Thread: Recipe for Coal Flowers ?

petal

This apparently was found in someone's attic. It's from an old newspaper (dont know the date). Anyone heard of it before ? I haven't.

Recipe for Coal Flowers

YOU NEED:-
1 tablespoonful of Prussian Blue (from the paint shop or chemists).
3 tablespoons household amonia.
2 tablespooons common salt
l tablespoon any coloured ink
3 tablespoons cold water
Small pieces of coal and a bowl.

METHOD:-

You put the pieces of coal into the bowl, mix the other ingredients together and pour them on the coal.
Then you leave the lot in a warm place and wait for growth to start.
When this happens, dissolve a teaspoon of salt in a little water and pour it gently down the side of the bowl every two or three days.

SUGGESTIONS:-

Wash the coal first, if it is dusty.
Shades of flowers can be varied by using red ink first, and mixing different coloured inks with the salt water later.
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Just Googled and found this added to a recipe - something to do with crystalizing as far as I can see. Fascinating I reckon...........shame I got no coal.............

• The coal flowers will start to grow within 24 hours, and will be very smelly.
  Keep feeding your coal flower garden. Make sure that the solutions do not completely evaporate.
  To keep your coal flowers alive add a solution of one teaspoon of salt and one teaspoon of water every second day. Pour gently from the side of the dish, not over the coal.