Sunday, March 25, 2012

Scabiosa flowers picture.

Scabiosa is a genus of prolific bloomers distributed across Asia, Europe, Mediterranean and many temperate regions of the world. They are easy to grow and fill empty spaces and borders very nicely in gardens and landscapes. Scabiosa forms low mounds of decorative leaves and bears nice flowers of creamy white, lavender and lilac colours.


Popular Species of Scabiosa

Scabiosa Africana: A shrubby, evergreen perennial, Scabiosa Africana bears white or mauve flowers. Flowers grow in spring and can be used as cut flowers.
Scabiosa Atropurpurea: It is an annual plant and bears flowers of white, pink, crimson and purple.
Other popular varieties and cultivars include Scabiosa Columbaria �Baby Blue�, Blue Diamonds,Butterfly BluePerfect AlbaPincushion PinkPink LemonadePink Mist, and Ultra Voilet.



How to Grow Scabiosa

Scabiosa is easy to grow and requires almost in any soil but prefer well drained and rich media. Grow them in full to partial sun with regular watering though they can survive frost and drought to some extent. Propagation is easy from seeds as well as divisions.

Thursday, March 22, 2012

Impatiens flowers.





The wide range of flower colors includes red, orange, salmon, rose, pink, white, violet, and lavender blue. New Guinea Impatiens also offer exciting variations in leaf color. Impatiens are used for edging shady beds, massing under trees, window boxes and hanging baskets.
Impatiens thrive in filtered or partial shade and must have protection from hot afternoon sun to maintain their colors. The soft, fleshy stems wilt quickly when in need of water. Plants grown in the soil under trees will need extra water and fertilizer since they are competing with the tree roots.
All types do best in a rich, moist soil mulched to maintain adequate moisture. Feed monthly with a water-soluble fertilizer
Impatiens are an easy-care annual that develop a beautiful shape without pinching or pruning and do not require flower removal to be covered with fresh blooms.
Impatiens seed should be started indoors six to 10 weeks prior to planting outside. After the last chance of frost, harden off your impatiens, and then set the plants in the garden. A quicker way to get impatiens is to purchase transplants from a local nursery or garden center. Space tall-growing varieties 18 inches apart and compact varieties 8 to 10 inches apart. The closer they are planted, the taller and leggier the plants grow.
Impatiens may be grown in containers. Use a soil-less growing mix for good drainage. Impatiens grown in containers need more frequent watering and possibly more fertilizing than those grown in the garden.

Problems

Generally impatiens are trouble-free in the home landscape. Diseases can include damping-off during germination, fungal blights and rots, and viruses. Spider mites, thrips, mealybugs and aphids may infest New Guinea impatiens.
Cultural control methods can easily prevent most problems from developing. Grow plants under optimum conditions to keep them healthy.
Impatiens are highly susceptible to moisture stress. If the plants are allowed to wilt, they will drop leaves and flowers. Keep them well-watered, but not soggy, at all times.

Species & Cultivars

Impatiens: Impatiens - also known as Sultana, Touch-me-not, and Busy Lizzie (Impatiens wallerana) - is the best known species, with its mounding habit, long bloom and incredible range of colors. The common name Touch-me-not was given because the slightest touch will cause the ripe, full seedpods to burst open scatter their seeds into the wind. Impatiens often reseed in the garden, but the seedlings will gradually return to producing tall plants with a mix of colors unlike those originally planted.mpatiens range from 8 inches to 2 feet tall. Many cultivars will be taller than descriptions in catalogs in hot southern summers. Heat-tolerant cultivars will remain more compact. Flowers are from 1 to 2 inches across. Taller plants produce larger flowers. Flowers can be single, semi-double, or fully double blooms that look like miniature roses. In addition to the many brilliant solid colours, impatiens are available with markings in star, picotee and mosaic patterns.
Impatiens cultivars are usually sold as part of a series with similar growth characteristics and a wide range of color.
  • 'Accent' series are dwarf, large-flowering and have outstanding summer-long flowering in shade.
  • 'Blitz' series has very large 2� inch blooms on uniform compact plants. They are drought-and heat-tolerant.
  • 'Carousel' has the largest percentage of double blooms of any double impatiens. The compact, well-branched plants flower freely.
  • 'Dazzler' series grows 8 to 10 inches tall and is best in shade. Compact plants have large blooms and enormous flower production. Ideal for containers.
  • 'Impact' series are extra early with a dwarf compact plant habit. Being extremely heat-resistant, they will flower almost continuously through the entire season.
  • 'Impulse' is a compact series that does well in heat. They grow to 12 inches tall.
  • 'Super Elfins' grow 8 to 10 inches tall and are a very popular series. They are known for abundant bloom and compact habit even in heat.
New Guineas: New Guinea Impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) have leaves that are large and brightly colored bronze or purple with yellow or pink midribs. They have larger showy flowers in various colors and are usually grown from cuttings.New Guineas are often promoted for growing in full sun. Unfortunately, they need so much water to do well in full sun that few gardeners can keep up. New Guineas grow best where they will receive morning sun and afternoon shade. An eastern exposure is ideal. Gardeners who can water the plants very frequently may want to try them in full sun.

Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Madder flowers pictures.





Madder  (Rubia tinctorum)
Family: Rubiaceae
Climbing evergreen perennial native to the Mediterranean and southern Europe .  Hardy to -5 degreees F.  The plant is a classic element of the Medieval garden, completely unique, wending its way along the ground or draping on fence or trellis.  The yellow, star-like flowers are produced in the second year after which the roots may be dug.  Madder root contains the anthraquinone pigment alizarin, which is responsible for its popularity as a fine red dyeplant.  (The English �red coats� owed their visability to this plant!) The root is also employed medicinally for treating urinary gravel, dropsy, amenorrhoea and jaundice.  Plant prefers regular garden soil and full sun. 

Monday, March 19, 2012

Black Bryony flowers pictures.






About

Black Bryony is a climbing hedgerow and woodland edge plant that flowers between May and August and produces red and shiny berries that can be seen, covered in frost, in winter. Our only native member of the yam family, Black Bryony is actually highly poisonous. Despite its name and superficial resemblance, it is not a relative of White Bryony.

How to identify

Black Bryony is a twisting climber but lacks the tendrils of White Bryony. Its leaves are heart-shaped, glossy and their veins form a net pattern. Black Bryony displays yellow-green, six-petalled flowers and red berries.

Where to find it

Predominantly found in England and Wales.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Lucerne flowers pictures.





LEAVES : Alternate, trifoliate, elliptical leaflets.

PLANT HEIGHT : 40�90cm.

FLOWER SIZE : 7�11mm long.

FRUIT : Spiralled pod, 5�6mm wide, with a hole in the centre.

FLOWERING TIME : June�July.

SIMILAR SPECIES : Tufted Vetch (left), which
 has pinnate leaves and longer flower clusters. Also known as Alfalfa, Lucerne was introduced throughout Europe as a fodder crop for cattle. Its trifoliate leaves are divided into long, slender leaflets, each toothed at the tip. The flowers, in loose clusters, vary in colour from pale pink to deep violet.

Thursday, March 15, 2012

Petunias flowers pictures.

Petunias are popular annual flowers in most American gardens. They are easy to grow and are very pleasing to the eye. They enjoy a long blooming season and add plenty of colour to your garden. There are many types of petunias available. So you can choose the one that matches your needs the best.
  Give the plant the hot and sunny climate it wants, and you will be thanked with the appearance of a foliage that is of a lovely metallic blue colour, which will provide the ideal backdrop for the many stunning blue flowers that will adorn your garden during summer.
  Petunias are blooming flowers, which can be grown in home gardens, flowerbeds, hanging baskets, pots, barrels, window boxes or any other kind of flower planter. These pretty flowers bloom continuously from spring to frost, and come in a large variety of sizes and colours.
  Petunias come in a large number of varieties, and you can save the expense of buying new seeds and transplants every year if you collect and save the seeds. You will find these small seed pods under the petals once the flowers start fading. You must know the right time to collect these seeds though, since they are really tiny and may get lost when the seed pods split open.
 Petunias are pretty and versatile annuals, used as cut flowers and also extensively in flower beds, window boxes, hanging baskets and other kinds of plant containers. They blossom in a large number of stunning colours and come in many sizes and shapes.
Though petunias are quite easy to grow outdoors from transplants, amateur gardeners may find it difficult to grow them indoors. The main advantage of growing petunias indoors is that you can grow a large number of plants for less money. 

Tuesday, March 13, 2012

primrose flowers pictures.

As a gift, these flowers are frequently presented to long time loves, as they are a great way to represent passing through many years of struggle, only to find yourself just as happy as you ever were with your partner.
 As well as being a symbol of purity, the primrose flower is said to represent both February births and the month of May. They are also thought to symbolize courage in the face of adversity, devotion, love and renewal. 
 For instance, these flowers were frequently planted on the grave sites of small children in Victorian England, as they represented the unchanging innocence of the lost child; in German myth, children were enticed into the halls of the goddess Bertha by way of the pale, delicate flowers. The flower�s myth, however, is not entirely somber. This blossom is associated with the Norse goddess Freya � who is the symbol of youthfulness, refinement, fertility and beauty. They are also seen in Celtic myth which states a patch of these flowers can mark the gateway to the fairy realms.
 The oils of the primrose flower are commercially cultivated in at least 15 countries. This is understandable as it has become a staple in many supplements. The oils of this flower contain gamma linolenic acid, linoleic acid and essential fatty acids which are thought to positively effect cholesterol and blood pressure, premenstrual symptoms, arthritis and the immune system. The oil is also said to be very effective in other areas as well. For example, rubbing the oils into door frames or dripping it around garden perimeters may help avert bees, as the scent is thought to be a deterrent. Given that the primrose flower is considered one of the symbols of purity, many real life and mythological stories tell of their association with children. 
 primrose flower is native to areas of Europe and Asia, they can be found growing in abundance throughout the Midwest and Northwest regions of North America. Primulaceae, or the primrose family, contains around 24 genera of popular garden and wild-growing plants. There are a number of different varieties of primrose flowers; however, most gardeners place them in two distinct groups: the bog and woodland flowers, which prefer moist, rich soil, and the rocky area flowers, which do well in dry areas. These flowers are generally planted for ground cover and may be seen growing as single-headed flowers or in large clusters. Their colors range from the traditional yellow to white, purple, pink, and occasionally even coral hues.