UF/IFAS Okeechobee County Extension Service

458 Highway 98 North

Okeechobee, FL 34972-2578

Phone: (863) 763-6469

E- mail:  dfculbert@ifas.ufl.edu

February 8, 2006

Feature Article - for release the week of February 12, 2006

Dan Culbert - Extension Horticulture Agent

Keep your bouquets beautiful

In case you haven’t noticed, this week contains a very important date that better not be ignored.  Besides lots of chocolates, greeting cards, and other assorted trinkets, Valentine’s Day is known for FLOWERS!   

If you are going to support your local florist this week, and purchase REAL flowers rather than the dust-collecting, non-smelly, artificial kinds of decorations made from silk, be prepared to receive the gratitude of your Valentine.

Fresh flowers are a popular gift on holidays, with good reason—92% of American women can remember the last time they were given flowers.  Fresh flowers have an immediate positive impact on happiness.  There are floral bouquets for every budget and taste, from the traditional roses to assortments of many different kinds of tropical treats.  

Today’s column includes some ideas on choosing the right floral bouquet for your Valentine, courtesy of the Society of American Florists.  And once that bouquet makes it into the hands of your sweetie, do you know how to make it last?  UF Floriculture professor Dr. Terrill Nell, who has made a career out of learning how to preserve the life of cut flowers, has some suggestions. 

Floral designers suggest that there are five different kinds of floral displays, and the style can be matched to the personality of the recipient. To professional florists, the art of customizing floral gifts to match personalities is a natural talent. Here are the five kinds of floral signatures:

©      Natural types are casual, earthy and prefer the outdoors, naturally. Flowering or green plants, meadow flowers and woodsy accents suit this personality best.

©      Romantic personalities are dreamers — generous, spontaneous, even extravagant — and are drawn to bouquets of soft colors, light fragrances and accents of lace or ribbon.

©      Expressive personalities search for personal betterment and are attracted to the unconventional -- from new age to the arts.  Exotic flowers and unusual combinations of shape, color and textures match their creativity and artistic bent.

©      Traditional personalities are trustworthy, family-oriented, prefer classic styles and appreciate lush arrangements with a great variety of flowers.

©      Contemporary individuals are cutting-edge trendsetters who enjoy living in the moment.  Vogue styles such as  one-colored bouquets or arrangements with a few, large vibrant flowers are favorites.

The Society of American Florists actually has an on-line quiz that can help you to find out the “floral personality” of your intended recipient: http://www.aboutflowers.com/quiz .

And once you have made that all important selection, here’s how to increase the lifespan of your beautiful flowers, and extend your Valentine’s Day greetings, by following these easy steps:  

©      Handle your flowers carefully—they are delicate and living plants.  If you are transporting a top heavy vase from the florist to home, take along a box or bucket that can keep it upright.  (I’ve even been known to “borrow” those plastic cell-pack cases used for delivering soda to the store for balancing bouquets – be sure to ask first, and offer thanks later!)

©      Keep flowers in water, first removing any leaves that will be submerged. Place the bouquet next to the vase to gauge where the water line will be. Then pull your hand down the stem, stripping off any leaves that will rot underwater.  (For roses, be careful of the thorns!)

©      While holding the stem, cut about an inch off the bottom of the stem with a sharp, clean knife or clippers. This will allow water to pass more easily into the flower stem.

©      Use a commercial flower food, properly mixed in your vase water. Make sure you follow the directions on the floral preservative packet--most packets are for either one pint or one quart of water. Bottled water can be used to increase water uptake.  Make note of the water temperature suggestions on the package.

©      After a day or two, if your vase begins to become cloudy, remove the flowers, re-cut the stems and place into a new vase solution. If you notice some of the stems are really too far gone to be revived, pull them out and send it to the compost bin.

©      Keep flowers out of direct sunlight and in a cool place to help them retain moisture. In some cases, flowers do better if moved into cooler locations during the night – like garages or shady porches.

©      Keep flowers away from heated surfaces to prevent wilting. Take a look around for drafty locations, and place the vase in another spot, as moving air can also dry out cut flowers.

©      Keep flowers away from cigarette smoke and ripening fruit, because they contain ethylene gas, which will “ripen” the flowers too.

I’ve placed more information on our Okeechobee web page, http://okeechobee.ifas.ufl.edu.  If you need additional information on choosing or keeping cut flowers fresh, please email us at okeechobee@ifas.ufl.edu or call us at 863-763-6469.  Local residents can stop by our office at 458 Hwy 98 North in Okeechobee, and visit our Okeechobee County Master Gardeners from 1 to 5 PM on Tuesday afternoons. Happy Valentine’s Day!

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references

Black, Bob. Prolonging the Life of Cut Flowers. Gainesville: UF/IFAS Extension Service, undated. http://hort.ifas.ufl.edu/gt/cutflowerlife/cutflowerlife.htm 

Nell, Terrill. Keep Valentine's Day Flowers Alive Longer.  Gainesville: UF/IFAS Extension Home page Hot Issue. February 8, 2006. http://solutionsforyourlife.ufl.edu/currentIssues/lawnGarden/valentinesFlowers.html 

Society of American Florists.  What's Your Floral Signature? Alexandria: SAF, 2001. http://www.aboutflowers.com/quiz/types.html