Life is Like A Box of... Veggies!

I was walking around the flower market looking for some flowers for an order and my bud, Vikki at Florist at Large walks up to me with a box of veggies! She said she picked them all herself and they were looking for a home. I guess my part time vegan vibe was working overtime. She laid them on me and told me the big green ones were Armenian Cucumbers. I am totally into heirloom tomatoes and beets, but have never had Armenian Cucumbers. We used to sell seeds at our flower shop at The Cannery at Fisherman's Wharf back in the '70's and sold the seeds. Tonight I find out what they taste like! I go looking for flowers and end up with homegrown vegetables. Just goes to show that life is like a box of... veggies! You never know what you are going to get!

May Birth Month Flower is Lily

Lily of the Valley

Botanical Name :	Convallaria majalis
Common Name :	Lily of the Valley
Product Use :	Cut Flower
Pronunciation :	kon-va-LAH-ree-a mah-JA-lis
Family Roots :	Member of the Liliaceae (lily) family. Native to Europe. Related species include lily, tulip, asparagus, daylily.
Personality :	Nodding, bell-shaped flowers occur in loose, one-sided clusters at stem ends. Stems 8-10 inches long, bearing 6-8 clusters of flowers. Plant is a herbaceous perennial from a rhizome, classed as a monocotyledon, leaves mostly parallel veined. Flower fragrance is sweet, mild.
Availability :	Mainly spring but some year-round.
Flower Color :	White, pink.
Decorative Life :	3-6 days.
Ethylene Sensitivity :	More research needed
Ethylene Comments :	Likely to be ethylene sensitivity but unknown at this time. To be safe, treat with an anti-ethylene product.
Post Harvest Care Opportunities :	Recut stems under water and place into a fresh flower food solution. Flowers tend to wilt quickly if exposed to heat or poor air circulation, green buds may not open.
Storage Specifics :	30-32F for 2-3 weeks if rhizomes still are attached, store cut stems at 32-34F in water or dry for up to 5 days. At 36-40F, unopened flowers turned yellow, pathogen growth increased and vaselife decreased.
Tidbits :	From the Latin "convallis" (a valley), referring to where the plant is found. The specific epithet name majalis means May, in reference to when it flowers. Flowers are used in the perfume industry, rhizomes have medicinal properties. With over 3000 species, the lily family includes many medicinal and food species in addition to ornamental species. Some references suggest placing stems on ice to revive if limp. Single and double flower forms are available. More information available at: http://www.hoogasian.com/ and May Birth Month Flower

More on Carnations

Every flower has a history and every flower and every color symbolizes something. The general meaning of the Carnation is love, fascination, and distinction. Light red carnations, for example, are often used to convey admiration, whereas the dark red version expresses deeper sentiments of love and affection. White carnations are associated with purity and luck, and pink carnations are often given as a sign of gratitude.
Carnations got the name Dianthus from two Greek Words - "Dios", referring to the god Zeus, and "anthos", meaning flower. Carnations are thus "The Flowers of God".
The single flowers of the Carnations species, Dianthus caryophyllus have 5 petals and vary from white to pink to purple in color. Carnations are flowers appreciated for its ruffled appearance, clove-like scent, and extended blooming period.

To order a birthday gift of Carnations, go to www.hoogasian.com or directly to a selection of gifts featuring carnations: http://ftdfloristsonline.com/hoogasianflowers/advanced_search.html?keywords=carnation&Submit.x=14&Submit.y=5