Narcissus Flower

First, let’s establish what we’re talking about. We all know what a daffodil looks like, right? Well, may be. When I was a child I called all the yellow flowers of this type ”daffodils” and the white one “narcissus”. I also know people who call the yellow ones “jonquils”. Well, botanically speaking, they’re all from the genus Narcissus. But you’re welcome to call them whatever you like. These narcissi, like many flower groups in which many different species, and their hybrids, are grown, have been classified into groups. Here’re the major ones, which sound at times like a list of bra sizes. Keep in mind that the “cup” is the round, protruding part of the flowers that is surrounded by the petals. 

“Trumpet” narcissi produce one flower per stem in which the cup is at least as long as the petals. The big yellow “King Alfred” narcissus is a classic example. Large cupped narcissi have a cup that is a big around as but shorter than that of a trumpet. I especially like the ones with the pink cups, of which Mrs. R.O. Backhouse was the first, and “Pink Beauty” is a fine modern example. Small cupped narcissi are rather flat flowers with a short cup. With any of these, the cup may be one color, the petals another. 

“Double” narcissi are any that have more than one row of petals. They tend to be very fragrant, with almost a jasmine scent, and there’re often several white with some yellow deep in the center, is a popular double. 

“Jonquils” are hybrids of the small, early N. jonquilla, and have as many as six flowers to a stem. No longer all yellow, the colors vary. “Tazetta” narcissi have many flowers on a stem and are fragrant, often with a small, colored cup. Paper white and the yellow and orange “Grand Soleil d’Or” both nonhardy narcissi that are excellent for forcing, belong in this group. Those in the “Poeticus” group are fragrant and have only one flower per stem, which is white with a contrasting shallow cup. In “Actaea” an old favorite, the cup is yellow edged with red. The red-cupped “Geranium” is another good variety. 

In addition there’re a number of delightful species and their hybrids that produce miniature flower on short stems, perfect for the rock garden or any other small-scale planting. Among these are N. bullbocodium (hoop-petticoat daffodil), which has a big cup and rather wispy petals; N. triandrus, which has little drooping flowers with pulled-back petals. “April Tears” is a lovely fragrant yellow variety and N. cyclamineus, whose petals look as if they were being blown back by the wind. 

How to Grow

 

Give narcissi full sun or light shade. They prefer a well-drained sandy loam. Well, Plant large varieties at least 6 inches apart and at least 6 inches deep. Small varieties can be a little closer and less deep.  Work some high-phosphorus fertilizer into the soil. Do not cut the foliage down until it turns brown. Established plantings will increase by themselves but benefit from being dug up every four or five years and divided. To do this wait till the foliage has died, then dig them up with a digging fork and pull apart the bulbs that will separate easily. Either replant them right away or store them in a cool place until later in the summer.

Source: Charismatic Planet

Jasmine is Popular Evergreen Flowers

Some jasmines may twine to some extent, but as a group they’re really in the category of shrubs. Some have long, arching stems, however, and are therefore grown as vines. They’re very popular in warm climates, where they’re usually evergreen and bear lovely flowers in spring or summer sometimes even in winter; many are extremely fragrant. Common jasmine (Jasminum Officinale) is vigorous and hardy to Zone 7. It will grow to 30 feet; very fragrant white flowers appear in summer. Winter jasmine (J. nudiflorum) grows much less tall and is hardy to Zone 6. 

Yellow flowers which are not fragrant, appear before the leaves in early spring in cooler climates, in winter in warm ones. Pink jasmine (J. polyanthum), whose flowers are more white than pink, has small, dainty leaves and starts blooming in winter in warm climates; it is hardy only to Zone 8 to 9 but can be grown successfully indoors and is very fragrant. Many jasmines in fact, make good container plants, indoors or out. Some of the larger ones make good, dense, fragrant hedges. There’re many other jasmines worth exploring, especially if you live in a warm climate.  The plant called “star jasmine” (Trachelospermum jasminoides) is actually not a jasmine. It is evergreen bears fragrant white flowers in spring and summer and is a good screening plant in frost free regions. 

How to Grow Jasmine

Jasmines prefer sun, though some may do well in part shade. Any well drained, light loam is suitable as long as there is some moisture. Most need pruning to keep them within bounds. With indoor plants especially it is important to cut them back hard after blooming to encourage branching and more bloom. The stems must be anchored to their supports. Propagate from cuttings or by layering. 

Lamium is an Excellent Ground Cover for Shade.

Lamium is an excellent ground cover for shade. The common name is often given as “spotted dead nettle” far too unattractive a little for this low growing carpet of leaves with a stripe down the middle that can be white, yellow, red or silver. Lamium is evergreen from Zone 6 south. Even in Zone 5, where I one live, they persist well into the winter. The erect flower clusters are long blooming, lasting from late spring to midsummer, and can be reddish purple, pink, or whit depending on variety. “Album”  has white flowers and white marked leaves; “Beacon Silver” has pink flowers and silvery leaves. If you set out a little nursery grown pot of lamium in spring, you will have a lamium carpet by fall, and the following year you will perhaps be able to pen your own lamium nursery with which to supply all your friends. It spreads rapidly by above ground runners and is hardy to Zone 4. 

How to Grow Lamium

Here if you want to grow lamium in part or full shade if possible but if the site is very sunny make sure the soil has plenty of moisture. Other than that lamium seems to have no special requirements and is easily propagated by division, cuttings or seed. If you do not want to open a lamium nursery, and it is crowding other plants, shear in midsummer to promote more compact growth. 

Source: Charismatic Planet

Rose of Sharon is in number of varieties shades

Rose of Sharon or Hibiscus syrfiacus is the chief value of this shrub, also known as “shrub althaea”, lies in its late summer bloom, usually coming in August. There’re number of varieties, in shades of pink, purple, blue, lavender, red and white. Flowers are usually three to five inches in diameter; extra-large ones can be produced by cutting stems back to two buds after blooming. They’re tall, bushy plants growing as high as 15 feet and can be grown as trees by eliminating all but one stem and removing lower branches. They make good specimen shrubs, given enough space, and also can be used as informal hedges, though close shearing is detrimental both to bloom and to the shape of the plant. 

Plant should be set in while still young and protected with mulch until well established. Even so, until they are mature, they are susceptible to winterkill. They will grow in sun or part shade, and they like moist, humusy soil with good drainage. Pruning need only be done if you want a smaller, compact plant, or to produce larger flowers, as above. Cut back stems to laterals to control size and produce vigorous growth and remove dead or damaged wood. Prune in winter in mild climates, early spring in cold ones. Source: CP

May Apple is very Charming Plant if Used in a Right Way

This is very charming plant if used in the right way. In late spring each plant sends up what look like two little, folded-up beach umbrellas; these unfold as two broad, umbrellas like leaves under which you have to peek to see the small white or pinkish flowers. But I like them just for the foliage; an established clump forms a large mat that is a sea of umbrellas all summer long. In May a small, yellow fruit (the “apple”) forms where the flowers were. You can eat the fruit but don’t ever eat the roots or leaves both are poisonous and even touching the roots can cause a rash. The other name for the plant is “wild man-drake.”

Naturally growing in open, damp, deciduous woods, May apple likes a rich, moist soil and a fairly acid pH. It makes an excellent ground cover for shaded or semi shaded sites. Plant or divide the rhizomes in fall, leaving at least one bud on each division and spreading out the rhizomes 1 inch below soil level. 

Lily Produces Magnificent Flowers in Wide Range of Shape Colors and Sizes

These’re the true lilies as opposed to the day lilies described in this article which grow from rhizomes. True lilies grow from big, fat white bulbs that are made up of scales and produce magnificent flowers in a very wide range of shapes, colors and sizes. They bloom at various times from early summer to late summer and even into fall. Everybody who has grown a number of different lilies has favorites some of introduction above. The pace here to describe many of them in detail, but here is at least a run-down of the basic lily groups, more or less in order of bloom. 

The Asiatic hybrids bloom in June in many colors, with heights ranging from 2 to 5 feet and with several different flower shapes. The red-orange “Enchantment” is typical of the upward facing flower types and is a particularly vigorous plant that forms clumps. “Connecticut Lemonglow” has an outward-facing flower; other has a pendent or “Turk S-Cap” shape. The Martagon hybrids are a group that bloom in June, have Turk’s-cap flowers, and are quite tall up to 6 feet. Madonna lilies are white though some of the hybrids are cream or yellow stand 3 to 4 feet tall, and bloom in June or early July. The American hybrids, which can grow as tall as 4 to 8 feet, include the long-lived Bellingham hybrids. 

Midsummer lilies include the Easter lily, L. longiflorum, which is forced into bloom for Easter display but blooms later in the normal course of things. Regal lilies (L. regale) are tall, white and very fragrant. The Aurelian hybrids are an important part of the midsummer lily show. They tend to be fairly tall 4 to 6 feet and include such spectacular varieties as the dusty rose, “Pink Perfection” and “Black Dragon”, whose large flowers are dark red on the outside and white within. Tiger lilies (L. tigrinum), with orange, curled back petals spotted with black, grow up to 4 feet tall. 

The last lilies to bloom, in late summer and sometimes early fall, are the Oriental hybrids, which include the glorious gold-banded lily (white, striped with gold and spotted with red), the Imperial strains, such as “Imperial Silver” (White spotted with brick red) and last of all, the hybrids of L. speciosum, such as “Uchida” mentioned above. Most lilies are hardy as far north as Zone 4 or 5; L. candidum to Zone 8. 

Well, you’ve to think carefully about how to use lilies. They have tall stems with rather sparse foliage growing around them, and they may have to be staked, which makes them look a bit like basketball players on crutches. I put some in perennials beds, and I grow the rest in a semi shaded spot where a lush nest of ferns hides at least the lower half of the stems. It is often said that lilies like to have “their heads warm, their feet cool.” Try to plant something around the base of the plants for their health as well as for looks, but choose shallow-rooted plants that will not strangle the lily bulbs. 

How to Grow Lily

The difference between lily bulbs and other bulbs is that lilies never really go dormant their roots are always growing and no hard protective covering forms around them. What this means for the gardener is that you must handle them very carefully so as not to break off the roots or the delicate scale like pieces that make up the bulb, and you should keep them out of soil for as short a time as possible. Local nurseries often sell them potted up. If they’re unspotted, or if you order them by mail, keep them in a slightly damp not wet packing medium such as peat until you can plan them. 

Lilies do not need fertile soil. In the areas where they’re native generally in the Orient lilies often grow wild in poor, gravelly ground. Overfeeding causes them to have weak stems that always need staking. They need some moisture while they’re actively growing, but drainage must be exceptional. Adding organic matter will help to provide both. Soil pH is not much of an issue except in the case of the Martagon lilies, which like soil slightly acid, and Madonna lilies. Most lilies will do equally well in full sun or part shade filtered shade is nice because it keeps the colors from fading. Martagon lilies, wood lilies and a few others really prefer some shade. 

Though lilies may be planted either in spring or fall, I prefer spring they seem to get established a little better. The only lilies I know of that are always planted in fall are the Madonna lilies. Plant most lilies 4 to 6 inches down measured from the top of the bulb. Madonna lilies again the exception are planted with only an inch of soil on top of the bulbs; you should start to see some of their foliage sprouting before winter. I think lilies should be at least a foot apart to allow for air circulation. 

I hold off staking the plants until I think something might knock them over if I don’t. You should also deadhead them but cut off only the dead flowers, not the stems and leaves, which will continue to make food that the bulbs will store. One other word of caution; lilies can be slow to come up in spring, so be very careful that you don’t dig around the spot where they’re planted or might be planted. If your memory tends to be fuzzy, mark the spot.  Well to except to see either clusters of pointed leaves or an odd little stub with little pointed leaves arranged around it in concentric layers like a shaggy haircut. These get longer and longer, and are fragile, so try not to step on them and break them off. And don’t be disappointed if your lilies fail to reach their full height the first year. Sometimes they just don’t. Source: Charismatic Planet