Flower Of The Week

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Gerbera

12 July 2009 in Flower Of The Week | No comments

gerbera with grasses


Common name:  Gerbera

Botanical Names: African daisy

Origin: South Africa and Asia

Colours: almost every colour except blue

The Gerbera is a very popular cut flower.  It is loved for it’s daisy like appearance and the wonderful colours it comes in.  It has a contemporary look with its simple flower head and leafless stem.  Gerberas were discovered in South Africa and brought to the UK in the 1800s, named after the German naturalist Traugott Gerber.

They are the fifth most popular flower sold at the Dutch flower auctions and available all year round.  Gerberas are cultivated all over the world and there are now over 200 varieties.  Each with their own name.  A few of them are spongebob a yellowy pom pom variety, Serena a vibrant cerise colour and kimsey a pale pink germini. There are several types of gerbera including double petalled flowers, spider gerberas and frilly petalled varieties.

gerberas

Mini gerberas or germinis are also popular especially with florists as they are perfect for using in smaller arrangements.  Gerberas come in every colour imaginable apart from blue.  From white and creams, through to pinks, red and oranges.  There are even some terracotta colours gerberas.  The bright colours are very popular as cut flowers for the home, but most florists usually stock an assortment of colours.

Gerberas have a vase life between 4-14 days.  The conditions they are kept in will greatly affect their longevity.  Gerberas from a florist will be properly conditioned before sold which also helps them to last better.  Often the stems are wired, this is important because when they are transported from growers out of water the stems become flaccid, but once gerberas start to take up water they become turgid.  At this point the flower head will set in that position so it needs to start in an upright position.  They are also very sensitive to bacteria so vases should always be properly cleaned before use with gerbera and flower food added to the water.

I use gerberas in all aspects of work, the large gerberas are good value as the heads are so big while germinis are perfect for smaller work where a large gerbera might look out of place.  As they come in such a vast array of colours there is always a gerbera to match the look you are trying to achieve.  The vibrant gerberas in hot pinks and oranges are perfect for exotic looking themes. While the pale pastel shades such as bridal Kimsey, a very pink germini are beautiful in wedding work.

gerbera wreath

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Forget Me Not

20 May 2009 in Flower Of The Week | No comments

forget me not

Common name: forget-me-not

Botanical Names: Myosotis

Origin: most species are native to New Zealand

Colours: blue, pink and white

These little pretty little flowers appear quintessentially British.  Although most species are endemic to New Zealand.  Only a couple of the 50 or so varieties have been introduced to Europe, Asia and America.  They are part of the Boraginaceae family and many share the characteristic of hairy leaves.  The wood forget-me-not is commonly seen in the UK.  It prefers rich moist soil and shady conditions.

Many of the varieties feature five petalled flowers.  In the UK they are most commonly seen in blue, but are also available in pink and white.  They are available in spring and flower in gardens during May and June. They have a vase life similar to other spring flowers of about 5 days.  They are used in weddings for their beautiful soft blue colour and the connections to love and romance they have.

There are several legends relating to the plants name.  One German legend says that a medieval knight and his love were walking beside a river when the knight picked a posy of flowers.  The weight of his amour caused to him fall into the river and as he was drowning he threw the posy to her shouting “forget-me-not”.

forget me not

Forget-me-nots are easy to grow in your garden once sown they will pop up for years to come often in different places to the previous year.  All they require is a little shake of the seed heads to broadcast them ready for next year.

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Peony

7 May 2009 in Flower Of The Week | No comments

Flower of the week Peony

cerise peony

Common name:  Peony

Botanical Names: Paeonia

Origin: China, Tibet, Europe, Turkey and Asia Minor

Colours: shades of white and creams through to blush pink, deep pinks and dark crimsons, pale yellow is a rare colour.

Peonies have been prized throughout history for their beauty and healing properties.  The name Paeonia is said to come from Paeon the God of healing in Greek Mythology.  The Greeks believed the peony could cure many ailments and every monastery would have a plant. The Chinese have cultivated peonies for over 2000 years, where they were highly prized for exquisite blooms and the medicinal properties.  Many parts of the plant were thought to be of medicinal use.  Today medical researchers are isolating compounds that research has shown may be useful to help create new drugs to treat diseases in the future.

The peony has inspired artists for centuries all over the world.  Peonies are featured in many Chinese motifs on items such as clothing, porcelain and tapestries.  Peonies became popular in European art much later towards the end of the 18th century.  Renoir and Fantin-Latour both painted peonies.  The peony season is very short from May to early July which seems to make them even more desirable.  Peonies are always popular wedding flowers.

peony arrangement

There are hundreds of varieties and colours to choose from and many have a beautiful fragrance. A popular cut variety is Sarah Bernhardt, a large double flower with ruffley, rose pink petals.  Peonies have enjoyed a renaissance in recent years after going out for a favour for a period of time.  They are gorgeous in country garden bouquets and make the prettiest wedding bouquets with their luxurious blousy petals in romantic colours.  English peonies are also available from growers across the country (weather permitting) what could be more summery than a jug brimming with scented English peonies.

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Celosia

29 April 2009 in Flower Of The Week | No comments

celosia cristata celosia plumosa

Common name: cockscomb celosia

Botanical Name: celosia cristata, celosia plumosa

Origin: tropical origins South Africa and India

Colours: many including cerise, red, pink and green

There are two types of celosia, cristata which has a crinkled,  brain like appearance, also know as cockscomb celosia. The second is plumosa which has a pointed shape and feathery plume.  It is a member of the amaranthus family and plumosa celosia bears a slight resembalance to upright amaranthus .  It is mainly available April to October.

It is not very well known in the UK, but it’s amazing appearance and velvety texture always cause a stir when it is seen.  It’s available in many vibrant colours such as cerise pink, orange, red, and purple, as well as some paler shades of pink and green.  The leaves are normally removed, as they serve no purpose and are not long lasting.  The flower has a good vase life of up to two weeks.

It works particularly well in modern designs due to it’s unusual appearance.  The autumnal bouquet pictured below has orange cristata celosia in it and various other textured flowers which provide a rich and varied bouquet.

celosia bouquet

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Flower of the week Tulip

20 April 2009 in Flower Of The Week | No comments

tulip arrangement

Common name:  Tulip

Botanical Names: Tulipa

Origin: Middle East

Colours: all except true blue and black

Tulips get their name from the Turkish word meaning turban, due to it’s rounded shape.  They have been cultivated in Europe since the 16th century. The Dutch began growing them in 1593 and by 1644 the Dutch upper classes were gripped by tulip mania.  Bulbs begun changing hands for huge amounts, some upto £400, todays equivalent of £4 million.

Although tulips are grown in the Netherlands, many are also grown in the UK. Their season is November to May (the British season is January to April). They are the third biggest selling flower in Holland and very popular in the UK as well.  It’s easy to understand why, available 3000 colours from cheery orange and yellows to the palest blush pink right through to velvety purple and reds.

Tulips are often said to go droopy in a vase, this is usually because they continue to grow towards sunlight.  They often open wide in daylight and close at night.  They should be re-cut after a few days to avoid this.  Unless you like the wild look like we do. If they are a slightly curved when bought this can be corrected by wrapping them tightly in paper and leaving in water overnight.

tulip hand tied bouquet

I like using tulips in allsorts of bouquets and arrangements, they look fabulous in fat spring hand tieds, so wide you can barely hold them. Although they are just as pretty in a jug or in spring wedding bouquets. Some of my  favourite fancy ones are the ruffled parrot tulips and the fringed tulips that have gorgeous frilly lips.

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