Wisteria

Common Name: Wisteria (var), Japanese Wisteria, Silky Wisteria, etc

Botanical Name: Wisteria (var), Wisteria floribunda, Wisteria Brachybotrys, etc

In Season/Availability: early-mid spring for blooming material for Asian varieties and mid to late summer for American varieties, winter for bare branches/vines

Description: A deciduous “bine” (woody twisting vine) that when grown on a supporting structure can commonly reach up to 20m tall by 10m wide with the largest known example spreading more than an arce! Flowers appear in a range of colours including purple, violet, pink and white. The flowers appear in pendulous racemes 10 to 80 cm long (depending on the particular variety) with a number of species producing a delightful fragrant perfume. It is important to note that all parts of this plant contain a toxin that will make humans and or pets quite unwell if consumed.

Technique to prolong flowers: Cut from the plant and immediately split the woody stem up to about 5 cm and dip into gin or vodka for about 10-30 seconds, then transfer to deep water. When arranging again, trim, split and dip into alcohol then place into your arrangement. Deeper containers where the split in the stem can be fully submerged will likely last better as this will aid the plant in more easily taking up water. Typically it’s good to cut the flowers a little young before the buds on the full length of the raceme have opened to give you the longest period of flowering. A standard commercial flower food can be added to the water so long as it does not create visible granules, discolour or cloud the water (particularly if arranging in glass). Be sure to check the water daily and remove any fallen blossoms regularly to keep your arrangement looking at its best. Properly prepared wisteria should look quite respectable if well maintined for around 4 days or there abouts.

Long Term Preservation: While the flowers and leaves are not readily preserved for longer term use the woody vine if harvested in winter time while bare, can provide a useful and dynamic structure for use in your arrangements with other plant materials. The wisteria will dry out quite well for re-use, although finer tendrils and offshoots may be quite fragile. Once it has been dried be sure to keep it out of water in future uses to avoid rot and discolouration of your water.

Preserving using glycerin

Common Names: Various

Botanical Names: Various

In Season/Availability: Year round

Description: This is more a process that can be applied to a range of different plant materials rather than a way of preserving one specific kind of flower. It is predominantly used with leafy matter on woody branches, such as japanese maple or sweetgum/liquid-amber. It is also suitable for aspidistra leaves and some flowers which are composed of specialised leaves rather than petals (called “bracts“), leucadendron fits this category as does hydrangea (surprisingly).

Technique to prolong the material: First you will need glycerin and hot water. Combine 1 part glycerin with 2 parts hot water. You can make as little or as much of this mixture as you think you might need. Glycerin can be purchased from many pharmacies and/or chemists and some grocery stores (check your local suppliers). The reason the water needs to be hot at this stage is so that the glycerin will mix and dilute in the water. Once the two are well mixed set it aside and let it cool a little to room temperature. Prepare the materials you wish to preserve by removing enough side shoots that the stem will sit properly into the mixture and use mainly small to medium size materials with not too many leaves. Remember that only the parts that are able to take up the liquid effectively will be well preserved, so leaves at the ends of long branches might not benefit from this treatment, however, that being said feel free to try it as an experiment and see how you go.

Once you have trimmed the material getting rid of anything that you don’t want to preserved be sure to cut the end in water, hold the end there for a few seconds and then transfer it into the container with the glycerin solution (which should now be at room temperature). The material should be maintained in the solution in a cool out of the way place away from direct sun for several days to a number of weeks - until you can feel a waxy/oily residue on the tips of the leaves. This indicates that the glycerin solution has fully permeated the plant matter and the process is complete. Remove the plant material from the solution cleaning up any drips and wipe the surface of the leaves very gently with a damp cloth to remove any excess residue. This material should now last significantly longer than if they were placed only in water and should remain flexible and fresh feeling for days, weeks, months and even possibly years to come.

Long Term Preservation: To make the most of this kind of preserved material and use it in the longer term be sure not to let it become mouldy or to sit in water for too long. If it is in water you will need to make sure the water is extremely clean and is changed very regularly (daily). At the end of each use the material should be given a gentle wipe with a lightly dampened soft cloth to remove any dust or mould spores and then returned to storage in a cool, dry, dark place out of the sunlight (this should also help to preserve the colour of the material).

Acknowledgement: This article post has been prepared using information provided in part by Ekaterina Seehaus in her “Ikebanaweb” live video blogs from 7 and 21 November 2018. (Many thanks Ekaterina)

Hydrangea

Common Name: Hydrangea

Botanical Name: Hydrangea macrophylla

In Season/Availability: Summer through to autumn

Description: A deciduous shrub growing up to 2m tall by 2.5m wide. Flowers appear in a range of colours from pink through blue, white and green and flower colour is often influenced by soil acidity. There are many cultivated varieties of hydrangea including large leaved, lace cap, french, and many more with new hybrids entering the market from time to time. Hydrangea flowers are actually an inflorescence, with the flower head being comprised of many small blooms. Without treatment to extend life Hydrangea flowers and foliage will often wilt within only one or two days.

Technique to Prolong flowers: Cut in water and then dip the cut end of the flower into burnt alum powder before placing into your arrangement. This treatment is only suitable for arrangements that use pottery or ceramic containers as the burnt alum powder may cause the water to become slightly cloudy. If arranging in glass dip the cut stem into white vinegar for about 10-20 seconds after cutting and then place into your arrangement. If working with hydrangeas that have sat for some time before you purchased them or have been out of water for a period you can fully submerge the flower in water overnight and then follow the other instructions in terms of preservation prior to arranging.

Long Term Preservation: Hydrangea can be dried by hanging the cut flower upside down in a cool dark place with good ventilation. Hydrangea is also available to purchase dried, preserved and bleached or coloured. This is achieved through industrial processes and involves the use of chemical treatments. Treated flowers carry the scent of the preservatives (which can be quite strong) and may not be suited for use in arrangements where people are likely to be close by.