found growing in sunny, open areas, has few requirements. It does not require fertile soil, but does best in soil that is well drained. It will self-sow vigorously if flower heads are allowed to go to seed.
Harvesting/Drying: Collect the flower heads when they have just opened, before they begin to curl and turn an off-white color. The flowers can be air-dried by putting the stems through a wire rack. With this method the flower heads tend to shrink up and curl a bit. The best way to preserve the flowers is to place the heads face up in a box and surround and cover them with desiccant. For another interesting look, allow some of the flower heads to mature on the stems. They will curl up and form lacy balls.
Perennial Defined
A perennial, in the broadest horticultural definition, is any plant that lives for three or more years. As often is the case, the flowers delivered Cardiff Bay from the ground grow to be both beautiful flowers and lowly weeds. The definition covers a lot of ground, embracing both dandelions and giant redwoods and thousands of species in between. But when gardeners talk about perennials, they almost always mean flowering garden plants with stems that are herbaceous, i.e., fleshy rather than woody, and that usually die down to the soil’s surface before winter, while the roots remain alive and ready to send up new growth the next season. (Technically, bulbous plants such as tulips and daffodils are perennials, but they generally are classified separately because of their method of storing food for next year’s growth.)
Christian Lily
The lily is closely intertwined with Christian history. Lilies grew in the Holy Land and carvings of them adorned the Temple in Jerusalem. (The "lilies of the field" that Christ described as surpassing Solomon in all his glory may have been lilies, but modern researchers believe it more likely that they were anemones.) For centuries the white lily was used by painters to symbolize the purity of the Virgin Mary. It was also used to make ointments and salves for medicinal and cosmetic purposes. As late as the 19th Century, fading European beauties were following a prescription of Dioscorides (41-68 A.D.), a Greek who served as a Roman army doctor and wrote a book about plants and flowers Orrell Park. Lilies, said Dioscorides, "being beaten small with honey . . . clear faces and make them without wrinkles." Another of his prescriptions, for a face oil, was more difficult to concoct: it required 3,000 lilies to prepare a single batch of the lotion, not to mention days of mincing, boiling and straining before the precious liquid was ready.
Harvesting/Drying Roses
Your success with drying roses depends on the methods of drying and the colors of the roses. Hang drying works quite well with most roses; rosebuds, for example, air-dry very well. However, mature roses hold their shape and color best when dried quickly using a silica gel. Red and dark pink roses will dry close to their natural color. Yellow, pale pink and white roses tend to turn a beige color at the base of their flowers Fritch when air-dried. White roses also take on an antique cream color after drying. The faster the drying time, the better the natural color will be retained. The time of harvest depends on the effect you wish to achieve. If you want to dry roses in full flower, pick them in late morning after the dew has dried and before the heat of midday. If rosebuds are your choice, harvest then in late morning after dew is dry and before they begin to open from the warmth of the sun. To air-dry buds, simply cut the stems at the desired length and hang them upside down in your drying room.
Need more?
This information is brought to you by the Flower Baron. Another great resource for flower and florist information is Florist Facts.
