Alstromeria (Peruvian Lily)Form: Spray
Length of Stem: Long Color: Every color except blue Special Features: Easy to grow in the garden, and long lasting Buying: look for green foliage with 6 to 8 blooms per stem. Do not buy if flowers are still buds, they will not open. Arranging: Use in mixed flower arrangements or by itself in a mass grouping. Remove all the lower leaves when arranging alstro as they will yellow. Dianthus - Standard CarnationForm: Round
Length of Stem: Medium and long Color: Every color except blue Special Feature: Long lasting Buying: Buy with petals that post slightly up rather than down. There should be no white stamens visible in the center of the bloom. Check that the calyx is green and not brown or cracked. Arranging: If your carnation is small and tight, blow on it gently and squeeze the calyx to tease out the petals. It can double the size of your carnation. Cut stems between the nodes so that the stem can drink. For a contemporary look position the blooms together fro a wonderful mass of color, form, and texture. Lilium Asiatic Hybrids
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Antirrhinum (Snap Dragon)Form: Linear
Length of Stem: Medium and long Color: Every color except blue Special Feature: Easy to grow in the garden Buying: Look for straight tips as bent ones will not straighten. Check that the stems are strong. Arranging: Can be used in tall linear contemporary designs or in mixed flower arrangements as the informal linear flower. Gerbera (South African Daisy)Form: Round
Length of Stem: Medium and long Color: Every color except blue Buying: The center of a Gerber can be either black or greenish-yellow. Gerberas are sensitive to bacteria so buy from clean buckets with clean water. Buy Gerber’s that are not crammed together as they are easily damaged. Do not buy if petals are missing or pollen is present in the center. Arranging: Condition gerberas by cutting the stem with a sharp knife and placing the stem in a gerber straw to keep the stem straight. Gerberas are versatile flowers that work in most floral designs. The stems are quite soft, so handle Gerber’s with care. Lilium Oriental Hybrids
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Chrysanthemum - Single headed bloom (Mum)Form: Spray (multiple blossoms on a single stem)
Length of Stem: Medium Color: Every color except blue (dyed blue is available) Special Feature: Long lasting Buying: If you wish to use the blooms individually choose sprays with long secondary stems. Check to see that the center of the bloom is hard and tight. Arranging: Spray mums are attractive and great in vase arrangements where the stems are hidden. Wonderful in pomanders and floral spheres to give a mass of color. Helianthus (Sunflower)Form: Round
Length of Stem: Medium and long Color: Yellow Special Feature: Easy to grow in the garden Buying: Do not buy if the stems are bent and the blooms face downward. Avoid blooms with excessive pollen or missing petals. However sunflower centers minus the petals are often used. Arranging: Sunflowers come in a wide range of sizes. Large heads will be heavy and require a strong vase with a wide base. Arrange with other robust flowers. When the petals fade, remove them and use the centers. Matthiola (Stock)Form: Linear
Length of Stem: Medium Color: Cream, lavender, pink, purple, red, and white Special Feature: Fragrant, easy to grow in the garden Buying: Do not buy if the flowers are shriveled or brown Arranging:Remove most of the leaves as they are fleshy and will take water intended for the flower. Change the water daily as the stems create a huge amount of bacteria which causes the water to smell and become cloudy. Stock looks lovely on its own or mixed with other flowers. |