Flower of the Month: Hydrangea

Welcome to another installment of Flower of the Month! For this month, let's highlight the beautiful summer/early fall flower, hydrangeas! These days, they are blooming everywhere in the neighborhood. I think most florists have a love/hate relationship with them. They wilt easily and need additional prep work to last. But with their large, round blooms, hydrangeas are gorgeous as a base flower in arrangements. They provide a cushion for other flowers in place.

Below are some hydrangea-specific conditioning tips I've learned in the past:

1. As with other flowers, cut stems in an angle. But I also cut up the center for the stems for additional water absorption. Hydrangeas LOVE water (in fact, hydrangea translates to "water barrel" in Greek). 
2. Revive wilted hydrangeas by submerging them in water for a few hours. Fill a tub or deep bucket with tepid water and then place the flowers lying down in the water. As mentioned above, they love water and need to drink from the top, too.  
3. Believe it or not, alum, the spice, is a hydrangea's best friend. Sometimes when you cut hydrangeas, they form a sticky substance over the cut that prevents the flower from drinking water.  Alum prevents that sticky substance. After cutting the stem, immediately place the bottom 1/2″ of the stem in the alum and then arrange as usual. This spice does turn the water dark, so it's best to use an opaque vase when making an arrangement.

at the flower market

at the High Line

a large scale arrangement with lace cap hydrangeas I made at FlowerSchool NY

Tips for lasting flowers

Fresh flowers can definitely cheer up the bluest of moods and add some life and warmth to a room. Their beauty, freshness, aroma and the fact that they are only in that vase for a short time reminds you to enjoy them while you are fortunate enough to have them around. Here are some tips to ensure your flowers stay fresh as long as possible:

1. Change water every 24 hours to discourage bacterial growth. Nothing kills flowers faster than having to drink dirty water. To change water, gently lift the flowers up, dump the old water and then put new water in the vase. 
2. Remove any flower from the arrangement that have faded so it does not contaminate the other flowers. 
3. Keep it away from direct sunlight, excessive heat, televisions, appliances or heating or cooling units, which give off heat and wilt flowers. 
4. If possible, re-cut stems with a sharp floral knife or clippers every other day. When trimming flowers, cut stems at a 45 degree angle. This exposes the greatest surface area of the stem and allows the flower to absorb as much water as it can. 
5. Be sure that there is no foliage at or below the waterline as those leaves will decay and cause the growth of bacteria. 
6. Avoid placing flowers beside fruits or vegetables as they give off ethylene, which is a gaseous hormone (not harmful to humans) in the plant that induces the flower to drop its petals and become a fruit.

Treat yourself with some flowers today!  

Summer Blooms

It's mid-August, and it's that time of year when flowers really love to show off. Love it! Here are photos I took of my most favorite summer flowers from the last two months.

foxgloves: I hope for a chance to arrange with these flowers soon.

clematis: I haven't had a chance to design with these flowers either. I found them at the flower mart recently, but they were so expensive! :(

chamomile: they make such a charming filler flower.

delphinium: not too many flowers that are naturally blue, so I love these flowers!

allium: another flower I would love to use in a design.

sunflower: how can you not smile when these flowers are around?!

roses: July's flower of the month

zinnias: another happy flower and a favorite of butterflies. They come in vivid red,yellow, orange, pink, green, and purple. I tried to grow these in my backyard as I heard and read that they are easy to grow.  They didn't grow, unfortunately. I don't think my yard gets enough sunlight and I didn't water them! Oops!

lilies: I love their scent, and as a floral designer, I love that they are long-lasting!

dahlias: to me, they symbolize late summer (August's flower of the month, too)

hydrangeas: it seems to be the favorite of many. 

yarrow: I used these flowers at a flower arrangement class with young girls, and they loved them for their awesome texture (reminded them of honeycomb). 

I also love hibiscus. It's Hawaii's state flower and they love the sun and heat. 

New York City's Flower District

Manhattan's flower district on 28th Street, between 7th and 6th Avenues, is quite impressive. It comprises of wholesalers with storefronts offering greens, branches, potted plants, local/imported cut flowers, silk flowers or tropicals. In addition, there are vendors selling floral supplies and vases. If you are visiting and looking for a fun, relaxing activity in NYC where you can surround yourself with beautiful flowers you may not have seen before, I highly recommend checking out the area. Most, if not all, of the vendors will sell to anyone off the street and not exclusively to resellers. The best time to go is around 10am after the morning rush (note that some shops may be closed by noon since they open way before dawn). For those in the floral trade, be prepared to swoon at the flowers readily available to NYC florists.  

Just some of my favorite photos from my visits:

dahlias and I think, gomphrena

blue thistle and ornamental peppers at G Page

late fall sunflowers and hydrangeas

blooming spring branches

ranunculus (March's flower of the month)

astilbe adds such a charming texture to any arrangement (photo taken at Dutch Flower Line)

mango calla lilies 

more pretty hydrangeas

a vendor specializing in different types of high-quality roses--A Rose by Harvest

Marché aux Fleurs (Flower Market)

There are many things to love about Paris--fantastic food, rich history, beautiful architecture, etc. But for the floral enthusiast, its daily flower market is guaranteed to be a source of joy. It’s located in Île de la Cité (specifically, on Place Louis-Lepine between the Conciergerie and city hall), and it rocks. It has been around since 1808 and besides delivering floral eye candy, it is a peaceful refuge from the thousands of tourists visiting the nearby Notre Dame.