The Meanings of Flower

Posts Tagged ‘Flowers’

Plumeria seeds are very easy to grow but they aren’t guaranteed to become true to type. The average time it would take for a seed to bloom into a flowering plant is about three years, and yes, that would seem like a long time to see your flowering Plumeria plants. But when they do, the first flowers of a Plumeria will truly give you utmost satisfaction. To ensure that your Plumeria seeds reach full maturity, here are some tips:

The months between March and October are found to be the best time to be planting those seeds but you can pretty much grow them all year round. You just increase your chances of growing healthy seedlings if you opt for those months.

Plant your seeds just on the surface of a compost that drains well. The combination of perlite and cactus is the best one you can have for growing Plumeria.

To make sure the seedlings have enough room to grow in, leave a space between every seed you plant. Cover with a fine layer or compost, perlite, or vermiculite. Do not bury the seeds too deep!

Ideal temperature for those Plumeria seeds will be warm, ideally between 25 to 32 degrees. If you have a propagator, that would be better for your seeds.

Make sure your compost is always moist, but never pooling with water. Again, you need a good-draining compost.

You can boost the growth rate of your seeds by spraying high phosphorus fertilizer every day.

It will take about 6 to 20 days for the seeds to germinate and once there a pair of true leaves sprout out, it’s time to transplant your Plumeria seedlings so they can grow properly. Take care not to damage the roots.

Plants need the sun but introduce your Plumeria seedling to sunlight gradually.

Be diligent about watering and using fertilizer on your Plumeria seedlings to help them along in producing their first flowers.

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Bouquets of flowers have always been one attraction at any wedding. Bouquets are already part of the wedding tradition on all races. A bouquet of flowers symbolizes a blossoming maiden and reflects her emotions. Therefore, wedding bouquets should be carefully selected and planned the same way you plan for your wedding gown. Here are just a few tips in choosing your wedding bouquet:

1. It is recommended that you choose a flower that is on season to save money and time. This will not give you hard time trying to order the flower as well.

2. You can choose other alternatives like silk flowers especially if the flower you would like to use is not in season. Silk flowers are also suited in formal weddings; fresh picked flowers may not fit a very formal party.

3. Your bouquet should not drown you. Be sure that it will not cover your figure. If you are petite, the weight of the flower might be too heavy for your built and may affect your posture and how you carry your gown. Remember that your bouquet should not be too big so as not to cover your elegant gown and should be easy to carry.

4. The flowers you chose should last for the entire day. Make sure that your flowers still hold up even at the end of the day so that you will still look glamorous when taken pictures. Using a bouquet holder is suggested to keep the flowers fresh during the entire day. Also take the advice of your florist on which flowers easily wilt so that you can avoid choosing them.

5. Don’t let your florist imagine the flower design you like. You may take a picture or a printed copy of the bouquet style you prefer. Also bring a sample fabric of the gowns so that the florist can choose the correct shade of flower that will match the color of the gowns. Some bouquets may be decorated with ribbons, lace and silk materials. You can advise the florist on what specific designs would you like to add for your flowers.

6. Why not choose a flower that has special meaning? That will not be difficult since most flowers have their meanings. Stephanotis stands for happiness in marriage, Rose means love and being true, and Tulips stand for perfect love and declaration of love.

7. One of the first things to consider when opting for a bouquet is the style. Choose the bouquet style that will suit you and your personality. Bouquets are more personal nowadays and reflect the brides’ personalities. For Nosegays, where flowers are clustered in a round form, can vary in sophistication and will fit any personality. In Cascade bouquets, flowers are arranged in a descending form. These bouquets are voluptuous and can be the center of attention.

They are recommended for traditional weddings. There are flowers where stems are wrapped around in ribbons and they are called Hand-tied bouquets. These bouquets bring a casual aura and are recommended for garden weddings. There are also Contemporary bouquets where flowers are arranged in style but with no geometric form. These arrangements of flowers represent the individuality of a bride and are mostly used in sophisticated weddings.

8. The top wedding flowers are Rose, Lilly, Orchid, Hyacinth, Tulip, Stephanotis and Daisy. You may want to follow the trend and choose these flowers for your bouquet.

Flower arrangements add grace to any room and to every event and celebration. Some flowers for different holidays have become symbolic, such as poinsettias for Christmas and red roses for Valentine’s Day and lilies for Easter. But holiday flower choices are not limited to just the traditional one, and creativity can be unlimited.When floral arrangements are used to create a festive atmosphere for parties, open houses, or family homes, they will enhance any decor and help create a holiday mood. During the holiday season many people opt for flowers and plants that will stay looking nice for a longer period of time, such as live plants instead of cut flowers. This practice will help you save money and time in not having to replace flower arrangements before the holidays actually arrive. Another popular choice is to use long-lasting green choices in floral displaysTraditional flower arrangements featuring flower stems and greenery in a vase are not your only alternative for the Christmas season.

Instead you could display masses of living plants, add evergreens to your flowers or use unique containers instead of vases. These are all ways to make your arrangements special. You could even put your flowers in small toys such as sleds. Your choices are extensive and your displays can be beautiful and memorable.Some people love to express their own style and creativity by doing flower arrangements themselves. Or, if money is not an issue, your florist can produce a stunning and appropriate arrangement for you. If you are a do it yourself type, then you can use online floral websites to search for ideas you would like to use in your own home.By growing your own flowers, greenery or ferns; one can cut the costs of floral arrangements. Always check your own greenhouse and yard to see if you have flowers and plants that are usable in the arrangement you want.

Article by Online Flowers Delivery UK

The beauty of Flowers has a lot to say as there is a lot behind the Flower Meanings and Symbolism. Receiving and Sending Flowers is a long way ancient tradition. Even during the medieval times, people used to send flowers to their loved ones. Symbolic meanings were connected with flowers that served an excellent approach of expressing feelings for the otherwise unexpressive people of the Victorian era. The Victorian Society adopted this kind of expression of emotions very quickly. Nice details were easily connected to all or any aspects of the flower being sent as a gift.

There are lots beautiful ways, through which anyone can describe their feeling in front of other like the position of a selected flower in an exceedingly beautiful bouquet, even the approach of a flower bouquet was accepted described specific feel and contributed to the message being given by means of flowers. Equally the hand used to receive the flower conjointly held significance on whether or not the feelings are being taken or rejected. The recognizable feel of a specific flower carried by a scented handkerchief conjointly signified a novel that meant a lot with love.

Nature has blessed each season with stunning beautiful flowers. Here we are trying to bring you the most effective of each season with our most fine, fresh seasonal Summer flower bouquets. You may Send Flowers to your loved ones to make their day the most special one. We provide a large vary of seasonal flowers which will go well with any event or occasion. Seasonal flowers are vibrant and packed with life; hence they enhance the atmosphere of a venue like nothing else will.

When everything is roofed with snow, the weather is harsh and also the spirits are low, a stunning bloom will wonders to your mood. Cheer up the lounge or workplace with recent, vibrant flowers, our Christmas Flowers Wonderland Bouquet is packed with life, with roses, blooming carnations and hypericum berries. If you wish one thing in softer tones then order soothing violet Agapanthus, stunning yellow Ilios Roses and an assortment of equally beautiful flowers and foliage.

Summer is all regarding enjoying the great things in life. We are committed to spreading sunshine and fill smiles in this summer with our Sunny Summer Flowers. Our flowers are packed with life and energy. Summer Flower Bouquets are a guaranteed hit regardless of whatever is the occasion. Order Summer Sunshine for vibrant Sunflowers nestled among Roses and pink and white Leucadendron. Spring may be a celebration of color and life. Each nook and corner is bursting with inexperienced grass and bright blossoms. Bring spring to your home with our vibrant Spring Flowers assortment.

Article by Seranata Flowers

Flower Arrangement by Seranata Flowers

Pom Poms make an awesome selection because there are lots of blooms on one stalk and they come in a number of colours. Set yourself the funds of five dollars and buying flowers that get you many blooms for any amount. Choosing flowers with multiple blooms using one stalk will make ones floral arrangement look fuller and more abundant. Most importantly, select flowers that snatch your eye and allow you to be feel good.

Make an effort to keep your selection simple while using the magic principle of a pair of. Choose either two several types of flowers or the same flower in two several colors.

Measure #2: Accessorize your arrangement with leaves from your garden

You can find leaves from the florist when your budget permits. However, one cost saving way I get leaves with regard to my flower arrangements is to apply those from my garden. Typically, I like to use larger leaves like Monstera Deliciosa to get a beautiful layering effect. Split leaves this way are very easy to use as you can trim off the bottom leaves and adjust its height using the flowers you have selected. A big leaf will add contrast for a flower arrangement, making that more unique and eye-catching.

If you happen to don’t have a backyard garden, get leaves from your neighbors or relatives. They are often thankful to you for trimming their plants to find the leaves.

You will find there’s misconception that beautiful flower arrangements are expensive. Or just do a Google Images search together with oooh and ahh at all the pretty hydrangea pictures that i can find. Hydrangeas are flowers which come in panicles or corymbs, or to make it simpler, flowerheads. These are clumps of flowers that group together to form a natural bouquet involving sorts. Among the flowers that create these natural bouquets include the lilac, the hydrangea, the hawthorn, the ixora and the rowan. Among the most symmetrical flowers that generate these natural bouquets are definitely the ixora (otherwise termed santan or the Rest of the world Indian jasmine) and also the hydrangea. But the more breathtaking-to-behold sister is undoubtedly the hydrangea. Hydrangeas are gentle beauties, and that makes them the best choice for hydrangea flower plans.

Hydrangeas are available in different colors: white, pink, blue and light and dark violet. They can even change colors, depending on the quantity of aluminum in the soil. The variety in colors makes them the best choice for breathtaking, elegant wedding planning bouquets.

But before we give you tips on how to make elegant bridal wedding bouquets, or even hydrangea bridal bouquets, we’d like to give you tips about how to select your hydrangea flower arrangements:

1. Hydrangea Increased by Heads – Pick whole clumps of hydrangeas, in the color of your motif, to use for bouquet and flower arrangement table decorations. You may also do the reverse: select a white hydrangea panicle for your flower arrangement centerpiece and surround it with many other flowers in shades and complementary colors to your color motif. Using a neutral coloring like white for contrast produces an elegant color arrangement.

2. Hydrangea Flower Stalks – Break up a hydrangea panicle, or only select loose or free stalks with a hydrangea plant, to use as an accent in your arrangement arrangement. You may use it instead of the usual asters, baby’s breath or chrysanthemums for a filler flower, or you may add the hydrangea clumps on the arrangement, along with that asters. Experiment with using either a white clump of hydrangeas and clumps of hydrangeas in blues, purples or pinks, to make use of as an accent to a bouquet of a complementary color.

Elegance is the eye of that beholder, just as beauty is the eye of that beholder. We may make an attempt to set the standard to suit your needs, but ultimately, a floral arrangement looking breathtaking is for you to decide and how you deploy your taste inside work that you complete. Just as former Dior designer John Galliano might get away with horrid pieces and make them look elegant and awe-inspiring, you way too, could get away with taking risks with your floral arrangement art. The key is to be subtle, strive for your “Less Is More” dictum, and have a friend with terrific taste in beauty get your floral arrangement critic. Hey, accountability works for fine art, too! Just make sure your friend is purpose and fair. Having some other person give suggestions makes for great quality control. .To make a flower arrangement, the first thing it is best to think about is what kind of effect you want to create – should it be bold to catch attention, bright to lighten in place an otherwise dull location or something subtle to merge to its surroundings? Also consider the fragrance of the flowers while you are planning the arrangement. Remember that a good arrangement is concerning carefully balancing the colors, aroma and style to your flowers (and container) with the situation and the setting.

Of course there are actually no rules, only inventive preferences so, just as with art, you really are absolve to create your own form.

The container that you will use is as important as being the flowers themselves and should be given as much thought should as the choice of flowers them selves. They should match the type of the arrangement so you should be thinking about the same points when considering when planning your arrangement (i. e what kind of effect are you trying to create and how can it balance with everything more?)

May possibly purposefully not used the word ‘vase’ here because vases are one among many different containers that can be used for flower arranging. You might want to use boxes, plates, any type of random household items or even nothing at all! In the case of an particularly splendid stand-alone increased by arrangement, a container might damage the effect so it may be best left out.

Seranata Flowers

Don’t you love to drive by homes and look at the beautiful yards? You know what really sets of the most beautiful yards? The bursts of color that you see from the annual flowers planted around the yard. The big, colorful blooms just stand out and look so beautiful.  Well, you too can have a colorful yard it just takes a little preparation.  

First of all, you need to know your soil. Do you have a clay or sandy soil? Clay soils tend to get hard packed after they are watered or a rain storm. Sandy soils drain really well, but they tend to dry out quickly. What you want is a nice sandy loam, which is a blend of clay and sand. It will hold water because of the clay particles, but it will also drain well because of the sand. Plants love a good sandy loam soil! If you don’t have a loamy soil you can add things like compost and peat moss to your soil to give it a loamy constancy.  Sandy loam is a rich brown color and will hold its shape and then quickly crumble when you try to form a ball.

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Now that your soil is improved, it is time to choose the plants you will put in.  Perennials are flowers that come back year after year. Perennials have a specific flowering season so they won’t flower all summer. Annuals are the plants that you plant each year and they generally will die after the first frost in the fall.  However, annuals will give you color all summer long. It is nice to have a mixture of perennials and annuals, that way you won’t have to plant lots of annuals every year.  

Make sure you know the specifics of each plant. For instance, if you love impatiens and you live in a hot, dry climate, they will need to be planted in a shady location otherwise they will shrivel up and die.  Every plant has needs and you should be aware of those needs before you plant.  In addition to paying attention to their exposure requirements, you need to pay close attention to their watering needs. Group plants with similar water requirements together. Put plants that thrive in drier soils along the far edges of flower beds where they may not get as much water.  

Arrange your plants so the tall varieties are in the back and move on up to the smaller types. You can mix colors for an exciting, vibrant mix. Or you can plant a theme garden. Flower beds that are planted with all white flowers are very calming, whereas a bed with bright yellows or pinks can be very energizing.  

You can have the most beautiful flowers on the block. It just takes a little planning, soil improvement, and imagination!

The title of this rose is somewhat optimistic: as yet truly ‘blue’ or ‘black’ roses are not available, and still belong to the realms of fantasy. The efforts to breed these colours have, however, produced, especially in hybrid Teas, some delightful varieties in mauve, lilac and blackish red. ‘Blue River®’ is just such an example, with large, beautiful, crimson-mauve blooms, which become lighter at the heart as if powdered, while the petal edges become darker. The blooms are usually borne in clusters and smell exquisite. Whether the rose is planted in a perfumed or perennial bed, its partners should not be planted too close, a minimum distance of 35 cm (14 in) apart, as unfortunately, as with all varieties of this colour grouping, it is susceptible to black spot.

• The ADR rose, ‘Mainzer Fastnacht’ (synonyms: ‘Blue Moon’, ‘Blue Monday’, ‘Blue Girl’, `Sissi’) has striking lilac-mauve tones and a wonderful scent. This popular variety blooms in great profusion and is hardy.

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Repeat bloomer; fully double; 0 8-10 cm (3-4 in); magenta mauve with a darker edge; strong, delicious scent

70-80 cm (28— 32 in) high; upright; bushy

Award-winning scent; temperamental; lovely cut rose; requires protection in winter PLANTING: For perfumed beds and flowerbeds and borders; as specimens or in groups

Kordes, 1984, Germany

Synonyms: ‘Grand Château’, ‘Taboo®’ / HYBRID TEA

‘Barkarole®’ will be assured a place as one of the noblest hybrid Teas with its characteristic slender, tall buds that open spirally to reveal dark velvety red petals that are lightly reflexed and borne singly on long stems. This tall, bushy variety will bloom to late autumn without suffering in the rain. In southern locations it may suffer some heat damage in full midday sun. ‘Barkarole®’ is unusual for its vigorous, bushy growth habit, as most ‘black’ roses do not grow well and are susceptible to disease. ‘Barkarole®’ is different from the norm in that respect, too, as it has proved itself very resistant to black spot. However, mildew may be a problem, and this should immediately be treated with fungicide.

? ‘Black Baccara’ (Meilland, 2002), with its deep, dark red, velvety blooms, is even darker than `Barkarole. The darkest of the ‘black’ roses does, however, have no scent and is very susceptible to fungal diseases.

 

Repeat bloomer; fully double; 08-11 cm (3-41/2 in); dark red; delicious scent

  80-130 cm (32-51 in) high; upright; bushy

Top quality variety, popular worldwide; rain resistant; good cut rose

For perfumed beds, flowerbeds and borders; as specimens or in groups; lovely standard

Tantau, 1987, Germany

Orchids

There are more than 25,000 species of this rare and beautiful cone-shaped flower. Some of them are extremely expensive and hard to come by, but other varieties are affordable, available and simple to grow at home.

Hibiscus

There are 10,000 named varieties of the tropical Hibiscus flower. These beautiful and colorful flowers are emblematic of the tropical environments they come from, such as Florida, Hawaii, Jamaica and India. Hibiscus are wonderful for decoration because the flowers will not wilt until their natural time to close -even without water. Opening buds may be picked early in the day, stored in a cool place and brought out for the evening. Storing Hibiscus in the cold slows down the flowers closing by a few hours.

Torenia

Also known as the Wishbone Flower, these annuals and perennials originate in tropical Asia and Africa. Torenia grow to be about a foot tall, with toothed, ovular leaves. Torenia produce a striking amount of beautiful pouched flowers that can grow to be an inch across. Torenia flowers are noted for their wide array of beautiful colors, such as white, blue, purple, mauve or lilac. Tornias can be grown with proper care in an environment that has a temperature of 70 degrees or more.

Lamium

Also know as White Nancy, Lamium is a beautiful ground-covering plant with white heart-shaped leaves and short spikes of pink flowers. Lamium blooms in the summer, grows up to eight inches tall and can tolerate a wide variety of soil conditions. It does best in shady woodland areas.

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Portulaca

Portulaca is a group of annual flowers that comes in several varieties. Native to Brazil, Portulaca grow spiraling stems up to five inches long and have cylindrical leaves and bright, colorful flowers up to an inch in diameter at the end of the stems. The flowers can be purple, yellow, pink, scarlet and many other colors. To cultivate Portulaca successfully you need to place them in a spot with plenty of sunlight and sandy soil.

Pentas

Simple to cultivate, easy to care for, and beautiful to behold, Pentas is a wonderful choice for your garden. Pentas is native to tropical Africa and its beautiful red, pink, white and lavender blooms are well-known for attracting hummingbirds. The plant grows up to three feet tall and wide and does well indoors, potted in a sunny spot or outside in warmer climates.

Lavatera

Though named for a Swiss botanist, Lavatera are native to the Himalayan Mountains, Siberia and Australia. These plants come in several varieties, both perennial and annual, with bush-like growth or tall straight stalks. Their large, beautiful flowers last only a day or two before wilting, but the plant produces new flowers for an extended period of time.

Sedum

Sedum, which come in hundreds of varieties, are easy to grow, late-blooming, hardy and beautiful plants. Sedum plants have thick stems, fleshy leaves, and flower heads that resemble lavender broccoli. These plants do best in well-drained soil and can tolerate both droughts and rainy weather. Because they bloom so late in the year, they often remain attractive through the winter.

Abutilon

Also known as the Flowering Maple, the Abutilon is a beautiful plant that does well indoors. Abutilon’s lovely blossoms range from reds, yellows, blues and shades of orange, and its foliage is usually pale green. Depending on how much space it has to grow, Abutilon plants can grow to be very large, which is why the plant is best kept indoors in a small to medium sized pot.

Gazania

Gazania, native to South Africa, is a beautiful, perennial ground cover with colorful daisy-like flowers. Gazania flowers boom in late spring to early summer and come in shades of yellow, orange, white and pink. Gazania thrive in sunny locations with well-drained soil.

Shopping for Mother’s Day flowers in Cleveland can be nerve-wracking. Over the years I’ve found that trying to choose a clever gift for the mom who has everything is next to impossible. Many of us end up bringing a beautiful, enormous (and expensive) bouquet of flowers that wilt and die within a week. If you’re anything like me, you’ve spent at least one Mother’s Day frantically running into your local Giant Eagle for a last-minute bouquet, hoping you’re not late for dinner.

This year Mother’s Day is May 8th, giving us plenty of time to break away from the typical Mother’s Day gift and get a little creative. Falling conveniently in the middle of springtime, Mother’s Day is the ideal opportunity to give fragrant and colorful flowers. But instead of that pricey bouquet, why not give flowers or plants that will last for months or years to come? Perennials such as azaleas and rhododendrons make a perfect Mother’s Day gift. These blooming plants create a gorgeous presentation on Mother’s Day and can be planted in a garden in late spring or early summer. No garden? A small azalea plant will do quite well in a pot, left outside to bloom during spring and summer and then brought in as a houseplant during colder months. Tulips are the perfect springtime flower, and are often given on Mother’s Day as a cut bouquet. This year, consider potted tulips instead, which are usually sold while the flowers are in full bloom. Potted tulips are easy to find and can be purchased in nurseries or in the garden center at many stores in the Cleveland area. I’ve even seen potted tulips sold in the flower department at my local grocery store. Unlike cut flowers, live tulips can be set aside to dry after blooming. By keeping the tulip bulbs in a dry, dark place such as a brown paper bag, they are perfect for fall planting and will bloom again in the spring.

Giving a small rose bush to a garden enthusiast is always a unique idea. If you’ve grown roses in the past, adding a new plant is always exciting. If you have experience landscaping, but have never grown roses, you’re likely to be thrilled with the opportunity to give them a go. When you’re shopping, try to choose a mature, healthy starter plant with several blooms. You can wrap the pot in some interesting, colorful fabric or some natural burlap. Add some ribbon for a personalized touch. Roses can be planted in late spring or early summer, giving their roots ample time to develop before winter. For a gardener, roses are a perfect, unique Mother’s Day gift certain to be enjoyed for years to come. And don’t stop at perennials. Herbs such as chives, basil, rosemary or thyme also make a great, long-lasting gift. If your mom doesn’t have a garden, these plants are easy to grow and can live quite happily in a container, providing fresh herbs all summer long. Select an attractive outdoor container and just place the plants inside if you choose not to pot the herbs yourself. Add a bow, some bamboo name tags and maybe a small watering can to complete the presentation.

For the less experienced gardener, annuals are always a beautiful gift. Garden centers and nurseries are usually well-stocked with healthy, colorful flowers at this time of year.

Consider a hanging basket overflowing with petunias or daisies to make a bold statement. If your mom has a flower bed, try picking several varieties of annuals for her to plant and pick up a sizeable handled basket to present them in. Throw in a new pair of garden gloves and a small shovel and you’ve got a lovely, thoughtful gift. Cleveland’s plant hardiness zone is 5a and 5b, so if you’re unsure if a flowering plant or herb will tolerate the Ohio weather, ask your local nursery or check with an employee in the garden center of your local store. Giving live plants this Mother’s Day is a green, unique and fun way to honor your mom year round.

Japanese Camellia, Camellia japonica. American gardeners in the South know and love the Camellia japonica, a landscape shrub, bush, or tree that can grow 20 feet tall. The Camellia japonica became an important garden landscape plant in the World War II war years in the 1940′s when Dr. Tom Brightwell collected a large Camellia cultivar planting at the University of Georgia Experimental Station at Tifton, Georgia, that is still actively maintained as a Camellia arboretum for gardeners to tour publicly and to compare varieties, color of flower blooms, flower size, and flower density studies. Several hundred Camellia shrubs, bushes, and trees are planted and growing at the Tifton, Georgia location. Camellia japonica was the favorite flowering plant of Dr. Tom Brightwell, although he planted Camellia Sasanqua trees and bushes also in the garden. Dr. Brightwell not only planted Camellia seed, but he selected the outstanding cultivars and grafted or budded those Camellia varieties named by him onto Camellia seedling rootstock.

Several other well known Camellia gardens are located in the United States; The Burden Center at Baton Rouge, Louisiana; Bellingrath Gardens at Theodore, Alabama; The City Park at New Orleans, Louisiana; Clemson, South Carolina Botanical Gardens; Atlanta, Georgia, Botanical Garden; Harry P. Leu Gardens, Orlando, Florida; The United States National Arboretum, Washington D.C.; Thomas H. Perkins III Camellia Garden, Brookhaven, Mississippi; Huntington Camellia Garden, California; Massee Lane Camellia Garden, Fort Valley, Georgia; and the Vale Camellia Garden, Waltham, Massachusetts.

The Massee Lane Camellia garden was donated as the headquarters for the American Camellia Society organized in 1945. The Camellia japonica shrubs, bushes, and trees are planted under the shade of pine trees and flowering Southern Magnolia trees as shading that is required for the best Camellia plant growth. The 9 acre Camellia tree garden is bordered by brick walkways, where over 1000 Camellia shrubs and trees can be viewed and enjoyed by the public during the fall, winter, and spring.

Dr. Tom Brightwell of the Tifton, Georgia Camellia garden exchanged Camellia plants with the land donor of Massee Camellia gardens, Mr. David C. Strother. Dr. Brightwell also researched the Camellia and exchanged Camellia cultivars with William Hertrich of Huntington Camellia Gardens in Los Angeles, California and with numerous Camellia researchers at Massee Lane Gardens, 100 Massee Lane, Fort Valley, Georgia, the headquarters of the American Camellia Society.

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The Huntington Botanical Garden in Los Angeles, California boasts a Camellia garden of 1200 different cultivars of Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua that covers twelve acres for public viewing of the Camellia blooms during the flowering season. The superintendent, Mr. William Hertich, of the Camellia garden planted thousands of Camellia seed to be used as a rootstock on grafting superior Camellia cultivars. These seedling rootstock resulted in the growth and selection of hundreds of new hybrid Camellia selections, many of which still grow at the garden today. William Hertich devoted many years of his life growing and photographing the Camellia trees and flowers. Mr. Hertich published his work on the Camellia plant in 3 volumes at the Huntington Camellia Gardens.

Other very large Camellia gardens outside the United States are the Peter Fisher Camellia Garden in Hamburg, Germany and the Royal Botanical Camellia Garden in Melbourne, Australia. The Higo Camellia bonsai Camellia plants from Japan can be seen at the Huntington Camellia Gardens along with aromatic, fragrant Camellia cultivars and a large collection of Camellia Sasanqua introductions from Nuccio’s Nursery of Altadena, California. A new important book by Ann Richardson, A curator’s Introduction to the Camellia Collection, can be purchased from the Huntington Library Press for .95 and is filled with valuable information for any lover of the Camellia flower, tree, or plants.

Growing Camellia plants into trees takes many years unless you buy a large flowering size Camellia tree that can be very expensive.. Very few perennial evergreen shrubs display the beautiful form in the landscape and the massing flowering habit of the Camellia. The Camellia japonica has the flower colors of pink, red, white, purple, and peppermint. The Camellia japonica can begin blooming as early as December and continues into March and April on some varieties, depending on weather warm-ups during the winter. Camellia shrubs and trees resent being transplanted in the landscape from one spot to another, and often die unless transplanting takes place during the winter. Even then, the Camellia does not transplant well, and can sit inert in a location showing little growth, if any, and many times will decline in size or die unless a large root-ball is dug. Camellia plants should be purchased from a nursery growing in a container, so that a full root system can be planted and grown. Never buy a Camellia plant bare root!

Camellia shrubs and trees prefer light or heavy shade for growing, and pine trees or flowering magnolia trees are the perfect companion plants for the Camellia shrub. Full sun will burn the leaves of a Camellia shrub except for interior leaves and no one wants a plant looking like that in a landscape garden. The discovery of the plant hormone, gibberellic acid, with its accelerative growth effect on individual flowers of the Camellia became an important method of winning prizes at Camellia flower shows. A normal Camellia flower, teacup size, could be treated with a drop of gibberellic acid at an inferior (lower) bud, and the teacup size flower would continue to grow to the size of a dinner plate. This treatment process has become important in treating other plant products to increase growth size of flowers, fruits, leaves, and in rooting hormone mixtures and seed germination.

A unique characteristic of both the Camellia japonica and Camellia sasanqua is the beautiful and spectacular bloom-drop circle that forms beneath the tree, surrounding the plant after older flowers fall and shatter on the ground. The glow of the fallen petals in the circle increases as the season progresses and many gardener’s view the bloom-drop circle as fanciful and beautiful as the fresh flowers remaining on the tree. The Camellia Sasanqua is often and commonly called simply, Sasanqua. The Sasanqua flower colors of red, white, pink, purple, and peppermint are the same colors, but smaller than the Camellia japonica blooms. The Camellia Sasanqua can grow 16 feet tall and blooms earlier (October to March) than Camellia japonica. The leaves are a glowing waxy green and evergreen with a slight curving habit. Single red, white, or pink flowers of Sasanqua are preferred by most buyers, but double flowering Sasanqua is stunning when in full bloom. The Sasanqua provides a perfect specimen landscape plant that will tolerate full sun, and is most often used in Zone 6-9 as a privacy hedge for screening out noisy neighbors.