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.

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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