Fresh flower care
What is the best way to take care of a flower arrangement?
It depends on how they are packaged:
•If you receive flowers in a container with floral foam, be certain the container is full of water every day. The water should be treated with the floral food provided by your florist. Using your finger, feel under the greens for a place where water can be added. Or you can pour water slowly into the center of the arrangement, keeping a finger in the container to gauge the water level.
•If you receive flowers in a vase, check to be sure the water is always clear. If the water turns cloudy, empty it and add fresh water mixed with the floral food provided by your florist. If possible, re-cut the stems with a sharp knife before placing them in the fresh water.
•If you receive flowers in a box or tissue, remove all of the foliage that falls below the water line, then cut the stems with a sharp knife in a sink full of warm water. Be sure to cut the stems under the water and place them immediately into a vase of warm water mixed with the floral food provided by your florist.
No matter what type of arrangement you have, it is important to keep your flowers off of televisions, appliances and heating/cooling units. You should also keep them away from hot or cold drafts and out of direct sunlight.
What is wrong with the water in a vase when it turns yellow and cloudy?
This is a natural sign that bacteria are growing in the water. Bacteria can clog stems and shorten the vase life of flowers, so keep the water clear at all times to ensure the longevity of your blooms. If your water starts to turn cloudy, immediately empty the vase and add fresh water, preferably mixed with the floral food provided by your florist. Re-cut the stems with a sharp knife under warm water before placing them in the vase of fresh water.
Since flowers like sunshine, should I put my arrangement in the sun when I get it?
No. Growing flowers require sunshine for maturation, but cut flowers will fade much faster if exposed to heat and direct sunlight. To keep flowers fresh longer, place them in a location away from sun and drafts.
Is it possible to revive a wilted rose?
Sometimes. If a rose wilts prematurely, remove it from the arrangement and try the following easy tip to perk it up. Fill a sink with warm water. Lay the rose horizontally in the water bath and cut the stem (about 1″) with a sharp knife under the warm water. Leave the rose in the bath for about two hours and let the water cool. This process can work wonders, but if the rose is already past its vase life it will not revive.
Plant Care Tips
•Keep plants in medium-light locations – out of direct sunlight
•Natural light is best, but some plants can also thrive in office fluorescent light. Most flowering potted plants should be placed in areas with the most light in order to maintain good flower color and promote the maximum number of flowers to open. Foliage plants will do well under lower light levels and can be placed in areas providing reduced light.
•Plant soil should be kept moist at all times
•Plants should not be allowed to dry out or wilt. Be careful to avoid overwatering – do not allow plants to stand in water.
•Avoid wetting plant leaves.
•Avoid excessive heat or cold
•Plants should be kept in a cool spot (between 65 to 72 degrees Fahrenheit) for best performance. They should be kept away from direct sunlight, heating or cooling vents, directly under ceiling fans, or on top of televisions or radiators. (Appliances like televisions give off heat, which causes plants to dehydrate
Terrarium care
Terrariums are easy to care for. Never deeply water but rather mist when the glass shows no moisture or the plants look thirsty. Keep out of direct sunlight but place where there is bright light. Artificial light is perfect. Open the lid occasionally to allow for some air.
Remove debris and pinch back plants that get too big to allow for air circulation. Remove any failing plants.
EASILY LILLY CARE – MOVE THEM TO THE GARDEN
Planting and Growing your Easter Lily in the Garden
You can continue to grow your Easter Lily in your house after it has finished blooming but it is usually very difficult to force Easter lilies into bloom a second time when they are grown indoors.
Once your lily has finished blooming, place the pot in a sunny location in the home until all danger of frost has passed, at which time you can move the pot to a sunny location outdoors (This is usually sometime after May 15). Prepare a sunny location in the garden using a well draining commercial planting mix, or a mix of one part soil, one part peat moss and one part perlite. (Good drainage is essential for lilies.) Set the entire pot and plant into the ground until the foliage has died back, then gently remove it from the pot and plant it directly into the ground. Spread the root ball by gently pulling upward and outward from the center to loosen the clumped and matted roots. Plant it a little deeper than what it was growing in the pot, with the bulb about three inches below the soil surface.
Lily bulbs should be planted 6″ deep and at least 12 to 18 inches apart in a deep enough hole that the bulbs can be placed in it with the roots spread out and down, as they naturally grow. Spread the roots and work the prepared soil in around the bulbs making certain that there are no air pockets around the roots. Water thoroughly after planting.
Cover it with soil, mulch, and cut the stems back to the ground.
Feed monthly with an all-purpose 10-10-10 water-soluble fertilizer.
New shoots should begin to appear in a short time, and with any luck, your lily may bloom again in the late summer.
Winter care for Easter Lilies
Easter Lilies are considered hardy even in cold climates but many are killed off by exposure to winter winds and sun. Be sure to provide winter protection by mulching the ground with a thick, generous layer of straw, leaves, evergreen boughs, wood chips or pine needles. Carefully remove the mulch in the spring to allow new shoots to come up and scratch in a little 5-10-5 fertilizer following the manufacturers recommendations.
Alternatively, you may also dig the bulbs in the fall and store them indoors for planting in the following spring, the same way we do other tender bulbs such as canna.
Please keep in mind that your Easter Lily will not bloom in the garden in time for Easter next year.
Their natural blooming period in the garden is in June or July!
Easter Lilies are highly toxic to cats and other critters!!!!
EASTER CACTUS CARE TIPS
Easter Cactus Care Tips
Origin: Brazil
Height: 12-24 in (30-60 cm)
Light: Bright indirect light
Water: Keep the soil evenly moist, but not soggy while plant is growing. After flowering, water sparingly for a month while the plant rests. Stems will shrivel or wilt if the roots are too dry. Yellow stems indicate overwatering.
Humidity: Moderate humidity. Mist the plant daily or stand the pot on a tray of wet pebbles.
Temperature: To set flower buds, the plant needs cool 60-65°F/16-18°C days and 45-55°F/7-13°C nights. Once buds set, 70-75°F/21-24°C days and 60-70°F/16-21°C nights.
Soil: Mix 1 part potting soil and 1 part fine-grade fir bark.
Fertilizer: Feed every 2 weeks with a balanced liquid fertilizer diluted by half. After blooms have dropped, stop fertilizing for a month.
Propagation: Take stem cuttings with 1-4 segments. Allow the cut ends to dry for 24 hours before placing upright in moist perlite. They’ll root in about 3-4 weeks.
