Are you looking to do something fun with your family this weekend? Good on you! Family time is something very important yet much forgotten these days, especially in an urban setting. Whereas in fact, spending quality time together benefits both the parents and the kids. Parents who take the time to get to know their children tend to develop better communication skills and become a better role model for the family. As for the kids, countless studies in children’s psychological development have proven that kids feel a much more positive affinity towards their parents after doing something fun together. Studies also say that these children tend to perform better at school and are less likely to exhibit behavioral problems.
Flower picking can be a great activity to do with your kids, especially if one or both of you are a working parent. It doesn’t take up too much time and it doesn’t cost a lot of money, yet it’s super fun. Most importantly, flower picking is typically an outdoor activity and it can help increase the family’s physical activity. Considering our mostly sedentary lifestyle, an exercise that doesn’t feel like an exercise is a perfect solution. Besides, you all get to keep the flowers and bring them home after picking. Don’t you just love to have a pot of fresh flowers in your living space?
If you are interested in going to flower picking with your kids this weekend, here are all the nitty-gritty you need to know to keep things fun under the sun!
When to Go For Flower Picking
Morning time is your best friend. At this hour, the flowers are in the freshest state as they have just had a full night rest. Besides, the morning sun is a good source of vitamin D which can be nutritious for the bones, skin, and hair. The best kind of sun exposure is the early morning sun and that stretches from 7 a.m. to 10 p.m.
If you can’t go in the morning or if you simply are not a morning person, the next best timing is during the evening. The flowers won’t be wilting under the sun and will have already regain their moisture at this time. However, going at dusk means you won’t be able to see the flower’s real colors under natural light.
Avoid going in the afternoon, if you can. You will only come home with exhaustion due to the heat and wilted flowers that won’t last long even when placed in a vase.
Flower Picking Essential Equipment
You and your kids had better be equipped by the following arsenals before going for a fun day out with flowers.
Comfortable Shoes
More than likely, all of you will be walking on uneven soil whether it is a field of flowers or a small flower garden. That means you will need reliable, comfortable shoes that can handle a little bit of foot activity. Open-toed shoes are not preferable for this type of activity. Sneakers are probably a better fit.
Pruners or Scissors
Though many florists love to cut flowers using the floral knife the most, it may not be the safest tool for your children. You also don’t need to get the professional grade shears merely for the sake of this activity—after all, you will only be using it once in a while and just for fun. Don’t want to spend money on floral shears? Kitchen scissors work, too!
Gloves
Some flowers, like roses, have thorns. To protect your hands and the little ones’, too, wearing some work gloves are in order. It could also serve as a protection against the cutting instrument, especially if you are going with very young children.
Clean Buckets
After the flowers are cut, you can collect them in a clean pail filled with water. Use room temperature water instead of cold tap water as the temperature can shock the root system and cause the flower to wilt.
Pro Tricks to Keep Flowers Fresh
The most important trick is actually done during the cutting process itself. Cutting the flower stems at an angle can create more surface area for water absorption which will be good to increase the longevity of the flower. The second most important trick is to change the water quite frequently, roughly every few days. The third most important trick is to add some flower food to the water mixture.
Every florist has their own secret recipe of flower food. As a regular homeowner, you can use the ingredients available in your pantry to make your own concoction. The best part is these ingredients are completely natural and safe to work with your children! All right. So the basic recipe is acid plus sugar.
Crushed aspirin contains acid and it is a tried-and-true way to keep cut flowers fresh, but you may not want your children to work with these. Instead, You can derive acid from many other things, such as lemon and vinegar. While acids keep out the bacteria, sugar will feed the flowers. Add just a tiny bit of these two at first and adjust as necessary.
One other pro tip in keeping cut flowers fresh is to use bleach, a quarter teaspoon per one liter of water. It prevents mold that can kill the flowers, but be careful not to add too much as it can wash out the color of the flower.
When was the last time you went flower picking with your kids? Did you just say never? Well, why don’t you try it now? It’s probably best to go during the spring when all the flowers are naturally blooming and the weather is beyond perfect. However, as many flowers are also grown in greenhouses these days it means you can still go flower picking in any season you want. Flower picking is a great, fun activity to be done with family on weekends. Your kids will be thoroughly entertained and you can have a flower arrangement for your kitchen at home! For more inspiration like how to press flowers, keep exploring the internet with your kids!