December’s Flower of the Month, the Red Ginger Bouquet, consists of several stems of Red Ginger, a few accent stems of Cataractarum Palm foliage, crowned with a handful of the ever-popular variegated ginger foliage. Combined, they form the perfect color combination for the Holiday Season. These flowers were grown especially for you in the eastern tropical plains of Costa Rica, in Central America.
Your Favorite Flower of the Month Club Is Pleased to Re-introduce You To RED GINGER
The Red Ginger (Alpinia purpurata), is native to Malaysia and is also known as Ostrich Plume and Pink Cone Ginger. In Samoa, the red ginger (the headliner in your bouquet this month), is customarily used in the making of leis worn exclusively by the royal family during important national ceremonies. If you’ve been fortunate enough to vacation in Hawaii, perhaps you’ve seen these bright blooms in the stunning leis worn during festival times.
Ginger is one of the more widely utilized tropical plants used in the creation of exotic arrangements. The Ginger family tree has a lot of branches, including torches, golden beehives and the delicately fragrant butterfly gingers, to name a few.
So what does Ginger do when she’s not entertaining the Royals or the tourists? She’s doing her part to treat stomach ailments and the symptoms of asthma, as many gingers have medicinal properties.
Her nectar is a thirst quencher in the tropics where she grows wild. Ginger flourishes in areas where temperatures do not drop below freezing. It is prevalent in Hawaii, Costa Rica, Puerto Rico, and many Central American countries.
Ginger is employed in the beauty industry, as well. The foamy heads of wild variegated ginger make excellent shampoos, sold in specialty stores. The yellow ginger (known as Grandasuli, meaning “fragrance of the Princess”), is prized for its fragrance, and is used in the manufacture of island fragrance perfumes.
Many think they know her as a baking spice, and they are right, but it’s her root that works in that capacity. Ginger’s night job, according to island folklore, is using her supernatural powers to overpower evil spirits.
SPECIAL CARE & HANDLING OF YOUR GINGER BOUQUET
When you receive your Bouquet at this cold time of year, we suggest that you immerse the stems in room temperature water for about five minutes. This will help bring them up to normal temperature.
Then cut about one-half of an inch diagonally off the bottom of each stem, using a very sharp knife to prevent stem damage. Allow each stem to rest in cool water before creating your arrangement.
To extend the shelf life of your bouquet to the maximum, please be sure to add the packet of Cut Flower Food enclosed in this gift pack, and change the water every couple of days, trimming another one-half inch off the bottom of all stems. Misting the flower heads daily will keep the blooms hydrated, vibrant and healthy.
Please refrain from displaying your arrangement in direct sunlight or near heat sources. Also, avoid drafty areas.
HAPPY HOLIDAYS FROM CLUBS OF AMERICA AND THE GINGER FAMILY!
