Caring for Your Bouquet
Your Dearest has bought roses for you on Valentines. These blooms come to you on the brink of opening ready to make a spectacular floral display. Like your love, you wish for these blooms to last as long as possible.
These blooms have been treated with care and more often than not arrive with a small packet of floral food/preservative for you to use to prolong your arrangement. What is in this packet?
There are three basic ingredients in these preservative packets – sugar – for food, preservatives – (biocide to attack bacteria), acidifier – to balance the pH of the water with the flower’s cells.
Bacteria in the water is one reason flower arrangements may have a short life. To prolong your beautiful flowers, you need to keep an eye on the water – freshen it daily, if possible. Recut the stems at an angle when you get them and when you freshen the water. The bacteria can clog up the open end of the stem preventing nourishing water from reaching your flower.
note: keep your pruners and scissors clean and free of bacteria – wash with soap, soak briefly in a bleach-water solution (1 pail of water to 1 tsp bleach-sufficient). Dry thoroughly and lubricate to prevent rust.
You can make your own floral preservative with simple ingredients.
1 quart warm water – a quart canning jar with lid works marvelously – label your jar!
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp chlorine bleach
2 tsp lemon juice
Combine the ingredients, shake well, pour into cleaned vase and add your freshly cut flowers.
I love getting a lovely bouquet of flowers from Dearest and the children. They have also learned, that I truly love getting rose bushes or other flowering plants – that I might make my own arrangements for years on end.
Roses and their meanings:
Red roses – ‘I love you’
white roses – purity
yellow roses – friendship
pink – joy, gratitude
orange – passion and energy
blue – unattainable
green – peace, tranquility
black – death or death of a relationship -YIKES! (black roses are really deep red roses)
Mixed – you can combine the meaning of the above. If there’s an abundance of floral colors it may indicate the person is unsure of their feelings!
Interesting Valentines Statistics (obtained from AboutFlowers)
- In 2012 224 million roses were produced for Valentines
- Valentines rates third in floral holiday purchases. It is preceded by Christmas and Mother’s Day
- Red Roses remain the floral arrangement of choice at 51% purchased
- Men buy 55% of Valentines roses
- Roses are also bought for Mothers, by children and for your self on Valentines
I am sharing this post with these Delightsome blog parties:
Time to Shine ~ A Diamond in the Stuff
