I’ve been getting puzzled looks when I explained the use of flower food to my customers who purchased fresh cut flowers from me in this country. Many flower lovers are still unaware on the importance of floral preservative and the role it plays to keep the flowers fresh.

Floral preservative or more commonly known as flower food is essential to your fresh cut flowers. Flower food lengthens flowers’ vase life by providing carbohydrates to the flowers, preventing build-up of bacteria in the water, and altering the pH level of water in the vase.

You can make your own flower food at home if you wish to have a more environmental-friendly alternative or if you do not have access to the commercially available ones.

Here’s a simple recipe:

1 teaspoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of household bleach (preferably eco-friendly bleach)
2 teaspoons of lemon or lime juice
1 quart of lukewarm water

(Source: Rose G. Edinger)

Step 1: Mix all the ingredients together and pour the flower food into a vase.

Step 2: Add your fresh cut flowers into the vase.

Step 3: Change the water in the vase with new flower food every 3 days. Don’t forget to re-cut the flower stems too.

To read more on flower care, please go to Flower Care 101.

Sarracenia (pronounced /ˌsærəˈsiːniə/ or /ˌsærəˈsɛniə/) is a genus comprising 8 to 11 species of North American pitcher plants. The genus belongs to the family Sarraceniaceae, which also contain the closely allied genera Darlingtonia and Heliamphora.

Sarracenia is a genus of carnivorous plants indigenous to the eastern seaboard, Texas, the Great Lakes area and southeastern Canada, with most species occurring only in the south-east United States (only S. purpurea occurs in cold-temperate regions). The plant’s leaves have evolved into a funnel in order to trap insects, digesting their prey with proteases and other enzymes.

The insects are attracted by a nectar-like secretion on the lip of pitchers, as well as a combination of color and scent. Slippery footing at the pitchers’ rim, aided in at least one species by a narcotic drug lacing the nectar, causes insects to fall inside, where they die and are digested by the plant as a nutrient source.

Here are some Sarracenia that is available in store right now.

Sarracenia Farhamii

Sarracenia Farhamii Hybrid

Sarracenia Flava

Sarracenia Leucophylla Hybrid

Sarracenia Stevensii

Also, you can learn all about the Sarracenia genus and how to take care of them here:
http://www.sarracenia.com/faq.html

Marni Printed Canvas Tote

The Perfect Casual Tote!

I love love love the washed-out vintage look of the canvas. The floral prints are timeless and the leather straps look durable enough to endure heavy lugging for those of us who loves to carry lots of stuff in our bags. This darling sure goes well with jeans and a small white T, or bikinis for a beach vacation!

Valentino Rose Vertigo Leather Shopper

The Perfect Valentino Rose!

First off, this picture doesn’t do justice to the beautiful bag. The color of this bag is absolutely gorgeous and I love the ruffled trim roses at the front. The design emulates a blooming rose with flowing petals and the soft, supple leather is definitely to-die-for! Perfect for work – it’s sure to steal some eyes in the office. The best thing is, this rose is going to last longer than three days. Oh how I heart Valentino!

Christian Louboutin Mount Street Bag

The Perfect Satin Evening CLutch!

What I love most about this stunning fuchsia CLutch (yes, pun intended) is the signature shoe-fastening at the top and of course, the overall soft look of the ruffled petals finishing. The material and color are equally drool-worthy. This clutch spells feminine and elegance at the same time. Carry it along with you to any formal evening event or dinner, and I am sure it won’t disappoint!

So what are your fav summer must-have bags?

(EHow) The lovely aroma of flowering plants can awaken the senses, giving a person a true appreciation for nature. Growing your own organic flower garden can bring the beauty of nature to your own back yard, without harmful pesticides. This can be a real treat both for you and the flowers. Pesticides can take a toll on your health and even reduce the life span of your flowers. Toxic chemicals such as mancozeb and chlorothalonil have been labeled as carcinogens. A carcinogen is a substance that is known to cause cancer. Pesticides and herbicides are toxic substances that kill living organisms. The Organic Trade Association has stated that side effects from pesticide exposure range from nausea, asthma, headaches and fatigue, to more serious side effects such as cancer and neurological disorders.

You will need:
Organic seed compost
Flower seeds
Natural predators
Organic sulfur spray
Pruning sheers
Garden tiller

Step 1: Select a spot in your yard where the flowers are likely to get plenty of sun shine.

Step 2: Prepare the soil. Loosen the dirt with a garden tiller. Sprinkle organic seed compost on the dirt.

Step 3: Choose the type of flowers you would like to plant. Buy organic flower seeds at your local nursery or online (see Resources).

Step 4: Soak your seeds. Prior to planting your organic flower seeds, pre-soak the seeds. Soak the seeds in purified water, preferably distilled. Soak the seeds for 15 to 24 hours before planting. This will help the seeds soak up additional moisture.

Step 5: Dig several small holes in the dirt where your seeds will be planted. Plant and cover your seeds in the dirt. Lightly water the seeds.

Step 6: Wait for your flowers to grow. Water your flowers early in the morning on a daily basis.

Step 7: Keep up with pruning. Mildew and black spots can show up on flowers without warning. If the problem is not taken care of right away the disease will spread to other flowers. Prune any diseased flowers and spray all the flowers with organic sulfur spray (see Resources). Spray the flower itself, and the leaves.

Step 8: Allow natural predators in your garden. For an organic garden to flourish, the garden must have beneficial insects, such as lady bugs, praying mantis, ambush bugs, spiders and lacewings. Include plenty of these friendly little critters. Lady bugs can be purchased at many garden centers or online (see Resources).

Tips and Warnings
City water typically contains high levels of chlorine and other chemicals. If you want to give your flowers only the best, invest in a water filtration system that also filters the water outdoors. Or, buy a simple charcoal chlorine filter at your local home improvement store.

Resources
1. Buy organic sulfur spray at Extremely Green.
2. Purchase organic flower seeds at Seeds of Change.
3. Buy live lady bugs at Gardening Zone.

Are Cut Flowers Bad for the Environment?
by S.E. Smith

…Most cut flowers are grown in South America, Africa, and Southeast Asia in large greenhouse environments staffed by underpaid, non-unionized workers. The greenhouses are carefully climate controlled to yield the best cut flowers, and they are also heavily sprayed with pesticides, fungicides, and herbicides. Because cut flowers are grown in nations with more lax environmental laws, many banned substances including DDT and methyl-bromide are used in flower production. These substances have a profound impact on the health of the workers: many suffer from health problems such as skin conditions, respiratory problems, impaired vision, and birth defects thanks to their exposure to these chemicals…

Continue reading here…

The second article spells out in detail the growing demand of cut flowers in the United Kingdom and its implications on our earth, especially the pollution of CO2 and the working environment of the workers in flower farms. Read on and you will find that your beautiful imported flowers might not have a very beautiful story after all.

Is it OK to Buy Cut Flowers?
by Leo Hickman

…In fact, the true extent of the trade’s environmental impact was only recently recognised officially. Figures released by Defra last November following parliamentary questions from Liberal Democrat environment spokesperson Norman Baker showed that almost 17,000 tonnes of flowers – worth £46.1m – were imported more than 4,000 miles from Kenya in 2004. Roses accounted for almost 5,000 tonnes of the imports. Overall, this signified a 83% increase in air-freighted flowers from Kenya in just four years. Baker has since calculated that this trade from Kenya leads to 33,000 tonnes of carbon dioxide emissions a year – meaning that the transit of each flower creates far more than its own weight in CO2 pollution…

Continue reading here…

*****

Organic roses say “I Love You” not pesticides

via GreenYour

Nearly 80% of cut flowers sold in the US are imported from Ecuador and Colombia, due largely to the elimination of import taxes on South American flowers. An unintended byproduct of the off-shoring of the flower industry has been an increase in the chemicals coming into the US on the flowers. All flowers that enter the United States are closely inspected for pests and diseases but not chemicals.

One-fifth of the chemicals used in flower production in South America — such as DDT and methyl-bromide — are restricted or banned in the United States and Europe but products contaminated with these chemicals ARE allowed in. Environmental laws in South America are either lax or not enforced and the consequences are frightening; according to a survey of workers on flower plantations near Bogotá, the workers were exposed to 127 different pesticides, 3 of which are considered extremely toxic.

So this Valentine’s day, say “I love you”, not only to your sweetheart but to the thousands of workers in the flower industry who will continue to be affected until consumers speak out with their wallets and embrace organic.

*****

So, whenever you want to buy flowers for that special someone, think GREEN! Well, most importantly, it won’t cost you a bomb to go green. The above is a beautiful organic bouquet consisted of pink hydrangeas and tropical gingers which I’ve just arranged. Have a great and green weekend!

Freshly cut hydrangeas from your local flower shop are prone to wilting very quickly once it is taken out from the florist’s cooler.

Here’s a guide that I have experimented that can help you lengthen the vase life of a freshly cut hydrangeas.

You will need:
A hydrangea (duh!)
A bucket of cold water
A floral shear or knife
A sewing needle
2 packet of flower food
Your favorite vase

Step 1: Upon arriving your house from the flower shop, prepare a bucket of cold water. You can add ice cubes in the water if your tap water is warm. (Remember: Hydrangeas love cold weather)

Step 2: Open a packet of flower food and pour the flower food into the bucket of cold water.

Step 3: Unwrap hydrangea from its wrapping paper. Some florists will attach a mini water pod at the bottom of the hydrangea’s stem to ensure its freshness. You can remove this water pod by cutting the stem using a knife or floral shear at a 45 degree angle.

Step 4: Hydrangea has woody stem, thus, its water absorption ability is poor compared to other fresh flowers. To counter this problem, use a tiny sewing needle to pierce a few strategic holes into the hydrangea’s stem. This is to ensure that the flowers will able to absorb water at a faster rate and keep the hydrangea’s blooms hydrated at all times.

Step 5: Place the hydrangea into the bucket of ice-cold water. The water level in the bucket should cover the whole length of the hydrangea’s stem. Soak the hydrangea’s stem for 4-6 hours or preferably overnight prior to using the flowers.

Step 6: Fill your favorite vase with clean water (preferably cold) and flower food.

Step 7: Arrange the pre-conditioned hydrangeas in your favorite vase and enjoy the blooms.

Step 8: Cut the hydrangea’s stem every 2-3 days to ensure that the bottom of the stem is not blocked by any naturally occurring substance or air. These substances will prevent water from reaching the blooms.

Also, a general rule of thumb in lengthening the life of cut flowers is never to expose them under direct sunlight and avoid blowing them directly with a fan.

Here’s a benchmark: A properly cared-for and pre-conditioned hydrangea can lasts up to 7-12 days at normal room temperature here in Malaysia.

The picture above shows a full bloom Casablanca Lily with its stamen intact. As you can see, all the stamens have already been pollinated. These pollens, if not removed, will stain the lily petals, your table tops, hands, or clothings. Thus, it is essential for you to remove all the stamens once the lily bud begins to bloom.

The best time to remove the stamens from the lily is when the lily bud is half-bloomed and the stamens are yet to be pollinated. You can easily pull off the stamens with your fingers. However, you would need a scissors to remove the pollinated stamens if the lily has fully bloomed (like the one in the picture).

This picture is solely for illustration purpose only. Please use a pair of scissors if you do not want to get nasty pollen stains on your hand or your surroundings. =)

A “cleaned” Casablanca Lily. (Notice there’s some pollen stains on the lily petals?)

Some lilies can have more than one bud on each stem. The timing and blooming process for each bud in a stem varies. One flower may wither earlier before the other buds have bloomed. If this is the case, simply cut the wilted flower off and allow the other buds to bloom.

Many of my customers dislike guard petals and thought that roses with guard petals aren’t fresh. For the past 2 decades, I have received numerous complaints from our customers accusing us of selling wilting roses whenever they encountered these suspicious-looking guard petals around the roses.

Even today, many still doubt the freshness of a rose if it has guard petals on it. Now, it’s time for me to share with you the truth behind these guard petals.

All roses that grow from this planet come with guard petals, no exception. These are the outer layer petals that need to be removed from the roses prior to “using” them. The role of guard petal is to protect the rose buds from bruising during the entire harvesting process at the rose farms to handling of the roses at your local florists. Thus, it is essential for these guard petals to stay intact to ensure that the roses get all the protection it needs.

Guard petals often appeared charred and wrinkled at most edges of the petals, especially for red roses. Depending on the colors, most roses are normally accompanied by charred and wrinkled dark brown, black, or green guard petals.

1. A red rose with guard petals intact.

2. Removing the guard petals

3. Ready to use rose with all guard petals removed. (Notice the contrasting white tip from the removed guard petal? That is also a sign of freshness.)

One more useful tip on these guard petals: You can actually determine the freshness of a rose just by peeling off a guard petal.

If the rose is fresh, you’ll be able to peel off the petal easily and it (the peeling) comes with a crisp sound. A not-so-fresh rose would have guard petals that appear to be crumpled and softened. When you try to peel it off, the peeling won’t produce any cracking sound at all.

That being said, you might want to practice some TLC while peeling off the guard petals less you accidentally peel off the real petals of a blooming rose.

Photo by Natasha Milne

Step 1: Fill the vase with cool tap water, says Emily Weaver, owner of New York City floral design studio Chestnuts in the Tuileries. (Warm water can force unopened buds to bloom too quickly.)

Step 2: Measure the flower against the height of the vase and decide where to snip.

Step 3: Lay stems on a cutting board and, with a kitchen knife, cut on an angle, which exposes the stem to more water. If you prefer, use floral shears instead of a knife.

Step 4: Bind the flowers with a clear-colored elastic and trim any too-long stems. Finally, place the flowers in the vase.

Do take some pictures of your flowers and send them to me once you’ve tried the steps above. Let me know how it works for you. Have fun arranging your blooms and have a great weekend!