What's Valentine's Day without Flowers

Saturday, February 07, 2009 03:45 AM

Saturday, February 14 will be Valentines Day and is the perfect occasion to send someone you care about a beautiful floral arrangement. Flowers have been used throughout the ages as a symbol of love and romance. In Victorian times there was a lot of thought sent out when giving flowers, because different flowers had different meanings, as well as the color of the flower, would have a different meaning. Roses have been long associated with love. It is said that red roses were a favorite of ‘Venus’ the roman goddess of love because red represents passion, and the rose represented love. A light pink rose symbolized admiration or a friendship and yellow roses would be sending joy, and the color white relates to purity. If you sent a Baby’s Breath Poesy you would be relaying the message that “Ours is an everlasting love”.

After receiving a bouquet of fresh flowers you want to make them last for as long as possible. The first thing that needs to be done is re-cutting the bottom end of the stems. Use a sharp knife and cut the stem at a 45 degree angle. In the case of roses, cut the stem under water to prevent an air pocket going into the stem. Immediately place the flower into a water filled vase which includes the packet of flower preservative that should come with the fresh bouquet. When in the water, check to see if there is any foliage on the stem that is in water and if there is, remove the foliage that is below the waters surface. Do this to prevent it from rotting. Also remove any damaged foliage or blooms so that they do not mold or mildew. To make the arrangement last longer place it in a cooler area of the home, away from direct sun and heat vents. If you place it in a warm area of the home you can remove it at night and place it in a cooler area where the temperature ideally would be 4 Celsius but not freezing, for the night, and then during the day place it back where it can be seen. Check the water level daily adding fresh water as needed and if the water becomes dirty or has an odor, replace it with clean water. Floral arrangements are also popular gifts and these have already been arranged in a water filled vase or in oasis and so do not need their stems re-cut. They also should be kept in a cooler area of the home to prolong their beauty as well as have their water checked daily. Always remove any dead flowers or foliage.

Fresh flowers are nice to give and receive but if you want to give something that will last a little longer you could give a beautiful flowering plant or tropical houseplant. There are many beautiful flowering plants available such as Mums, Cyclamens, Azaleas, Mini roses, Kalanchoe, African Violets, etc... These will all last for a number of weeks if cared for properly by giving them the right amount of moisture and light. Orchids are another popular choice for a gift and although they may cost a few dollars more, they are certainly worth it as they will bloom for months if given the proper care. Also available are colorful houseplants such as bromeliads, anthurium, peace lily, clivia that have long lasting blooms as well as beautiful foliage. All of these make beautiful, long lasting gifts that will be there for years to come.

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