Preserve Queen Anne's Lace Flowers for Fresh Bouquets

The delicate, frilly, clustered flower head of Queen Anne's lace, also known as wild carrot, is an attractive filler flower for bouquets and floral arrangements. Growing wild throughout the United States, Queen Anne's lace is a biennial, blooming the second year of growth, starting in the early summer. The broad, flat cluster of tiny, white or light-yellow flowers, with the identifiable single, dark-purple center flower, appear on long stems that are easy to harvest for cut flower creations. Fresh cut Queen Anne's lace has a vase life of three to seven days. Proper preparation and care will keep the flower fresh longer.

Harvest Queen Anne's lace flowering stems in the morning, after the dew is gone. Cut the stems longer than you will need, using a sharp knife or sharp hand shears. Place the cut stems in a container of water as you harvest them. The tiny blossoms of the Queen Anne's lace flower head should have some of the flowers already opened with the remaining unopened buds showing color. The blossoms will not open while in a bouquet if Queen Anne's lace is harvested too soon, before the flower buds are mature.

Remove any leaves and foliage from the stems that might become submerged in the vase water of your floral arrangement, using a sharp knife or shears.

Use a sharp knife to re-cut the ends of the Queen Anne's lace stems to the preferred length for your bouquet, while holding the stem under water. Cutting the stems under water prevents an air bubble from developing at the stem cut, which would block water uptake and cause the flower to wilt sooner.

Place the re-cut Queen Anne's lace stem in a vase filled with mixed floral preservative and warm water, following the directions on the floral preservative package. Or, mix 20 drops of household bleach with 1 qt. of warm water to use in your flower arrangement vase. Warm water is more easily absorbed up the stem of flowers, keeping the flower and stem fully hydrated. Queen Anne's lace flower clusters often suffer from water stress, meaning the stem and flower head do not receive adequate water supply and will wilt. Using warm water with floral preservative will extend the vase life of the Queen Anne's lace cut flowers.

Change the floral preservative water mixture in the vase every two to three days and re-cut 1/2- to 1 inch off the Queen Anne's lace stems, again, under water. Re-opening up the stem end and refreshing the water will keep the stem and flower head hydrated, extending the vase life.

Harvest & Consume Passion Flower

The stems, flowers and leaves of the passion flower are used widely in Europe as an herbal treatment for asthma, insomnia, high blood pressure and pain relief. Passion flower is consumed by drying and crushing the petals to make a tea you can drink. Passion flower tea is easy to make at home, and provides a plethora of medicinal uses.

Harvesting Passion Flower
Cut stems, leaves and flowers from passion flower plants with scissors when they are mature and blooming. Tie these cuttings into small bundles using string.

Hang in a sunny window and leave to dry for two weeks, or until the cuttings are dry and brittle to the touch.

Untie the bundles and crush the leaves, stems and dried flowers with your fingers. Place them in a glass jar with a tight lid.

Consuming Passion Flower
Measure a teaspoon of crushed passion flower into a tea ball.

Place the tea ball in a mug of boiling water and allow to steep for ten minutes.

Drink the tea a half hour before bedtime for a calming, sedative-like effect. Drink passion flower tea in combination with Valerian or lemon balm to increase its calming effects. Valerian and lemon balm can be easily found in capsule form at your local drugstore.

Plant Flower Seeds

Flower seeds can be planted in late winter inside the house, so your flowers get a head start on summer growth, or you can put your seeds directly in the ground once the weather warms up. Either way, you want to make sure your seeds have the best growing conditions so your young plants are healthy and vigorous. To give seedlings the best start possible, they need quality soil, plenty of water and a warm, nurturing environment.

Determine the best time to plant your seeds. Most flowers can be planted outside any time after the last frost, but some should be planted later in the season. Most seed packets have directions for when to plant, or you can check the planting schedule in the resource section. If you want to start your flowers early, you can plant them indoors six to eight weeks before outdoor planting.

If you're planting your seeds outside skip to step three. If you choose to start your plants inside, fill the pots about three-quarters full with potting soil. You can use small starter pots or seedling trays and eventually transfer the seedlings from the container to the ground, or you can use peat pots, which go directly into the ground and dissolve in the soil.

Plant two or three seeds per pot. Press the seeds about half an inch below the surface, and cover them with soil. If you are planting large flowers, remove extra seedlings so there is only one flower growing in each pot, but planting extras will ensure that at least one seedling germinates. If you are planting directly in the ground, follow the same procedure, but space seeds in rows 2to 6 inches apart, depending on the size of the flowers.

Water the soil until it is damp but not soaking. If you're planting outside you're finished, just water the ground as needed until seedlings appear. If you're using pots, make sure they have holes in the bottom for excess water to drain. Put the pots on a tray or cookie sheet to catch the drainage, and cover with plastic wrap to help retain moisture. Place covered containers in a warm spot away from direct sunlight.

As soon as the seedlings appear, remove the plastic wrap and move the pots to a sunny area or place them under a grow light. Water seedlings as needed until it's time to plant them in the garden. If you're using plastic or metal pots, hold the base of the seedling and tip the pot upside down to remove each flower from its pot. The roots should come out intact, and the whole clump should be planted slightly below ground level and covered with soil. If you're using peat pots, plant the entire pot below the ground, and cover it with soil.

Plant Flowers in a Pot

Having a few inexpensive potted plants on your patio can make a huge difference to the feel of your yard. I know I love to look out from my living room window and see the flowers in bloom. If you live in an apartment having flowers in a pot on your balcony is a great way to dress it up. Flowers in pots generally need more care than flowers planted directly into the garden, so be sure you have the time to commit to their care. If you are not sure how to go about planting flowers in a pot, follow these steps.

Go to your favorite gardening center and check out the flowers. I love our local Lowe's and Armstrong's for a good selection of flowers and all the accessories that you could need.

Choose flowers
When choosing flowers make sure you take into consideration; are they shade or full sun flowers? Where will your pot sit? Out in the sun or in a shady spot? Are they high maintenance flowers? Can you make that commitment? Nothing will survive in my garden if it needs tending like a baby every day. Do you want annuals or perennials? Annuals will last a season and die off; perennials will come back (with care) year after year. Think of the color scheme of flowers that you want, how they will go with what you have already, I love white and purple flowers and they seem to match really well with the light green color of my house, so I am always drawn to those color schemes. Be sure to buy flowers that will do well within your zone. I am in a warm climate so many flowers do well here but if you are in a cooler climate or near the sea, you should do some investigation into what will do well in your area, to avoid disappointment.

Choose potting soil
Choose a potting soil for pots that is porous and well draining. That said, it also needs to retain moisture so that it does not dry out too quickly, especially in warm weather areas. You can make your own potting soil if you wish. There are many good gardening books out there that will give you the 'recipe' to do this.

Choose a pot
Select a pot that is the correct size for the flowers you have decided on, remember that they will need room for their roots and flowers to grow and some flowers will grow much faster and bigger than others, so do your homework and ask about your flowers' growth rate when you buy. I usually err on the side of caution and buy a bigger pot than I need. This will prevent the need for continual repotting to a larger pot. Look for a pot with drainage holes underneath to allow excess water to escape and avoid soggy roots.

Plant the flowers in the pot
Tap the flower container gently to free the flowers, roots and soil from the container it came home in. Pull apart any overgrown and coiled roots that are compacted to loosen them up. Set the roots end into the pot that has been partially filled with the potting soil. The top of the root ball should be about an inch or so from the top of the pot's rim. Add more potting soil to completely cover the roots. Water the flowers thoroughly and place the pot in the desired position in your yard or on your balcony.

Care of potted flowers
If you live in a warm weather area you may need to water the flowers once or even twice a day on hot days. If you have cooler weather once or twice a week may be enough. Potted flowers need regular fertilizing for best plant growth and to ensure continually blooming flowers throughout the season. Follow the fertilizer guidelines carefully. I use those fertilizer sticks that you put into the pot once a month; fuss free and fool proof.

Dye Flowers

Having the right balance of colors in a bouquet can make the difference between an average collection of flowers and a custom burst of life that sets the tone of a room or party. Transform white long stem flowers into custom pops of color with food coloring dye. Anyone can partake in this simple science experiment and dye flowers by following basic guidelines and using the right materials from a local grocery or craft supply store.

Cut the flower stems at an angle. According to CBS.com, the angle increases the stem's exposure to the water and enables it to uptake more water. The angled cut will make the flowers last longer and decrease the amount of time it takes for the flower to change color.

Separate the flowers. For example, if you wish to transform white flowers into red and blue flowers, create a red group and a blue group.

Fill a vase halfway full of water. There should be one vase per group.

Add drops of food coloring to the water until the water becomes dark, or four drops of coloring per cup of water. This method of dyeing flowers is called absorption dyeing, according to Purdue University's Department of Horticulture. (Reference 2)

Put the flowers in the vase.

Place the vase of flowers in sunlight for one to three days and watch the flowers absorb the color.

Remove flowers from vase once desired color is achieved.

Plant Flower Seeds Outside

A flower garden adds beauty and fragrance to your yard and is an enjoyable hobby that produces visible results. When planting flowers outdoors, you can purchase plants and seedlings or start your flowers directly from seed. Planting a flower garden from seed is simple to do, using basic gardening supplies. Care for your newly planted flower seeds and, several weeks later, you'll reap the benefits of all your hard work as you enjoy colorful flowers in your yard.

Prepare your garden soil by breaking up clumps of dirt with a garden rake. A loose, fine soil helps seeds break through to the surface more easily. Wear gardening gloves to keep your hands clean and protect them from injury while working outdoors.

Poke holes for the flower seeds into the soil, using your gloved finger. Read the back of the seed packet to determine the depth at which the seeds need to be planted.

Mix very small seeds with a couple teaspoons of dry sand. Doing this makes it easier to sow tiny seeds, according to online resource Creative Homeowner.

Plant a few flower seeds in each hole. Cover the holes with dirt and pat the ground down with your hands.

Place empty, clean tuna cans around the area where you planted your flower seeds. The tuna cans will serve to measure the amount of water you're using to water your flowers.

Water your newly planted flower seeds using a sprinkler or hose. Continue to water until your tuna cans contain 1 inch of water.

Create Beautiful Flower Pot Gardens

If you don’t have room for an ornamental garden or you don’t have the time to dig and toil, think flower pots. Potted flower arrangements have a sophistication of their own and can provide as complex a sensual delight as backyard beds. Designing a beautiful container garden requires a basic understanding of color, size and texture combinations, as well as a creative approach to mixing plants and materials.

Corners for Containers

Container gardens fit in almost anywhere, from patio to poolside. Any corner of empty space can be the site for an arrangement of pots filled with flowers, including entryway stairs and that shady area beneath the big tree. Identifying the future home of a container assists immeasurably in finding the right pots since their purpose becomes apparent. Planters on either side of the driveway serve as sentinels to mark the entrance. You’ll have to think big; tiny pots will be lost in this role. On the other hand, a cluster of small pots arranged on the stairs to the deck invite guests to enter. Add additional dimension to the arrangement by varying the heights of potted plants; place some on overturned containers or using interesting and unusual plant stands.

Matchmaking Pots and Places

Picking pots is a basic element of creating flower pot gardens, and there is no consideration more important than location: where is this container going to go? You will pick pots of different sizes, styles, shapes and colors for gracing a sunny oak patio than you would for placement before the red brick entrance of a townhouse. The architectural details of your home help narrow your choices. If you live in a small log cabin, pick pots in natural materials such as stone, weathered wood or even beaten copper. Large, elegant planter pots might be more appropriate near the entrance to an elegant Victorian than a cluster of 6-inch containers.

Tip
When it comes to flower pot clusters, unite the arrangement by using containers of the same material or of the same color or size. Using six identical pots with six identical plants spaced along a walkway or beside a low wall will emphasize its length, giving a strong impression of order. Using the same pots with five disparate plants lends harmony to a more whimsical design.

Picking and Installing Plants

The plants you select must be of an appropriate scale and color for the pot, and must also coordinate with other flowers and foliage in the grouping. If you mix too many species and colors, your flower pot garden may look chaotic rather than lively. Consider picking a color scheme for the arrangement and repeating the color somewhere in each pot; including yellow flowers in each of five pots will unite the grouping even if the flowers are of different sizes and species.

Warning
Be sure that the pots you use have adequate drainage holes so that your plants won’t sit in water. If you are planting directly in the containers, place a small piece of window screen over the holes to keep dirt from exiting with the water.

Planting Containers

When you’ve picked containers and flowers, it’s time to bring the two together. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1
Cut pieces of window screen to cover the drain holes of the container if they are bigger than 1/2 inch in diameter. Alternatively, put pieces of broken pottery into the bottom of the container -- a 2-to-3-inch layer -- directly on top of the drain holes. Put enough potting soil in the container to fill it about 3/4 of the way to the top.

Step 2
Place the plants in the container, leaving them in their plastic pots, until you determine the perfect arrangement. Remember to put plants that will grow taller in the center of an arrangement if the pot is to be viewed from several sides.

Step 3
Squeeze the plastic pot of each plant until its roots and soil come out in one piece. Place each one in its assigned spot. Adjust the soil so that a plant is installed at the same level as it was in the plastic pot.

Step 4
Fill in between the plants with potting soil and gently press it into place. The soil level should come to 2 inches below the lip of the pot. Pour in water slowly until it runs out from the drain holes.