Mother’s Day

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“A Mother’s love for her child is like nothing else in the world.  It knows no law, no pity, it dares all things, and crushes down remorselessly all that stand on its path.”

Agatha Christie

Treat Mom to a lovely teapot and teacup keepsake floral arrangement on Mother’s Day.  Pink Cymbidium orchids,  pink regular Roses,  pink Spray Roses ,  Viburnum Snowballs and Green coffee bean flowers along with button Ferns are arranged in the pot and cup filled with water.  It has been decorated with small dry branches,  miniature mushroom birds and peach ribbon.

Design by: Araxsession

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Spring is Here

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Easter

Beautiful Daffodils, fragrant Jasmines, miniature button ferns and String of Pearls plant strands are arranged in a shallow conical glass vase.  I enjoyed creating it for my dinner table to welcome Spring and Easter.

Design by: Araxsession

Love Is In The Air

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“Love is the answer, and you know that for sure; love is a flower, you’ve got to let it grow”. -John Lennon

Another Valentine’s day inspired centerpiece. Simple and elegant.

  • Glass vase
  • Bear grass
  • Cymbidium orchids
  • Silver spray roses
  • White Ginestra

Design By: Araxsession

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Saint Valentine’s Day

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“There is only one happiness in this life, to love and be loved.”- George Sand

Valentine’s day is one of my favorite Holidays.  I always decorate my home with all kinds of floral arrangements.

Here is one of my creations inspired by love.

  • Heart shape iron hanging lantern
  • Red and pink Spray roses
  • Wax flowers
  • Heather
  • succulents

Valentine's day

Design by:  Araxsession

Cut Flower Care

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The longevity of cut flowers in a vase depends on how you care for them.

Bacteria kill flowers faster than anything else.  For your arrangements always use clean containers and change the water regularly to help the flowers last longer.  Fill the vase with water at room temperature.  Add the floral preservative that is provided with the bouquet; this will prevent the bacteria from clogging the stems and deliver nutrition to the flower heads, boosting their freshness and vibrancy in the arrangement.

Before giving the stems a fresh cut (if bought at the market) remove their damaged foliage as well as those that will end up below the waterline in the container.  Foliage in water rots and encourages bacteria growth and stem blockage

Next remove damaged and bruised petals where needed on the flower heads. For example, IMG_8887remove the outer few petals of roses if they look damaged or bruised. This will give them a fresh healthy look, help them open up quicker, and last longer.

There are three main types of stems: Green stems, Woody stems, and Hollow stems.

Green stems are slender, green, and bend easily and should be cut in water in a sink or a bowl, with a sharp knife or scissors at a 45 degree angle to prevent air getting into them. Otherwise a blockage occurs and the stem water uptake becomes inhibited.  Usually one or two inches are cut off; however this amount varies according to the flower variety and the stem length.

DSCN4081Woody stems are stiff and resistant.  Follow the above steps, however, after you make the new cut, take the stalks out of the water one by one and smash the ends with a hammer or cut a slit into the sides with a knife. This slit should be no longer than one third of the stem length to enable a free flow of water and nutrients up the stalk.

Hollow stem flowers such as Shasta Daisies, Dahlias, Poppies, Poinsettias and so on require more attention.  When you give these stalks a fresh cut, a white substance leaks out at the spot. This white fluid is a nutrient that the flower needs or it will die.  You will have to seal the stem ends with flame (match or candle) immediately.  This will help the flower to contain the nutrient inside.  After that, place the flowers in water at room temperature.IMG_8889

For daily maintenance, make sure to check the preservative solution level in the container.  Replenish as needed.  Remove any damaged or dead flower or foliage.  Cut an inch off the stalks every 4 to 5 days to maintain their water upkeep.

Enjoy grooming and caring for your flowers and keep in mind that they love it and definitely appreciate it!

Hyacinth

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March 7th is the World Hyacinth Day.

Hyacinths are  highly fragrant bulb plants that bloom from March to April.  They are native to the eastern Mediterranean region, eastern Iran, and Turkey.  In the Victorian language of flowers, the Hyacinth symbolizes sport; the blue Hyacinth signifies sincerity.

The common hyacinth is Hyacinthus Orientalis of the family Liliaceae.  The plant produces a dense, compact spike of bell-shaped waxy flowers, 6-12 inches tall in shades of white, peach, orange, salmon, yellow, pink, red, purple, lavender, and blue in a bundle of narrow bright green leaves.

PlantingHyacinth-DeftBlue

Plant hyacinth bulbs in Fall when soil temperature is below 60 degrees Fahrenheit.  Select a site with full sun to light shade and well-drained soil.  Loosen the soil to a depth of 12 to 15 inches and mix in a 2 to 4 inch layer of compost to prepare the garden bed for planting.

Set the bulbs in holes of 6 to 8 inches deep holes, point the tips upwards, 4 to 6 inches apart; cover the bulbs with soil pressing firmly; water them thoroughly.   Harvest when the first florets just begin to show color, or earlier.  After they blossom in Spring, allow the plants to grow until their leaves die off.  After blooming they need time to store energy in the bulbs for the next year. After it stops producing flowers at the end of flowering season, to remove the dead plant, either snip it off at the base or twist the leaves while pulling it lightly.

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Nowadays, fresh-cut Hyacinths are sold complete  with roots intact to make the flowers last longer. Don’t cut these off, but just give them a good rinse. Use a clean vase and filling it with clean lukewarm water mixed with a floral preservative solution; follow the instructions provided. After removing any damaged flowers,  arrange your bouquet in the vase so that it is displayed  attractively in the house.

Hyacinth flowers should be kept in a cool place and out of direct sunlight. Check the water level frequently and top up the vase with lukewarm water, which promotes good liquid uptake. Remove regularly  damaged and dying flowers. This helps the flowers last longer. Every four days cut off about one inch (2.5cm) of the stems in an angle and change the water at the same time. If taken good care Hyacinth flowers last seven days and possibly slightly longer.

 

 

 

Stephanotis

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Stephanotis

The name of this sweet smelling flower, Stephanotis, comes from the Greek and it means: crown, diadem, wreath.  Clusters of small white flowers with five pointed petals grace the climbing evergreen plant and conjure up the stars in the Pleiades.  As such they are ideal to be worn in the hair like a diadem.
The common name of Stephanotis is Madagascar Jasmine. Thanks to one Monsieur Petit-Thouars, a renowned French botanist and aristocrat, who in the early 19th century introduced it into Europe when he returned from his exile on the isles of Madagascar and Mauritius.
These delicate flowers are also wonderful additions to wedding posies including corsage and boutonniere.
When I still had my flower shop, I remember I loved to work with Stephanotis for wedding orders, particularly for bridal bouquets, as I admired their beauty, elegance, and intoxicating fragrance. 
I couldn’t resist purchasing the plant when I first discovered about it in one of my local nurseries ten years ago. It was like finding a treasure.  I planted it in a pot and placed it in my atrium where there is more shade and not too much sun.  Stephanotis - poted
 
In my part of Southern California, we don’t get much rain or humidity, necessary conditions for growing Stephanotis; however, the winters are mild and perfect for their growth.  I have repotted my Stephanotis only once during the past ten years.  I trim the branches once a year during winter when the plant is dormant.
 
Today my Stephanotis bush is three times its initial size when I first bought it. It blooms from late June to mid-September.  It gives me a world of pleasure as I watch it bloom in clusters and enjoy its lingering delightful fragrance in my atrium and inside my house. It even produces the egg shape fruits filled with fuzzy seeds.  My plant is easy going and does not require much caring for.  Most people are not as lucky as I am when it comes to cultivating this demanding plant. I think my Stephanotis knows that I adore it: it was love at first sight for both of us!

 

 

Tulips

Pink Tulips

How appropriate for the wine glass to be called tulip glass…

When next time you drink wine in a tulip  glass remember its poetic associations with the flower.

For centuries tulips have been praised by the mystic poets of the East like Omar Khayyam and Hafiz, in association with red wine and roseate cheeks of a beloved, as in this couplet:

When in the east of the cup, the sun of wine comes up,

In the garden of the wine-bearer’s cheek, a thousand tulips open up.

If a disobedient bouquet of cut tulips in a vase disappoint you with their moody behavior, look at the arrangement again but this time differently. Tulips ask you to see grace not logic in them and there is a certain beauty in their hourly shifting whim.