Florist News

Drying by hanging or air drying
The following method is used for all seed heads and some flower spikes such as delphiniums, which dry very well this way.
Wait until the flower head is open right up the stem and then cut it. All the leaves should be removed from the stems as soon as they are picked. This is important for two reasons. It is a good idea to assist dehydration as much as possible because leaves left on the stem retain the moisture in the stem and so prolong the drying period. And secondly, it is much easier to remove the leaves from the stem before they become dry and brittle. There is a risk, when removing them after drying, of breaking the stem. Place in deep water overnight.
It is important to have ready a dry, airy place for quick drying, as stems don’t take long to mildew. Hang the seed heads in bunches tied together with string or elastic bands and make the bunches small to avoid overcrowding. In fact, I really prefer to tie each stem individually, as this gives a perfect specimen. If the flowers Currambine are bunched too closely together one head can get caught in another and as you pull these apart when they are dry they tend to get damaged. Heads of yellow achillea damage very easily, and if the heads are all tied tightly together the stem of one flower presses into the flower head of another leaving a nasty hole when it finally dries, and this ruins the finished specimen. I usually stand them in a flower vase so that the heads remain apart while drying.

Flower Arranging
The beauty of flowers has inspired man for generations. In recent years, the importance of flowers in our lives has become an accepted fact and the art of flower arranging has a new status. The varied selection of arrangements shown here demonstrates the designs which are in most popular demand.
It is only possible to achieve perfect results in arranging and sending out flower designs when the groundwork has been laid with much work and skill. The arts of growing, cutting and grading, packaging and dispatching, have all been modernized in recent years, but the ability to perceive the shapes, colours and textures of nature is as important as ever.
The skill of the florist is to combine an understanding of conditioning and caring for the plant material with an artist’s flair for display, as well as to have the ability to discuss and then interpret what the customer wants, based on a knowledge of the colours and qualities of the flowers available. No one wants to see a poorly designed flower delivery Alexandra turn up at their door.

Humidity helps flowers
An increase in the relative humidity around cut materials (flowers and foliage) is beneficial to most flowers, and to some it is very important. If the water loss through petals and foliage exceeds the rate at which water is taken up through the stem, then the cut material will wilt. Many cut materials are wrapped in cellophane sleeves in order to reduce this transpiration. Regularly spraying materials with water will also help to reduce the water loss, particularly if the atmosphere is warm and dry, or if there is a constant draught of air, from a doorway, perhaps, or from air conditioning.
Mimosa and tropical flowers will benefit from regular misting, as will cut foliages, such as Codiaem (Joseph’s coat), Nephrolepis (sword fern), and — though its name may suggest otherwise — leatherleaf, which is a type of shield fern.
High humidity is also advantageous to flowers Coventry that have a much greater petal surface than stem surface, such as hydrangeas, roses, and many other summer flowers. Transpiration can be further diminished by removing some of the foliage, ensuring that water will reach the flower head rather than superfluous leaves.

Drying tips
Choose materials that are dry; flowers should not be fully open, because they will open out a little as they dry. Be experimental, and try out as many flowers and foliage types as possible. Put the materials into medium-to-small bunches, as these will dry faster than large bunches. To hold bunches together, use elastic bands rather than twine, as the former will automatically tighten as the stems lose their moisture. This will prevent dry flower stems falling out of the bunches and onto the floor.
If the flowers are hung upside down, they will not droop when dried, and will keep their general shape. Drying times depend on conditions in the shop and the size of the flowers, but anything from two to four weeks is normal.
Petals and foliage from unsuccessful experiments are not entirely lost, and can be added to pot pourri mixtures.
The final stage in air drying is to treat materials with a fire retardant. Several of these are available to florists Ladybarn in aerosol form. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for maximum effect.

Basic flower arranging equipment
Pin holders
These are available in many shapes and sizes with metal or plastic spikes to hold the flower stems. They are valuable for shallow containers and for flowers with thick stems. You will probably find that you will generally use a pin holder in combination with a little wire netting. This provides weight and support for any thin-stemmed flowers in an arrangement.
Keep pin holders dry when not in use. Split thick, woody material before trying to secure it, to avoid bending the pins.
There are also small four-pronged plastic spikes available which can be used to anchor florist’s foam to the base of containers with modeling clay.
Sand and moss
Sand can be used to set posies of flowers in small containers. It is heavy and inclined to scratch the surface of china, souse it with care. Moss is an excellent medium. Use it to cover areas of soil in a planted dish or to hide an expanse of netting when arranging early spring flowers in a basket. Always soak moss in water overnight before use and include some with your next flower delivery Warner Center to ensure you always have enough at hand when needed.

Achimenes
From spring through fall, achimenes bear masses of colorful 1- to 2 ½-inch-wide blossoms, often with handsome veining in their throats. They are extremely delicate, so be sure to package them properly if you choose to send flowers Jenny Lind to someone. Achimenes are usually grown in containers because they require warm temperatures throughout their growing season. They are widely grown in greenhouses and as indoor pot plants and are also suited for outdoor pot culture on shaded porches or patios when night temperatures remain above 60°. Their slender stems, which may trail up to 18 inches, make them especially attractive in hanging baskets.
Among the many choices is an excellent yellow variety of the species A. heterophylla called Yellow Mist. Most of the plants cultivated today, however, are hybrids; the best include Adelaide (pastel blue); Charm (deep pink); Master Ingram, also called Cardinal Velvet (deep red with a yellow throat); Purple King (deep purple); and Sparkle (a bright rose-pink dwarf variety).

Extending the Bloom
The flower of a spring bulb seldom lasts more than about two weeks, but if you use a little ingenuity in planning the beds you can keep bright blooms coming week after week for a couple of months. The most obvious technique for extending bloom involves the use of sev­eral different varieties, some that bloom early, some that bloom in midseason and some that bloom late. Among tulips, for example, the species tulips and early tulips will blossom in mid- to late April, the triumph and Mendel varieties in late April and early May, cottage and Darwin tulips in mid- to late May. Daffodils are equally accommodating, offering a selection of varieties that will come up and flower in succession over a period of six weeks or more. This variation is blossoming times makes it possible to have flowers delivered Brighton-le-sands at almost any time in the spring.
Even bulbs of a single variety can be made to provide flowers over a longer-than-usual period if you use a few tricks in planting. Location affects blossoming time. In light, sandy soil bulbs will come up sooner than in heavy clay. And the sunniest spots produce the earliest flowers, the shadiest places the latest ones. I have planted two beds of crocuses of the same kind, one in the sun and another on the north side of an evergreen hedge. The bulbs near the hedge produce blossoms just as large and lovely as their fellows, but they bloom three weeks later, which is what I intended.

Packing Wedding Flowers
As the time for the wedding draws near, the bride’s home will be full to overflowing with relatives, friends and perhaps neighbours, and the florist can be sure of some appreciative oohs and ahhs when the flowers are delivered, especially if they have been specially packaged.
When you have taken so much care with the preparation and designing of the wedding flowers, it is worth paying some attention to the presentation of the designs.
Packaging practicalities
In addition to its impact value, packaging has other positive and practical advantages for the florist, not to mention assisting in ensuring the flower delivery Maindy is undamaged. The tissue paper should be printed with your business name, so that everyone can see where the flowers were designed, with your business address and telephone number, for ease of contact.
Quite apart from the advertizing value of the packaging, the enclosing cellophane will protect the flowers from extremes of temperature while they are being transported to the bride’s home, and will help to create the moist microclimate that is essential if the flowers are to remain in tiptop condition until they are needed. Good packaging is inexpensive in both cost and time, and its benefits are more than just oohs and ahhs.

Proportion in your flower design
As with the other design principles, an understanding of proportion will help a florist when designing a corsage, arrangement, bouquet or sympathy tribute. Whenever there are flowers delivered Bronx River anywhere in the world, the proportion of the design is paramount.
In floristry terms, proportion is the amount or quantity of flower and foliage materials used in a design. The correct proportions of materials can be seen in the wedding bouquet in the main picture. In the design below, there are too many dendrobium orchids in the tail of the design in proportion to the quantity of flowers in the body of the bouquet.

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