choosing flowers thoughts FRESH in the garden Every flower is a soul blossoming in Nature.

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1 choosing flowers Every flower is a soul blossoming in Nature. Gerard de Nerval FRESH thoughts Floral Sentiments Flowers have a language all their own. Here are some of our favorite flowers and what they mean. Allium patience Aster daintiness Bells of Ireland good luck Bouvardia enthusiasm Calla lily beauty Carnation yes! Chrysanthemum long life, joy Crocus cheerfulness Daisy innocence Delphinium, lilac, and lily-of-thevalley sweetness Forget-me-not remembrance Forsythia anticipation Gardenia loveliness Iris faith and hope Lavender and hydrangea devotion Violet modesty Choosing flowers is an adventure! Flowers like people have different personalities, shapes, and styles, so pick what appeals to you on any given day or, if your flowers are going to be a gift, pick what suits the lucky recipient. What we love to do and suggest you do, too is simply check out whatever happens to be blooming in the garden at the moment or what s in stock at the local flower shop or farmer s market. If you re looking for something specific and can t seem to locate it right away, you should be able to find what you want through a mail-order resource or online. in the garden If you have a cutting garden, you are lucky indeed! Growing your own flowers gives you complete control over how and when you cut them, plus you have the satisfaction of knowing you ve nurtured them along the way. It s always best to cut flowers early in the morning, just after the dew evaporates, or late in the afternoon when basics 19

2 the sun is just about to set, because hot sun can hasten wilting. Use the sharpest florist s scissors or pruning shears possible. Blunt blades may damage stems. Carrying a bucket of tepid water out to the garden is a good idea, too. As you cut your flowers, you can give them a quick, refreshing drink and they can stay in the bucket until you re ready to work with them. A bucket s the easiest way to carry them inside, too. at the florist If you don t have a garden, there are lots of other places where you can find fresh flowers, such as nurseries, roadside stands, and farmer s markets even grocery stores. You ll probably find the greatest selection at your local flower shops, though, because stocking flowers, after all, is their business. It s great fun to shop around and see what s available. Many florists nowadays go to great lengths to bring you the finest, freshest flowers in season; many import flowers from abroad, too. So, even if you want to bring your mom or best girlfriend a bouquet of tulips in November, don t fret! Check your florist or look online. You ll probably be able to buy or order exactly what she wants. Most florists receive shipments of flowers at least three times a week, if not more. At busy times of year, especially around holidays such as Christmas, Valentine s Day, or Mother s Day, they ll receive packages of fresh flowers every day. When flowers arrive at the shop, they are immediately transferred to buckets of cool water to rehydrate them after their journey. After inspecting every flower for freshness, the florist discards any that look as if they are beginning to deteriorate. To prepare his healthy flowers for sale, the florist starts a process called conditioning. Conditioning strengthens the flower stems so that they will be more receptive to taking up food in the form of floral food or preservative and water. Q uick tips Unless you need a particular variety of flowers for a specific reason, buy what s blooming. The quality is usually better and the price is right! When choosing flowers, look for flowers at their peak firm, succulent, and not discolored along their edges. 20 A YEAR FULL OF FLOWERS

3 To help flowers absorb nutrient-enriched water, the florist slices off the bottom inch of each stem, at a 45-degree angle, under water. This cut exposes more of the pith that lies under the skin of the stem to water than if it were cut straight across. Next, he removes all leaves (and buds) that would lie under the water line in the bucket. Waterlogged leaves rot quickly, which hastens the deterioration of the entire flower. After changing out the old, cool water for fresh, tepid water (plus floral preservative), most flowers are placed in a cooler kept at a more-or-less constant 34 to 38 degrees so that they will not open prematurely. Tropical flowers may be maintained at a slightly warmer 50 degrees or depending upon the species at room temperature. Ideally, the flower shop is fairly cool and humid. timing your blooms No matter where you buy your flowers, you should thoroughly inspect each stem or bunch of flowers you like before making your purchase. Unless you plan on displaying your flowers the same day you buy them or you don t care how long they ll last in your arrangement your flowers should display blooms that have not opened completely. Leaves should look firm and bright and green. Curled or discolored edges are a sure sign that the leaf and flower will not last long. When you are choosing flowers with multiple blossoms, be sure to look for ones that have blooms in various stages of readiness including plump buds that look as if they re just about to pop open. That way, you ll know that your flowers will keep on blooming as long as you want them to. If buds are hard and green, they probably won t open. Quick tip Flowers tend to open at different speeds, so if you are planning a special event such as a graduation party or birthday, you can always call your florist shop ahead of time to be sure the flowers you d like to use in your arrangements will open in time and be at their peak. basics 21

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5 color When choosing flowers, you ll probably be guided by color, then by shape and texture. Color is usually what makes the first impression. Color invites you into an arrangement. Color also sends out emotional cues. Think of the exuberant red of a carnation or birdof-paradise; the cheerful yellows and oranges of sunflowers, marigolds, and gerbera daisies; the tender peaches and pinks of roses and peonies; and the romance of lavenderblue lilac and hydrangea. If you have ever flipped through color chips in a paint store, you know that there are literally thousands of colors you can choose from. Same with flowers! Painters and designers learn about color (and print up color chips) by referring to what s known as a color wheel, which is based, like a rainbow, on six colors red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple and the various tones, tints, and shades that link them. Some colors contrast with each other: red with green, say, or orange with blue, or yellow with purple. Others seem to merge or blend: purple with lavender, orange with salmon, yellow with ivory. The simplest way to remember how color works is to think of colors in families: red with red-orange and orange, for example, or pink-violet-blue, or yellow-to-peach. basics 23

6 FRESH thoughts Color and mood are companions in design. Here are the six basic colors and the moods they inspire. Consider them singly and in combination when you make your choice of flowers. Mixing flowers that connote different feelings is one way to personalize your arrangement and make it fresh and inviting. red intense, stimulating passionate orange fiery, vibrant exuberant yellow radiant, inviting thoughtful green refreshing, pacifying serene blue peaceful, soothing tranquil violet moody, seductive romantic 24 A YEAR FULL OF FLOWERS

7 The most harmonious flower arrangements tend to fall within a narrow range of colors in a single family, but that doesn t mean you have to makes yours in the same way. In nature, anything goes in terms of mixing and blending colors, shapes, and textures. You can put together any flowers in any way that suits you, too. Just remember that nature has an enormous canvas to paint on: the whole world! A flower arrangement may be nature in miniature, but your room is not a microcosm of the whole world. Since color makes such an impact, ask yourself two colorful questions before you go to the florist: One, do you want your flowers to coordinate with the décor of the room (or tabletop) that they are intended for or would you prefer that the colors stand out from their setting? And two, do you want the colors of your flowers to coordinate with each other or do you want them to strike a dramatic contrast, one bloom with the next? To heighten the drama of a display, for instance, a contrasting color may be used to spot and set off the main color family; consider, for example, how a few dark raspberry-red roses spotted throughout a blush-peach-salmon-cream bouquet will pop out and make the bouquet sing. basics 25