Fresh cut flowers bring pleasure inside our homes with their subtle sweet smell plus the beauty of its color and texture. Flowers at home are even said to drive away negativity. People who are surrounded with flowers are more inspired to do work. To make the most of these flowers, we find ways to let them last longer even when the temperature is really hot.

Here are Some Tips to Keep your Flowers Longer when the Temperature is High:

•    Keep your flowers away from any fruit. A fruit that is ripening produces gases like ethylene that will hasten the withering process of the fresh flowers.

•    Keep the container of the fresh cut flowers clean. You can do this by washing the container with water containing a few amount of bleach. Prepare the container with water. Cut off about half an inch off the stem in a 45 degree angle and place them directly into the water. This ensures the flowers will absorb water.

•    Add cut flower food into the water. During hot weather, the water in the container is more conducive for bacterias to thrive making it harder for flowers to drink water. The water will also become murky. To answer this problem you can add cut flower food, keeping the water clean. Another way is to replace the water daily and cut half-inch of the stem each time you do this. You may also choose to add soluble aspirin instead of a flower food.

•    Place the flowers away from sunlight and any source of heat. Sunlight maybe friendly to flowers in our garden but this is not the case with fresh cut flowers. Sun rays will cause stress to the cut flowers and will make them wilt faster. You will not only avoid the sun, you should also keep your flowers away from anything that produces heat in the room like a radiator. The heat will make the flowers droop and eventually wither and die.

To summarize, you should always have clean water in the container of the fresh flowers. Diagonally cut stems so they can deliver water into the flowers. Keep them away from fresh fruits and place them somewhere away from the heat. Choose a cool place. Simply remember and do these tips whenever you have fresh cut flowers at home so they would last longer.

A bunch of flowers is such a delight that you want to keep them forever. A bouquet of flowers from someone special is something you would want to hold on to. However, if they are fresh flowers it would be impossible to keep them forever. But there is a way in which you can make them last longer. Just follow these few tips:

Put the flowers in water right away. Fresh cut flowers need water after being removed from their life support system.

Pour warm water into a plastic bucket until it is half- full.
The reason for choosing warm water is the fact that warm water is faster to be absorbed than cold. It would be better if you add preservative to the water. The ends of the stems are the only ones in which water is absorbed so you should not fill the bucket up to the top. Doing so will only pollute the water. The soaked foliage will only be fed by bacteria and thus flowers will die faster. Foliage of certain flowers like mums and daisies also emit a strong odor when you have them soaked over a certain length of time.

Bring your bucket of water into the garden.
Use a sharp pair of scissors or a sharp knife to cut the stems of the flower on a 45 degree angle so they can absorb water better. Get rid of all foliage from the lower part of the stems which would stand below the water level. Put the flowers immediately in the water.

Avoid overcrowding flowers in the container.
Make sure there is enough room between each flower so there would be good air circulation. Overcrowding flowers may lead to having petals bruised. Put your bucket in a cool dim place and let the flowers absorbed more water before arranging them. Leave them for around four to five hours; you can even leave them overnight so flowers will take in lots of water before arranging them. This is what you refer to us conditioning. A conditioned bunch of flowers will last twice longer than flowers that are not conditioned.

Add flower preservative in the water so they would even last longer.
You can find one in garden centers or supermarkets. You may also use household bleach. Make sure you replace the water frequently. You also need to add the preservative each time you replace the water.

A bunch of fresh flowers at any room can make a difference. So it’s natural we want to make them last longer.

The Formula is Simple just Follow the Tips Below:

Keep in mind cut flowers are still alive so treat them that way. This means you should keep in mind that they get enough water and air to survive. One interesting fact is that tulips actually still grow when they are cut and place on a vase. Flowers will wilt and die but you can make them last longer by taking good care of them.

While you can go and purchase packets of preservatives for flowers found in floral shops and groceries, you may still go for the natural way of prolonging the flowers’ life.

Water

One primary factor that can determine the life of a cut flower is its capability of drinking water freely. Plants have vascular cells that work like a group of drinking straws. These cells direct water into the flowers and their leaves. To allow water to flow freely into the plant, vascular cells must be open. The type of water you use is a significant factor in keeping cut flowers last longer. One tip is to make sure your water has few minerals on it and keep them as acidic as you can so water can flow easier through the cells. Water should be bacteria-free, yeast-free and fungi-free. These living organisms can do damage to your flowers. Once you put a cut water flower in a container filled with water, it is expected that bacterias will grow and multiply so better start off with being free of bacteria. Bacteria do not only feed on the plant, it also clog the channels where water can pass through. Change also the water daily.

Cutting Stems of Flowers

Cut half-an inch off the stem on a slant angle using a sharp knife. The 45 degree cut exposes a larger area of the stem where water can be absorbed. Once you cut the flowers, place them right away on a container filled with lukewarm water.

Air

Avoid getting your container overcrowded with flowers. Allow a space where air can circulate on the flowers in a vase.

Food

Feed the flowers with white sugar.

Light and Temperature

 Keep flowers away from heat for the heat will make flower wilt faster.

Gathering of Flowers

Cut your flowers early in the morning when it is cool and the plant stored much food and the time when their fragrance is at its peak.

Floriography is the study of flowers meaning.  It includes an additional meaning in sending or receiving flowers where understated and hidden messages can be communicated through different kinds of flowers. 

For the Victorians and Turks back in the 18th century, flowers are used as channels in sending messages called Persian Selam. Flowers were attached with coded meanings to express love and admiration.  These begun the secret language of flowers.




Here are some flowers and their meanings across different cultures.

Anemone represents dying love. This meaning originated from a Greek mythology where anemone is said to grow from Aphrodite’s tears when Adonis, her beloved, died. It is also believed as attracting luck and protection against evil in folklores. Certain cultures also say that anemone can tell if a rain is coming.  
 
Bluebell stands for constancy and everlasting love. Bluebells is not recommended to be brought at home as they are said to bring bad luck. However, bluebells is regarded by herbalists as preventing nightmares.

Buttercup represents childishness. Before it was believed that the butter’s yellow color sprung from the cows that eat this flower. The myth is said to serve as an explanation why cows avoid eating this bitter tasting flower.

Carnation is a symbol of marriage, love and fertility. Carnations are said to be an aphrodisiac so they are favorites during weddings. Various colors of carnation have individual meanings. White stands for love while yellow means rejection. Pink carnations means I’ll never forget you while red symbolizes being heartbroken.

Daisies are one of the friendliest flowers as they represent innocence and modesty. You might want to know that it was also in the Victorian period when girls started to repeat “he love me, he loves me not” while plucking petals from a daisy.

Forget-me-nots as the name imply means true love and remembrance. The myth is that there was this valiant knight who gave these flowers to his lover before leaving for a battle.

Hyacinth derived its name from Hyacinthus who is said to be a handsome youth in Greek mythology. Hyacinthus is said to be killed out of jealousy and from his blood grew these flowers called hyacinths.

Lily embodies innocence and purity. For Christians, it symbolizes Virgin Mary’s purity. For the Greeks particularly in marriages, lilies symbolize innocence and fertility.

Hydrangea means vanity.

Foxglove is one of the flowers with negative connotation as it stands for insincerity. It derived this connotation from folklore where this flower is said to be offered by bad fairies to a fox so his steps won’t be heard while hunting.

Stress is common these days. People are dealing with deadlines at work or at school, parental duties and maintaining relationships. There are many ways to fight off if not reduce stress. But one simple and cheap way is through having flowers around. Flowers are proven to alleviate stress and drive away negativity. They are also known to brighten up the mood of people.

Colors also affect the mood of people. When selecting flowers, you also consider their colors. Specific hues can stimulate particular emotions so do flowers.

Red flowers

If you want to brighten up someone’s mood, then you can choose flowers that come in red. Red is a color symbolizing energy and vitality. Red flowers also convey the feeling of love, excitement and eagerness. When you want to lift someone’s mood you can go with a warm color like red.

You can place red flowers at living rooms and dining rooms to draw people together and invite lively conversations.

Orange

It is like the red color that belongs to warm category. Orange symbolizes energy, vibrancy and warmth. You can use orange roses and orange daisies to represent geniality and childlike playfulness. Orange flowers are perfect to give if you want to increase the energy level of a person.

Because of the energy it brings, you can place orange flowers in a kitchen or in your workout room.

Yellow

This color is popular for it reminds us of sunshine and summer. Yellow represents happiness. According to chromotherapy, the color yellow is said to stimulate nerves. So if you want to cheer up someone then bring her a bunch of yellow flowers.

Because of the energizing and uplifting nature of yellow flowers, you can place them in kitchens, dining rooms and bathrooms. You can make a small area look bigger with yellow flowers so place them in hallways or any small spaces.

Blue

If warm colors drive away stress by cheering you up with their energy, cool color flowers enables you to relax. The color blue is associated with serenity and blissful relaxation. Research suggests that placing someone in a blue color room can lower his or her blood pressure, respiration and heart rate. If you want to relax and feel calm then treat yourself by being surrounded with blue colored flowers like iris and rose. It is best to place blue flowers in bedrooms and other places where you want to relax.

Purple
This color is synonymous to richness and sophistication. Darker shades of purple can motivate and encourage. While if you want to feel relax, you can go for lighter shades of purple. These shades can promote a good night sleep. You can place purple flowers in bedrooms and bathrooms or at any place you want to unwind.

White

White is universal as it can effect you in the same way as other color. White represents purity and cleanliness. White flowers can make a room feel airy and lighter. It gives you the illusion of a bigger space. So it is best to place white flowers in small spaces to bring about a sense of airiness.

So bring some fresh flowers into your homes or offices to relieve you of the stress you feel throughout the day.

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Almost any plants we know today as cultivated mainly for decoration and beautification used to be weeds, naturally growing in the wild. Then humans discovered that they looked attractive so they took them. This was the beginning of artificial selection process and thus as we see flowers seem to evolved to be prettier to human taste. This is the idea that prevailed throughout the history of agriculture and even maybe prior to that, back when humans were likely to be partial to places where food can be gathered. This can elaborate further why several flowers act as partner plants to more beneficial agricultural plants; they had evolved to benefit from another even before both were domesticated. Thus, they grew at the same place, easy to be chosen as an appealing plant.

But once flowers are domesticated, they were cultivated separately or became part of gardens. In the West side of the world, it was only in the 19th century that people in the West arrived at the concept of having flower gardens. Interesting fact when at this time when we think of gardens, we readily think of blooms. On the East, Japanese gardens are mostly made of small scales mountains, flowing water, rocks and plants but not necessary flowers. Like Ikebana, Japanese gardens carry symbolism.

But for the Greeks, flowers are already in the market as early as 5th century BC. They already have gardens like the ones Persians have,.  You can find crowns made of flowers, crowns that were created for heroes of athletic games famous in Greece. For the Romans, history says how they cover Italy with gardens.These became a spectacular scenery as gardens found in Italy were considered to be one of the most beautiful ever created. Italian gardens were reminiscent of old Roman Villas placed on sloping sites. What made them even more beautiful were the incorporation of flowing water or pools.

Gardens during the Renaissance period were more elaborate with fountains and statues. But during the 18th century gardens gradually became more natural like that found in nature. 

There are many kinds of garden today but most of them have flowers unlike during the earlier times. Flower gardens are something people sought for. Walking around places surrounded with flowers is a retreat for anyone.

Flowers and bouquets of flowers carry with them a particular message. A dozen of red roses expresses passionate love or may express the words “Be mine”. Most of us know that a dozen red roses means, "Be mine”.  A primrose can express how someone cannot live without the other. A purple hyacinth when given is a way to ask for forgiveness. A pink carnation will remind someone how he or she will remain forever in our hearts.

Flowers have been associated with meanings to express ideas, feelings and messages for centuries. The word, floriography, is a term used for the assignment of meaning to flowers. There are also meaning attached to colors of flowers and to numbers of flowers. Just like music, flowers can be considered a universal language.

Aside from the meanings of flowers carried by color and variety, the language of flowers also speaks in the way flowers are worn or presented. When flowers are positioned upright then this signifies a positive meaning, but if they are shown upside down the meaning is the opposite.

History shows that it was the Turks in the 17th century that developed a language for flowers. It was from them that Europe picked up the concept of Secret Language of Flowers.

The year was 1819 when Louise Cortambert wrote and published Le Language des Fleurs. This small book is said to be the first dictionary of the language of flowers. That did become a widely-used reference on the subject it specializes.

It was in the Victorian era during the reign of Queen Victoria that flowers became very popular in sending messages. The Victorian women were especially the ones who made use of the flowers’ silent language for them to express their feelings that are not allowed to be communicated because the society then views it inappropriate. It was then that flowers became gifts to carry messages.

The year was 1884 in London when the first whole book on the subject was published. It was entitled The Language of Flowers. It was written by Marsh and illustrated by Kate Greenaway. The book became well-known and earned respects all over Europe, establishing itself as the standard source of Victorian flower meaning ever since.

It should also be noted that the Eastern side of the world, Asia, has also been fond in associating meanings to flowers. In fact, Japan has its own term for flower language, which is called Hanakotoba.

Even in the ancient civilizations, flowers have been given meanings. Until now, people are still fond of giving flowers for particular meanings.

Three-fourth of hosts or social planners hires a florist for their special events. Though a florist is given to deliver flowers to make any event more appealing, you still need to find the one that fits into your style and budget. In hiring a florist, you should be guided to save yourself from ending up with the wrong one.

For most people flowers make it on the top list of design elements. From small gathering to big events, flowers add can make a difference at any setting. When planning to hire a florist for an event, meet with her or him to discuss what you want to achieve. Be sure of what you want your flowers to be and let your florist know so you won’t get disappointed with the result. Here are some things to keep in mind:

Research. Like in any other things a knowledge with what you’re dealing with is an advantage. Do your research from simply looking around in local florist shops or take advantage of the info you can find online. Get acquainted with the style of florist available in your area. Research on the latest in floral designs so you can tell it to the florist. Get to know which flowers are in season.

Budget. Stick to your budget. Keep steadfast in relating your budget to the florist. Set how much you are willing to shell out for flowers. If the quote you get from a florist is too high then look for a florist that can still deliver beautiful flower arrangements at an affordable price. You can also ask if the florist is giving a package that can save you money. A good florist should be able to give you options of how to come up with flowers at the occasion within your budget.

Establish a good communication with your florist. You should be able to point what you like and what you don’t. If the florist suggests something that does not match your personal preference, then voice it out immediately.

Style. It is critical that before you hire your florist you are already aware of his or her style. You can ask the florist to present you with photographs of his or her previous works.

Hiring the right florist would make your event even more special. While choosing the wrong one might ruin it and cause you unnecessary stress. So keep these tips in mind.

In every art masterpiece is a great artist. The same thing is true with a flower arrangement. In every beautiful floral display is a talented florist. You might be wondering what it takes to become a certified florist. Is there any education and certification needed? Better read on to find out.

Before knowing what a florist is, it would be best to know the industry where he or she in – floristry. This is the industry referring to floral trade and those who practice flower arranging as a profession. Floristry embraces everything from the cultivation of flowers to the arrangements of flowers. It also covers flower care and handling, flower styling, flower arranging, down to delivery of the flowers. Floristry can also be easily understood as the arranging and merchandising of flowers.

Though everyone who has a penchant for floral design can be a florist, training for the art of making flower arrangement would be an advantage. Just like any other art, flower arrangement is also governed by principles. A floral composition would look professionally done when one integrates principles of flower arranging.

A florist would know what colors and varieties of flower would look good together to come up with a beautiful flower arrangement. It will also help for anyone who wishes to endeavor on becoming a florist to know the traditional and contemporary style of traditional flower arranging.

What makes a good florist also require adequate knowledge on proper care and handling of flowers. This is a prerequisite since flowers should always be fresh when they are bought by the client. Sufficient knowledge is also needed on how to handle flowers upon delivery.

Personality would also make a difference in working as a florist. Being a florist means knowing how to communicate well with your clients so that you will come up with a flower design that matches their taste. A florist should also always be ready to answer questions.

No specific education is required to become a florist but most florists used to work for a professional florist. Though they did not acquire a formal education in flower arranging, their experience works for their advantage.

But to begin with, a fondness for flowers is needed to be a good florist. For anyone who wants to become a florist would be glad to know that there are professional florists offering short programs for flower design. Certain community colleges also offer courses in flower arranging.

Autumn season is associated with harvest and melancholy. When it comes to flowers, autumn is less celebrated as the season for flowers compared to summer and spring. But having flowers during autumn makes the season more dramatic. It is said that planting flowers during autumn is an indication of a true landscaping enthusiast. Flowers still bloom in this season. Weddings done during this season is even more romantic when flowers are around.

The most obvious flowers that can thrive during the autumn to winter are hardy flowers. Indeed, chrysanthemums and dusty millers are good choices for autumn landscape but do not limit yourself with these kinds of flowers. Tender annual flowers can make any garden even more interesting during the autumn season.

Marigolds are less likely to be seen as an autumn flower since they are tender plants. However, its colors of orange, yellow, and gold are classic fall colors. Marigolds are still worth planting during the fall season.

Gerberas, irises, freesias, orchids, forget-me-nots, asters and many more beautiful flowers can survive the autumn climate.

Weddings always come with flowers. The autumn romantic scenario is perfect for a wedding. If you plan to have a wedding on autumn, its best to know what are the flowers in season. There would be no problem, if you ordered ahead and is willing to pay for the cost of shipping flowers. But if you are on a budget, it would be wiser to know what the flowers are in season. Availability of flowers do vary from one region to another, but to be safe, mums, zinnias, fuchsias, amaryllis, sweet William, yarrow and statice are good choices if you prioritize affordability. You also have an option of going for flowers that are available all year round. The list includes roses, daisies, lilies and orchids.

Aside from availability, you also have to consider what colors will match the autumn mood. Yellows and oranges accentuate the mood of autumn but you can also be creative in going for fuchsias, purples, and even white.
 
Whether for your landscape or for a wedding, flowers are essential during the fall season.