Pickup Truck Floral Tribute

Pickup Truck Floral Tribute

We were asked recently to design and make a picture of a pickup truck in flowers for a gentleman’s funeral, we filled the back of the truck with garden flowers so it would be very colourful.

Oriental Poppy

I thought I would share these pictures with you, opening the back door to the shop this morning I was greeted by a wonderful sight.  In amongst the tall grasses and wild flowers (and weeds) stood proudly the most amazing wild oriental poppies. 

These plants were not in the garden last year, there is something to be said for not cutting down the weeds and grasses, had this been done we would not have been treated to see these most beautiful of flowers. 

They seem to dance in the breeze and the petals look like crepe paper, there are even some of the double varieties and in the most wonderful shades of pinks and purples. 

These plants grow to over 4 ft high and can be used to add wonderful colour and texture to any border.  We have them for free and we are enjoying their beauty while it lasts.

Don't think you would want this flower in your bouquet!

09 MAY 2014

The world's biggest, smelliest flower is due to blossom imminently at a Cornish tourist attraction - and could be a record breaker.

The 268cm-tall Titan arum is currently only 23cm short of the Eden Project's biggest ever Titan and could break that record in the next few days.

It will be the ninth that has flowered at Eden but is due to be the first one to bloom twice.

It is growing at an astonishing rate of between 15 and 20cm a day and is due to flower either over this weekend or early next week - almost a year to the day since the last one bloomed at the attraction, near St Austell, Cornwall.

Titan arums normally live for between seven and 10 years before flowering for as little as 48 hours and then dying.

This plant is a first for Eden as the project's resident expert Tim Grigg cut the flower back after it first bloomed in 2011 and to his amazement it flowered again.

In 2011, it claimed the title of Eden's biggest ever Titan, measuring 291cm at its tallest.

The Titan arum is sometimes known as the "corpse flower" because of the horrible stench that it emits when flowering.

This smell attracts insects and animals that pollinate the plant. Some specimens have been known to reach 3 metres in height when they flower.

Eden will be installing a "stinky step", which will give brave visitors the chance to get up close to the flower and get their face right into the flower.

This will be the first one that has flowered twice at Eden.

 

 

Flower Food - The Benefits

about.com

You know if you put fresh cut flowers in water it will help keep them from wilting. If you have a packet of cut flower preservative from a florist or the store, it will help the flowers to stay fresh much longer.

Keys to Keeping Cut Flowers Fresh

• Give them water.
• Give them food.
• Protect them from decay or infection.
• Keep them cool and out of direct sunlight.

The floral preservative provides flowers with water and food and contains a disinfectant to prevent bacteria from growing. Making sure your vase is clean will also help. Discard any decaying leaves or flowers, because the freshness of flowers is influenced by the gases and bacteria found on wilted or rotting plant material. Also, don't set your flowers near ripe fruit, because the chemicals from the fruit (such as ethylene) will 'ripen' your flowers.

If you can, keep your flowers in a cool location and out of sun. Minimize air circulation, since it speeds evaporation and can dehydrate your flowers. Trim the bottom ends of your flowers with a clean, sharp blade before arranging them in the vase containing the floral preservative. Cut the stems at an angle to increase the surface area for water and to prevent the ends from resting flat on the bottom of the container.

In all cases, mix the floral preservative using warm water (100-110°F or 38-40°C) because it will move into the stems more effectively than cold water. Clean tap water will work, but if it is very high in salts or fluorides, consider using distilled water instead. Chlorine in tap water is fine, since it acts as a natural disinfectant.

http://chemistry.about.com/od/chemistryhowtoguide/a/cutflowers.htm

ehow.com

Flower Food Ingredients

Flower food contains three basic ingredients: sugar, an acidifier, and a respiratory inhibitor. Contrary to its name, the respiratory inhibitor maintains an open and freely respiring flower stem, thus promoting the flow of water and nutrients. The sugar mimics the chemical composition of sugar created during photosynthesis, providing food to the flower and thereby increasing longevity. Acidifiers lower the pH of water, which is generally alkaline, and inhibit the presence of microorganisms such as bacteria and fungi, which negatively impact flower health.

Why Use Flower Food

Removing flowers from a plant or from the soil also removes the flower from its primary food source. Though the leaves on a flower stem continue to create sugar through photosynthesis, indoor sunlight does not provide sufficient fuel for the necessary levels of photosynthesis. Because cut flowers are generally taken before they have completely opened, they require nutrients to reach their full potential -- flower food provides such nutrients. Furthermore, the natural behavior of the flower includes closing the cut stem to prevent the invasion of potentially damaging foreign bodies. Adding flower food to water stops the stem from closing.

Read more: http://www.ehow.com/info_8106602_flower-food.html#ixzz2yei0Yzru

The Shrek orchid: Rare flower looks exactly like green-skinned ogre

This extraordinary flower is almost identical to children's cartoon character Shrek - with its green 'skin', horns and brown waistcoat.

The rare orchid looks as if it is giving a huge grin with outstretched arms, just like the misanthropic ogre who reveals a secret soft side in the beloved film series.

The flower, called Ophrys Apifera or bee orchid, was pictured in Spain by British photographer David Chapman.

The university lecturer from Cornwall caught sight of the remarkable flower while out walking through the Pyrenees.

The 48-year-old, who is also a wildlife photographer and writer, spotted the orchid in a book years ago and had been hoping to see one for real ever since.

'This is a very special species of flower, I remember having seen them in my wildflower guidebooks and longed to see one in the flesh,' he said.

'When I first saw one I was amazed by how clever their mimicry is and how beautiful the flowers are.

'Despite the bee orchid being very colourful it is extremely difficult to spot because it is tall and thin and grows amongst tall grasses.'

David has also snapped the orchids in the UK - although they are harder to find here.

He said: 'The quirkiest location I have photographed them is on a roundabout on the A30 near Hayle in Cornwall.

'It is thought that they grow there because their seeds were imported when soil was brought in to make the road embankments.

'I've never found bee orchids in the UK without prior knowledge, as they are quite rare - but I have found them on the north coast of Spain.'

The flower gets its name from its resemblance to a bumblebee, which is thought to entice insects to land on it and transfer its pollen to other plants.

Read more: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2597390/The-Shrek-orchid-Rare-flower-looks-exactly-like-green-skinned-ogre-wearing-waistcoat.html#ixzz2yEHaElTZ 

Flowers blooming as Thriplow Village gets ready for annual Daffodil Festival

Flower lovers need not wander as lonely as clouds to see some daffodils this weekend.

Britain’s biggest daffodil festival will be returning to the village of Thriplow this weekend for some gorgeous displays of the yellow flowers.

Thousands of the beautiful spring flowers are expected to be blooming in the village after the 46th festival had to be put back three weeks due to earlier wet weather,

Paul Earnshaw, chairman of Thriplow Daffodil Weekend Committee, said there will be plenty for visitors to enjoy at this year’s festival.

He said: “We are dedicated to providing a friendly, happy, relaxed event - where all generations of people can come together to enjoy the attractions and take in the beautiful surroundings.

“Taste of Thriplow gives everyone a chance to try some great food, enjoy local real ales in the Green Man Beer Tent and listen to some fantastic music from some of the best bands in the region.”

The Daffodil festival, which attracts around 10,000 people, was initially put back three weeks owing to the poor weather during the last two years.

And for Dan Murton, committee member, that decision was the right one.

He said: “We took the decision last summer because in the last two years the weather was so poor. I think last year there was snow two weekends later.

“I have just driven past and they are blooming.”

He added: “But, of course it has become about more than just daffodils.

“This year we have dray rides, vintage vehicles and a miniature steam railway, so there really is something for everyone.”

Thriplow Daffodil Weekend also offers Morris dancing, working sheepdog demonstrations, folk and jazz music, and an array of different food stalls.

A real ale tent will accompany Taste of Thriplow – a tent launched last year which showcases local produce, from locally reared beef to cordials brewed from hedgerow fruits – in an attempt to attract a slightly younger audience.

Home-Start Royston & South Cambridgeshire have been nominated as the external charity to benefit from the event, which will be held on April 5 and 6, from 11am-5pm.

The majority of the money raised goes to Thriplow charities but 10 per cent of the funds will help support families coping with domestic abuse, post natal depression, isolation, bereavement and disability.


Read more: http://www.cambridge-news.co.uk/Royston/Flowers-blooming-as-Thriplow-Village-gets-ready-for-annual-Daffodil-Festival-20140331162705.htm#ixzz2xZMleFvR