| Alstroemeria- “Alstro-Mary-ah” Tips:- Remove foliage before arranging. Foliage will wilt or turn yellow before flowers. Alstroemeria is an extremely long lasting flower and comes in several colors. This is a very durable flower making it a good choice for the hot summer months. Alstroemeria looks great when designed with stock, roses, snapdragons and hydrangea.
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| Amaryllis- “Amma-rillis” Tips:- Contains poisonous substance but is safe to handle. Flower heads are so large that stems can’t support them, use support when arranging with them. Typically, the holidays is a great time to have amaryllis blooms in the shop.
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| Anemone- “A-nem-o-knee” Tips:- Has been know to be used for cramps, menstural problems. Anemones need water and don’t like to be out of water any length of time. Anemones have a short season but are a favorite among flower lovers. Think of supplying them during the first quarter of the year. They generally look great all by themselves in a bouquet.
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| Carnation- “Car-nation”
Tips:- Carnations should be kept away from ripening fruit or vegetables, they last a long time and sometimes take a few days to open. Don’t refrigerate them before they start to open. Carnations come in many unique colors including the floragiene variety ( deep purple) which is becoming a favorite among carnation lovers. Consider designing, standard and novelty size and colors with miniatures.
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| Chrysanthemem- “Krus-anthe-mum” Tips:- There are several types of “MUMS” as they are referred to. They include spider, buttons, pompons, ice pomps. Spiders usually are delivered with nets, remove the nets to avoid mold build up. Some have been artifically dyed so take care to change water often if they are. Mums have a long shelf life. Remove all the lower foliage to prevent mold or bacteria production in the water.
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| Delphinium-“Del-finny-um” Tips:- Delphinium is in the same family as larkspur, this plant is poisonous so wash hands after handling. They are fragile so take care when handling and seperating their stems. They do not like laying on the desing table for too long, so be sure to keep them in water if you are working with several arrangements that your are using delphinium in. They come in white, light blue ( bella donna), and dark blue as well as hybrid larger varieties ( voolker)
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| Freesia-“Free-sha” Tips:- Pinks and Red are most fragrant. Remove old flowerheads to encouage new flowerheads to open. Freesia like water and will not do well if they get de-hydrated. An extremely delicate flower that needs to be handled carefully, especially when unpacking. Heads tend to intertwine, use fingertips to gently seperate stems at the heads when unpacking. Leave them out to condition to encourage opening before refrigerating.
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| Gladiolus- “Glad-ee-olas” Tips:- Remove faded flowers to encourage other flowers to open. Snip off the top buds when conditioning. This will help straighten the stem and get flowers to open. Gladiolus have a reputation for being the "funeral" flower, so be careful not to use them in mixed arrangements unless you are looking for a showy look, such as for a wedding. If using them for everyday designs, they make beautiful designs if you arrange them alone or with other tall flowers.
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| Iris- “Eye-rus” Tips:- Come in blue, light blue, purple, yellow and white. Iris like water and like it cool. They will not do well or last long in high heat. Not recommended for summer bouquets. Slice into stems on bottom when cutting and placing into water if you want them to open quicker. You can also pull back some foliage around the flower head to promote opening.
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| Lily- “Lil-ee” Tips:- There are many varieties of lilies. They include asiatics ( generally less expensive) Hybrids ( a combination of asiatics and orientals) and Orientals ( generally more expensive) Oriental Lillies are usually the most fragrant. Lillies take awhile to open, so if you need them for a special occasion, it is wise to order them early to ensure proper conditioning. Remove the pollen stamen by pinching them together and pulling them off the flower. Lily pollen is notorious for ruining clothing by staining everything they come in contact with. Use cello tape to remove pollen instead of water. Water will encourage staining. Removing the pollen stamen also prolongs flower life.
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| Lily of the Valley- “Lil-ee –of-the valley” Tips: They must be keep cool and do not leave them out of water. Traditionally used in bridal bouquets but they have a short season. If purchasing out of season, be prepared to pay a large premium to obtain them..
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| Lisanthus- “Lizzy-ann-thus” Tips:- Come in shades of purple, white, cream, pink and also pale green( rare). They will last a long time if they are recut regularly. They sometime resemble roses or open tulips.
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| Daffodil- “daff-o-dill” Tips:- Daffodils have sap which is toxic to other flowers, so store them seperately or use flower food which will remove toxins from water when mixing with other flowers. There are medicinal used for daffodils, a substance in their bulbs is used in Alzheimers Disease. Daffodils have a short season, generally from late January through end of April. | |
| Orchid- “orr-kid” Tips:- Orchids can last for weeks or over a month if they are still on the plant. They enjoy water misting and humidity. Touching the flowers can cause bruising, so be careful when handling in corsages or bouquets. Some varieties include: cymbidium, phaleonosis, dendrobium, James Story, cattleya, oncidium | |
| Protea- “Pro-taa-ah” Tips:- Very large flower heads, so be careful when arranging with other flowers. The leaves will turn black often, remove the leaves and sell the flower with them already removed. Proteas are good flowers for drying and preserving. | |
| Ranunculus- “Ran-un-cue-lus” Tips: Remove all the foliage, change the water regularly to ensure better shelf life. Come in bright colors and resemble spray roses. | |
| Rose- “Rose” Tips:- New varieties appear constantly so keep up on new colors and varieties. Some roses are more fragrant than others, “Sterling, Osiana, Jacaranda are some of the more fragrant. Colors of common varieties will vary depending upon grower. Some roses have longer shelf life than others. Roses love water and can become de-hydrated. If roses droop, lay them in a bath of cool water for a couple of hours. Cut stems with a knife and under water to ensure proper hydration. A hydration solution can be used as well if you believe it is necessary. Do not puncture stems, cut diagonally to insure effective water take up. |  |
| Sunflower- “Sun-flower” Tips:- Come in browns, tans as well as yellow. Come in various sizes, small, medium , large and extra large. Be sure to specify what size when ordering. Low pollen sunflowers have been grown to help asthma sufferers. These varieties also extend flower life. Wiring of sunflowers or flower sleeves help to straighten stems when using in arrangements
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| Sweet Pea- “sweet-pea” Tips:- Come in pinks, creams, ligh peach and purples. Sweet peas like it cool and plenty of water. Keep them away from ripening fruit. Garden sweet peas do not last long, ( maybe a couple of days) as opposed to culitvated florist varieties which can last a week or so | |
| Tulip-“two-lip” Tips: Come in a variety of colors as well as size. Parrot tulips are large and floppy. There are also fringed tulips or lily tulips available. Tulips will grow when placed in water, take this into consideration when creating arrangements. Tulips do not do well in foam, their stems are fragile and many times will crush when inserting into foam. If you are using tulips in foam, use wooden picks to support them. Tulips do not like heat and generally do not have a long shelf life. | |
| Bird of Paradise- “Bird-of-paradise” Tips: -Pull away wilter crests, to help new openings from inside the flower. Do not need to be refridgerated, generally like room temperature. Have a long shelf life | |
