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If you are picking
your own flowers it is best to do this in the
morning or the late evening. Sugar reserves in
the stems are at their highest in the mornings
or evenings. Ideally the best time is early
morning when flower stems are filled with water
after the cool night air. You should never pick
flowers in the middle of the day when the sun is
at it's hottest.
The heat of the sun lowers the water content in
the stems and the flowers will not last nearly
as long. If it has been raining and the flowers
are wet, shake them gently to remove the excess
water. Too much water will often damage flowers
- especially delicately petalled flowers.
When to Pick Flowers
Most flowers should be picked when they are in
bud or half open. You will then have the
pleasure of seeing them slowly open up. The
colour of the petals should be starting to show.
If picked too tightly in bud, they may never
open. This is especially true of tulips and
roses. The green pointed sepals around the base
of the rose should be starting to turn
downwards. Irises and daffodils should be half
opened. Gladioli should be picked when the
bottom three or four florets are open and the
top florets are still in bud. Carnations,
dahlias, marigolds, hydrangeas, camellias,
gerberas and chrysanthemums should be picked
when they are fully opened.
Fill a plastic bucket a third to half way with
warm water. Warm water should be used as flowers
take up warm water more readily than cold. Its
preferable to add preservative to the water.
(The use of preservatives is fully explained
further on). Flowers only drink through the ends
of the stems and not through the sides of the
stems, and for this reason buckets should not be
filled right up to the top with water, as
foliage left on stems below the water line will
rot and pollute the water. This will cause
bacteria and the flowers will die more quickly.
The foliage of marigolds, chrysanthemums, stock
and daisies send off a particularly strong odour
when left standing under water over a period of
time.
Take the bucket of water into the garden with
you. Use a sharp pair of secateurs and cut the
flower stems on an angle - a slanted cut allows
a better intake of water. Remove all foliage
from the lower portion of the stems which would
stand under the water line. Place the flowers
immediately in the water.
Never overcrowd flowers. Allow enough air to
circulate between each flower. Too many flowers
crowded together in a bucket may cause the
petals to become squashed and bruised. Place the
bucket in a cool dark place and allow the
flowers to have a long drink before being
arranged. When picking short-stemmed flowers,
use a smaller container.
Conditioning Flowers and Foliage
Allow flowers to have a good drink for four to
five hours, preferably overnight before
arranging. This step is called conditioning. It
allows the stems to fill up with water and the
flowers will become crisp. These flowers will
last twice as long as those that have not been
conditioned properly.
Bought Flowers
Bought flowers should be placed in warm water as
soon as possible. Remove the wrapping paper, as
paper can bruise the flowers and cellophane can
cause them to sweat. When cut flowers have been
left out of water for any length of time, cells
start to form over the cut ends of the stems,
which will prevent the stems taking up water
readily. To remove this sealed portion, snip off
about 2.5cm (1") from the stem ends and then
place in water preferably with preservative
added, and allow the flowers to have a long
drink before arranging.
You may be given flowers when you are away from
home. It may well be several hours before you
are able to place them in water. The best way to
keep flowers fresh is to place them in a strong
plastic bag with some water in the bottom.
Secure the bag with a rubber band. Another
method is to wrap flowers in damp newspaper. If
travelling by car, place the flowers in the
coolest spot. As soon as you get home, recut the
ends of the stems, place them in water and allow
them to condition overnight before arranging.
Preservatives
A flower preservative helps destroy bacteria in
the water. Flower preservatives are available in
garden centres or supermarkets. Another
alternative is to use a capful of household
bleach in the water. If a preservative is not
used, the water needs to be changed and the
stems cut on an angle daily. If a preservative
is used, the stems do not require recutting and
water needs changing only about twice a week.
Flowers like freesias, spray carnations and
liliums have lots of buds. By using a
preservative in the water, it helps develop the
buds to open.
Special Treatment
Special treatment should be given to certain
flowers to give them the longest life possible.
Flowers with woody stems do not take up water
readily. Woody-stemmed flowers include lilac,
hydrangea, and rhododendrons. To help break down
the thick fibres, you can split the ends of the
stems upwards for about 5 cm. (2") After this
treatment, place the stems in a container filled
with warm water and give the flowers a long
drink before arranging.
Flowers with Milky Stems
Poppies, poinsettias and dahlias have a milky
liquid flowing through their stems. To seal this
liquid in and make the flowers last, the ends of
the stems should be held over a flame like a
candle, gas jet or cigarette lighter. Hold the
end of the stem over the flame for about thirty
seconds until the end of the stem turns black.
The flowers should be held on an angle to
protect the delicate petals. Another method is
to dip the stems in boiling water for about
thirty seconds. Hold the flower heads away on an
angle and protect the petals from steam by
holding newspaper around the flowers. Place
stems immediately in warm water and give flowers
a long drink before arranging. If stems need to
be recut later on when arranging flowers, you
will need to repeat the above steps. To avoid
this you could cut the stems to different
lengths before sealing the ends of the stems.
Bulb Flowers
Certain flowers grow from a bulb. These include
tulips, daffodils, jonquils, narcissus, irises
and hyacinths. These flowers often have a white
portion at the ends of the stems. Cut this white
portion off before conditioning as only the
green part of the stem can take up water.
Daffodils, jonquils and narcissus have a thick
sap which oozes from the end of the stems when
they are cut. Wipe it off before placing the
stems in water. Keep these flowers separate from
other flowers when they are being conditioned as
the sap can affect other flowers. The thick sap
can clog the ends of stems and prevent the
uptake of water. Stand the stems in about 7.5
cm. (3") of water and allow to stand at least
six hours before arranging. Bulb flowers prefer
shallow water. If daffodils, jonquils and
narcissus are placed in deep water, the thick
stems can become water logged and the stems
shrivel up and the petals go papery.
Wilted Flowers
Wilted flowers can often be revived by standing
the stems in fairly hot water right up to the
flower heads. After the water has cooled, allow
the flowers to stand in the water for a few
hours before arranging. Roses can often be
perked up by floating the whole stem, head and
all, in warm water for half an hour.
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2007
: Articles
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FLORIST | |
