Combat Indoor Allergies

While we close up our homes to prepare for the cold winter months, we lock out fresh air, trapping in stale, polluted air. Rather than installing an expensive, and sometimes ineffective, air purifying system, simply place a few plants throughout your home.

Plants produce oxygen, which is essential for humans and animals to survive. They also act as filters in neutralizing indoor air pollutants. The most common pollutant in homes is formaldehyde, used as an adhesive in particle and pressed wood and spray insulation. When high concentrations are inhaled, it can irritate the eyes and throat, and in extreme cases, cause cancer. Other common pollutants include, bacteria, fungi, pollen, dust and mold.

For More Information On Formaldehyde And Other Indoor Toxins:

American Lung Association:


Plants can significantly reduce pollutants throughout the home as well as provide a general sense of well-being. Just be cautious when watering your plants; don't let them stand in a pool of water for an extended amount of time and make sure the soil is dampened, not water-logged. This will reduce the chance of mold and fungi forming on your plants and furniture.

Plants:

Aloe Vera: Good for eliminating most indoor toxins, as well as healing minor cuts and burns on the skin.

English Ivy: Good for eliminating toxins from petroleum-based products.

Fig Trees: Good for eliminating formaldehyde.

Chrysanthemum: Good for eliminating toxins such as formaldehyde, benzene and ammonia.

Spider Plants: Exceptional for eliminating formaldehyde.

Chinese Evergreen, Bamboo Palm and Lilies: Good for eliminating many toxic materials.

Take Care Of The 'Holidays Are Over' Blahs

Now that the holidays are over and the clean-up has begun, your home is probably starting to feel a little stark. The christmas tree and festive decorations brightened the mood, but now that the decorations are back in the box and the tree has been taken down, the brightness and cheer has disappeared. Start new this year and brighten your home with some fresh colors and scents from Calyx & Corolla. Whether you made a resolution to be healthier, stay organized, or maintain your happiness, Calyx & Corolla always has the gift that fits the occasion (or in this case, the resolution).

Resolution One

If last year left you feeling pudgy and sluggish, then you probably made a resolution to eat healthier and integrate more exercise into your daily routine. Sometimes all it takes to be more healthy is cooking fresh meals, rather than ordering take out or popping a frozen, pre-packaged meal in the microwave. Start with something simple, like baking some fresh salmon, known for its high protein and low fat levels and its high Omega-3 fatty acids content, with some balsamic dressing and a few sprigs of rosemary, hand picked fresh from your very own plant.

Resolution Two

Cleaning out? Did you make a resolution to get more organized and stay on top of your cleaning this year? Waking up to, and coming home to a clean and organized home instantly brightens your mood and makes you feel a little more at ease when things begin to feel out of control. Start by cleaning out your closet. Donate any unworn or old clothes and shoes to your local Salvation Army. Start and finish all laundry and neatly hang and fold all your clothes. Tidy up any unnecessary clutter and don't be afraid to throw things out. In order to keep things smelling fresh, hang these lovely lavender pomanders in your newly organized closet.

Resolution Three

If you made a resolution to find happiness and romance in the new year, you can begin by embracing the happiness you already have. Start by sending your loved ones an elegant bouquet. If you have trouble finding the right bouquet, a collection of winter white orchids is both elegant and versatile, and appropriate for any recipient. While you're ordering flowers for your loved ones, don't forget to treat yourself. A bright bouquet of blue hydrangeas will brighten your mood and entice your senses.

Holiday Cleanup Tips:

1. Label, label, label. The holidays always seem to sneak up on us and we never feel prepared. Relieve some of the holiday stress by taking the time now to label and put things in their proper place. Recycled egg cartons are great for storing christmas ornaments. Check out your local department store for other storage options.

2. When you take down your christmas lights, don't just throw them in a box in a tangled mess, gently wrap them around an empty paper towel roll or a flat piece of cardboard. This will make it much easier to string the lights next year and will help to protect your lights from damage to the bulbs and wiring.

3. Removing your christmas tree is made a lot easier by wrapping the tree in the original plastic tree bag, or an old sheet, stand and all and then carrying outside. If the tree is too large or heavy to carry outside, you can cut off some of the branches. The smaller branches can then be used as mulch in your garden. Once the tree has been removed from your home, sweep up as many needles as you can before vacuuming. The needles can damage your vacuum cleaner.

Christmas Flowers & Greens - After the Holidays, Now What?

Now that the holidays are over, here are a couple tips on what to do with those Christmas flowers and your Christmas tree, wreaths, garlands and other evergreen Christmas decorations.

Five Things to Do with Your Christmas Tree, Wreaths and Garlands

1. Sink it in a pond or stream. Submerged Christmas trees make great habitat for fish. If you don’t have a body of water on your property, a local conservation group may pick up the tree and toss it into an appropriate pond or stream for you.
   
   
2. Put it outside on your land. A Christmas tree can provide lodging for all kinds of birds, squirrels and other small animals. Once it starts to decompose, it can become a nursery to insects, fungi, even amphibians and reptiles.
   
   
3. Protect your perennials. Wreaths, garland, and boughs cut from a Christmas tree can be placed over perennial beds to reduce frost damage to plants, as well as frost heaving caused by freezing and thawing. Saw up the trunk to create sturdy, homemade trellises or tomato stakes.
   
   
4. Toss it into the woodstove. Use a few dry evergreen branches as kindling to start your fires.
   
   
5. Mulch it. Many communities have tree recycling programs that turn everyone’s old trees into valuable garden mulch.
   

(Thanks to Mother Earth News)

Making Your Amaryllis Rebloom




You don't need to throw away your amaryllis bulb kit. Amaryllis is a perennial, so If you'd like to see your amaryllis plant bloom again, remove the blooms once they have faded, so the plant's energy will go into the bulb rather than seed production. Continue to grow the amaryllis inside at a south-facing window for about four months (through April, say), until the weather warms enough to put it outside.

Next put your bulb outside, in an area sheltered from rain (or turn its put on its side so it won't collect rainwater). This will trigger dormancy. Snip off the dead leaves and bring the plant inside in the Fall when temperatures fall below 50 degrees. Finally, water the bulb to break the spell of dormancy and initiate new growth, and place the plant in a bright light while continuing to water moderately. Once it starts to bloom, move it to a spot with less light to prolong the bloom time.

Valentine's Flowers

Hanukkah and Christmas are now behind us. Thanks for reading and commenting on my recent posts about holiday flowers, crafts and decorating. I hope everyone enjoyed the very best and most relaxing holiday season.

At Calyx Flowers we've assembled a nice collection of New Year's flowers, plants, preserved floral arrangements and table centerpieces that make festive New Year's party decorations.

The next really big floral occasion is Valentine's Day. Over 180 million stems of roses will be cut and shipped for Valentine's Day delivery. Valentine's Day ranks as the number one holiday in the floral industry, capturing 35% of all holiday transactions. Valentine's Day is also the number one holiday for your local florist, according to the Society of American Florists. The US market for flowers and plants was $19.5 billion in 2004, according to the US Department of Commerce.

As Valentine's Day gift ideas, Calyx Flowers will offer designer bouquets with an emphasis on red rose bouquets, including the lavish 100 Roses Bouquet — over eight dozen red roses delivered in a magnificent Wine Chiller and accompanied by gourmet chocolate truffles!

There's also the 50 Roses Bouquet. Or if you really want to make a powerful and lasting impression on your sweetheart, send Roses for a year — a bouquet of roses every month for a full twelve months!

Orchid & Tropical Grow Lights

A reader recently told us about a line of grow lights designed especially for orchids. These Wonderlite orchid grow lights are wide spectrum bulbs designed for orchids and other tropical plants that tend to perform poorly in standard home or office environments.

According to the manufacturer, its "spectral distribution" balances blue, red and far-red wavelengths in the visible light spectrum (440, 660 and 740 nanometers), providing more than 90% of plants' requirements. The Wonderlite can be used in standard incandescent sockets, and is is available in two wattages: 160 or 300 watt. The 160 watt is usually placed 1-3 feet above plants, depending on the types of orchids being grown. The 300 watt is ideal for high-light demanding plants, like Vanda orchids, or high ceiling installations when the bulb must be placed further distances from plants.

How Flower Food Works

Some visitors to the blog have asked me why flower food keeps cut flowers fresher longer.

This answer comes from Annie Bond, author of the book "Better Basics for the Home" (see link below):

The little packet of flower food are bactericides that kill the bacteria, yeasts, and fungi.

Here are tips of reaching this same goal without the chemicals:

• Copper is a fungicide and acts to preserve the water from too many yeasts and fungi.
  
• Aspirin is an acid and helps to kill bacteria overgrowth.
  
• Add 2 tablespoons lemon juice or vinegar to 1 quart of water. The idea here is the same as with aspirin, since lemon juice and vinegar are acidic.

That also explains why, when arranging bouquets, we remove all the leaves below the water line — so that submerged leaves don't act as a breeding ground for fungi and bacteria and shorten the life of your blooms.

Flower Food Recipes: How to Make Your own Cut Flower Food

Cut-flower bouquets bought from a flower delivery website or from your local florist will usually have powdered "flower food" to extend the life of your bouquet. But for wildflowers or flowers gathered from your garden, if you don't have store-bought flower food on hand, you can make your own.

Warning: I have NOT tested these recipes, and it's pretty hard to separate the folk-wisdom from the science. I would love to hear from others who have compared the various recipes. And if you have your own "secret recipe" that works, please add it to this blog as a Comment!

Flower Food Recipe (thanks to Kathryn M.)

1 teaspoon bleach
1 teaspoon vinegar
2 teaspoons sugar
1 quart clean, room-temperature water

Recipe Using Copper Pennies & Aspirin (thanks to Mark M.)

a few copper pennies
a couple aspirin tablets
2 tablespoons vinegar or lemon juice
1 quart clean, room-temperature water