Types of Flowers & their Uses

Nature features thousands upon thousands of different flower species. Many flowers in nature not only contribute to the aesthetic of a landscape, but have additional uses in nature. These uses can include serving as a food source for humans and other animals, repelling or attracting insects or possessing medicinal properties. Whatever the flower's added use is, care should be taken to make sure no adverse affects occur when you use it for various things.
Nasturtium

Tropaeolum majus, commonly known as nasturtium or Indian cress, refers to a type of flowering plant that many young or beginning gardeners use commonly. These plants are very easy to maintain since, often, you can simply plant them and leave them alone. Nasturtium does well in full sun to partial shade and enjoys light, sandy soils, according to FloriData. They are drought-tolerant but prefer regular watering. Nasturtium flowers come in a range of bright colors, such as yellow, orange and pink.

Outside of their use for introducing children to gardening, nasturtium flowers are commonly used in salad gardens. The flowers of the plant, as well as the immature seed pods and leaves, can be used within salads as a tangy flavoring. The immature seed pods also can be pickled, while mature seeds may become a roasted snack or flavoring similar to pepper. The flower petals can be used to create a vinegar or used within other food recipes.

Sunflower

Sunflowers, Helianthus annus, are members of the daisy family of flowers. They grow within semi-arid regions worldwide, according to the Perdue University Center for New Crops and Plant Products. While not expressly drought-tolerant, sunflowers can withstand dry spells at a slightly higher level than many other plants. They require soil that is well-drained, but the soil type can range greatly.

Sunflowers are used for a number of different common, everyday things. Sunflower oil, for example, is used for frying foods or other kinds of cooking purposes. It can also be used in infant formula and to give snack foods a longer shelf life. Sunflower seeds provide a healthy snack for both humans and animals. Sunflower meal can be used as well to provide high-fiber food to animals.

Jasmine

Plants within the Jasminum species are known as jasmine plants. The flowers of jasmine plants are highly fragrant, white blooms that appear in summer and fall. Jasmine plants grow best in the warmer regions of the world. These flowers can be grown in almost all types of soil as long as enough water is available. Jasmine plants also require full sun for best growth.

According to the Perdue University Center for New Crops and Plant Products, jasmine flowers are harvested extensively for several different uses. Jasmine flower oil, for instance, is extracted from collected flowers and turned into a number of different other compounds, including terpineol, jasmone and benzyl acetate. In its pure form, jasmine flower oil becomes a key ingredient in perfumes and bath products like soap and shampoo. Jasmine tea is also a popular use of the flower. Medicinally, claims exist that jasmine helps with cancer treatments, ringworm and tapeworm infections, and acts as a calming agent.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/list_7373322_types-flowers-uses.html

What Are the Uses for Flowers?

The uses for flowers vary widely, as flowers are more than objects of beauty. Flowers have the ability to engage nearly every one of the five human senses, and they are used to mark many of our most special occasions -- from weddings to major holidays. Flowers are even incorporated into meditative action through the Japanese art of flower arranging known as ikebana.

Scent
Flowers have historically been used to mask unpleasant odors. Fresh flowers, in addition to their decorative aspect, serve to brighten the air within a room. The essential oils of common flowering plants such as lavender and rosemary, along with those of more exotic flowers like ylang-ylang and jasmine, are used in making perfumes. Essential oils of flowers are widely used for healing through aromatherapy, where they are inhaled or applied to the skin, and for perfuming indoor spaces.

Gifts
Flowers are unique in that they are a biodegradable gift, but also one that can be preserved through drying, pressing or other methods. Their delicacy and impermanence render them a gift that must be savored in the present, before their beauty fades.

Flowers are often given as gifts by guests to their hosts and from men to women they admire or adore. Many flowers have specific secret, hidden meanings. Dating back to a time when people could not always express in words what they wanted to communicate, a gift of flowers and the manner in which they were presented were used to send subtle messages. Irises represent hope and gerbera daisies signify beauty and innocence, while tulips symbolize perfect love.

Food
Edible flowers, like herbs, bring color and texture to foods and give inventive cooks a wider range of ingredients with which to experiment. Flowers add a variety of subtle flavors -- from sweet to peppery -- to dishes. You can cook with squash blossoms, decorate a salad with daylilies, freeze borage flowers into ice cubes or make tea from chamomile. Edible flowers can br used to create food items such as flavored butters, jams and jellies, and you can adorn cakes and desserts with blooms. You can also add the flowers to hot main dishes, soups and rice.

Decorative
Fresh and artificial flowers can be used indoors or outdoors to brighten a space and bring cheer to the people who frequent the surroundings. Outdoors, artificial flowers are most often used to memorialize a loved one who has died, adorning the gravesite, but they can be used in hanging baskets and planters for a low-maintenance display. Dried flowers may be used whole or preserved and be presented in potpourri, sachets or hanging bundles. Flowers are incorporated into many facets of home decor. You may find them in the pattern of a wallpaperor in a painting, or their representations might be woven into the fabric of curtains or upholstery.

Source: http://www.ehow.com/info_8217183_uses-flowers.html