The more you grow…

It was, literally, the calm before the storm.

Surrounded by colorful flowers and vibrant greenery, members of 4-H clubs from Steele and Freeborn counties traveled from one end of the county to the other, learning more about flowers and floral arranging.

The group visited Deerfield Rustic Florals, a flower farm near Medford that provides locally grown flowers for all occasions, then headed to Prairie Home Floral in Blooming Prairie to try their hand at making their own arrangements.

In between, the sky darkened, and the wind picked up.

“We’re not in a warning,” said Tracy Ignaszewski, “but Albert Lea is in a tornado warning. We’re not,” she repeated, “but we’re right on that edge, so there is where you start to talk about it, start thinking about it. We’re aware of what’s going on, and there’s a plan.”

Ignaszewski is the University of Minnesota’s Extension Educator for 4-H youth development for Steele County, one of several adults who accompanied the kids.

After the assurance, Jackie Vorlicek, owner of Prairie Home Floral, continued sharing the many ways she uses fresh flowers and greenery in her designs.

Lorrie Rugg, the master gardener coordinator for Steele and Rice counties – and also a part-time employee at Prairie Home Floral – offered tips of her own, then admitted she had learned something new that day.

“I never really thought about (veins in plants) like the veins in your body,” she said, referring to a short video they had just watched about the parts of flowers and the jobs they do.

The veins in plants bring water and nutrients in from the roots to the stem, and carry the food made by chlorophyll to the rest of the plant to help it grow and stay healthy.

“I just never made the connection, even though I’ve looked at flowers for a lot of years,” she said.

The plants and flowers provide many opportunities for 4-H projects, Rugg said, from storyboards to floral arranging to seed-saving or hybrid experiments.

“You could do a diagram of a garden you plant in your yard,” she said, “with identification of all the plants in it.”

While several of the 4-Hers were picking up knowledge for the future, Maci Basness, of Blooming Prairie, will put the information to use right away.

A member of the Merry Lane 4-H Club, she plans to enter a floral project in this year’s Steele County Free Fair.

“I really like the smell of them, and the look of them, and they’re just pretty to have,” said Maci, who has a little experience with arranging already.

“I’ve done it a couple of times for Mother’s Day, and my mom’s birthday,” she said, adding that her family grew wildflowers this year.

Vorlicek and Rugg spoke about potential issues when growing and using fresh flowers, including bee allergies, biting bugs, and plants that provide a sting or burn of their own.

“When I cut flowers, I dunk them upside down in a bucket of water before bringing them inside,” Rugg said. “The bugs will get off (the blooms) because they don’t want to drown.”

The cuts, she added, should be made at an angle, “because there’s more surface area on a slanted cut than a straight one. You want that flower stem to draw as much water as it can to keep it alive.”

At Deerfield Rustic, the 4-Hers learned that many types of plants can go into a bouquet, including focal flowers, filler flowers and foliage.

“Each florist designs differently,” Rugg said. “We all have our own way. Some bring containers in with greenery first and add flowers later; some add the foliage later – it just depends on what you want to do.”

Raspberry plant branches and hostas make for strong support in arrangements, as do willow branches.

“You guys know what my favorite thing about flowers is?” Vorlicek asked the group.

“Giving them away,” she said. “When I get to deliver flowers, and I see the look on people’s faces, it’s… ” she faded off.

“So if you have somebody in mind to give these flowers to, it’s pretty special.”