Regency Household: The Management of Flowers

By | |

MANAGEMENT OF FLOWERS IN ROOMS FEW flowers last longer than twenty four hours in water some may be revived by changing the water but nearly all may be re stored by being placed in hot water deep enough to cover about one third of the stem by the time the water has become
cold the flowers will have become reset and fresh then cut off the end of the stems and put them into cold water A few grains of salt dropped into the water in which flowers are kept likewise tends to preserve them from fading To preserve flowers throughout the winter pluck them when half blown and put them in a close covered earthen vessel dipping them with the stalks downwards in equal quantities of water and verjuice mixed sprinkled with a small portion of bay salt The vessel must be kept closed and in a warm place and then on the coldest day in winter if the flowers are taken out washed in fair water and held before a gentle fire they will open as if in their usual bloom To encourage the flowering of bulbous roots take three ounces of nitre one ounce of salt half an ounce of potash half an ounce of sugar and dissolve them in one pint of rain water Keep the glasses near the fire and change the water daily each time putting in about half a teaspoonful of this mixture The time to put bulbous roots in glasses is from September to November and the earliest ones will begin blowing about Christmas the glasses should be blue as that colour best suits the roots Keep them in a place moderately warm and near to the light a parlour window is a very common place for them but is often too warm brings on the plants too early and causes them to be weakly Flowers in water and living plants in pots greatly injure the purity of the air during the night On this account they should never be kept in bed rooms there are instances of persons who have incautiously gone to sleep in a close room in which there has been a large growing plant having been found dead in the morning as effectually as if there had been a charcoal stove in the room Artificial Flowers THESE elegancies are now much used for the decoration of rooms tables & c but however beautiful have no odour and are very expensive A cheap substitute is to dip natural flowers in bloom in strong spirits of wine for about twenty minutes At first they will appear to have entirely faded but in drying the colours will revive and their fragrance be prolonged

The Servants’ Guide and Family Manual: with New and Improved Receipts … Adapted to the Duties of All Classes of Servants … To which is Added an Appendix, Etc. (1830). United Kingdom: (n.p.).

In my book  Masquerade Balls in Regency Britain I have a whole section on artificial flowers, the industry of making them, and their clever uses for decor:

Here are some other articles that may be of interest, too:

Regency Fashion: Artificial Flowers – Regency Reader

Regency Culture and Society: The Language of Flowers – Regency Reader

Regency Fashion: Popular Fragrances – Regency Reader

 

Discover more from Regency Reader

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

Tagged , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.

Comments are closed.