Friday, 23 January 2015
Tuesday, 20 January 2015
A happy rose-face, looking out from the shadow of its glossy leaves and a bud above roses flowering in answer to a soft, brilliant day.
A happy rose-face, looking out from the shadow of its
glossy leaves and a bud above roses flowering in answer to a
soft, brilliant day. These blooms have a delightful effect from
carrying two rose-colors at once - white with the faintest shade of
pink pearl, and a warm rosy hue at the center. They are on a tall vine,
"James Galway", and swing from an arbor in my cousin's garden, where
they greet everyone with their sweet scent and many flower faces like
this one.
Credit +Sarah Myers?
Credit +Sarah Myers?
Beautiful Rose
This lovely rose fits in well with our English Old Rose
Hybrids, however it has a little of the Leander group in its genetic
make-up. This flower shows up in its rather shiny foliage. It is a stunning rose
with flowers of an unfading, strong yellow. Indeed their formation is most
pleasing, having a neat outer ring of petals enclosing an informal group
of petals within. The growth is low and naturally rounded, making it
an ideal rose for a position towards the front of the border. There is a
rich fragrance with strong lemon tints at first, becoming sweeter and
stronger with age.
Sunday, 11 January 2015
Strawberry Hill English Rose
For Strawberry Hill holds a medium-sized, pure rose pink, cupped
rosettes of excellent quality. And Nha gradually diminish to lighter
pink on the edges of the petals, and ultimately expose glimpses of
yellow stamens in the center. Blooms are beautiful in all stages. The
growth is tall, strong and non-formal to some extent, with small groups
of flowers held in brances arched slightly. Strawberry Hill is very
healthy with shiny, lush foliage and dark. This is a wonderful choice
for a position from the back of a mixed border, or the limits of shrub
roses. Strong, bitter and delicious and (Heather) honey fragrance.
Tuesday, 30 December 2014
This rose fits in well with our English Old Rose Hybrids, even though it has a little of the Leander group in its genetic make-up.
This rose fits in well with our English Old Rose
Hybrids, even though it has a little of the Leander group in its genetic
make-up. This shows up in its rather shiny foliage. It is a superb rose
with flowers of an unfading, strong yellow. Their formation is most
pleasing, having a neat outer ring of petals enclosing an informal group
of petals within. The growth ...is low and naturally rounded, making it
an ideal rose for a position towards the front of the border. There is a
rich fragrance with strong lemon tints at first, becoming sweeter and
stronger with age.
Friday, 5 December 2014
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
Source: Charismatic Planet
Labels:
Narcissus
Tuesday, 2 December 2014
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.
Labels:
Jasmine
Saturday, 29 November 2014
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.
Labels:
Lamium
Friday, 28 November 2014
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
Labels:
Rose of Sharon
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