Archive for the General Category
Posted on November 30, 2009 with No Comments
There’s a lot going on at this time of year, and if you are a gardener you have even more on your plate. With the nights getting longer, this is the ideal time of year for plants to start setting their buds.
Some examples of these flowers and plants are chrysanthemums, poinsettias and zygocacti (Christmas cacti) mainly they can be seen blooming in stores. They are even pushed to bloom to fit specific marketing, and this is done by controlling the length of the days in greenhouses.
The end of October and beginning of November is a ‘green light’ period for gardeners to get their spring blooming plants. I doesn’t matter if you have purchased your bulbs earlier on in the year there is still time to get the planted.
The bulbs need to be planted at least twice the depth of their length, in a spot where they will get about six hours of sunlight, and is important that their pointed end is looking upwards. If it is not clear which end is the pointed one plant them on their side. The shoots and the roots will grow in the right direction on their own.
If your roses are still blooming this is the time to stop cutting them, when roses are cut they produce new shoots, as the weather is fairly cool now frost could kill any new growth, which is not good for the plant.
Take this opportunity to cut a few more blooms for your home, and leave the plant alone until January, when you can get some pruning done.
Sources:
http://www.visaliatimesdelta.com/article/20091105/LIFESTYLE/911050335/Betty+Coffelt++Some+plants+will+start+setting+flower+buds
Posted on September 28, 2009 with No Comments
You would never think that weeding out a dead flower could get you in any trouble. But recently, a woman was threatened with arrest for theft and criminal damage after she pulled out a dead flower from a council-owned border.
Angie Summers, 43, was just taking her lunch break when she decided to pull out a withered canna lily in a nearby public square. She felt that the flower was ruining the look of the display — the flower was about 18 inches in height and very dead.
Later, Mrs Summers was shocked to get a phone call from the police at her home – a passer-by had reported seeing her pick the flower to the town council.
The officer threatened to “put her in cells” and made her very aware of the fact that she could be prosecuted for theft and criminal damage. This type of charge can lead to a six-month prison term.
The charge was eventually dropped by the Wiltshire police, when they admitted that she had acted with good intentions…
[Via: Daily Mail]
Posted on September 22, 2009 with No Comments
As the sunlight becomes weaker, it is not only the early risers that can catch a glimpse of the refreshing large blue chicory flower. This flower is reminiscent of the daisy and is especially plentiful after the rain.
The chicory is also known as the coffee weed, as many famous coffees in New Orleans are flavored with this plant. It is also used with several salad greens to add a tangy taste.
The flower has gained weed status in Canada and the United States as it is not a native plant. The flower derives from the eastern Mediterranean region, and it has been used with foods since the Roman times and ancient Egypt. Some European farmers have been cultivating it for food for thousands of years now.
The agricultural variant is grown for the roots these days, as they are what give coffee its flavor.
Though Chicory is a non-native plant, it has found its place and naturalized, not causing much damage or being invasive. The flower prefers soils that have some limestone…
[Via: wickedlocal.com]
Posted on September 3, 2009 with 1 Comment
Most of us would not think of heading to the bar to see floral creations at their best, but New York has been hit with a new trend – floral decorations in cocktails. Some of these are basically works of art and quite an indulgence.
Bar tenders have been using real flower petals bathed in gin or some other alcoholic beverage. Mojitos have been spiced up a notch with syrup made from dried lavender blossoms, while Champagne is a bit less fizzy with the help of wild elderflower liqueur.
Junior Merino, a bartender and consultant came up with a drink for the Modern in Manhattan called Coming Up Roses, a beverage combining rose syrup and crushed rose petals with rum. He says, “People are realizing there are a lot or edible flowers or flavoured liqueurs that taste beautiful in a cocktail glass. It’s a discovery for many: interesting flavours and tastes they never knew existed.”
So if you are hosting a cocktail party any time soon, have a look at your garden for some inspiration.
[Via: nytimes.com]
Posted on August 20, 2009 with No Comments
Scientists in China have discovered that the raindrop might have played a far more important role in the evolution of the flower than we can imagine.
Research showed that among nearly 80 different species of flowers, many of the shapes and structures developed to keep pollen from getting wet, whereas other types of flowers solved the problem by developing pollen resistant to water.
Many flowers rainy areas either have droopy petals or close them when it rains, which may be a result of this kind of evolution.
Though researchers like Darwin had some idea of this kind of evolution, there was no conclusive research done in this area until now.
One of the researcher at Shuang-Quan Huang of Wuhan University says, “Animals as well as ourselves like to be sheltered when it rains. We were wondering how flowers reduce rain effects on pollen grains given that plants are immobile.”
[Via: BBC]
Posted on August 18, 2009 with No Comments
In Brooklyn, the most common sight is warehouses sprawling over cracked cement, there is much left to be desired in this type of barren landscape.
Kirstin Tobiasson, 39, decided to make a bit of change, and seven years ago she started to plant a garden, while living at a studio in one of the warehouses.
She began planting without having a clue about how to grow a garden, only with a need to bring beauty to that area, where BTW is not unusual to see crack needles scattered along the sidewalk.
She decided to use annuals, that would grow fast and would not be much of a temptation to passers-by, who could make a buck or two out selling lilies or roses. She had no help, no manual and yet she succeeded in working with the space she was given, which is one of the most important aspects of gardening…
[Via: The New York Times]
Posted on August 15, 2009 with No Comments
Nearly 32 million Americans suffer from insomnia, and it is not all that easy to solve this kind of problem. Luckily a pre-scription of X a n a x is not the only way to go around this.
This problem can easily be solved with flowers. Not only do they make you smile and brighten up a room, they have a multitude of other benefits, as well.
The beautiful scents of flowers make us breathe deeper improving memory by bringing more oxygen to the body and brain. A study conducted at Harvard showed that by simply stopping to smell the flowers people decrease their stress.
You may not always have the time to pick a good bouquet of flowers, but flower essences can also be very helpful in improving the quality of your sleep. There are even unscented varieties for those who are sensitive to stronger scents…
[Via: visionmagazine.com]
Posted on August 12, 2009 with No Comments
If you like doing crafts and want to find a way to make a few extra bucks, drying flowers might be a good option for you.
Many craft stores will buy dried flowers, but if not then you can sell them to gift shops. It is also possible to sell them at your local market.
Nearly any flower can be dried. The amount of time needed to dry varies between flowers, so start experimenting only with similar types.
When you have picked the flowers you want to dry, tie them together just tightly enough to keep them together, but not too tight as to allow for the air to flow between the stems.
Afterwards the flowers should be hung upside down in a dark and cool area — the cellar or the attic is probably the best solution, whichever is less humid. It is also important to hang them in a place that will not be disturbed. It takes about 4 weeks for most flowers to dry properly, but this can all vary depending on the conditions…
[Via: examiner.com]
Posted on August 11, 2009 with No Comments
It has been discovered by scientists that bees are able to warn each other of dangerous flowers.
Dead bees were placed on flowers and the reactions of bees arriving to the flowers were recorded. It was found that they warn each other of the danger lurking between the petals of that flower. They make sure that other bees do not get killed by some dangerous predator.
They even take the message home, where they do a sort of waggle dance to show other bees where the danger is found.
This waggle dance is a very complicated and well-developed mode of communication. They can communicate distances and direction. More naive bees are taught where to go to find the best, safest and most plentiful flowers…
[Via: BBC]
Posted on August 7, 2009 with No Comments
The state flower of Minnesota is truly eye-catching – it’s the beautiful lady’s slipper.
This flower is a type of orchid and has stunning pink and white petals that create a pouch-like shape. But these flowers have been facing problems recently, as thieves have been stealing them.
Even though the theft of plants and flowers is a criminal act, it is an occurrence that has become ever more common in the nation. In southern Minnesota some of the thefts have gone under investigation.
Frank Brunner recently witnessed one of these thefts in his neighborhood, he saw a man and woman get out of a car on a road close to his house, the woman went into the ditch and came out with a handful of flowers.
Brunner said, “I hollered at her and I said, ‘Hey you can’t pick them, those are state flowers!’ And away they went it never fazed her.”
This comes as bad news to the lady slipper as it has already been on a decline with loss of habitat due to development…
[Via: Agri News]
