The skies are grey, but your surroundings don’t have to be; with indoor-friendly plants and fresh-cut flowers from the florist’s or grocery store, you can bring a bit of bright colour into your home. This week’s links offer some tips to choose and keep the best and longest-lasting blooms.
It’s common knowledge that different colours of flowers evoke different moods, but did you know that the type of flowers themselves convey a message? The ancient Japanese art of Hanakotoba looks beyond the bouquet to the symbolism behind the blooms.
There’s no need to go to a florist’s to get a superb bouquet; DIY arrangements can make just as beautiful a statement. Real Simple magazine gives the basics of flower arrangement, as well as some manageable projects to get you started. Want more? Google and Pinterest are full of ideas!
Now that you’ve selected and arranged your bouquets, how to keep them fresh and intact? You can use the flower food that often comes with the flowers? packaging, but there are alternative methods, too. Here, Reader’s Digest lists some of the most popular.
If you want your blooms to last even longer, consider growing flowering plants. Geraniums, impatiens, and miniature roses are all good choices for winter gardening. The San Francisco Chronicle gives suggestions on how to best cultivate flowers indoors.