Flower Basics

Cut flowers add color, fragrance and life to any environment. They lift spirits, commemorate important events and make an appropriate gift for a variety of occasions. The process of buying...

By freezing flowers, you can preserve their natural beauty and shape. A regular freezer, though, will not preserve your flowers. The key is to remove all the moisture, which a freezer will not do....

Among the many ways to preserve flowers, freeze drying lasts the longest and retains their original shape and look. Professionals freeze the flowers for four weeks, starting at -20 degrees F and...

Nature gives flowers a colorful array, but some colors only come in white. What if you could take those white flowers, like daisies or roses, and make them blue, green or yellow? You can and it is...

Flowers may be displayed in arrangements or as individual specimens for public viewing at events such as garden-club flower shows or county fairs. To present flowers at their best and to extend...

Fresh-cut hydrangea blossoms make stunning decorative accents both by themselves and when mixed with other flowers and greens. They bloom in the summer and fall and come in a variety of colors.

Begonias have tuberous roots that must be stored during the winter months to survive during cold weather and bloom again the next year. Like all plants with underground root structures, it is best...

The creeping phlox flower is a perennial found in the eastern part of North America that spreads by producing low, root-growing stems called stolons.

The unexpected delivery of fresh flowers will brighten your day, but even purchasing or growing them yourself makes the day feel a little sunnier. You will want your flowers to stay fresh and look...

Flower beds can be very rewarding for the gardener. The smells and colors greet your senses every time you venture outdoors. Many people would like to bring their cut flowers indoors to enjoy them...

Poppy flowers have been enjoyed for thousands of years and are an ideal cut blossom when preparing an indoor arrangement or creating a bouquet. These large flowers can vary in height from 12...

Floral arrangements and bouquets are often expensive and elaborate and it is a shame to have to simply dispose of them after use. Preserving floral arrangements is a great way to create a keepsake...

Honeysuckle has been used in Asia for thousands of years as a medicinal plant. Both the flowers and the stems contain many beneficial constituents, such as calcium, linoleic acid, magnesium,...

Botanist Traugott Gerber spotted miles of brilliantly colored flowers while on an 1880 visit to Africa, and it took no time for these showy sunflower cousins to attract a worldwide fan club. These...

Any home looks more beautiful with fresh flowers gracing the entry way, on the dining room table or brightening a night stand in the bedroom. While you can spend quite a bit of money at the...

Fresh flower arrangements are often used to mark a special occasion, brighten someone's day or to just brighten up a room. How long those flowers will last depends on the type of flowers as well...

Drying flowers lets you preserve and enjoy their beauty long after their blooming season ends. There are two reliable ways to dry flowers: one that requires no equipment and one that needs a few...

Creating an attractive flower arrangement in a tower vase is much easier than it looks. The key is to organize the flowers beforehand. When putting together the arrangement, take your time. Every...

Sedum, or stonecrop, is an easy-to-care-for plant that many gardeners enjoy propagating. Rooting sedum makes it easy to start new sedum plants to enjoy year after year.

Flower preservation is a rewarding activity--floral arrangements say so much without words and can enrich anyone's enjoyment of life. Preserving flowers is easier than it sounds. If you can...

Fresh cut flowers are a perishable product. Not only does a fresh flower need to transported fresh from the market to the florist shop where it will be sold, it needs to be in excellent condition...

When you receive or buy flowers, you probably debate how long they will last before they have to hit the trash can. Some seem to last forever, while others are gone the next day. There are various...

Sunflowers brighten a room with their smiling faces. Blossoms range in size from 12 inches across--plants raised primarily for their seeds--to miniature blooms no more than 3 inches in diameter. ...

People arrange flowers for various reasons, but the most common are to lend a little cheeriness and a pleasant scent to a room. In fact, flowers may be arranged specifically to cover up an...

Bouquets of flowers are beautiful additions to any room in the house. Preserve their beauty by taking proper care of them. You can almost double the life of any cut flower bouquet by following a...

Aspirin added to the water in a vase may help preserve the beauty of some bouquets, helping stems remain erect and blossoms keep their color and sheen. Aspirin prolongs fresh garden-cut flowers as...

Floral arrangements in vases are usually created in water. This is because floral foam is hard to fit into many vases, although some wide vases do have floral foam. Whether you use foam or water,...

Learning how to arrange flowers can be an artistic hobby or a great way to save money for a wedding. If you have a garden full of beautiful flowers, you can create your own arrangements as gifts...

If you are cutting flowers from the garden – it’s best that you take a bucket with water at the bottom along with you. As soon as you cut the flowers put them into this bucket. This way the air...

The only thing wrong with receiving a big bouquet of your favorite fresh flowers is knowing you'll enjoy them for so short a time. After briefly gracing your home with color and elegance, they'll...

Flowering plants of many types are candidates for drying and preserving. Whether arranged in a vase as if they were fresh or used in a small cachepot, spray or a wreath, dried flower arrangements...

Fresh flowers make a beautiful display in your home. It seems, though, just as soon as you start enjoying them, they start to wilt and die. Unless they are from your own garden, flowers are very...

Boutonnieres are small floral accessories that men wear for formal occasions. Make your own boutonnieres out of fresh or silk flowers using a few simple supplies and techniques. You'll save...

Flowers that are carefully cut will look fresher and last longer. It doesn't matter whether you have purchased your flowers or gathered them from the garden--it's still necessary to cut and...

Have you seen those expensive dried Roses in a boutique? Ever wished you could do it yourself and use them in your home, keeping that special gift instead of discarding when the roses wilt? This...

There is nothing more elegant than a hand-tied bouquet of roses. Popularized on the flower dealing streets of Holland, hand-tied bouquets are created by arranging the stems of flowers in the crook...

Hydrangeas are large, showy, old-fashioned flowers that bloom in summer. Their puffy flower heads make stunning dried flower arrangements. There are a few different ways to preserve hydrangeas....

Flowers are an uplifting way to bring color and life into a living space. For less than $10 an armload of fresh flowers, depending on the varieties, can provide a week or longer of visual pleasure.

Many factors can cause flowers to wilt, but with proper care, preparation, and attention to a few details, flowers will stay beautiful much longer. By following a few tips, you can keep tulips,...

This time of year, you'll see them everywhere-growing with reckless abandon in uncut lawns, vacant lots, by the side of the road or even in sidewalk cracks. And they're often just as beautiful as...

Roses dry beautifully if done correctly. A few simple things can make the process successful for you and the look of the flowers will last much longer if handled properly.

Fresh flowers can brighten anyone's day. They are gifts for friends and family or can be used centerpieces for weddings and dinner parties. You can treat yourself to a bouquet once in a while too....

Carnations, also known as pinks, are easy growers. There are perennial and annual varieties of carnations and all produce a clove, spicy-like fragrance. Carnations can grow to be 2 feet tall on...

It is important to wrap fresh-cut flowers or an arrangement of store-bought flowers in cellophane to protect the flower heads and stems from damage. The cellophane wrap will help the flowers...

Pansies are a hardy, easy flower. They grow well almost anywhere, withstand cold and hot temperatures, and come in a wide range of colors. This is what makes them a favorite for flower beds and...

For many, a vase full of freshly cut flowers is a sure sign that summer is in full swing. The colorful blooms and sweet aroma can add a touch of ambience to any decor. But flowers need more than...

Putting together a professional-quality bouquet is not as complicated as it may seem; once you master a few key skills you will be able to design a variety of creative flower arrangements for all...

Scions should be gathered several weeks before the grafting season arrives. Scions are root cuttings that allows the cuttings to be preserved and reproduced onto other plants.. Grafting the scion...

The asexual plant reproduction does not involve the union of the gametes (or sex cells). In essence, the plant can reproduce without involvement from any other individual within the plant species.

The balloon flower, or platycodon grandiflorum, has balloon-shaped flowers up and down the plant's stems. Start growing a balloon flower by seed in the spring with instructions from a sustainable...