Flowers Blog

Lady's slippers have recently started to bloom all over the parks and forests of Canada.

They are appearing in pink, yellow and other magnificent variations.

You may get the urge to pick these beautiful wildflowers to bring home for someone special but this is not the best idea and can be fairly destructive.

Picking any kind of wildflower is generally a bad idea. When you pick the flower off a plant you take away the means by which the plant is able to perform photosynthesis, which deprives it of its food stores.

If the plant does not get food then it is unable to create seedpods that are necessary for reproduction.

It is also important to be considerate of others. Picking flowers not only deprives others of their beauty this year but also for years to come. Furthermore in many areas picking wildflowers is considered illegal.

[Via: The Western Star]

Daisies started flowering a few weeks ago and are still displaying their splendor on roadsides, lawns, and gardens.

Daisies are really easy to care for and you can feel free to let them grow in just about any part of your garden. Despite the drought this year, they are still having an excellent growing season.

If you want to attract birds to your garden daisies can help — they especially attract goldfinches.

The daisy is also useful in many other ways — it wards off fleas and the flower is used for Native American ceremonies and medicines. As a cut flower, it can easily boost any flower arrangement.

Last year Mississippi saw a great drought. This year there has been plenty of rain and the beauty of the state has returned. Countryside roads are almost like jungles, full of wildflowers of every color.

Trumpet vines which are native to the area are wrapped around trees offering their flowers to the hummingbirds. There is also a type of old species daylily which fills the roadsides, even though it is not a native flower.

Orange patches can also be found along the roadway — these patches of color come from the native butterfly weed, which monarch butterflies really enjoy.

Queen Anne's lace is one of the most beautiful flowers to grow in Mississippi, and it is now in season. Black eyed Susans also line the roadsides.

[Via: chron.com]

There has been quite a bit of spring rain which means that your garden is probably growing lusciously. This also means that you have a lot of chores to do in the garden.

It is most important to deadhead flowers. Additionally to encourage summer blooms, shrubs need to be pruned, you need to fertilize, pull weeds, get rid of pests, and dead or diseased wood needs to be cut from trees and shrubs.

It is also important to keep an eye on your plants. If you let them go dry for more than a week, your garden can be seriously damaged. Plants should be watered deeply; you should also keep an eye on how your water is draining by checking the moisture of your soil. This can be done by checking with your finger or a screwdriver to see how wet the soil is. It is important that you check with something that sinks easily into the ground and it should still be muddy after two days of watering.

One really good trick to keep your plants happy and healthy is to spread a layer of compost over your flowerbeds. Your soil will become lighter and more fertile with the use of this organic material. Compost also helps the soil retain moisture, aerate, and drain.

[Via: WashingtonPost]

Time is running out to fill your gardens with colour for the summer season. However there are few precious moments left. Kim Fogarty the manager of Blooming Colours Nursery knows this well, she has some flowers to recommend that will withstand the hottest summer days.

"These are what I consider staple plants, they can all handle the full, hot sun," says Kim.

Black-eyed susans are one of her favourites for summer. They are similar to daisies. This plant is native to the States, and not only does it spruce up the lawn outside, but it is also great as a cut-flower. They get their name from the dark black centers that they have. These flowers usually come in shades of yellow but there are some orange and red varieties.

The pincushion flower is also another great variety. The flowers resemble pincushions and come in purple, lavender or pink. Pincushions attract butterflies and hummingbirds; which only adds more flair to the garden. This flower grows to about 8 inches in height and makes a great choice for rock gardens and bordering perennials.

Finally the autumn sage, though its name may be deceiving, blooms around this time of year and will continue to bloom giving off red, purple, lavender, fuchsia and white blooms, all summer winter and even deep into fall. This flower also attracts hummingbirds and butterflies.

[Via: DallasNews]