The Meanings of Flower

Posts Tagged ‘flower’

Buying flower bulbs to plant and grow is an exciting experience that begins in the fall and continues through the spring. Dutch flowering bulbs are usually delivered to American ports by the month of September for fall planting. Major Dutch bulbs offerings include Dutch Amaryllis and African Amaryllis; daffodil bulbs and the famous, Tulip bulbs.

Amaryllis flower bulbs grow the showiest blooms and are pre-cooled to force fast flowering in 3 weeks after containerizing. Dutch bulb importers of Amaryllis offer a larger variety of selections and more bulbs to tempt the buyers. The African growers of Amaryllis bulbs appear to be enslaved to the Dutch Amaryllis importers distribution network, however, the African flowers that emerge on the Amaryllis stems are superior in many respects to the Dutch Amaryllis. The African Amaryllis blooms appear to offer clearer colors, more compact flower stalks, leaves that grow as the flowers appear, and more numerous flower stalks and grow from smaller bulbs. The large array of bloom colors from amaryllis includes red, pink, lavender, orange, yellow, white, green, maroon, red stripe, white stripe, pink stripe, and bi-color. Double numbers of petals on Amaryllis flowers are fast growing to be very popular choices to buy, since the petal count is increased to 12, instead of 6 that grow on most Amaryllis bulb flower stems, looking very similar to a huge carnation flower.

Daffodil flower bulbs are important Dutch bulbs for fall planting, because of their reasonable market cost, the ease of planting, and the growing of flower stalks in the Spring in various colors of yellow, white, orange, and the rare pink daffodil. Daffodil bulbs are easy to naturalize to bloom again every year.

Tulip bulbs are a native flowering plant of Turkey, but long ago tulips were hybridized on a large commercial scale by Dutch bulb growers. The cost of Dutch tulips has not always been inexpensive to buy, but tulip buyers today still love the spring flower colors of red, pink, orange, yellow, blue, purple, white, and bi-color. Cities and government organizations anxiously buy tulip bulbs in huge numbers during winter seasons to grow in beautiful landscape displays for the Spring.

Agapanthus bulbs are often called ‘Lily of the Nile’, and Agapanthus grows profusely along the Nile River in Egypt, and the blooms captivated the ancient African plant explorers who dug the bulbs for shipping back to European gardens. Blue and white colors of Agapanthus rhizomes have been hybridized in recent years to intensify colors, and some Agapanthus plants are cold hardy down to zero degrees F., whereas, the older clones of native Agapanthus were considered to be tropical in nature and not very cold hardy, so they were not introduced for planting in more Northern locations until recently, when gardeners from more Northern States experimented with new Agapanthus hybrids and determined their cold hardy tolerance.

The Canna lily rhizome has been long considered to be tropical in nature, with very little cold hardy resistance. The early American botanist and explorer, William Bartram, wrote in his book, Travels, in 1773, the discovery of Canna indica in Alabama near Mobile, “Canna indica is surprising in luxuriance, presenting a glorious show, the stem rises six, seven, and nine feet high, terminating upwards with spikes of scarlet flowers.” Bartram also discovered the native Canna flaccida, growing near Fort Frederica, Georgia, located on the Island of St Simon’s. Canna lily colors are broad, red, white, pink, lavender, orange, yellow, speckled, bi-color and others. Some Canna flower growers plant cannas with variegated leaf forms that are striped with red, green, yellow, white, and pink. Dutch distributors of canna rhizomes still flood retail box store, garden centers with “Victorian-age” canna bulbs of poor quality; varieties that had declined, “run out”, 50 years ago, and they should have been discontinued and not presented to buyers at a garden center nursery.

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Ginger lily rhizomes grow flowers with fragile, delicate blossoms – many looking like miniature orchid flowers. The foliage of Ginger lilies is interestingly variable, growing in colors of green, yellow, maroon, and stripes of yellow or white. Interest in planting ginger lilies has surged in 20 years, because of the realization that many ginger lilies are cold hardy, surviving temperatures as cold as zero degrees F. The foliage and the flowers are pleasantly aromatic.

Daylilies are actually not bulbs but rhizomes, but are sold extensively as daylily bulbs. Thousands of named varieties of Daylily bulbs have been easily hybridized by legions of backyard gardeners and the selection improvement and flower quality is absolutely astonishing. The improvement has resulted in growing double flower daylily, miniature daylily, cold hardy daylilies, and compact clumping or large clumping daylily plants. It is staggering to realize all these many colors – red, white, yellow, orange, purple, pink, and bi-color originated from an original native plant -a seedy, yellow daylily growing wild on the forest edge.

Elephant Ear bulbs are very variable, some growing into bulbs and others into rhizomes. Gardeners have always been fascinated that the Elephant Ear plants grow large in the landscape into huge clumps with that unforgetable tropical appearance. Great interest in Elephant Ear bulbs has resulted in recent years by a nationally tested demonstration that Elephant Ear bulbs are cold hardy enough to survive temperatures of zero degrees. Curious leaf patterns appear on hybrid Elephant Ear plants, and the extensive variegated patterns that appear on the leaves add a stunning, mysterious attraction from their random markings and splashes of yellow, white, and maroon on the surfaces of various leaf sizes, some large enough to hide the body of a mature man or small enough leaf to place in the palm of the hand. Elephant Ear bulbs can grow as large as the human head or the size of a quarter. Offset bulbs are abundant from Elephant Ear bulbs in the fall as the plants grow dormant to regrow when replanted in the spring. In the wholesale trade of Elephant Ear bulbs, it is a common practice to divide them into two major commercial categories, the Alocasia, and the Colocasia, based on many taxonomical growth characteristics.

Crinum Lily bulbs offer to an adventurous hobbiest or gardener an antique garden bulb selection that has been reintroduced as improved crinum clones by the brilliant inductiveness of chemist, Lester Hannibal of Fair Oaks, California. Lester Hannibal back crossed and intercrossed many native crinum lily species to offer the gardener an excellent, cold hardy crinum, an “interspecific hybrid”, that can be grown as far North as Philadelphia, PA, zone 6, and to survive intense freezes of below zero temperatures. Many of Lester Hannibal’s crinum flower hybrids were a re-creation of obsolete but popular commercial crosses that were made by Cecil Houdyshel in the 1930′s, but largely improved upon from the original “Powellii” forms with clear, white and pink colors, an increase in the number of flowers in the umbel, extended flowering periods, an eliminatio of drooping flowers, an intensification of fragrance and early flowering after sprouting from the germination of the seed. The “milk and wine” crinum lilies were named, because the flowers were white (milk) and wine striped colors. Crinum colors are burgundy, red, pink, white, greenish-yellow, and orange. Crinum bulbs increase by growing into clumps of multiple offsets from the central mother bulb, or by planting the seed of some cultivars or species.

-Rare, Hard-To-Find Flower Bulbs of Merit-
Many rare minor flower bulbs are unavailable to buy anywhere, except by possibly exchanging plants with collectors and hobbiest. The Amazon lily, Encharist grandiflora, blooms with six white, daffodil like petals, and a green or glowing yellow cup radiating from the center. This delicate flower can be remembered from days past for its wonderful charming fragrance. The Bird of Paradise is known for the two tropical forms, the Strelizia reginae, the most common: brilliantly colored flowers with orange, red, and blue glaring blossoms; and the Strelizia nicholae that grows large, showy, white flowers. The Blood Lily, Scadoxus mutliflorus, forms baby-head sized globular flowers with red filamented petals and radiate fragile threads of red that are affixed to the to the center of the bloom, great for container culture. The Red Butterfly lily, Odontonema strictum, won the perennial plant award of the year in Florida in the year 2000, and butterflies and hummingbirds flock to visit the fiery red spikes, beginning in mid-August and continuing until the first hard freeze. The Calla lily, Calla palustrus, has been hybridized with many other Calla lily species to grow into many splendid colors, but the new hybrids are not as popular as the white, fragrant, winter-blooming, Calla aethiopica; and the yellow calla, Calla aethiopica. Clivia lilies, Clivia minata, are choice heavy shade-requiring plants that produce gigantic clusters of orange flowers, cup shaped, with a yellow throat, and often will re-bloom two or three times from large bulbs. The Gloriosa lilies, Gloriosa rothschildiana, a climbing vine that clothes itself with recurved, star-like flowers that are favored and admired by florists and flower arrangers, because the blooms last so well. The Inca Lily, Alstomeria aurantiaca, has become naturalized in America, as an escaped bulb from the tropical jungles of Peru. The Alstromeria flowers last well as a cut-flower, and waxy, greenish-red funnels begin blooming vigorously in the spring. Lycoris are a charming group of flower bulbs that called “Spider Lily”, and they bloom in floral colors of pink, yellow, white, and red, Lycoris radiata, which is the most widely grown. The Pineapple Lily, Eucomis bicolor, grows into flowers that are shaped like miniature pineapple fruits in colors of white and rusty-red. Scilla flower bulbs are grown in large numbers as bedding plants, many Dutch varieties are small and make good cut flowers, but the best cold hardy Scilla is the Scilla peruviana that forms and grows into glowing, purplish-blue flowers that either grow as well as bedding plants, or containerized plants. Voodoo lilies, Amorphophallus bulbifer, are strange and bazaar leafy bulbous plants, both in leaf and flower, with a suggestive look of snakes, cobras, and other vermin that may be lurking beneath the leopard-spotted menacing leaves. Zephyranthes are called “rain lilies”, and softly bloom in colors of pink, Zephyranthes grandiflora; yellow, Zephyranthes citrina; white, Zephyranthes atamasco; and a mind-numbing number of Zephyranthes bulb mongrels that are distributed by a retired breeder in San Antonia, Texas, who apparently has nothing better to do, than paralyze all the worlds earnest taxonomists into the task of assembling the records of his Mexican-American bulb-children lineage into a staggering Encyclopedia publication.

If you are a plot lover, but have no legroom for your farming desire, don’t fret farming is not necessarily out of your attain. In the vacant opening of your house say veranda, deck, deck, or sunny transom, you can build a container farming, which will not only earn you joy but also vegetables. So, are you eager to onset container farming yourself…

In the past, farming is a complete realm of the landlady. Nowadays even the flatly occupant can grow his think patch lacking having any fuss. One’s delight can be fulfilled by container farming, which means the farming in a special container. Container farming gives delights of landscape without weekly mowing. In the container, you can nurture some perennials, annuals, and even shrubs and small trees.

Don’t think container gardening can be achieved very clearly. Container gardening also requires right planning just like that of traditional gardening. Planning consists of finding your USDA zone (this will help to equate the suitable hide mixture of your zone), quantity of daylight you are getting in your apartment, and finally wish your beloved conceal class.

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It is forever advisable to buy the plants from close nursery save you have right conditions to go for enclosed seedlings. You should not keep the tender plants of container gardening unlikely below 45° F temperature or in towering winds. Moreover you should not vacation the new plants through out the night in the faint to get hoarfrost it out.

There is a mistaken notion that all the plants grow in the ground won’t grow in the container gardening. It’s not so. If you have any mistrust, prefer do experiment on it. Moreover, any container with holes for drainage can be worn for your container gardening.

Container gardening requires little plan in the original phase. Nevertheless it is having low maintenance with good satisfaction. Container gardening requires little fertilizer and water according to the given needs of the plants.

There is abundant pot growing vegetable varieties as container gardening. In this kind, the vegetable deposit requires only sunlight and water. Providing these two things can easily help you get bright vegetables for your ratatouille or salad. You can get more satisfaction by quota these varieties nurtured by your own hands to your beloved pals.

Don’t despair-if you’re not having balcony or deck? Get nod from your landlord for chance boxes, a present container gardening. It is kindly likely to grow many bloomy annuals year-spherical and interior vegetables in your sunny opening. There is another enter of patch called village gardens, which will please the city dwellers.

There is no basic to end your container gardening since you have entered autumn. Nevertheless you can resume your container gardening by selecting the plants that are withholding the cold. The normal buried varieties that podium up to the hoarfrost are Eulalia grasses, Mexican plume grassland, Cornflowers, Lavender cottons, Jasmine, Million bells, Stonecrops, etc.,

Passion flower has been long known and appreciated for its nervine abilities. The Aztecs used this herb as a sedative as well as for pain. From 1916 until 1936, it was listed in the National Formulary as a sedative. During the early twentieth century, passionflower was included in many over-the-counter sedative and sleep aids. Today, passionflower is available as an over-the-counter sedative in Germany. It is also used in many German homeopathic medicines to treat pain, insomnia, and nervous restlessness. Professional herbalists use passionflower today in combination with other calming herbs to help treat insomnia, tension, and other health problems that are related to anxiety and nervousness.

Passionflower is a perennial climbing vine that grows to a length of nearly ten meters. Each leaf on the passionflower has petals that vary in color from white to pale red. It possesses a fruit that is orange-colored, multi-seeded, and egg-shaped. This fruit is edible, containing a sweetish yellow pulp. According to folklore, the passionflower was given its name because it resembles the crown of thorns worn by Jesus during the crucifixion.

Recent research on passion flower has concluded that it is also useful for insomnia, fatigue, spasms, and nervous tension. The majority of the research done on this herb has focused on its sedative action and found good results. Studies have even found that an extract of passionflower can reduce locomotor activity and prolong sleeping. Some additional tests indicate that this herb has pain reliving abilities as well as sedative effects. It also contains anti-inflammatory properties which make it useful for those who are suffering from arthritis.

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This plant contains passiflorine, which is thought to be the active ingredient, as its principles are similar to that of morphine. This herb is even occasionally referred to as the nonpoisonous, safe opium of the natural physician. It is extremely soothing to the nervous system. It is a good way to treat hysteria, anxiety, and hyperactivity. This herb possesses the ability to depress the central nervous system and also lower high blood pressure. Herbal combinations that contain valerian and passionflower are considered to be very useful as a natural tranquilizer. Additionally, passionflower contains calcium and magnesium, both of which are essential for the nervous system. This herb has been proven safe for both children and the elderly.

Passion flower remedies are made from either fresh or dried flowers as well as other ground parts of the plant. Whole and raw plant materials are used. The flowering shoots, which grow 10 to 15 centimeters above the ground, are harvested after the first fruits have matured. They are then either air-dried or hay dried. Passionflower is available as an infusion, tea, liquid extract, or tincture. For adults taking an infusion, the recommended amount is 2 to 5 grams of dried herb three times a day.

Fluid extracts should be taken three times a day, using about 10 to 30 drops, while a tincture should also be taken three times a day using 10 to 60 drops. For children, the recommended adult dose should be adjusted to account for the child’s weight. Since most herbal dosages for adults are calculated on a 150 pound adult, a child who weighs 50 lbs should receive an appropriate dose of passionflower of 1/3 of an adult dosage. Generally speaking, passionflower is considered to be safe and nontoxic. Passionflower should not be taken if you are pregnant or breastfeeding.

Passion flower can be found at your local and internet health food store and available in capsule, tablet, and powder form. When looking to purchase this supplement, stick with name brands such as Solaray and Source Naturals. Name brand companies back their product for any reason and put in pure quality ingredients in each bottle.

This small genus belongs to the dogbane family and consists of only 2 species of long-flowering evergreen shrubs native to the area from southwestern Asia across to China. The leaves are simple, smooth-edged, narrow, and lance-shaped, providing a background for the attractive flowers that range in color from white and pale pink to red. The numerous cultivars further broaden the color spectrum. Appearing in clusters, the flowers are made up of 5 broad petals that are fused into a narrow tube at one end and flare open at the other into a disc or a shallow cup. Nerium plants are very beautiful garden subjects but are also extremely poisonous; care is needed when working with them in the garden.

Plant in almost any type of soil, except wet, in full sun. They will tolerate light frosts if grown in a sheltered position. Well-established plants may be pruned quite severely in winter, about once every 3 years, to maintain their shape. Propagate from half-hardened cuttings taken in autumn or from seed in spring.

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Nerium oleander ‘Petite Salmon’, as its name suggests, bears blooms of a delicate salmon pink shade on an attractive dwarf bush. It is suitable as a hedging plant.

Bearing single pink blooms, Nerium oleander ‘Docteur Golfin’ is a popular landscaping plant in warm climates. Once established, it needs very little watering.

  Nerium oleander comes in a variety of colors and sizes. It is a long-lived plant and is often grown as an informal hedge, in a shrub border, or in a large container.

As the genus name indicates, this is the well-known source of tobacco leaf. There are over 65 species in this genus, the bulk of which are annuals and perennials native to tropical and subtropical America, as well as Australia. Most species are tall and treelike but a few species grow as shrubs, though they tend to be softwooded. And short-lived. Their leaves are usually deep green, very large, and covered with fine hairs. They are sticky to the touch, and may exude a fragrance when crushed. The attractive flowers are tubular or bell-shaped; mostly white or in pastel shades of green, pale yellow, pink, or soft red; and usually open only in the early evening or at night. If the blooms are fragrant, the scent is also often released at night.

Most tobacco species are marginally frost hardy to frost tender. They grow best in warm humid climates with ample summer rainfall in full sun or partial shade. They require soil that is moist, well-drained, and reasonably fertile. Most Nicotiana species are propagated from seed sown in the spring, though some will grow from cuttings.

The leaves of Nicotiana tabacum have long been used to make tobacco products, but this plant also produces pretty little pink flowers.

Nicotiana alata ‘Nicky’ is often grown as an annual and produces clusters of scented crimson flowers. It is a good choice for borders.

 

 

So, you’ve got your flower plot set up. You’ve planted the flora, some perennials here, a few annuals there. You’ve added a gazing sphere, a bench, and some other accent pieces to help making your patch exclusive. Nevertheless you’re still mislaid one thing. You’re missing the stitching around the patch.

The strip around your backyard is almost as important as the plants. Just like a form on a picture, prim cover will enhance the appearance of the patch. Edging will set your patch distant from the breather of the lawn. Proper strip will make out the beauty of your backyard, and twist it into a work of art.

Several different types of cover are offered for your plot. You basic to determine which one best hysterics your plot. A low brick or astound hedge, seized together with mortar is the common letters of patch strip. It creates a hard, lasting cover to demarcate your plot. Nevertheless you may or may not have the money to do this, or you may want a minus stable stitching.

Lining up bricks or rocks lacking mortar is another trendy reasoning of strip your garden. If you select bricks, you can line them up, stack them in a low roadblock, or set them diagonally, leaning against one another. You can use rocks in the same way, minimally lined up or stacked along the creep of the garden. Obviously, the rocks will poverty to be small enough to move, but large enough to have a crash. Many time, you’ll find rocks while you’re digging up the garden, or burden other landscaping projects. Or you can find them in the friends yard, or an available lot. If you get them somewhere other than your own yard, just make indeed you have permission to take the rocks.

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Your area homed improvement or garden stock will have an expansive array of binding yield. They have false edging that can be placed vertically into the ground to grant an easy border. There are small fences, landscaping timbers, artificial shock margins, and more. Browse around, and see what will look good around your garden. If you want any of these edges, be assured that they are of good trait, and will last for several seasons. You don’t want to be replacing your edging every year!

Border plants are also a good decisions. You’ll probably want perennials, like alpine phlox. You’ll want a low growing deposit that you can divide and bury again each skip, so that you won’t have to buy new plants and replant every year, as you would with annuals. Check the quantity of sun that the garden will be receiving, and pick plants that will tolerate your climate, and the total of sun usual.

Comfrey is a good range for an edging hide for a large garden. The thick advance will foil meadow from creeping in on your garden. The leaves can also be worn for mulch when they reduce. The flowers will add some visual awareness to the garden as well. Small gardens will be overwhelmed by the comfrey, so it would only be right for large gardens.

Strawberries or herbs are also a good option for edging a garden. If you plant herbs, you can also use them in cooking. Just shear off anything you essential, and you’ll have fresh herbs for your meal.

Whether you choose plants, rocks, bricks, or edging from the stockroom, the apposite edging will grant a fitting physique, to enhance and show off the masterpiece that is your flower garden.

Flower gardening is becoming increasingly popular each year.  Flowers will lighten up everyone’s garden, they look good, and are a good activity.  Flower gardening is very simple, inexpensive, and lots of fun.  Flower gardening can be practiced for garden decoration, just for a hobby, or even professionally.

There are a few decisions which have to be addressed prior to  flower gardening.  You must choose if you require annuals which exist for 1 season then must be replanted each year, or perennials which endure the wintertime and comeback once again during the summertime.  While purchasing and planting, pay attention to what sort of flowers flourish in your climate.

Whilst flower gardening, you must determine what sort of appearance you need prior to planting.  For example, blending assorted heights, colours, and assortments of flowers collectively in a “wild-plant manner” can give your yard a meadow appearance and can be really entrancing.  If shorter flowers are set in the front line of your garden and you build up the highest flowers in the rear you’ll make a “stepping stone flair”.

You will be able to order seeds for flower gardening from catalogues or purchase them from a nursery.  Most folks will go to the nursery and purchase fully grown flowers and then transfer them.  After you’ve organized your garden area and bought flowers, it’s a great idea to set the flowers out in the flower bed to make certain you like the arrangement and that they are spaced right.
One of the easiest procedures in flower gardening is the planting/ if you have seeds simply sprinkle them about in the flower bed.  For planting transplants dig out a hole greater than the flower, pull off the container, and adjust the flower in the hole. Now just cover it up with the loose soil and press down firmly, and then water.

We who are captivated by the flowers of daylilies may wonder why it is important to know about the daylily plant. A knowledge of the overall plant characteristics will help gardeners in hybridizing, cultivating, and acquiring daylilies and well deepen their appreciation of the flowers. Understanding the total plant, therefore flowers, foliage, and roots, can greatly increase overall enjoyment of daylilies.

The primary part of the daylily, like most plants, are the root system and foliage. Prior to the bloom season, flower stalks, or scapes, emerge from the base of the plant. Usually flower buds visibly begin forming immediately after the scapes begin to emerge. Plants send up a single scape at time but can send up two, three, or more scapes during a season. The number of blooms on a scape varies from less than 10 to more than 60.

Sometimes small plants are known as proliferations form on the side of the flower scape as it matures. The roots of the daylily are typically fibrous, which allows the plant to store food and water. Thus, bare-rooted daylilies are more easily transported than most other perennials since the plant is capable of sustaining itself with stored nutrients. The point at which the roots meet the foliage is known as the crown and contains the growing point of the plant.  The sword like leaves emerge from the crown in an alternating fashion that creates a fan shape, a single daylily plant is often called a fan.

The typical daylily flower is composed of three sepals, three petals, six stamens and one pistil.  The stamens are the male part of the flower and the pistil is the female part. Each stamen contains an anther, or pollen sack, at the tip. The anthers are closed in the early morning when the flowers first open, but as the temperature warms they burst open to reveal the fluffy, yellow to orange pollen. At the end of the pistil is the stigma. As the anthers open, the stigma becomes sticky to receive the pollen. The pistil connects to the ovary at the base of the flower and provides the passageway for the pollen to reach the ovary. If successfully pollinated, the ovary will form a seed pod.

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In order to describe the different possible flower colors and patterns, the community of daylily growers and hybridizers has divided the flower into several parts, which included the throat, the eye or watermark, the petal self, and the petal edge. The different qualities of these parts are then used to categorize the many daylily hybrids.

The throat also called the center or the heart, is the center of the flower where the petals form a narrow funnel meeting at the base of the pistil. Sometimes “heart” is used to describe a smaller area in the very center of the throat. The throat color is usually green, orange, or yellow. Most newer hybrids have a green throat since gardeners generally find that green gives a cool focal point to the flower.

Daylilies are categorized by two primary characteristics: their self color and the presence of an eye or water mark.  The self refers to the flattest, widest part of the petal, which carries the primary color of the bloom. The eye or eyezone is a darker area surrounding the throat of the flower.  The eye can be a small dark band or it can take up most of the petal area.  If this area surrounding the throat is lighter, rather than darker, than the self color, it is referred to as a watermark or a halo. In addition, the petal edges can be darker or lighter than the petal self. Darker petal edges are referred to as a picotee.  Picotees and light edges can be very narrow to very wide, taking up to one third or even the petal width.  Many new metalloid hybrids have a very dramatic gold edges.  When a contrasting edge is very narrow it is referred to as a wire edge, such as a flower with a wire gold edge.

Flower color can be more complex in many cultivars.  For example, the petals may contain a blend of more than one color, these are known as polychrome flowers.  A bitone flower has petals that are darker or lighter than the sepals.  Bicolor flowers are those that have petals and sepals of two entirely different colors.  Describing color is very subjective, and the color that results in photographs is dependent upon a wide variety of influences, such as growing conditions, temperature, film type, amount of sunlight, and so on.

Peak daylily bloom in North America varies from May in the deep South to mid July in the northern part of the United States and in southern Canada.  Of course, in countries south of the equator the bloom season ranges from November to mid January. Many modern cultivars send up a second or third set of bloom scapes to extend the season.  The bloom season of a daylily is categorized according to the start of bloom.  Generally, the bloom season is divided into early, midseason, and late.  However, in an attempt to be more specific, some hybridizers have divided the season even further, describing the bloom times as extra early, early, early midseason, midseason, midseason late, late, and very lates.

Some new hybrids have an extended season and may begin blooming very early and continue through the entire bloom season.  Plants that send up more than one scape are referred to as reblooming, or recurrent, cultivars.  Many gardeners look for every blooming hybrids, ones that bloom nearly throughout the whole season.

There is just so much information on daylilies and I absolutely love them.  It is wonderful to wake up, get a cup of coffee and look across your daylily field and see all the different colors that have bloomed. I will have a few more articles on this subject because there is just so much to write about.  Until then, see you in the garden!

 

Summer hyacinth

G. candicans is surely the most impressive of the summer- flowering bulbs. Slender, tall, all in white, it is decorative not only in flowerbeds, but also in vases. It displays its somewhat exotic splendor in sunny, sheltered locations, supported by plenty of water and fertilizer. The soil should be fertile and loose. In the fall, cut off dead flowers and in areas where the winters are harsh dig out the bulbs and store them in a dry and cool place. This plant is sensitive to frost. Plant in spring. Propagates by seed, more rarely by bulblets. The flower is delicately scented.

This short-stemmed, exotic-looking beauty is a member of the Primulinus group. The delicate, greenish-yellow flowers have bright pink tips and a dark brown eye in the center. A magnificent sight.

Gladiolus “Flevo Smile”

Creamy off-white flowers, their effect further strengthened by two pale yellow petals each. A whisper of red in the center completes the ensemble.

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Take a look: tall and slender, with radiant white flowers, lightly tinged with yellow on the inside. A splendid  large-flowered plant.

Large-flowered, violet to dark blue variety with creamy-white center. This variety is not winter hardy—store the bulbs in a protected place for the winter. A member of the Butterfly group.

Gladdiolus

Time  for a comeback. Thanks to the fashion for all things retro, the stern and upright but elegant gladiolus is returning victorious to yards and vases. With its great variety of colors and the long, profusely-studded flower heads, it brings plenty of atmosphere to the summer garden, where it prefers to be in full sun, in warm and wind-sheltered flowerbeds with deep, sufficiently moist but well-drained soils rich in nutrients. The plant does not like to be waterlogged, and a little coarse sand in the hole when planting can help prevent this. Plant the bulbs in spring; the taller varieties will need support. Gladioli look good in groups among medium-height summer flowers and perennials. In regions where there is a risk of frost, the bulbs must be taken out of the soil in late fall, when the leaves turn yellowish-brown. To store over the winter, brush off the soil, allow the bulbs to dry and remove remaining foliage. Keep them in a dark, cool, and frost-free place. Remove bulblets from the old bulbs in the fall for propagation. The old, dried-up bulbs can be thrown away.

  Cornflag

A winter-hardy variety with sturdy growth, which spreads well through its rhizomes. It is very undemanding, requiring only sun and ordinary soil. It is a favorite for cottage gardens and wild perennial plantings.

Big, white flowers, looking decorative with their yellow throats and pink-edged petals. A sturdy bloomer.

The brilliant red flower spike of “Traderhorn,” up to just over three feet (1 meter) tall, stands stern and upright. Inside, the flower is ribbed with white. Large flowers.

The most eccentric and extraordinary designs in the show’s history were displayed at the Chelsea Flower Show this year as gardeners and designers have certainly let their imagination run wild. This most prodigious flower show was as usual attended by Her Majesty the Queen and other members of the Royal Family together with many celebrities, furthermore 157,000 tickets were sold out in just 16 days.

 

The sheer artistry and imagination of designers this year surpassed all that had gone before, bringing to the show innovative ideas of what gardening is all about.  Seventeen show gardens were competing for attention and designers have given their all to create something quite special.

 

The gardens displayed included the ‘sky garden’, a floating pink pod hoisted 82 feet over London, and many visitors were inspired by the show’s tallest garden, a 30 foot tower of vegetables beds. A superb variety of exhibits ranged from a modern take on a kitchen garden, a plot with the largest trees ever to be brought into Chelsea, a working water mill, and even a Korean entry which makes a toilet the central feature. This is believed to be the first South Korean garden designer to exhibit at Chelsea and the thinking behind the design is that any garden can contain any ideas, any places or any things from life and it would seem there are no limits to the number of topics you can make a garden from.

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The highest accolade at the show was awarded to the record breaking tower block show garden, the idea behind this winner was to demonstrate the ease with which food can be grown even in tight urban spaces, and more than 45 different species of vegetable plants were used to construct this show stopper.

 

Best in show was the sunken garden which caught the eye of the judges, with sculpted columns and water pipes and sand coloured gravel and cobbles showing off perennial plant blooms rich in summer yellows, and reds.

 

The British have always loved gardening and it is for sure that this years´ show has inspired gardeners all over the UK to strive to achieve the best using every piece of our garden. We should also be recycling and the Gold medalist showpiece garden reiterates to everyone that we can indeed go vertical and grow whatever takes our fancy from bedding plants through to garden bulbs. What a great idea to stack beds vertically and make a fantastic impact with plants that we usually save to use as container plants

 

A spokesman for Blooming Direct a horticultural business on the Island of Jersey said “gardeners in the UK love the Chelsea Flower Show and get great ideas from the displays where they can see garden plants at their best and this drives them on to try bigger and better things. We stock everything for the garden from a packet of garden seeds, to garden shrubs, to species that make wonderful hanging basket plants. All our plants are delivered FREE to the UK in plug plant format in pristine condition”

 

Let your imagination run wild, on a smaller scale of course and enjoy every single day in your garden with renewed confidence that there are no ‘throw away’ ideas when it comes to gardening.

 

For further information visit:  www.bloomingdirect.com

The activity of gardening is gaining in popularity since it is being viewed as an extremely rewarding pastime that provides plenty of fresh air, exercise, and “beautiful” results. But most people are not content with just a garden full of ordinary plants, but wish to create a landscape of extraordinary flowers! And so the entry of “flower gardening”!

But wait a minute! There should be no mistaken belief that creating a garden full of flowers is an easy task. It involves tough physical labor and demands dedication. Only then will you be able to produce a “work of art”.

Any outdoor activity should be acceptable to the surrounding ecosystem; so also flower gardening. The suggestions listed below should help you to grow healthy plants–

(1) It is important to know the “hardiness zone” of the area you are located in. The USA and lower Canada have been divided into various hardiness zones by the USDA, according to a 10-degree Fahrenheit difference in the average minimum temperature. This division will allow you to note which plants can survive in which zones (seed packets or flower guides carry this information), and you can purchase the appropriate flowers for your garden.

(2) You have a vast range of flowering plants to choose from, including butterfly bush, butterfly weed, foxtail lily, African lily or the lily of the Nile, lantana and delphiniums. Nice insects like butterflies and bees will feel like visiting your garden!

(3) If you are unsure about the type of plants you need to pick for your flower gardening, take the help of garden guides and catalogs. They can provide you with all the information you want, including useful tips.

(4) Some of the tips given concern having a mix-and-match garden that displays flowers and plenty of colors all year round! There are early bloomers, late bloomers and mid-season bloomers to choose from. The “early” ones and “late” ones can grow in side-by-side rows, to exhibit alternate blooming times. So also perennials and bulbs. Many more combinations can be tried out, depending on your creativity!

(5) Though most plants have green leaves, there are some with silvery-colored leaves. Some exhibit burgundy-colored leaves. These can become “space fillers”, to make up for those flowers which have not yet blossomed/finished blooming.

(6) Before actually starting on your flower gardening project, keep aside a book as a gardening journal. This is what seasoned veterans do, and recording their earlier mistakes have helped them to do better the next time round.

Start off by preparing a sketch or plan of your new garden. Fill in all the details like–the location of your garden, its proposed shape, the flowering plants that you wish to have, a rough arrangement of the plants, and so on. Place pictures too, as you go along. Record your successes and failures. Over a period of time, this journal becomes a “chronicle” of your flower gardening efforts!

(7) Are you planning to have a container garden or a purely outdoor garden? If it is containers that are going to hold your plants, then ensure that the soil conditions are just right inside them. Also, you have to get only those plants that can tolerate temperature changes and exposure to sunlight, because all plants cannot face environmental changes. Again, all plants cannot be grown inside containers.

(8) If it is going to be an outdoor garden, the soil has to be tested first with the help of a soil testing kit. Many local gardening supply stores stock it; in case they are not able to supply one, they can always refer you to a place where the kit is available.

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Even without a kit, you should be able to judge the quality of the soil in your yard with the help of your hands. Take some soil in your hand, and rub it back and forth. If the soil comes apart, it indicates the presence of too much of sand. So it cannot store nutrients. Sticking together, indicates that there is too much of clay in the soil. This type of soil does not drain well, and does not allow roots to penetrate easily.

Loam soil (equal amounts of clay and sand) is the best for flower gardening.

(9) Now that you chosen the spot for your garden, start digging. When you have gone about 8 inches to 1 foot in depth, extract the rocks and other unwanted debris that you can find there. Use a rake to split up clods of earth and level the area.

(10) The next step is tilling. About one inch or more of manure or compost is to be added to the dug-up soil. Add even more if it is of poor quality. Grass cuttings or peat moss help to increase water retention capacity if the soil has too much of sand in it. For acidic type of soil, add lime.

When you mix the soil and all the organic components that you have added to it, turning the whole thing over and over a few times, you have “tilled” the soil.

(11) Use the rake again to level the new bed. Some more ammendments have to be added to the soil. Compost goes into the top soil (about 6 inches), along with a general-purpose fertilizer (10-20-10).
(12) Do not start planting your flowers as soon as you have finished adding ammendments. Give them time to enter the soil and spread all across the plot designated for your garden. A few weeks of waiting is necessary. Meanwhile, you can browse the books again so that you are thoroughly prepared when it is actual planting time, with the plants as well as all their requirements.

(13) Now that the time has finally arrived, start sowing the seeds, or planting the seedlings. Smaller ones should take the front seats, while the bigger ones should be placed at the back. Ensure a distance of 3 feet between the plants and any buildings/fences. Also, there should be at least 20 feet of space between your flowers and large trees. Large bushes should maintain a distance of 5 feet from your plants. Other trouble spots to look out for are–steep slopes, places where water tends to stagnate and shallow and rocky soil.

(14) Now that you have come this far in your flower gardening project, it is time to put down a layer of mulch (indicates compost that has not completely decayed) over the garden. A word of caution–ensure that it does not come in contact with the stems of the plants. A layer of 2 to 3 inches of mulch should remain around the plants all the time, especially during the growing seasons.

Weeds can prove detrimental to your garden. As an added precaution, keep layers of wet/damp newspapers under the mulch.

Why mulch? The benefits it provides to the soil include–stabilization of temperature, increase in water retention capacity, addition of nutrients and prevention of excessive growth of weeds.
(15) Do not go in for synthetic substances or chemical pesticides, despite advice from some professional gardeners. You have been “organic” so far; no point in going back to “inorganic”! All that you need to do to make a success of your flower gardening project is to keep the soil quality in top condition. Try to combine plants so that one acts like a “pesticide” for the other. For example, plants like rose and garlic are beneficial to their companions in the garden.

(16) If you are in a hurry to start growing your flowers, there is another option available. Get some jiffy pots that are made from compressed peat moss. Put in potting soil or starting mix. Sow the seeds. Place the pots inside the house in an area where they can can get sufficient sunlight.

Once the plants have attained a height of 4 inches, place the jiffy pots outside in a pre-designated location. The pots rot away and the plants get “attached” to the natural soil by their roots.

In addition, you can look for tips and information about seeds on the backs of seed packages, such as–when and how to sow the seeds, distance to be maintained between plants, etc. Seedlings of course, should be planted as soon as possible.

(17) Like many others, you may not really have an idea about compost or how it is prepared. So, here is some information about this “organic manure”.

How is organic matter different from inorganic materials? When there is decaying of the dead remains of animals and plants (remains of any living things, in fact), the decomposed material returns to the soil. The soil therefore gets enriched with vitamins and other nutrients. Its fertility is enhanced, enabling plants to grow healthy.

Thus, when soil is of poor quality, it can be “ammended” with the addition of natural manure or compost. Being totally organic in nature, it causes no harm to your garden or the surrounding environment.

Since compost is easy to make on your own, you save on costs as you do not have to pay for readymade manure purchased from the local gardening supply store. You save on time too. The environment will be thankful to you as you are taking care of the large amount of material collecting in landfills!

If your garden soil contains too much of sand, compost will help to retain water. If there is too much of clay, the compost enhances the soil’s capacity to drain well. And of course, plenty of nutrients get into the soil with the help of this organic manure.

(18) Finally, how do you prepare your own compost for your flower gardening project?
Dig a pit. Fill it with whatever organic wastes that you can get–lettuce leaves, tea leaves, coffee grounds, banana peels, grass clippings, shredded branches, hay, chopped leaves, garden plants that are free of disease and have finished their season, straw, weeds, shredded papers and newspaper. No bones or meat are to be put in. Whatever is put in, should be small in size–so use a lawn mower or a shredder to reduce the size of some materials.

Once the pile has attained 6 inches in height, use finished compost or soil or manure to cover it. The covering layer should be about 3 to 6 inches thick. Repeat the process of alternate layers of organic materials and finished compost/soil/manure. The final height of the entire pile should be 3 feet.

The compost pile should be started in a shady location. Whenever it seems to go dry, sprinkle water on it; enough to keep it damp, not to make it soggy. There is heat generated that helps to sterilize the forming compost. Keep turning the pile to ensure circulation of oxygen.

When there is no more heat being produced, the pile is ready for use. This compost has to be mixed with soil before planting flowers. It can actually be used in any way possible–as mulch, soil ammendment or potting soil. But use it as quickly as possible since the nutrients in it tend to get dissipated.

Thus, your flower gardening project has been entirely “organic” in nature!