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Index : Container Plants & Patio Gardening
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- 24. Flowers Celebrate Mother's Day - Top
- More than any other gift, flowers express the special love and appreciation we feel on Mother's Day. Be it an arrangement of cut flowers or a potted flowering plant, special care will keep them looking fresh long after Mother's Day.
Unarranged cut flowers should be put in water at once. To prolong their life, the stems must be given a fresh cut with a sharp knife or very sharp shears. For best results, cut the stems under water. This is essential for roses.
If you receive roses and they show signs of wilting (droopy heads), they can be revived. Cut the stems under water and place the entire rose, bloom and all, in a pan of tepid water. It should revive and be as good as new in about an hour. This same trick may be used if one blossom in an arrangement should wilt. When the bloom revives, simply place it back in the arrangement.
Be sure to use the packet of "florilife" that came with your arrangement. This will prolong their life. You can make your own flower preservative at home by using a solution made by mixing one 12 ounce can of a lime carbonated drink, such as 7-Up, and one teaspoon of household bleach in one gallon of water. Don't use diet drinks as flowers need the sugar to prolong their life.
Arranged cut flowers, such as in a centerpiece, will come in a block of oasis. This green Styrofoam-like material will absorb and hold water, but still needs replenishing on a regular basis. Never put arrangements of fresh flowers in a hot location or in full sun. Keep them in a cool location, especially overnight. Also keep ripening fruit away from flowers. The ethylene gas they give off will shorten the life of the flowers.
Potted flowering plants are also a favorite gift on Mother's Day. Among the most popular are azaleas, kalanchoe, miniature roses, African violets, and phalaenopsis orchids. Here's how to keep them fresh and healthy for months to come.
Azaleas are small shrubs widely grown as flowering pot plants. The most common type, the Indian azalea has a profusion of blooms in white and shades of red and pink. They prefer moist to wet soil, so never let the pot dry out. A good way to thoroughly water is to set the plant in the kitchen sink and let tepid water from the faucet slowly run through the soil. Azaleas are acid loving plants. Monthly applications of a fertilizer like Miracid will keep the leaves green and healthy. Plenty of bright light, but not direct sunlight, should also be provided.
Kalanchoe have beautiful star shaped flowers in clusters covering the plant. Leaves are succulent, broad and dark green. Traditionally plants have red, pink or yellow flowers, but can also be found in new colors of, coral and raspberry. With their thick, succulent leaves for water storage, kalanchoe does not need a lot of water. Allow the soil to dry some between watering. Shiny leaves become a dull green when it's time to water again. Kalanchoe like morning sun and bright indirect light. At night, they prefer a cool location.
Miniature Roses have all the attributes of their big cousins. They flower from spring to fall when provided out-door like conditions. Plenty of light is the key to success. Indoors not enough light may be available. Never place plants in a west facing window in the summer. Plants will fry in this location. A better solution to get your plants more light is to put them out in a lightly shaded location. Make sure they have plenty of water, as plants in pots dry out rapidly. Fertilize every other week with a dilute solution of rose or flowering plant food. Cutting off old faded blooms will keep your roses flowering continuously.
Phalaenopsis Orchids are excellent orchids for the beginning grower. Blooms will last months at a time if provided daytime temperatures from 70 to 80 degrees and nighttime temperatures from 60 to 65 degrees. This translates into keeping the plant in an air conditioned environment day and night through our hot summer months. Watering should be often enough to keep the root system moist, but not wet. Orchids like humid air, something lacking in our desert environment. But you can increase the humidity indoors, especially around your plants. Place your orchid on an oversized plastic saucer that has been nearly filled with gravel. Small aquarium gravel works the best. Then keep water in the saucer at all times. The water evaporating off the surface of the gravel will keep the surrounding air moist.
African Violets like humid growing conditions similar to orchids. They will benefit from being placed on a water filled gravel saucer. Only tepid water should be used on African violets. If the water is too cool, spots will develop on the leaves. Keep African violets in bright light, but avoid direct sunlight unless blocked by shear curtains.
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Written by John Begeman, College of Agriculture and Life Sciences, the University of Arizona.
Material originally appeared in Arizona Daily Stargardening column, on May 11, 1998
- Updated: May11, 1998
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