Real World Gardener-Horticulture, Gardening, Learning to Grow

Real World Gardener Orchid Care in Talking Flowers

Orchid Cut Flowers

Potted plants:

Like other orchid species, humidity is important for the best growth.

•  a small tray of rocks or pebbles should be used for potted plants

Water should be added to keep the pebbles covered at all times.

 Damp soil is important during peak growing and blooming seasons.

A good orchid potting bark that retains some moisture should be used. 

• Daily misting should be used to increase humidity.
• Several hours of indirect light is best for live plants. Direct light can cause leaves and flowers to scorch on the edges. A warm windowsill with lots of indirect light can be the best spot.
•  Fertilizers may be used to produce better blooms for many species.Care should be taken to avoid overusing fertilizers for potted plants.Overuse can lead to stunted plant growth or scorching of the leaves.

Cut Flowers

• Dunk in a bucket of water for 15 minutes.
• Cut the stem straight across
• Mist the flowers daily with filtered or "burped water."

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini of www.floralgossip.com.au

 

 

Real World Gardener Perfumed Flowers in Talking Flowers

TALKING FLOWERS

Perfumed and Non-Perfumed Flowers

Why do some flowers have scent and others not?

It's all about pollination because scent is a signal that directs pollinators to a particular flower whose nectar and/or pollen is the reward.

Volatile oils are emitted from flowers can have either slight scent or strong scent depending on how far away the plant needs to attract its visitors.

• Those plants that  are pollinated by bees and flies have sweet scents, whereas those pollinated by beetles have strong musty, spicy, or fruity odours.

Perfumers have never been able to exactly match perfumed their scents to the complex scents that flowers exude.

But floral volatile oils are essential in allowing insects to discriminate among plant species and even among individual flowers of a single species. 

For example, closely related plant species that rely on different types of insects for pollination produce different odours.

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini from www.floralgossip.com.au

Mercede's list of favourite perfumed flowers are:

Ms Carnation:Ms Rose

Mr Hyacinth:Ms Lavender

Mr Freesia: Ms Lilac

Mr Tuber Rose: Mr Lily of the Valley

Ms Stock: Ms Jasmine: Mr Belladonna Lily

Ms Bouvardia

 

Real World Gardener How to Make Cut Flowers Last Longer in Talking Flowers

TALKING FLOWERS

How to Make Your Flowers Last Longer.

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini www.floralgossip.com.au

 

Basics: Mercedes' definition of cut flowers to help you with how to treat them. 

Mercedes, classifies them not by their sexual reproduction organs by into two categories, seed grown or grown from a bulb, corm, rhizome or tuber.

• Male Cut flowers: grow from a bulb, corm, rhizome or tuber.
• Female cut flowers: grow from seed.
• Male cut flowers: stems are cut straight across.
• Female cut flowers: stems are cut on an angle.

How Much Water Do I Put into the Vase?

Mr Tulip: Mr Hyacinth: Orchids: shallow water only.

Miss Sunflower: Miss Gerbera: shallow water only.

• Change the water daily-use only filtered water or water that has been standing for 4 hours.

Flower food:change the water on the third day. 

Not all cut flowers like flower food-anything native, woody stem cut flowers.

• Mist your flowers daily for orchids with only filtered water.
• Cut your flowers when early morning or evening when starch is at it's highest within the stem.

 

Real World Gardener Say it With Red Flowers in Talking Flowers

TALKING FLOWERS

All Flowers that are red

In the studio, we held the flowers of Tiger Bay dahlia, Red Pierre rose, red geraniums, red gladioli, buds of flowering gum and a leucodendron.

For all flowers that arise from tubers, cut the stems flush across the bottom. Mercedes calls these :male' flowers. Not to be confused with the male parts of flowers or male flowers on cucurbits.

This is simply a term to distinguish how to treat the stems of cut flowers.

Tip: Gladioli needs the top few cms removed so that the blooms sit up straight.

• List of red flowers available as cut flowers in February.

China aster, bouvardia, dahlia, gerbera, nerine, roses, water lily.

The colour red increases your heart rate and appetite, but is also a symbol of passion.

• Trees that have red flowers in February: Stenocarpus sinuatus: Firewheel tree. (pictured.)

Real World Gardener Bluebells in Talking Flowers

TALKING FLOWERS

Bluebells

There are English (Hyacinthoides non-scripta) and spanish bluebells. (Hyacinthoides hispanica).

• Family: Asparagaceae

Flowering in Spring, the bluebell is blue.  but, there are also bluebells that have a creamy colour or an off white hue and even pink.

It might not look like it but bluebells has six petals.  These petals are all fused up together forming a narrow bell shape.

The main differences between a Spanish bluebell and  English bluebell 

English bluebells flower on one side, Spanish bluebells flower on both sides of the stem.

English bluebell is stronger scented. Spanish bluebell has only a very slight scent.

Spanish bluebell grows well in full sun but English bluebells prefers at least partial shade.

Spanish bluebell flowers lift their heads towards the sun. English bluebells never do.

Superstitions:

Bluebells is a tool used for calling fairies.

“Ring” the bluebells like you would a normal bell and the fairies would come. But the downside is - if you actually hear it ring, it’s a superstition that someone that holds dear to your heart will die.

•  In a vase.

Cut the bluebell stem straight across the base and place in shallow water in the vase. Any more water and the stems will soften and fall over.

Replace the water in the vase daily.

I'm talking with florist Mercedes Sarmini of www.floralgossip.com.au

Real World Gardener Ranunculus in Talking Flowers

TALKING FLOWERS

Ranunculus: 

Family:Ranunculaceae also includes anemones, clematis, delphiniums, nigella and hellebores. 

Grow from claw-like tuber or corms but now referred to as thickened rhizomes.

Growing tips:

These plants are very hardy and will grow in a wide range of conditions.

If you missed planting them out in autumn for a spring show, treat yourself with a bunch of ranunculus from your favourite florist.

Mercedes Tips: www.floralgossip.com.au

• Cut the stems straight across before placing them in a vase.
• Place them in water that has been filtered or standing for 4 hours so that all the chlorine has evaporated off.
• Throw in a few ice cubes to perk up your ranunculus flowers
• Flowers have a vase life of 8 - 10 days.

 

As they prefer to have their roots kept cool and moist, plant Ranunculus species in a sunny or partly shaded position with moist well-drained soil.

Don’t like clay soils.

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini florist, and floral therapist.

Real World Gardener Wattles or Acacia in Talking Flowers

TALKING FLOWERS

Wattles:Acacia species.

Family: Mimosaceae, 1, 000 species out of 1350 worldwide originate originate in Australia.

Australia's Acacias have a huge range of flower and leaf shape. Some have fern like foliage, others have leaves like they should belong on a gum tree. 

Flower colour is mainly yellow, followed by cream, but one outstanding cultivar has red flowers.

Acacia leprosa "Scarlet Blaze." 

Most of the species flower during the end of winter or the beginning of spring. The most common Acacia, the Golden Wattle (Arcacias pycnantha) is found in the South Eastern parts of Australia, and the hotter and drier climates.

Acacia pycnantha or Golden Wattle tree, is a shrub of about 4-8 metres. 

Vase life:4-6 days.

I'm talking with Floral therapist Mercedes Sarmini of www.floralgossip.com.au

Real World Gardener Wind Flowers or Anemones in Talking Flowers

TALKING FLOWERS

Anemone coronaria: Wind Flower, Anemone.        

This flower is a member of the Ranunculaceae family and is native to the Mediterranean region.

Etymology: 

• The name Anemone comes from Greek and roughly means wind flower, which signifies that the wind that blows the petal open will also, eventually, blow the dead petals away.
• Coronaria means used for garlands.

Tubers, corns or bulbs?

• Bulbs have a tunic, corms have a basal plate, tubers have multiple growing points or eyes.
• Anemone tubers are usually planted in early autumn, March until May.
• Before planting, the tubers are recommended to be dipped in lukewarm water for 2-4 hours or overnight.
• Planting Depth: Plant Anemones with the pointy end facing down at a depth of 3 to 5cm. Soak well each week until shoots appear.

 This windflower is an upright perennial that grows from rhizomatous tubers. 

Leaves are medium green, with basal leaves being biternate and involucral (a whorl or rosette of bracts surrounding an inflorescence (especially a capitulum) or at the base of an umbel..) Leaves are deeply divided.

Flowering time: late winter, spring.

I'm talking with floral therapist, Mercedes Sarmini.

Real World Gardener Sweet Violets in Talking Flowers

TALKING FLOWERS

Sweet Violet: Viola odorata and Viola banksia (syn Viola hederacea)

Family: Violaceae

Also known as wood violet sweet violet, English violet, common violet, florist's violet, or garden violet.

Leaves are edible, good for salads.

• ·         In temperate climates, sweet violets (Viola odorata, ht 8cm) begin flowering in winter and continue into early spring.
• ·         They are rhizomatous perennials which originated in Western and Southern Europe. 

They spread  via seed and runners to form a green groundcover of heart-shaped leaves, often coming up in unexpected places in the garden. 

Violets flower best in part-sun, but will grow in full sun or full shade and prefer moist soil.

Bunches of violets great winter posies.

Cut them in the morning or evening; dipping the bunch of flowers head down into a large bowl of water to soak for a while will extend their vase life, as will spraying a fine mist of water over the flowers when they are in their vase.

• Sugared Violets
• The flowers can also be turned into sugared violets for cake decorations, by painting the petals with egg white and dipping them into caster sugar!

Native violets, Viola banksia, have no scent, but flower in a similar fashion.

Flowers are edible.

Grows and spreads by rhizomes. Full sun or part shade.

I'm talking with Mercedes Sarmini, floral therapist www.floralgossip.com.au

Real World Gardener Winter Roses in Talking Flowers

TALKING FLOWERS

Winter Roses: Helleborus orientalis, Helleborus niger, Helleborus x hybridus

Family: Ranunculaceae along with buttercups and ranunculus.

The common name is winter rose or Lenten rose because if flowers in winter. Looks rose-like don't you think?

Floral meaning: Floral Meaning: said to provide protection and a vase of hellebore, brought into 

a room will drive away an unpleasant atmosphere and replace it with tranquility.

• ·         Hellebores grow best in part shade, with moist but well-drained soils. They will, however, tolerate most soils as long as not waterlogged.
• ·         Slow to get established, and can be left alone for years.
• ·         Don’t like being disturbed as this sets them back.
• ·         If you do want to divide, or need to transplant, autumn is best. 
• ·         Dig the whole plant, wash off soil, then divide with a sharp knife between growth buds.  Leave at least 3 buds on each division.  

• Mercedes' Tip: · Make excellent cut flowers, that last up to 5 days. To extend their shelf life, plunging the stems, up to their necks in boiling water, before placing them in a vase.

I'm speaking with Mercedes Sarmini, floral therapist of www.floralgossip.com.au