Flower of the Week: Peony

This weeks flower is the Peony, and in my opinion, I think this flower easily gets the trophy for flower of the season. A combination of its beautiful appearance and its sweet scent is enough to hypnotise anyone. I’ve said this before, and I’ll say it again, the power of Peonies are unfathomable!

They Peony (or paeony) is the only plant from the plant family Paeoniaceae. Originally from Asia, Southern Europe and North America, the Peony plant is a herbaceous perennial plant. There are two main types, a shrub plant or a tree peony plant. The shrub usually grows from 50cm’s to 150cm’s and the tree variety can grow up to three meters tall. There are many different shades of the peony plant varying from white to burgundy red.

Peonies can mean anything from healing, life, happy marriage or gay life. The symbolic naming of the Peony is very interesting and explains why it has the meaning of healing and life. It is said to be named after Paeon, who was a studend of the Greek God of medicine and healing called Asclepius. Asclepius supposedly became jealous of Paeon and Zues intervened and saved Paeon from his teacher by turning him into a peony flower.

Growing peonies can be quite tricky but I have been told that when choosing a spot for you peony, make sure it is somewhere that you are prepared to enjoy the plant for up to 50 to 70 years. Buying a peony is a real investment, and they tend to not like being moved at all. If you would like to read more about how to grow peonies I suggest you go to this site: http://www.weekendgardener.net/perennial-flowers/plantpeony-100810.htm

Peonies can be a flower that can have such an impact to any space. Whether it is in a vase in your house or a bouquet of flowers for your wedding. Their smell can brighten anyones day. Below are some examples of how you can have peonies in your wedding bouquet. These photos have been kindly provided by Lily & May Floral Designs from Chelmsford. In these images it just illustrates what a beautiful addition the peony can make in your wedding bouquets. 

Below are some examples of how you can display your peonies in any container that you may have available. Here is a picture of how I have displayed mine in a decorative jug. 

I hope reading about these lovely flowers have brighten up your day also. If you have not yet smelled the beautiful scent of these flowers, make sure that you get a bunch while they are still in season! 

Flower of the Week: Gerbera Daisy

 

The flower of the week is the Gerbera Daisy, scientifically known as Gerbera jamesonii.  The Gerbera Daisy is a perennial flowering plant, and comes from the same family as the sunflower. The Gerbera is also commonly known as the African Daisy, Transvaal Daisy and Barberton Daisy.  

This beautiful Large Daisy symbolises gentleness, innocence, purity, cheerfulness and loyal love, a flower that exists in so many colours. This innocent flower holds its place in one of five of the most used flowers used in floristry, along the rose, carnations, chrysanthemums and tulips. You can use the Gerbera daisy in flower arrangements, have it as a pot plant or in your flowerbeds. If you like to attract honey bees, butterflies or birds to your garden, this flower will do just that. Even as a human I cannot resist the flower myself!

Robert Jameson discovered the Gerbera Daisy in South Africa in 1884, and since its discovery it has come a long way. The German naturalist Traugott Gerber scientifically named the flower Gerbera jamesonii. In the late eighteen hundreds horticulturalists in England enhanced the flowers colour variations and its quality. It was this change, which created the appeal to flower growers in the Netherlands and Columbia. You can get four different types of Gerberas. Ranging from Single flower, double gerbera, crested double gerbera and the full-crested double gerbera. 

If you would like to plant Gerberas from seed, read below if you would like to see a step-by-step guide of how to grow them.  

• Seeds should be germinated in an artificial growing medium. Germinating seed in field sand or field sand mixed with materials such as perlite and/or peat moss is not recommended because field sand is usually not sterile. Artificial growing media that are sterile, lightweight, and have good water retention capacity and drainage can be purchased in garden supply stores. These materials often have fertilizers incorporated.
• The medium can be placed in flats or pots that have drainage holes. Make shallow rows in the medium approximately twice the depth of the diameter of the seed, sow seeds in the rows, cover lightly with extra medium and water carefully.
•  After seeds are planted and watered, cover the container with a sheet of glass or clear plastic and place the germination container approximately 45cm below a fluorescent light. Check the medium daily for moisture and for signs of seed germination.
• The medium should never be allowed to dry, especially when gerbera seeds are starting to germinate. When watering is necessary, apply a sufficient amount to allow excess water to drain out of the container. Any water that collects in the saucer beneath the germination container should be discarded.
• Tall and spindly seedlings can be avoided by transplanting the seedlings to small pots as soon as the first true leaves appear. Seedlings can be grown in small pots until they are large enough to transplant into flowerbeds. (Or flower pots). 
• [From: http://www.theflowerexpert.com/content/mostpopularflowers/gerberas]

The Gerbera flower requires to have a warm climate to survive outside, otherwise they will need to be grown inside the house as a house plant. They need a constant temperature of twenty to twenty five degree’s Celsius to thrive well. They need a lot of sunlight, so a position in the sun with partial shade is needed outside, or if the Gerbera is inside the house a spot by the window will be ideal. If you would like the Gerbera in your garden in a cold temperate country, have it in a pot outside in the summer, and when autumn comes bring it in for house use.

The Gerbera can grow quite high in their pots, so cutting them at the bottom of the stem to put in a vase would allow for a beautiful home made flower display and at the same time encourage more flowers from the plant. With the right care and regular water changes in vases, you can enjoy this cheerful flower for a long time.

Here are a couple examples of how you can use Gerberas in a more sophisticated and fun way. They are such a versatile flower. They firmly stamp their place in displays for events, weddings or just brightening up your home. Enjoy these creations I made below.

Gardening - Food for the Soul

I must admit that I have only started gardening properly the past year and a half, reason being I have never had my own garden. Since I have started to venture into my garden, I have found just how therapeutic it can be. Not only is it a good way of staying fit and keeping well, for me, it is good emotionally. Gardening is like food for the soul. Helping things grow and develop into beautiful flowers and bountiful herbs. 

I have bought a variety of flowers to put into some of my containers in the garden. I bought violets, lavender and herbs (Sage, Basil, Oregano and Chive). The process of planting flowers and herbs I feel symbolises the cleansing and restoration of ones inner self. People can use this type of approach to gardening in many ways. Whether it is a substitute for bad habits, if its for escapism, have time to fill, need to process some emotions or even if its just because you love gardening, it can be such a pleasure to help something establish itself into its 'new home'. I think that is why I enjoy planting, replanting and nurturing plants. 

So if you are curious about gardening, give it a try. You might find its much more than just planting a couple of flowers.

Some of My Own Creations

As some of you may know, not only do I love flowers and want to learn more about them, I would like to have my own florist shop one day. But first, I need to get some experience in other florist shops and learn more techniques.

I've done a few pieces in the past, varying from seasonal to event creations. I've learned the basic techniques now as well so I am very happy with that. I thought I would share my creations and if any of you have any feedback, please feel free to comment! I am here to learn as well!

My first piece is an Easter Piece. This I made in London at the Academy of Flowers in Covent Garden (that was an amazing experience!). I really love this because its got hyacinth, tulips and lupin. for the foliage I used pieces of fern leaves. If you look the holder is made with moss and natural twigs which gives it a realistic feel, not to mention to three quail eggs. 

First Piece - Easter Display

This second piece was also made while I was at the Academy. This is a polo mint oasis which has been covered with berried ivy and eucalyptus leaves. I've put three different types of roses through out it. What is nice about using the polo mint oasis is that it allows the piece to be modeled on different vases. 

Second Piece - Polo Mint Oasis

My third piece is quite a versatile creation. A couple of irises are held up by oasis in the square container, and I have covered the top of the oasis with some foliage. I think this adds a nice touch to it. This I think can make a nice centre piece. 

Third Piece - Iris Beauty

This piece I really enjoyed making. These are some small deep pink and dark red carnations. I've checkered them on top of the black container and to create some drama to the piece I have added a small posy in the centre of the checkered base. This looks so beautiful as a table centre piece or even as a display in a house. 

Carnation Medley

One thing I love doing is creating hand-tied spiral bouquets. I have two examples below that I have made so far. 

Hand-tied Bouquet 1

Hand-tied Bouquet 1

Hand-tied Bouquet 2

Here is an example of using some of the same flowers in different ways (I had to be resourceful!). I think its also nice to see the same flowers in different forms. I made a display, bridal party posy and three different corsages as well. 

Special Occasion flowers:

 

So here is my collection so far. I hope you have enjoyed looking at the pictures. If you have any suggestion, advice or comments please feel free to comment below.

Rose Bush Disease

“Do not watch the petals fall from the rose with sadness, know that, like life, things sometimes must fade, before they can bloom again.” - Author Unknown

Isn’t this quote just beautiful? I think personally this is why I love roses so much; they are really a labour of love in my opinion. Even though you give them all your time sometimes, there is a possibility they can get ill.

I’ve lived in my rented accommodation for almost 3 years now. The first summer I was not able to do much to the garden (even though it was concrete). Last summer I bought some plants to liven up the back because it was starting to look quite bland. In this group of flowers I bought the most beautiful Golden Shower Rose climber. This rose climber is just gorgeous. That summer it shot up. By the end of the summer it was almost 7 foot high and had the most beautiful rose blossoms ranging from a golden yellow to a light yellow. I  loved it! 

After the horrible winter that we had with all that rain and snow, my poor rose bush is really struggling this summer. It has terrible black spot on the leaves. The flowers are struggling because of Aphids on it as well. So I thought in my process of restoring my Golden Shower rose bush back to full health, I will go over some of the techniques I am using. First of all, lets discuss black spot. Black spot is a fungal infections that initially starts to grow on the leaves and can spread throughout your whole rose bush and also weaken your roses and cause them to die. What I didn’t know previously is that if you leave the leaves that have fallen on the soil below the rose bush, it causes the fungus to spread yet again. So clear all the infected leaves and flowers. This is quite sad though (in my case) as it has spread throughout the whole bush so I have had to prune it right back. But, hopefully with some tender love and care, it will grow back bigger and better than before!

Curing black spot usually involves having to buy a fungicide but I am quite reluctant to buy this as I have two dogs that walk around in the garden and strangely love eating leaves. So I would hate for them to ingest something harmful like this. So instead I have searched and apparently using Baking Soda mixed with water can be a remedy for powdery mildew as well as black spot. So once the rain has passed today, I will be spraying my rose bush with this mixture and I will keep you all updated.

As the weather has been quite hot so early, already at the end of April I started having trouble with my rose bush, and this includes those little rascals Aphids! These green little monsters just love eating my roses, I remember last summer I had some trouble with them as well. They will literally cover all over the flower and just eat away at it! So last summer I just used the hose pipe with a light spray to spray them off. But thinking back, I’m hoping that is not how I started the black spot on my roses. Anyway, I found two recipes that can be used to keep these buggers off. 

The first one is using the leaves of Rhubarb. I never knew but Rhubarb leaves are very poisonous so humans or animals should not ingest this. When making this wear gloves because Rhubarb leaves contain oxalic acid, which is a skin irritant. Take 5 or 6 leaves and boil them down with two pints of water (about 1.2L) for about half an hour.  Add about a tablespoon of washing up liquid (or non detergent soap). Then strain the mixture through a sieve or a piece of cloth. Then you can put the mixture in a spray bottle and spray the rose bush from top to bottom (including the soil underneath it).  Be careful where you use this mixture. Don’t use it close to any edible plants or vegetables in your garden.

I decided to go the second mixture, which is a bit more pet friendly.

Firstly mix a cup of vegetable oil with a tablespoon of liquid dish detergent. When mixed well, this will be your primary solution to dilute with some water. Take one tablespoon of this primary solution and add it to two cups of water in a spray bottle. Mix this well in the bottle and spray the flower bush once a week.

Flower of the Week: Sweet William

The Flower of the day is Sweet William, also known as Dianthus Barbatus. Sweet William is an herbaceous biennial growing to a height of 30 – 75 cm’s. Its leaves are 4 – 10 cm’s long and 1 – 2 cm’s broad. The flowers are closely packed into bunches of 30 at the top of the stems. You can find Sweet William flowers in white, pink, red and purple. 

When you see the flower and its stems, it is clear that it is a pretty hardy flower. It can survive through the winder for the next floral season. Remember if you want to plant these from seed, prepare the seeds about 6-8 weeks before the last frost if you want them to flower the same season, otherwise if you plant them after the first frost, they will only flower next season. It has a two-year life cycle. It does tend to grow best in cool areas with sunny spots with well-drained soil. You can plant them either in containers on a balcony or on a patio as well as in the garden where you can use them for borders or just for cutting.

For many generations Sweet Williams have been used in floristry and in gardening. What is quite a nice touch to this flower is that in the Victorian language of flowers, it symbolises gallantry, finesse and Perfection. This heroic flower is also perfect for attracting birds with its nectar as well as bees and butterflies. How lovely is that! Sweet William flowers are also considered edible, so they are perfect for decorating dishes as well.

For those who are interested, Sweet Williams can be featured in bouquets as well! Recently the most famous bouquet will be Kate Middleton’s bouquet when she married Prince William. The now known Duchess of Cambridge featured the ‘Sweet Williams’ in her bouquet as a tribute to her Prince William. So if you are a lady in waiting to marry your William, it’s a rather nice touch!

Here is a display I have made for my kitchen. I have used one of my teapots and put a small bit of oasis at the bottom of the teapot, just big enough to fit through the hole of the teapot. Then, I just grouped the Sweet William flowers in groups that I liked most. Of course this will depend on whether you have bought your flowers or cut them from your own garden. But in this case I bought them and had to make-do of the selections I got. But I think it adds a lovely bit of coziness to a kitchen, just like a country cottage kitchen!

I hope you also fully enlightened and in love with this quaint little flower with a heart of a hero like I do.

A Little About Myself

First of all.... Welcome to my Blog!

I am so excited that you decided to come and have a look. My main aim for this blog is to inspire people to have more flowers in their lives.

For a very long while I never had any flowers in my flat, and it was such a shame. But once I started having flowers in my vases and seeing the effect a bright, beautifully smelling flower can have on a house or flat it was amazing!

Living in a rented flat can mean that you are not allowed to paint the walls and results in your living space resembling a clinic! But an easy way around this is to add flowers to the house. Its a way that I have found to brighten up my living area and add a touch of softness to it as well.

For the past year and a half I have been absolutely hypnotised with the effects of flowers. When it is dark and rainy outside in the winter, having a vase full of colourful Roses, Carnations and some foliage makes a dark corner light up!

At the moment we are so lucky with all the flowers we have available. Spring and summer is most definitely the most fun time of the year for gardening, because you can look at how your little plants grow into mature and stunning flowers!

So, here is to blogging about flowers and how beautifully amazing they are. Hope you enjoy!