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Floral style for spring 2012

According to the expert florist, Karen Barnes, Head of Floral Gifting at Interflora, it’s all about vintage in spring 2012. Antique-style containers filled with soft, pastel shades of pink, blue, yellow, green and cream are going to be gracing homes across the country.

Combining a vintage look with a refreshing twist, flowers for this spring will be elegant and beautiful, giving your home a clean, light feel. The best way to pair both vintage and refreshing is to choose simplistic and clean flowers, such as spray roses or tulips, and display them in antique china vases or ceramic cups.

You can also use teapots, decorative watering cans, biscuit tins, and anything else with that vintage, lived-in look. Vintage style flower arrangements are typically quite large and fill the container completely. Don’t be afraid to stick with just one colour in your arrangement; simplicity is the key here.

Below we’ve listed a few of our favourite flowers that will fit in perfectly with your vintage theme:

Roses – these gorgeous flowers come in a variety of shapes and colours and are readily available all year round. For the vintage look choose flowers in shades of cream, peach and pink and go for a larger, English rose variety such as Gertrude Jekyll or Othello, to make a really eye-catching arrangement.

Carnations – you can find these wonderful flowers with a stylish two-tone effect that looks great when displayed in a dainty china teapot or vase. The white variety with the red edge and the deep purple with cream are particularly delightful and you can mix and match whichever colour combinations you prefer.

Calla Lilies – for a more elegant and simplistic style, choose a few white calla lilies, arranged with a little green foliage, and display in a clean, white vase. The unique shape of this lily makes it a wonderful, stylish addition to your home and it will also give off a fresh, aromatic fragrance as well.

International Garden Photographer of the Year 2012

The winner of this year’s International Garden Photographer of the Year 2012 was Magdalena Wasiczek with her picture of a sweet pea entitled ‘Upside Down’.

Born in 1973, Magdalena is from Trzebinia, Poland and is a graduate from Jagiellonian University in Philology. When describing the winning photograph, the judges commented on the “subtlety and balletic simplicity of this picture.”

Andrew Lawson – International Garden Photographer of the Year judge said; “The brimstone alighting on a sweet pea is a fortuitous event, brilliantly seen. The butterfly and the flower are the perfect complement to each other. The outlines of the insect’s wings are continuous with the lines of the flowers; and the patterning on its wings picks up an echo of the pink colour of the flowers.”

The competition is now in its sixth year and is open to all levels of skill; from amateurs to professionals. Photographers from all over the world are invited to take part and there are no restrictions on the type of camera, or the techniques used to produce the finished image.

The judges plan to select around 100 finalists whose photographs which will be printed to exhibition standard and shown at major exhibitions during 2013.

International Garden Photographer of the Year categories include;

• The Beauty of Plants
• Beautiful Gardens
• Wildlife Havens
• Breathing Spaces
• Bountiful Earth
• Trees Woods Forests
• Fragile Landscapes
• Greening The City

Resource
http://www.igpoty.com/competition05/winners.asp?parent=winners

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/gardening/gardeningpicturegalleries/9118819/International-Garden-Photographer-of-the-Year-2012-competition.html

Frozen plant blooms again after 30,000 years on ice

The Silene stenophylla has entered the record books as the oldest plant to ever have been regrown.

The seeds of the plant were discovered after a research team uncovered fossil burrows hidden in ice deposits in north-eastern Siberia. It dates back 30,000 to 32,000 years and the burrows were also found to hold the bones of large mammals, such as mammoth, woolly rhinoceros, bison, horse and deer.

“The squirrels dug the frozen ground to build their burrows, which are about the size of a soccer ball, putting in hay first and then animal fur for a perfect storage chamber,” said Stanislav Gubin, one of the authors of the study, who spent years rummaging through the area for squirrel burrows. “It’s a natural cryobank.”

The burrows were firmly cemented together and often totally filled with ice, making any water infiltration impossible – creating a natural freezing chamber fully isolated from the surface. The researchers believe the results of this experiment could prove that permafrost serves a natural depository for ancient life forms.

“We consider it essential to continue permafrost studies in search of an ancient genetic pool, that of pre-existing life, which hypothetically has long since vanished from the earth’s surface,” the scientists said in the article.

Svetlana Yashina of the Institute of Cell Biophysics of the Russian Academy Of Sciences, who led the regeneration effort, said the revived plant looked very similar to its modern version, which still grows in the same area in north-eastern Siberia.

Resource
http://news.sky.com/home/strange-news/article/16174136
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Silene_stenophylla

Formaldehyde Removal by Plants

In 1990 the Plants For Clean Air Council and Wolverton Environmental Services, Inc. began to co-sponsor research that continues to expand upon the earlier NASA research (1989). Fifty houseplants were tested for their ability to remove various toxic gases from sealed test-chambers.

Because formaldehyde is the most commonly found toxin in indoor air, the ability to remove this substance from the air was used as the standard for rating these plants. Formaldehyde has provoked more public, regulatory and scientific controversy during the past 15 years than any other substance.

Numerous sources of formaldehyde are present in the buildings we inhabit. It is found in various resins and is used to treat many consumer products, including refuse sacks, paper towels, facial tissues, fabrics, permanent-press clothing, carpet-backing, flooring-coverings and adhesives. Formaldehyde is released by gas cookers and is found in tobacco smoke. It is also used in building materials such as plywood, chipboard and panelling. Both plywood and chipboard are used extensively in the manufacture of domestic and office furniture and fittings.

Numerous adverse health problems have been ascribed to formaldehyde exposure, ranging from well-documented effects such as eye, nose and throat irritation, to more controversial claims including asthma, cancer, chronic respiratory diseases and neuropsychological problems. Although evidence of cancer formation is unequivocal, the extrapolation of these results to humans has been controversial.

One concern voiced by those sceptical of these findings centres around the belief that if plants continually absorb toxins from the air, once absorption capacity is reached, the plant will die and release all of the toxins back into the air.

To address these concerns, the ability of the Lady Palm (Rhapis excelsa) to remove formaldehyde released from sections of panelling was tested. Two chambers were used in these experiments. The first chamber held a Lady Palm and two sections of panelling made from urea-formaldehyde resins. The second (control) chamber held only two sections of panelling and a beaker of water, to help equalise the humidity levels in the two chambers. Plant transpiration naturally increased the humidity in the first chamber.

The Lady Palm not only removed formaldehyde fumes, but its removal rate improved with exposure time. Interestingly there was no apparent damage to the plant. This phenomenon indicates that plants play a major role in delivering airborne toxins to microbes living around their roots, which can then break down the toxin. The adaptation of microbes to this task is the key to houseplants becoming better fighters against air pollution.

Flowers that help fight a cold

According to a study by Dr Tove Fjeld of the University of Agriculture in Norway, indoor plants can help to reduce symptoms of fatigue, coughs, sore throats and other cold related illnesses by more than 30%.

The study goes on to state: “Professor Dr Tove Fjeld and her team of researchers conducted a series of studies to ascertain whether the presence of living indoor plants could improve office workers’ health and reduce incidents of minor illnesses and ailments.

The participants were employees at a hospital radiology department. Each placed commonly-used foliage plants into containers onto a window bench and in the back corner of their office for a period of approximately three months. All worked in single office rooms which were identical with a floor area of 10msq and a window covering most of the outer wall. The participant was then required to complete a questionnaire across various stages of the research period.

The key findings highlighted that complaints regarding coughs and fatigue were reduced by 37% and 30% respectively, and hoarse throat and dry or itching facial skin each decreased approximately 23%. If the symptoms were clustered, a significant reduction was obtained.”

So there you have it; keeping a plant in your home or office can significantly improve your health and get to back to feeling 100%, so what are you waiting for? Head over to our list of the best health-boosting plants and bring some sunshine into your life today.

Flowers in your workplace can increase creativity

Every one of us has had days when we get to the office and wish that we had stayed in bed. A lack of motivation, no creativity and a general feeling of fatigue can all make us less than enthusiastic about getting to work.

However, recent research has shown that flowers and plants in the workplace can increase creativity amongst employees. We recommend putting a vase of flowers in your reception area, meeting room or on your desk to help boost your mood and get those creative juices flowing.

A scientific study at Texas A&M University showed that just a simple vase of flowers or a leafy plant can help to produce 15 per cent more ideas and innovations in an office. The study was carried out by Dr Roger Ulrich and showed a positive link between flowers and plants and workplace productivity. It found that workers’ idea generation, creative performance and problem solving skills improved substantially in workplaces that include flowers and plants.

There are a wide range of occasions when it may be appropriate to send a gift to a client or customer – so help improve their office well-being with flowers. According to a study carried out by Dr Jeannette Haviland-Jones at Rutgers University, when given gifts of equal monetary value, people responded most positively to a gift of flowers. Nearly all respondents reported having a ‘warm glow’ several days after receiving the gift.

Flower trend Ideas for 2010

We’ve selected the trendiest blooms for this year and come up with some great 2010 trends ideas for you to try.

Gold – everyday elegance
Treasured objects deserve to be on display – and what better way to show them off, than adorning them with a few choice cut blooms? A wine-coloured carnation, coupled with sunshine-yellow alstroemeria with its red streaks, complement the gold tones perfectly. Loosely placing the lid on top helps create the illusion of abundance, as if the flowers are spilling from the container.

The fuzzy fronds of maroon kangaroo paw and the yellow alstroemeria stem laid out beside the pot pick out the accents of the colour scheme.

If you like displaying flowers out of water, don’t worry – these flowers will last out of water for a special all-day occasion.

Copper – most fun
Create your own style of arrangement with a medley of different flowers and colours and a classic copper pot. The painted copper spot on the glossy green monstera leaf brings to whole piece together beautifully. Hanging heliconia arches over a display of burnt-orange lilies, royal-purple vanda, the spikes of deep-red bromeliads, orange leucospermum and gloriosa, and alstroemeria in tones to suit the mixture of colours.

Push the foliage into soaked florists’ foam first, then add in the tall spikes at the back, filling in the front with shorter flowers to finish off.

The Boat – for special occasions
Take a long, boat-like container and place florists’ foam inside. Poke four wiggles of bark into the foam, and then follow with four red alstroemeria. Some can be a little bit taller than others. Add in a shorter level: four carnations in a rough line, then some red arcs of euphorbia fulgens, and four fuzzy kangaroo paw. Along the bottom, add some miniature ornamental pineapples and spiny red leucospermum.

Add in cones, pods, spotty leucadendron or soft coconut husk to fill in any gaps and complete the tropical theme.

Carbon monoxide removal by plants

Carbon monoxide is a naturally occurring gas that living creatures produce when they breathe and is then absorbed by plants to produce carbohydrate energy. This process is one of the most important processes on earth as the plants produce oxygen as a waste product from this simple transaction.

Carbon monoxide can be fatal in large doses and it is virtually undetectable by sight or smell. Some species of house plant can absorb up to 96% of carbon monoxide from the air, making them an important addition to any home or office. Below we have included a study by Dr Bill Wolverton of NASA Research who was part of a study to determine the benefits of house plants on carbon monoxide levels.

Dr Bill Wolverton, NASA Research, 1985

Major sources of indoor pollution are tobacco smoke and the combustion of fossil fuels in heaters, gas stoves, water heaters etc. Combustion products are becoming an even greater threat to our health due to increased sealing of homes, offices, and buildings for energy conservation. Reduced ventilation contributes to a build-up of such gaseous combustion products as carbon monoxide (CO).

In 1990 the Plants for Clean Air Council and Wolverton Environmental Services, Inc. began to co-sponsor research that continues to expand upon the earlier NASA research (1989). Houseplants were tested for their ability to remove various toxic gases from sealed test-chambers.

All plants that were tested were from local nurseries, kept in their original pots and potting soil, just as they were received from the nursery and were maintained in a greenhouse between tests. All plants were in good health.
Chemical contamination tests were conducted in four Plexiglas chambers: – two measuring 61cm wide by 61cm deep and 91cm high, and two larger chambers measuring 69cm wide by 69cm deep and 122cm high.

Mounted inside each chamber was a coil of copper tubing through which water (7 degrees Celsius) was circulated. This prevented excessive heat build-up and minimised any fogging from plant respiration in the chambers. The chambers also contained two small removal ports (0.6cm), through which contaminants could be introduced and air samples obtained. A small fan was used to circulate air within each chamber.

The test concluded that highly toxic levels of carbon monoxide were reduced to non-toxic levels in 24 hours by one spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum). Therefore, more than 96% of the carbon monoxide was removed.

Chelsea Flower Show: 19 – 23 May 2009

The colour trends for Chelsea 2009 focused on pink, lilac and purple, while the shapes for the year were round and poker. Flower trends for 2009 included allium and iris, and there was a theme of water for the garden exhibits to use as well.

Chelsea gardens were made with a decrease in budget for many, but there was still a very high standard of exhibits. Pink, lilac and purple was a very strong colour theme, and iris and allium were featured in most gardens – modern or country-style, masculine or whimsy, real – or plastic.

Flower Fusion
Poker-shaped flowers break up the softer, rounder shapes of allium and iris. You can achieve this look with your summer indoor flower displays using eremurus, kniphofia or delphinium with round flowers like peonies and allium.

Country Garden
A country garden setting suits deep-coloured iris perfectly. In your local flower retailer, you can buy blue, purple and white iris, and some will stock bearded iris in pastel shades, too.

Pink Allium
There were hundreds of retailers in the main pavilion selling bulbs and plants for the garden – this retailer was very trend-savvy and stocked a range of iris and allium.

Peaceful Pink
This garden showed a very creative way of using impatiens bedding plants, by planting them as a huge bed, with the garden path protruding as raised platforms to the seated area. Once again, pinks and purples were the most popular theme.

Minimalist
Even a modern minimalist design adopted the popular colour-scheme and the ever-popular alliums. This is a great way of showing how the same flower can be used in both a modern and traditional way.

Pond Life
Water features were a huge theme at Chelsea this year. There was even a garden whose water level rose over the footpath to the door intermittently – perfect for banishing unwanted visitors! Here, a pretty pond is framed with the fashionable flowers of Chelsea, allium and iris.

Time Out
Comfortable seats and pretty flowers – allium and iris set the scene for a comfortable garden setting.

Ace of Spades
Macho motorbikes and irresistible iris – these fashionable flowers are even fitting for the most masculine occasion. Need ideas for that special man in your life for Father’s Day next month?

Playful Plasticine
Even a garden made entirely of plasticine was on-trend with its inclusion of iris amongst its plastic haven. This garden is amazingly creative, but remember that plastic flowers and plants are never as good as the real thing in your home.

Demonstrations
Just like the Chelsea gardens, there are trends in indoor plants and cut flowers, too. The Flowers & Plants Association promotes four flower fashion trends a year to the UK consumer, which are created in line with trends in interior design and on the catwalk. Andrea Caldecourt, Chief Executive of the Flowers & Plants Association, gave a presentation on fashion, style and personality and how trends are created at the Gardening Matters marquee on Tuesday 19th May.

Cleaner air with plants

Plants all over the world are working non-stop to remove pollutants from the air and create cleaner, fresher air in its place. This is why preserving our natural forests and green spaces is so important for the future of our planet. It is also the reason why having a house plant in your home is a step towards better health for you and your family.

Formaldehyde from tissues, carpets and furniture can cause asthma and other respiratory problems and houseplants can remove formaldehyde from the air. Carbon monoxide is the toxic gas found in car exhaust fumes and a spider plant placed in a small enclosed space can remove 96% of the carbon monoxide from the air.

NASA space research, conducted inside airtight space habitats, showed ordinary houseplants had amazing capabilities in fighting air pollution. In its test, in addition to formaldehyde and carbon monoxide, houseplants absorbed benzene (found in car exhaust fumes and cigarette smoke) and trichloroethylene (TCE) or dry-cleaning fluid.

The most effective types of house plant, aside from spider plants, are palms, including lady palm (Raphis excelsa) and parlour palm (Chamaedorea elegans), ficus, peace lily (Spathiphyllum), dragon tree (Dracaena), Boston fern (Nephrolepsis exaltata), chrysanthemum and gerbera.

Dracaena Rikki is named UK Office Plant of the Year 2009

Dracaena Rikki has been named the inaugural UK’s Office Plant of the Year 2009.

Like all green plants, Dracaena Rikki is good for our health, cleaning the air indoors of toxins and refreshing it with oxygen, whilst helping to keep us calmer.

A body of scientific and academic research has shown that houseplants are not only good for our health and well-being, but that they are good for employers too.  Why?  Because they help to keep staff motivated, aid focused concentration, enhance creativity and so improve productivity and the bottom line… anything that helps in these financial times can’t be bad!

Interior landscapers were invited during the year to name their top plants and Dracaena Rikki was in the top six, which also included Spathiphyllum and Sansevieria.

Alongside its many health giving benefits, Dracaena Rikki also proved a good choice for office planting because of its toughness, light tolerance and general ease of maintenance.

These attributes coupled with its good growth – up to one foot a year – and its attractive leaf structure ensured it got the winning votes from the judges: Adam Pasco of Gardeners World Magazine, Matthew Appleby from Horticulture Week and Ian Drummond representing eFIG and Indoor Garden Design.

“It’s adaptable and easy to maintain and offers a modern feeling with its pleasant textured, flexible leaf and architectural appearance.  It’s tolerance of low light levels and its toughness together with its interesting leaf variation and fast growth make Dracaena Rikki a winner,” commented Matthew Appleby.

Plant short list
Six plants were shortlisted for UK Office Plant of the Year:

• Chlorophytum ‘Mandarin’
• Sansevieria
• Spathiphyllum
• Chamaedorea seifrizi
• Dracaena Rikki
• Dracaena steudneri

Floral Themes to Show Your Mum You Care on Mother’s Day

Whether you’re five or fifty-five, your mum is always your mum – and you’re always the person she loves no matter what.

Over the years, it can be difficult to know what to get for the number one lady in your life on her special day, Mother’s Day – but you can never go wrong with gorgeous cut flowers and potted plants. Add a personalised touch, and you have an even more thoughtful, memorable gift.

This Mother’s Day, take the hassle out of spoiling mum, with these four great money-saving, inspiring and creative themes;

• Do It Yourself: creative (and money-saving) ideas for artistic types
• High Tea: make a simple meal memorable and magic
• Colourful Creative: big bold gestures and personal touches
• Boudoir Luxury: For mothers who deserve some glamour in their life

1. Do-it-yourself
Home-made gifts are such precious gifts for mums. You can make a personalised and special gift very easily with cut flowers and plants.

• Lisianthus posy
  • Although they are available all year round, delicate pastel lisianthus are a perfect Mother’s Day gift for a small gesture (or small person to give). The blooms come in so many colours or you can make a grand gesture with a big bunch instead.
  • Lisianthus have several flowers per stem, which you can cut off and turn into a miniature posy. Take a stalk or two, and snip off the shorter side stems with their fat, coloured flowers. You can cut off a few of the buds, too, for variation.
  • Bunch these side stems together and tie with coloured string. You can even add a twist of coloured grass or foliage (snip one from a houseplant if you like) and fix with a pin.
  • Place this in a home-made frame and cover with cellophane, for a thoughtful Mother’s Day gift or card.

• Heavenly hydrangea
  • Houseplants make the perfect gift for something that’s fresh, natural, long lasting and beautiful.
  • Hydrangea are a great gift for Mother’s Day – they come in pastel shades of pink, blue, lavender and white, have a blowsy mop head for the fashionable vintage look, and can even be placed on the patio in the summer months.
  • You can add your own creative flair with colourful and personalised wrapping, a pretty pot, ribbons and decoration.

2. High tea
There’s nothing like lazy afternoon tea on a spring afternoon, to make you feel relaxed and glamorous.

Set the table with a feast of cakes, sandwiches and tea in pots with cute cups – and of course, beautiful blooms to set the scene, especially for mum to enjoy afterwards!

• Hyacinth heaven
  • There’s nothing like the scent of hyacinth to accompany a cup of fragrant jasmine or Darjeeling tea and make mum feel like a million dollars.
  • The scent is captured in famous perfumes such as Anais Anais, Giorgio, Paris, Safari, Envy and Chloe. Why not treat your mother to the real thing to accompany your home-made high tea – who needs the Ritz when you can have hyacinths? With flowers in a huge range of colours there will be one to match your mother’s eyes (bright blue), her hair (golden yellow, white), her rosy cheeks (blush pink) or even her sofa.

• Kalanchoe Queen
  • Make mum feel like the Queen Bee with a longer-lasting memento to remind her for months to come of that lovely afternoon you spent together.
  • Kalanchoes have thick, fleshy leaves and pretty, starry flowers – and are really easy to care for. All your mother needs to do is water them every two weeks, because the water gets stored in their leaves.
  • Pop the plant in a feminine bag that coordinates with the blooms, for the perfect plant wrapping, decoration and transportation, all in one!

3. Colourful creative
If mum is bold and bright, then you can make something really special for her with brightly coloured blooms.

• Calla and gerbera surprise
  • Callas have a large fleshy petal wrapped in a cone form around a central ‘spathe’. Pop in a sunny coloured gerbera flower into the centre of the cone.
  • The green stem of the gerbera can then be tied to the calla stem with vivid string for a hand-made look.
  • Tip: Lots of these colourful creations look fabulous all tied together in a bunch; or make just one to decorate a parcel or tie onto a greetings card.

• Rocking roses
  • Roses have long been seen as the emblem of love and appreciation, with pink roses being a favourite choice for special mothers.
  • Roses are a very popular gift for Mother’s Day, with dainty rose plants giving your mum a longer-lasting surprise.
  • Make a colourful creation by placing three differently coloured rose plants in a pot or vase, with decorative stones or shells on top to hide the soil.
  • These make a great centrepiece for a table, or to add cheer to a special place where your mum likes to sit.

4. Boudoir luxury
Maybe mum is very glamorous, gorgeous and elegant, and you’d like something extra-special to show her how much you care.

• Amazing amaryllis
  • These blooms are the ultimate in luxury and elegance – tall, long legged and a pretty face – just like a yummy mummy!
  • They come in all kinds of colours that your mum will love, and some have patterned faces, as if they’ve got blusher and make-up on.
  • You can tie them together with green hydrangea flowers and a satin bow for an extra-special treat – and leave on a chair for her to discover and enjoy!

• Jasmine delight
  • Jasmine plants remind mum of sweet-scented evenings abroad, eating al fresco in sunnier climes.
  • Bring hints of a warmer, more luxurious place to her home, with this perfumed plant.
  • The tiny, white or pink flowers of jasmine open up into small stars, and the scent is divine, heady, sweet, and exotic. Tuck in ceramic rose ornaments, for an extra touch of boudoir luxury.
  • Like every supermodel beauty, these jasmine plants like regular drinks of water to keep themselves looking fresh and perky.
  • Surprise your mum by placing her new plant on a bedside table near a window, where the sweet scent of her gift will wake her before she even gets out of bed.