Sunday, October 12, 2014

National Flowers of World Countries
Afghanistan (Tulip)
Antigua and Barbuda ( Hibisus )
Bermuda ( Blue Eyed Grass )
Bhutan ( Blue Poppy )
Bosnia and Herzegovina ( Lilium )
China ( Plum Blossom )
Cyprus ( Cyclamen )
Czech Republic ( Rosa )
Dominica ( Bwa Kwaib)
Ethiopia ( Calla Lily )
Fiji ( Hibiscus )
Gibraltar ( Candytuft )
Greenland ( Niviarsiaq )
India ( Lotus )
Ireland (Yellow Rrose )
Jamaica ( Lignum Vitae )
Japan ( Cherry Blossom )
Kuwait ( Arfaj ) Rhanterium
Pakistan ( Jasmine )
Paraguay ( Passion )
Qatar ( Qataf )
Russia ( Chamomile )
United Kingdom ( Tudor Rose )
United States ( Rose )
Zimbabwe ( Flame Lily )


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Friday, October 3, 2014

Tulip Flowers

Type of Flower
Tulip 
The tulip is a perennial, bulbous plant with showy flowers in the genus Tulipa, of which around 75 wild species are currently accepted and which belongs to the family Liliaceae. The genus's native range extends west to the Iberian Peninsula, through North Africa to Greece, the Balkans, Turkey, throughout the Levant (Syria, Israel, Lebanon, Jordan) and Iran, North to the Ukraine, southern Siberia and Mongolia, and east to the Northwest of China.The tulip's centre of diversity is in the Pamir, Hindu Kush, and Tien Shan mountains.It is a typical element of steppe and winter-rain Mediterranean vegetation. A number of species and many hybrid cultivars are grown in gardens, as potted plants, or to be displayed as fresh-cut flowers. Tulip cultivars have usually several species in their direct background, but most have been derived from Tulipa suaveolens, often erroneously listed as Tulipa schrenkii. Tulipa gesneriana is in itself an early hybrid of complex origin and is not the same taxon as was described by Conrad Gesner in the 16th century.





Tulips are spring-blooming perennials that grow from bulbs. Depending on the species, tulip plants can grow as short as 4 inches (10 cm) or as high as 28 inches (71 cm). The tulip's large flowers usually bloom on scapes or subscapose[further explanation needed] stems that lack bracts. Most tulips produce only one flower per stem, but a few species bear multiple flowers on their scapes (e.g. Tulipa turkestanica). The showy, generally cup or star-shaped tulip flower has three petals and three sepals, which are often termed tepals because they are nearly identical. These six tepals are often marked on the interior surface near the bases with darker colorings. Tulip flowers come in a wide variety of colors, except pure blue (several tulips with "blue" in the name have a faint violet hue). Tip of a tulip stamen. Note the grains of pollen The flowers have six distinct, basifixed stamens with filaments shorter than the tepals. Each stigma of the flower has three distinct lobes, and the ovaries are superior, with three chambers.[further explanation needed] The tulip's fruit is a capsule with a leathery covering and an ellipsoid to subglobose shape.[further explanation needed] Each capsule contains numerous flat, disc-shaped seeds in two rows per chamber.These light to dark brown seeds have very thin seed coats and endosperm that does not normally fill the entire seed. Tulip stems have few leaves, with larger species tending to have multiple leaves. Plants typically have 2 to 6 leaves, with some species having up to 12. The tulip's leaf is strap-shaped, with a waxy coating, and leaves are alternately arranged on the stem; these fleshy blades are often bluish green in color.




Although tulips are often associated with the Netherlands, commercial cultivation of the flower began in early Persia probably somewhere in the 10th century. Early cultivars must have emerged from hybridisation in gardens from wild collected plants, which were then favoured, possibly due to flower size or growth vigour. During the Ottoman Empire, numerous tulips were cultivated and bred. Tulips are called lale (from Persian لاله, lâleh) in Farsi, Turkish, Arabic, Macedonian and Bulgarian are written with the same letters as Allah, which is why the flower became a holy symbol. It was also associated with the House of Osman, resulting in tulips being widely used in decorative motifs on tiles, mosques, fabrics, crockery, etc.The word tulip, which earlier appeared in English in forms such as tulipa or tulipant, entered the language by way of French: tulipe and its obsolete form tulipan or by way of Modern Latin tulīpa, from Ottoman Turkish tülbend ("muslin" or "gauze"), and is ultimately derived from the Persian: دلبند‎ delband ("Turban"), this name being applied because of a perceived resemblance of the shape of a tulip flower to that of a turban. This may have been due to a translation error in early times, when it was fashion in the Ottoman Empire to wear tulips on their turbans. The translator possibly confused the flower for the turban.










References and more ...http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tulip 
Picturs..http://www.flickr.com/

Saturday, September 20, 2014

Helenium Flowers

Type of Flower
Helenium:
Helenium is a genus of about 40 species of annuals and deciduous herbaceous perennials in the daisy family Asteraceae native to the Americas. They bear yellow or orange daisy-like composite flowers. A number of these species (particularly Helenium autumnale) have the common name Helen's Flower and sneezeweed, based on the former use of their dried leaves in making snuff, inhaled to cause sneezing that would supposedly rid the body of evil spirits. Larger species may grow up to 2 metres (6.6 ft) tall. 
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Helenium species are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Phymatopus behrensii.
Numerous cultivars have been developed for garden use - mainly from H. autumnale and H. bigelovii. They are useful for late summer and fall bloom, usually in less formal compositions. They are appropriate for native gardens in areas where they are indigenous, and they look wonderfully in bouquets. Annual species are easily grown from seed, and perennials should be divided every year in order to retain their vigor. The soil should be fertile with a generous amount of organic manner in the form of compost, manure or other decayed organic matter in addition to, perhaps, an application of a complete fertilizer in spring. Heleniums should be grown in full sun average to moist soil with good drainage. They are drought tolerant, but should be watered on planting and regularly until established.
Helenium Hybrid has brilliant yellow petals surround spherical brown cones covered with golden pollen. It grows to 0.9 metres (3 ft) tall and takes up about 0.6 metres (2 ft) of space, the hardiness zone rating is 4-9. Its Flowers appear for six weeks from mid to late summer and attract butterflies in droves. It provides a splash of colour when many other perennials are starting to fade, it may accompany ornamental grasses, Phlox and Liatris.
Heleniums need an open sunny position in good soil. They will not grow in waterlogged conditions. 
  • Add lots of compost when planting to increase moisture. This will allow light, sandy soils to retain water and open up clay soils - thereby improving drainage. 
  • Keep new plants well watered and water all plants in dry spells. The flowers curl and the foliage flags if they are too dry. 
  • Stake taller varieties with hazel or canes and string. 
  • You can pick out the growing tips in May to get bushier plants - this is a useful technique with younger plants. 
  • You can also take tip cuttings from the new growth in April. Some people also do a Chelsea Chop. But only do this on deep, fertile soil. The chop delays flowering time - so they perform later. 
  • Dead head constantly to promote more flowers. This will keep your plants in flower for months and, even if they have a lull, they will re-bloom later.
  • Heleniums are best divided in spring just as they start into growth. Do not divide them in the autumn because winter wet can kill your divisions.
  • Use two forks back to back to part established clumps, using the material on the outside because it’s the most vigorous plant material. 
  • You can divide down to a single rosette if you need to. Heleniums are robust growers and will make a substantial plant fairly quickly - even from one rosette.
Heleniums associate well with later-flowering perennials and grasses. My favourite combination is Agastache 'Blue Fortune' planted with red or orange heleniums. But they grow with a wide variety of plants and these include crocosmias, bronze fennel, Verbena bonariensis, many taller grasses, warmly coloured dahlias like 'David Howard', veronicastrums and monardas. Other daisies in varying colours also work well as long as they are taller and airier. But do be bold and use large blocks of the same helenium - if you have room.


References:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Helenium 
http://www.saga.co.uk/lifestyle/gardening/plant-portrait/how-to-grow-heleniums.aspx