Flower Delivery UK 

A - Z of Cut Flowers - C

Carnations

 Name: Dianthus, its botanical name, means divine flower.
 Carnation was the flesh-pink colour Elizabethan portrait painters used as a background wash.
Description: The carnation is available as a standard carnation - one large flower per stem,
or a spray carnation with lots of smaller flowers.
Colour: Available in a huge range of colours, almost all except blue.
A mauve carnation with a blue tinge has been developed by Florigene in Australia.
 But they look best in hot Latin shades of red, pink and orange.
Availability: All year round.
Varieties: New varieties have been bred which look like old-fashioned garden pinks,
but in bright colours. They have daintier relatives, the fantastically fragrant
Sweet Williams and Pinks.
Care Tips: Carnations can last up to three weeks but should be kept away from
ripening fruit and vegetables because of ethylene gas.
Trivia:
Facts: Carnations are the UK's best-selling cut flower, by miles.
They are an excellent cut-flower, great value, very long-lasting, Since the 1950's
they have been frowned upon by the style gurus, but are now making a comeback.
Folklore: Used on mothering Sunday. In Canada you wear a red flower if your mother
is alive or a white flower if your mother has died.
Language of Flowers: Red carnation for "alas for my poor heart", striped for refusal,
 yellow for disdain, pink for woman's love.

Cattleya Orchid

Name: Commonly known as the Corsage orchid.
Colour: Huge frilled flowers in pinks, purples, yellows and white.
Availability: All year round.
Care Tips: Cattleya will last just over a week. They like cool air and regular misting,
and are sensitive to ethylene gas so keep them away from fruit, vegetables and dying flowers.
Snip off old flower heads.
Trivia:  Often sold singly. The leaves are sold as Orca foliage

Celosia

Name: The type pictured here is Celosia cristata. Its unusual appearance is where the
 flower gets its common name of cockscomb celosia.
Celosia plumosa is often called Prince of Wales feathers.
Colour: Hot pinks, purples, golds and oranges, or strange shades of flesh, bronze and pale green.
Availability: The main season is April to October.
Varieties: Two main sorts - Celosia cristata (pictured here) means crinkled celosia.
 Some are so crinkled they are almost circular like a brain, though most are a fan or cockscomb shape.
 They are hardly known as a cut flower in the UK yet every time the Flowers arrangers show
them at exhibitions or on television, they nearly cause a riot!
Their weird, wonderful shapes and textures are set to cause a storm as they become better known,
they are such an amazing-looking flower. Not only do they look great, they feel
wonderful too, with a soft velvety texture.
Celosia plumosa is a pointed, flame-shaped flower, very fluffy,
like brightly coloured pampas grass.
 Care Tips: Celosia last for up to two weeks. Celosia leaves are not very decorative
or long lasting and are best removed entirely.

Chincherinchee

Name: Also known as Ornithogalum and Star of Bethlehem. The Greeks used the term
 "bird's milk" ornithos (bird) and gala (milk) to describe something incredible.
The South Africans know them as "tjenkenrientjee" which is where the odd English
 name chincherinchee comes from.
Description: Their flowers, bell and star-shaped, are showy and sometimes very fragrant .
 They bloom individually in circles carried at the top of leafless stems.
Origin: Ornithogalum thyrsoides is native to South Africa and the
Ornithogalum umbellatum is native to the Mediterranean.
Colour: Usually white but also yellow and orange.
Availability: All year round.
Family: They belong to the Liliaceae (lily) family and grow from bulbs.
Varieties: The best known is Ornithogalum thyrsoides. Ornithogalum umbellatum
has larger star-shaped white flowers and narrow leaves. This variety's most
eye-catching feature is the beautiful green stripe on each flower.
 The flower is Ornithogalum arabicum (sometimes called the Star of Bethlehem),
which has a long stem with a distinctive umbrella of waxy white flowers carrying a green-black
ovary in the centre. Ornithogalum dubium is a lovely clear orange shade, and has cup-shaped flowers.
Care Tips: Sometimes called a "florist's nightmare" because they have such a long vase life.
They can easily last a whole month.

Chrysanthemum

Name: Comes from the Greek "krus anthemon" meaning gold flower. However nowadays they come
in all colours.
Origin: China and Japan. The Chinese who considered them the highest of flowers,
named their royal throne after the flower.
Colour: All colours including bronze, lime green and brick red, except blue
(which are artificially dyed for special events).
Availability: All year round
Varieties: "Mums" come in a range of shapes and sizes, including spiders, spoons,
buttons and blooms. Blooms are normal chrysanthemum varieties which have undergone
 intensive and specialised growing care. Instead of letting the plant produce side shoots which
would bear flowers, all these shoots are removed, leaving only one central stem.
This is then similarly treated so that only one flower bud remains. All the energy of the plant
 is directed into this bud which then grows to a huge size. Blooms come in many different
forms, just like dahlias. Some are tight petalled, with all the petals curling upwards.
Some have petals which curve and twist like a huge feather hat.
Family: Relatives include chamomile, tansy, marguerite and matricaria.
Trivia:
Facts: The chrysanthemum is depicted on Japan's imperial weapon and flag.
 Japan also has a national festival devoted to the flower (9th Sept)
Mythology: Some countries (such as Malta) think it is unlucky to have the flower indoors.
 It is associated with funerals and All Saints Day. In Germany, people put white
chrysanthemums in their homes at Christmas, to welcome baby Jesus.
Medicinal: Feng Shui adherents believe the chrysanthemum brings laughter and happiness
to your home.
History: The chrysanthemum flower has been known since before 5000 BC in a
small yellow form. Ancient China and Japan both have tales explaining how
the chrysanthemum originated.

Craspedia

Name: Craspedia globosa is commonly known as drumstick or Billy button.
Description: Small, golden globular head tightly packed with florets on long, leafless stem.
Craspedia glauca's flower, however, is not completely circular.
Origin: Native to Australia, New Zealand
Availability: Spring to autumn
Family: Compositae
Care Tips: They last a long time, work well as a dried flower and are not sensitive to ethylene.
 

Crocosmia

Name: The name name 'Crocosmia' comes from the Latin 'croceus' meaning saffron coloured
(ie golden orange). Often called Montbretia as well.
Description: Crocosmia are rich orange tube shaped flowers arranged around a central
axis with little clusters of flowers that branch out into a typical freesia-like flower spike.
Origin: Crocosmia originate from South Africa.
Colour: Fiery yellow, orange, red and tan colours.
Availability: Main season June to September
Care Tips: Crocosmia must not be left out of water too long, or else their
colourful orange flowers will soon fade. Cut the end of the stems at an angle and place
them in lukewarm water containing cut flower food.

Cymbidium Orchid

Name: Pronounced SIM-bid-ee-um. Cymibidium is the Latin translation of kumbidion,
 Greek for little boat, alluding to the flower shape.
Description: Sprays of 8 -10 large broad-petalled flowers on long stems.
Origin: The ancestors of these exotic orchids came from Asia
(Burma, India and the Himalayas) and Australia.
Colour: Green, white, 'make-up' shades and pink.
Availability: All year round.
Care Tips: They can last several weeks. They like cool air and regular misting,
 and are sensitive to ethylene gas so keep them away from fruit, vegetables and dying flowers.
 Snip off old flower heads.

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