Did you know the name “Chrysanthemum” comes from two Greek words ” chryssos” meaning gold and “Anthos’ meaning flower?The Genus Chrysanthemum is a large one having both ornamental and also economic value. These flowers vary greatly in form,size,colour and can be grown in many different climates.

The Origin of the chrysanthemum is actually Asia and the native habitat of the plants is Northern China,Mongolia,Korea and later Japan.

Chrysanthemum buds should open in the vase if floral preservative is used. It is best to buy Chrysanthemums when at least half of the flowers are open. NEVER NEVER smash,crush or split stems of the chrysanthemums or other woody stem flowers such as Proteas or Roses. This damages the stems and hinders the water uptake, meaning the flowers will wilt more quickly,keep them out of draughts and sunlight.

Why Do Flowers Need Cut Flower Food?

Once flowers are cut/harvested they are deprived of water,food and growth regulators naturally supplied to the plant. In order for flowers to develop in a natural way, we have to continue to supply the flowers these ingredients dissolved in water every time the flowers are hydrated either by the grower,wholesaler or retailer or in the vase by the consumer.

Cut Flower food contains all the necessary ingredients for the natural development of stems,leaves and flower petals, as well as for their size,colour and scent.These ingredients usually are water purifiers,water clarifiers, water softeners,pH regulators,plant growth regulators and energy carriers.

Easter Daisy’s are grown in the field and come in a selection of colours. White,Pink or Mauve. The use of Easter Daisy in Floral arrangements at Easter are very popular.

What to Look For:

* At least half of the flowers should be fully open

* Round flowers with unblemished petals

* Foliage should be firm and green with no signs of yellowing

What to Do:

* Re cut the stems on an angle with a sharp knife or secateurs.

* Use commercial preservative in the water

* Renove all the leaves that will go below the water line

What to avoid:

* Do Not place in direct sunlight or draughts

* Do Not place on top of the television.

Peony Rose

Botanical Name: Paeonia lactiflora

Family Name: Paeoniaceae

Common Name:Peony

Country Of Origin: China

Availability : Sring-October,November

Peonies have long been renowned for their large often perfumed flowers,Peonies have been prized for centuries by flower lovers.Flowers have several rings of petals,depending on the variety, with some looking like large ruffled garden roses. Single forms have 5 or more petals and the fluffy yellow centre is clearly visible,while  what you can see in double forms is ruffled petals. Flower colour ranges from pure white to pink and peach to clear red and dark maroon. Yellow forms are very rare and there are no blue varieties yet. Some forms particularly double pinks have a beautiful fragrance. The flowering season is short usually six weeks or so in late spring. Peonies are grown in the field.

What to do:

* Keep cool at all times

* Strip leaves from lower half of each stem and wash stem ends thoroughly.

* Recut at least 2cm from the end of each stem and place in water immediately.

*Do Not bash or split stems

* Always use a floral preservative as this will help the buds to open and maintain open flowers.

Hyacinth a mass of small bell shaped,perfumed flowers make up the hyacinth spike. Like most spike flowers they open from the bottom up. hyacinths are very popular bulb, possibly due to their distenctive scent. They are most commonly found in white,blue,pink or yellow.

Botanical Name: Hycinthus orientalis

Common Name: Hyacinth

Available Colours: Blue,Pink,Crimson,White and Yellow

Flower Care :

* Keep cool at all times

* Recut at least 2cm off each stem with sharp secateurs and place in water immediately

* Never place Hyacinths near heat source

Interesting Facts:

The name comes from the greek “Hyakinthos”, who was a handsome young man who was loved by the God Apollo. It was first brought into Western Europe in the 16th Century and during the 17th and 18th Century like the tulip it was only found in the collections of very rich flower collectors. Because of the hyacinths pervasive perfume the bulbs were exobitantly expensive. In the language of flowers Blue Hyacinths means Constancy.

Stock

Common Name:Stock

Botanical Name: Matthiola incana

Stock are herbaceous plants which produce flowers of soft pastel pink,purple,creme and white on single stems. Red and crimson stocks can also be found. Flowers resemble large apple blossoms and have a beautiful fragrance.

Flowers open from the bottom up to the top of the stem.stock is usually only available in the cooler months between Autumn and Spring.It is commonly a field grown crop.

What to look for:

*Half the flowers are open

*Bunches with strong fragrance

* Foliage should be nice and clean

Flower Care:

*Keep cool whenever possible

* Remove foliage from bottom half of stem that will go into the water.

* Recut at least 2cm from the bottom of each stem making sure any woody stem and roots are removed.

* Use  commercial preservative to prevent growth of bacteria and slim.

* Change water daily

* Stock is very sensitive to ethylene. Keep away from fruit and cigarette smoke.

Tulips have a special charm,which is they do not know when to stop growing, other flowers stay put once they are cut, not the Tulip which keep on growing in the vase gaining 2.5cm in height or more. They bend gracefully they twist and turn, leaning this way or that towards the light. The Tulip is bent to please .

When Buying Look For:

*The Bud should be closed, but the colour of the flower should be evident

* Stem ends should be green

* Foliage should be green and free from yellowing.

Flower Care

* Keep cool never place in the sun.

* Re cut at least 2cm off each stem and place in cold water.

* Use flower food in water as this will help buds open.

Easter Daisies are grown in the field and come in a range of colours like white,pink and mauve.The use of Easter Daisy in Floral Designs at Easter is very popular.

When Buying Look For:

* At least half the flowers should be fully open

*Round Flowers with unblemished petals

* Foliage should be firm and green with no sign of yellowing

Flower Care

* Keep cool,never place in the sun

* Strip leaves from bottom half of each stem

* Recut at least 2cm off each stem and place in cold water

*Use a commercial floral preservative in the water this will keep flowers looking good for longer.

Botanical Name: Gerbera jamesonii

Common Name : Gerbera

What to do :

* Recut stems under water on an angle with a sharp knife or secateurs.

* Use a commercial preservative in the water.

*Keep well hydrated, plenty of water.

* Gerbera stems are highly susceptible to bacteria blockages. This may cause the head to droop over. wiring the head will help eliminate this.

What to avoid:

* Donot place in sun or draughts

* Do not place on the top of the television.

General History

The popularity of the gerbera has sky rocketed since the 1990s, There are now over 200 varieties available in every colour you can think of. Newer varities have double petals giving a fluffy look to the flower,or thin spidery petalsd or wider thicker petals.

In the past ten years mini gerberas have become more popular, they are the same as their larger cousins, about half the size and better suited to smaller arrangements.

Interesting Facts about this Flower

It was named by Linnaeus in honour of his friend the german naturalist traugott Gerber, and first described by J. D. Hooker in 1889.

In the language of flowers, White Gerberas mean innocence, Yellow means Ill try harder abds orange means You are my sunshine.

Botanical Name: Rosa Hybrida

Common Name : Rose

What to Look for :

* Flowers with strong stems to support blooms

* Slightly open buds, this will vary between varieties, but in general if given the correct preservative treatments then the vase life will be better than those slightly open rather than tight in bud.

What to Do :

* The vase life of a rose is highly dependant on the rose being kept well hydrated at all times

* Recut the stems under water on an angle with sharp secateurs or a knife.

* Use a commercial preservative in the water

* Remove all leaves below the water line

What to avoid :

* Do not place in sun or draughts

* Do not place on top of television