All About Flowers | Beautiful Flower

twilightflower.com

2006-12-25T04:07:00.000+08:00

Hye all,

Now flower4all.blogspot move to twilightflower.com

There will discuss more about beautiful flower!! :D

Sending Flower To A Man

2006-12-22T14:02:00.000+08:00

Men love flowers! A survey conducted by the Society of American Florists showed that over 60% of men surveyed would like to receive flowers on Valentine's Day.

Men love to get flowers for the same reason they send them - to be recognized. Everyone likes to feel special. A good indicator of when it might be appropriate to send flowers would be to consider his favorite occasions for sending them. Does he send flowers for birthdays, or perhaps as a thank you? Don't forget that no reason is often the best reason! Just as women love receiving flowers for no reason at all, a surprise floral gift will surely catch his attention too.

The Best Designs and Colors for Men

Men are stimulated by color and are visually oriented. Research shows that men prefer vivid colors such as yellow, orange and red. Flower arrangements that are contemporary, linear styles or natural styles are best. Other favorites might include green or flowering plants. Tell your florist that you want flowers for a man and ask for specific suggestions. If your recipient has a hobby, perhaps you could highlight that. For example, if he is a golfer, tuck in a box of golf balls. If he is into cars, add an auto magazine or two. Your florist can offer creative suggestions for flowers that are sure to please.

The Crimson Petunia Flower

2006-12-21T01:35:00.000+08:00

Hibberd remarked that the petunia's (Petunia phoenecia) usefulness rested first on its beauty, and next on the ease with which it could be adapted to different decorative effects within the garden.

The best way to grow petunias was to sow the seed thinly in a well made border about mid-April. As soon as the seedlings had three or four leaves, they could be thinned, and those taken out replanted elsewhere. When in flower the best should be marked and, if the gardener wished to perpetuate them, cuttings could be taken about August, five or six together in five inch pots in sandy loam, then placed in a greenhouse or frame for the winter.

The gardener could also purchase plants of the best varieties, and save seeds from those.

The petunia is a 'very nearly hardy' plant, needed good air and a light, rich sandy soil. The Victorian gardener would also stake the plants as they became 'leggy'.

If kept under glass during summer the petunia invariably became infested with green-fly, the only Victorian remedy being to fumigate with tobacco smoke (do not do this yourself).

The Crimson Flax

2006-12-20T01:11:00.000+08:00

While the blue flax has provided fibre for fabrics since ancient Egyptian times, the crimson flax was a regular flower in the Victorian flower garden. Hibberd called it one of the most splendid hardy annuals known, capable of becoming a perennial under suitable management.

Gardeners first had to ensure a suitable supplier of seed (crimson flax seed often being corrupted with 'worthless' seed). The seeds needed a fertile sandy loam, and could be sown in pans, or trays, from March. Once they were large enough to handle they could be planted out six inches apart. The crimson flax needed plenty of air and light in a sunny open position, and should be kept moist while still young. Seeds could also be sown direct from April onwards.

The Coreopsis Flower

2006-12-19T02:54:00.000+08:00

Popular among amateur gardeners, seed packs of coreopsis 'was sure to be included in his first purchase of garden seeds, along with the Virginia stock, ten-week stock, sweetpea and mignonette' - all seeds which could be scattered directly where they were to grow, and be assured of actually growing.

Short of digging them up every two or three days to see how they were going, coreopsis could be guaranteed to endure almost all kinds of mistreatment.

The name comes from the Latin koris, or bug, or possibly korus, helmet.

Coreopsis were also known as Calliopsis, or 'beautiful flower' or 'lovely eye'.

The Commelina Flower

2006-12-18T03:51:00.000+08:00

Grouped among the 'spiderworts', the Commelina was either greatly liked or disliked, depending on the gardener. Coming originally from the Americas, the perennial Commelina could be grown as an annual by sowing the seeds in heat then nursing the plants under glass until May, when they could be hardened off in cold frames before being planted out towards the end of the month.

The tuberous roots could be kept in the same manner as dahlia roots, being taken up early in October, removing the stems, and packing them away in moist sand in a large flower pot and put somewhere where no damp could get to it, which would rot the roots. Tubers could then be planted out again at the end of May when they would begin to grow immediately. Hibberd, however, believed saving the roots was a waste of time as they were so easily raised from seed.

All species of the Commelina required light, rich soil and a sunny position.

The Columbine Flower

2006-12-17T00:28:00.000+08:00

The columbine in Victorian gardens, as now, was one of the most beloved flowers. Requiring very little care, they could flourish just about anywhere. Hibberd states that a columbine should resemble a likeness in some way to a dove or a pigeon ... in 'a roundabout' way.

The common columbine was a British plant, generally found in woods and coppices. When grown in the garden border it scattered its seeds plentifully, and thus required no particular care in propagation. By the 1880s the double columbines were as popular as the singles and, not producing any seed, were easier to control within the garden situation.

The columbines generally found in the Victorian garden were Aquilegia glandulosa, A. caerulea, A. Skinneri, A. truncata and A. Alpina.

In late Victorian times the ranks of the columbines were swelled with new varieties from Veitch and Son of Chelsea who regularly offered their new varieties at meetings of the Royal Horticultural Society and Royal Botanic Societies.

Sweet Clematis Flower

2006-12-15T00:29:00.000+08:00

The 'sweet clematis', also known in Victorian times as 'Traveller's Joy' and 'Virgin's Bower', was a common sight in England's roadside hedgerows (thus the Traveller's Joy) where it was considered something of a weed. Kent and Buckinghamshire were the counties where the roadside clematis flowered at its most glorious where it wove fantastic garlands about thorn trees and blackberry bushes when it wasn't rioting through the hedgerows. Field mice were said to love the soft, silky down of its seed cases.

the common clematis could generally withstand the British winters, although severe frost might kill it. Overall it liked moist, cool soil for its roots and sunshine for its leaves and flowers.

Victorians loved to plant clematis so that it rambled over potting sheds, trellises and arbors, but they also liked to have it as a bedding plant, especially in rockeries.

By the late Victorian age new hybrid varieties were coming out with huge brightly coloured and striped flowers, the Jackmanni being the most widely known variety.

Gardeners were advised to cut clematis down to a few feet above the ground after a few years to promote new and vigorous growth. Clematis 'ran out' after about 10-20 years, and then it was advisable to dig them out, refresh the soil, and start with a new plant.

One of the best showings of clematis was to be found at the entrance to the nurseries of Mr Richard Smith, St John's, Worcester. "here, amidst the richest green of coniferous trees, grass lawns and banks of ivy,, we behold a great hemisphere of the richest violet-blue which may be likened to the mighty shield of a war-like wanderer from Olympus."

The Cineraria Flower

2006-12-14T01:19:00.000+08:00

Hibberd had no certain idea of the origin of the Cineraria, but considered that they may have been a result of a crossing between C. cruenta and C. populifolia. Whatever its original, by the late Victorian period it was a highly popular plant, despite the difficulties in growing it.

The Cineraria was a tender plant, and a troublesome one, and one yet more that often disappointed the experts, thus Hibberd warned that amateurs should not have high expectations. It would not tolerate heat for any length of time, nor would it tolerate frost, damp, cold wind and dry air. It simply did not like extremes, and it tended to become infested with red spider-mite, greenfly, thrips, mildew and numerous other plagues. Hibberd remarked that if one actually saw them in a garden, then it demonstrated the skill of the gardener.

Cinerarias were best grown in cold frames, or in pits heated only to a sufficient point to keep frost at bay. They were never to be planted in wooden boxes, or in large massed displays (save when displayed in the conservatory), all the growing should be done in pits or frames on a groundwork of clean coal-ashes or gravel, and at all times the plants were to have an abundance of air and light, but needed to be protected from frost and excessive sunshine. The soil should be rich and light, consisting of turfy loam, leaf-mould, very rotten hotbed manure, and sharp sand, the turfy loam always predominating. The compost should be prepared long before it was needed, and turned and mixed several times to keep it free from vermin and to render it perfectly sweet and mellow. It should be broken down into a fine texture, but should not be sifted (Hibberd believed that in general sifted soil was worthless).

Cineraria could be propagated by seeds and offsets, although seeds generally worked better. Seeds should be sown as soon as ripe, or as soon as possible thereafter. (If kept for longer than a year it became worthless.) Seeds could be sown in shallow pans filled with light, sandy soil, and should be very lightly covered.

When offsets were wanted, the flower stems should be cut down and the plants placed out of doors and taken care of. When offsets appear they should be carefully removed and should be nursed as seedling plants. They could be planted into light rich soil in an airy pit.

Hibbers remarked that the magnificent flowers seen at spring festivals were invariably the product of offsets. Offsets produced a better plant, being more compact with larger heads of flowers - the gardener also had the advantage of knowing precisely the flower he could expect from an offset, whereas with seeds it was a lottery. Offsets could also be planted three to a pot to present the appearance of one plant - a virtual impossibility with seedlings, as the gardener would invariably get different flowers on each plant.

Cape Leadwort (or Plumbago) Flower

2006-12-13T00:54:00.000+08:00

The Cape Leadwort, or Plumbago capensis, derived its name from its likeness to lead (the blue of the flowers not unlike that of pure lead), or "plumbum". The Cape Leadwort was a half hardy climbing shrub with scaly leaves and diffuse panicles of phlox-like flowers of a soft-azure blue. It could be planted out freely during the summer in the garden, but grew to its full height and beauty within a greenhouse trained up a pillar or trellis. It could grow in just about any kind of compost or soil so long as it had good drainage. Cuttings could be struck at any time with the aid of a little heat, although Hibberd advised striking them in the late summer under a bell glass.

The Victorians knew some dozen species of plumbago, the best known being P. capensis (depicted to the left), P. Europaea, which was a native of southern Europe, and Lady's Larpent's (P. Larpentae) which was a native of China.

Hibberd warned that the plumbagos were bitter and acrid, and probably poisonous, but noted that the root of the European species was sometime chewed as a cure for the toothache, and a preparation of it mixed with olive oil was highly regarded as a cure for ulcers and itches.

Cape Cowslip (Lachenalia) Flower

2006-12-12T02:11:00.000+08:00

Cape cowslip, a bulbous plant with spotted leaves and tubular flowers, was a member of the hyacinth and scillia section of the order of Liliaceae (lilies).

The cape cowslips were introduced from the Cape of Good Hope about 1774 the first was the Lachenalia tricolor. They were strictly greenhouse plants, and grown in five or seven-inch pots with a neat upside-down oyster shell on the bottom (for drainage) and filled with sandy-loam and leaf mould. Bulbs were placed close together in the pot - perhaps 5 or 6 per pot.

Being potted in the summer or autumn, they were then be kept in a frame with little water until the leaves had grown to two inches in length. At that point the pots needed to be moved to the greenhouse and stood in pans of inch-deep water where the plants could attain their full splendour.

The Canary Flower

2006-12-11T04:10:00.000+08:00

The Canary Flower creeper was known in the gardens as Tropaeolum canariense, but its recognised botanical name was T. aduncum or T. peregrinum. Hibberd believed it had come to Britain, not from the Canary Islands, but from New Granada. Perhaps, he mused, the canary attribution came from its canary-like colour.

It was an amusing creeper, wandering happily over any trellis or support it could find, peeking in windows and saying "How d'ye do?" at that very moment you did not wish to be disturbed. Its great joy was in its "rampant, rambling, and ill-regulated ambition to overstep everything and everybody" and could be used to great effect in many areas of the garden.

The five-lobed leaves of this creeper were mostly circular and peltate and like a buckler, while the flowers were helmet-like. It grew very rapidly but was susceptible to red-mite spider during hot and dry weather.

The Canary Flower was a half-hardy annual and needed to be seeded out in February or March, grown on in a hotbed (where its size often needed to be checked) before being planted out in the desired location. By Late April the seeds could also be sown direct into the garden bed.

The Browallia Flower

2006-12-10T01:09:00.000+08:00

Hibberd called the Browallia the American, or Occidental, forget-me-not. The Browallia elata had two varieties, the blue and the white.

To grow this pretty flower it was necessary to sow the seed in March in light rich soil, placing the pan containing the seed on a mild hotbed or a warm greenhouse. When the plants were somewhat forward they could be pricked out into pots, and have another period of growth within a warm house. Finally, having been hardened off (in frames), they could be planted out into the garden.

The Browallia might also be advantageously employed within the Victorian conservatory as a summer flower.

Border Pinks Flower

2006-12-09T00:44:00.000+08:00

There were a variety of 'pinks' for the Victorian gardener to choose - the Cheddar pink, the wild clove (the 'castle pink' of poetry), the pheasant's-eye pink and the Deptford pink. They were a somewhat old-fashioned flower, but they flowered more readily than did the 'show' pinks. Show pinks were richly and regularly marked with broad bands of colour on each petal, but border pinks were irregularly marked or of one colour only.

Both show and border pinks had a lovely spicy fragrance.

The best way for a gardener to guarantee a good crop of pinks in his garden was to sow the seed in sandy loam in April and raise the young stock in frames. They did not need much water, but did need air and light. When large enough to handle, they should be planted out in a border of fine soil in a sunny position at about three inches apart. Then, once grown on further and starting to crowd one another, they needed to be replanted into their desired position (generally this was done in September).

Bolivian Sage (Salvia) Flower

2006-12-08T00:07:00.000+08:00

Victorian gardeners had many varieties of Salvia to choose from. Most could be struck from existing plants and potted on to provide summer colour in the garden.

The specimen figured here, Salvia Boliviana, was a native of Bolivia, introduced to Europe by Van Houtte, of Ghent, and grown largely as a conservatory plant for February flowering. It was a robust-growing shrub, producing glorious panicles of scarlet blooms.

I could be propagated by rooting cuttings on a mild hotbed in March. The Bolivian Sage was usually kept as a pot plant, being shifted on to ever-larger pots as it grew, but care had to be taken not to pot them on into too commodious a pot - a nine-inch pot was believed to be the largest they should be allowed to grow in.

As the flower spikes developed they needed to be fed a weak solution of liquid manure, and the temperature of the glasshouse kept to between 60 - 70 d. Fahrenheit. The greenhouses at Kew had some fine examples.

The Blue Sage Flower

2006-12-07T00:07:00.000+08:00

The Blue Sage, or salvia, was in declining popularity by the late Victorian age. According to Hibberd it needed to be grown in the glasshouse or hotbed, which may have contributed to its decline as gardeners looked for more easily grown plants which did not need expensive equipment.

Salvia patens could be raised from seed sown in sandy seed trays early in February, then placed in a heated glasshouse or on a common hotbed. Repotted into pots by mid-May, they could then be transferred to cold frames where they could be exposed to more garden air by slow degrees. By June they might be planted out into the garden if the weather was warm enough.

The plants could be kept for years by lifting the roots once the frosts had cut down the leaves and storing them in sand during the winter. Early in spring the roots should be placed into boxes or pans filled with light soil and placed in moderate heat to start them into growth. Once shoots have reached two to three inches in length, they could be taken as cutting and struck in a temperature of 70 degrees Fahrenheit.

If they plants were lifted before the frosts had got to them, then they needed to be over-wintered in a greenhouse.

For the greenhouse and conservatory Hibberd recommended the narrow-leaved S. augustifolia, the light blue S. azurea, the scarlet S. fulgens, and the white S. patens alba.

The Begonia Flower

2006-12-06T00:23:00.000+08:00

The introduction of the begonia (in the form of Begonia Boliviensis, rosaflora and Pearcei among others) caused a small storm in the Victorian gardening world. They became instantly popular, and more varieties were imported or created. By 1880 some 150 varieties could be found in gardening catalogues.

All begonias required a light,mellow rich soil. Victorians could grow begonias in pots by mixing together equal quantities of turfy yellow loam, old rotten hotbed manure, and well-rotted and sifted leaf-mould. Some grit could always be added.

Begonias could be planted out into the garden from June onwards in a sheltered, sunny position. Once the plant had finished flowering, then the roots could be dug up and stored in sand on a shelf in the greenhouse. In February or March the tubers could be planted out in pots to start growing on (the tubers not to be any deeper than three inches) to be eventually restored to the garden when it was warm enough.

Avens Flower

2006-12-05T00:25:00.000+08:00

The scarlet avens was to be found generally in the Victorian country cottage garden rather than the town or more formal garden.

The avens was a rosaceous plant, and Victorian England had two 'wildings' of the tribe - the common aven (Geum Urbanum) which had yellow flowers, and the water avens (G. rivale) which had nodding flowers of purple and orange. The scarlet avens was an introduced plant from Chili and there were two or three varieties of it in cultivation.

Hibberd believed it should be more widely used in the town garden, where it would make a valuable contribution to flower borders with moist peaty or sandy soil.

The Almond Flower

2006-12-04T00:24:00.000+08:00

During Victorian times the almost tree was grown in gardens less for its fruit than for its delightful flowers and greenery. It as so easy to grow that Hibberd felt in no need to elaborate further.

The African Lily (Agapanthus)

2006-12-03T00:48:00.000+08:00

The agapanthus was first cultivated in the Royal Gardens at Hampton in 1692 - by Victorian times it was an old favourite.

It was generally cultivated in pots or tubs in the garden as most gardeners felt that it required some protection during winters, although in the south of the country it could grow well outdoors all year if protected from severe frosts (although Victorian Manchester boasted a large established clump in the botanical gardens that had been in the border for several years).

The agapanthus required rich loamy soil that needed much watering in summer time.* If grown in pots then they needed to be periodically potted on into larger pots as they became rootbound.

*I felt I had to add a note here: in Australia they are renowned for their drought tolerance, and clumps survive many years with little rain and no additional watering.

Blue Roses

2006-12-02T07:36:00.000+08:00

Roses are red, violets are blue. But what if roses were blue? In that case, florists might make a lot of green. Scientists are now closing in on a prize that has obsessed rose lovers for centuries -- the creation of the true blue rose.Because blue pigment does not exist in roses, like it does in forget-me-nots or blue poppies, the only way to create a blue rose is to manipulate its genetic code. And millions of dollars are being spent on the effort by genetic engineering companies. The prize is a nice chunk of the $25 billion global cut-flower market, which hasn't seen a major twist in roses since the introduction of yellow around the turn of the last century. To create blue, the Western world's most popular color, scientists have plucked genes from blue petunias, fiddled with indigo-producing enzymes from the human liver and tapped into the mystery of King George III's occasionally blue urine. (A story in itself.) found this interesting information on http://www.plantea.com/blue-roses.htm

Which Kind of Orchid Should You Buy?

2006-12-02T00:48:00.000+08:00

Do you have a lot of light?
Then buy a Dendrobium, Cattleya, or Vanda Orchid.

Do you forget to water?
Then buy a Dendrobium Orchid.

Do you have high light and high humidity?
Buy a Vanda.

Do you have shade?
Buy a Phalaenopsis or Paphiopedilum.

Do you have medium light?
Buy a Miltonia Orchid.

Do you barely have any room?
Buy a Miltonia or Paphiopedilum Orchid.

Gardening organically - it starts with the soil

2006-11-28T23:33:00.000+08:00

The organic gardener's mantra is: feed the soil, the soil will feed your plants.

If you continually replenish soil humus by adding compost (or another source of humus such as well-rotted manure), and if you choose plants that are well suited to your soil type, climate, and your growing conditions, you will have fewer problems in the garden.

What is humus exactly?

Quite simply, it's the stuff that makes soil come alive. Basically, it consists of the decayed remains of once living materials, most commonly plant residues and animal manures.

You can make humus in your backyard by composting plant remains, kitchen scraps and fall leaves, or you can buy composted manure or compost at garden centres.

Blooming Necklace With Flower

2006-11-16T18:54:00.000+08:00

Instructions for making a blooming necklace using an empty film container - Shared by GRACESPLACE.

Materials Needed:

Film Container
Cotton Balls
Yarn
Flower or Vegetable Seeds
Screw Eye Hook

Instructions:
This works great with the clear containers. Put two-four cotton balls into the container. Tuck in about a few seeds between the cotton balls and the outside of the container, so that you can see them. Large seeds work best. Peas, Cantalope, etc. Add a few drops of water, just until cotton balls are damp, but not soaked and not enough to puddle water on bottom of container.

Use a screw-eye with a medium size eye on it and screw it through the center of the lid. Put the lid on the container tightly.

Braid three pieces of yarn long enough to go around the child's neck and slip over the head. Thread yarn through the screw eye and tie in a circle.

Kids like to wear these necklaces and watch the seeds sprout and grow inside the container. If you time this right, you can plant them into starter pots when they get too big for the container, or outside into the garden.

Steps to rose gardening success

2006-11-13T01:28:00.000+08:00

Rose gardening has its own special mystique.

Few perennials or flowering shrubs give you so many wonderful blooms soon after planting or have as long a period of bloom. And, best of all, hardy roses will come back year after year.

Gardeners the world over are smitten by the allure of roses, but many people think of roses as elegant but demanding, and hard-to-grow garden prima donnas.

Can rose gardening be easy?

Well, yes, if you start by picking strong, disease-
resistant rose bushes.

Roses come many colors and forms and in range of growth habits, sizes and shapes. Fortunately today, many newer roses are being bred for hardiness and good disease-resistance.

Like most other garden flowers, roses will thrive if you give them what they need:

1. Lots of sun – At least six hours of good strong sunlight daily - less sun and you get fewer flowers.

2. Good soil – Well drained, but able to hold moisture, and enriched with manure and/or compost. Roses are heavy feeders that thrive in rich soil.

3. Timely care – Plenty of water and fertilizer and proper pruning at the right time. Be sure to stay on the lookout so you can nip any rose problems in the bud before they get out of hand.

Thanksgiving

2006-10-31T01:15:00.001+08:00

Hello world,

Appointed as a day to give thanks for the bountiful gifts of the land, the first national Thanksgiving day was proclaimed by George Washington and celebrated on November 26, 1789. In 1863 Abraham Lincoln declared Thanksgiving a national holiday to be celebrated on the last Thursday of November. The Canadian observance of Thanksgiving began in 1879 and is celebrated annually on the second Monday of October.

Thanksgiving Floral Decorating Ideas

Accessorize a large table by placing a long, narrow centerpiece in the center of the table. Add a few smaller accent pieces or candles on each side of the arrangement for an added effect.

Ask your florist to create a centerpiece in a treasured family vase or bowl, or in seasonal pieces such as a cornucopia or a utility vase surrounded by dry corn cobs.

To create a lot of drama and variety, place a topiary at one end of the table leading to a cluster of small potted plants, then two smaller topiaries with candles leading to a tray of votive candles and flower petals, and so on...

Ask your florist to use vegetables or fruits as accents in your floral arrangement.

Garnish your serving trays with flowers and greens.

Scatter colorful fall leaves, flowers and votive candles along the center of your dining table.

Float flowers in crystal wine glasses.

Place a single long-stem rose on each plate to welcome your guests to the table.

Decorate small desserts with flowers or make an ice ring with flowers to chill champagne or wine.

Ask your florist to design the arrangements for your buffet table on several different levels to keep the eye flowing all along the table.

Place a garland of fruit, flowers and fall foliage over your front door.

Flower Suggestions

Chrysanthemums, bittersweet, gerbera daisies, roses, carnations, alstroemeria, lilies, wheat, solidago, monte casino, marigolds. Potted plants in season include chrysanthemums, daisies and cyclamen.

It was roses , roses anywhere

2006-10-14T05:57:00.000+08:00

Hello world,

What's in a name? That which we call a rose; By any other name would smell as sweet. — William Shakespeare, Romeo and Juliet, Act 2 scene 2

Roses have a long and colourful history. According to fossil evidence, the rose is 35 million years old. Today, there are over 30,000 varieties of roses and it has the most complicated family tree of any known flower species.

The cultivation of roses most likely began in Asia around 5000 years ago. They have been part of the human experience ever since and mentions of the flower are woven into a great many tales from the ancient world.

Greek mythology tells us that it was Aphrodite who gave the rose its name, but it was the goddess of flowers, Chloris, who created it. One day while Chloris was cleaning in the forest she found the lifeless body of a beautiful nymph. To right this wrong Chloris enlisted the help of Aphrodite, the goddess of love, who gave her beauty; then called upon Dionysus, the god of wine, who added nectar to give her a sweet scent. When it was their turn the three Graces gave Chloris charm, brightness and joy. Then Zephyr, the West Wind, blew away the clouds so that Apollo, the sun god, could shine and make the flower bloom. And so the Rose was...

In another story, an ancient Hindu legend, Brahma (the creator of the world) and Vishnu (the protector of the world) argued over whether the lotus was more beautiful than the rose. Vishnu backed the rose, while Brahma supported the lotus. But Brahma had never seen a rose before and when he did he immediately recanted. As a reward Brahma created a bride for Vishnu and called her Lakshmi — she was created from 108 large and 1008 small rose petals.

Several thousands of years later, on the other side of the world in Crete, there are Frescoes which date to c. 1700BC illustrating a rose with five-petalled pink blooms. Discoveries of tombs in Egypt have revealed wreaths made with flowers, with roses among them. The wreath in the tomb of Hawara (discovered by the English archaeologist William Flinders Petrie) dates to about AD 170, and represents the oldest preserved record of a rose species still living.

Roses later became synonymous with the worst excesses of the Roman Empire when the peasants were reduced to growing roses instead of food crops in order to satisfy the demands of their rulers. The emperors filled their swimming baths and fountains with rose-water and sat on carpets of rose petals for their feasts and orgies. Roses were used as confetti at celebrations, for medicinal purposes, and as a source of perfume. Heliogabalus used to enjoy showering his guests with rose petals which tumbled down from the ceiling during the festivities.

During the fifteenth century, the factions fighting to control England used the rose as a symbol. The white rose represented York, and the red rose symbolised Lancaster. Not surprisingly, the conflict between these factions became known as the War of the Roses.

In the seventeenth century roses were in such high demand that roses and rose water were considered as legal tender. In this capacity they were used as barter in the markets as well as for any payments the common people had to make to royalty. Napoleon's wife Josephine loved roses so much she established an extensive collection at Chateau de Malmaison, an estate seven miles west of Paris. This garden of more than 250 rose varieties became the setting for Pierre Joseph Redoute's work as a botanical illustrator and it was here Redoute completed his watercolor collection "Les Rose," which is still considered one of the finest records of botanical illustration

Cultivated roses weren't introduced into Europe until the late eighteenth century. These introductions came from China and were repeat bloomers, making them of great interest to hybridisers who no longer had to wait once a year for their roses to bloom.

From this introduction, experts today tend to divide all roses into two groups. There are old roses (those cultivated in Europe before 1800) and modern roses (those which began to be cultivated in England and France around the turn of the 19th century).

Until the beginning of the 19th century, all roses in Europe were shades of pink or white. Our romantic symbol of the red rose first came from China around 1800. Unusual green roses arrived a few decades later.

Bright yellow roses entered the palette around 1900. It was the Frenchman Joseph Permet-Ducher who is credited with the discovery. After more than 20 years of breeding roses in a search for a hardy yellow variety, he luck changed when one day he simply stumbled across a mutant yellow flower in a field. We have had yellow and orange roses ever since.

Painstaking cultivation has revealed all of the remaining colors, except blue and black. For many, a black rose is a less than attractive prospect with its connotations of death, but the search to discover how to create the blue rose has been likened to a horticultural Holy Grail. Many have tried and none have succeeded...yet! Progress has started to be made

Rose Meaning

2006-10-10T14:11:00.000+08:00

Hello world,

For Generations, the rose has traditionally been the favourite symbol for love and beauty. Whether giving to a loved one or simply for your own pleasure, we are sure that you will enjoy our collection of the freshest roses straight from our nursery.

However, when selecting a rose bouquet, remember roses have a language of their own!

	Red: No colour can say “I love you” better than this Valentine Favourite. It not only speaks of passion, but also stands for noble values such as respect and courage.
	Pink: In general, symbolises grace and gentility, The pink carries that message of happiness. Deep pink says “thank you”. Light pink conveys admiration and sympathy.
	Peach: Conveys sociability and friendship, modesty, appreciation, admiration and sympathy.
	Golden Yellow: Expresses joy and gladness – the best gift for new mothers, newlyweds or graduates. They are also a subtle reminder for a busy husband, wife, boyfriend or girlfriend.
	White: Has several special meanings – “you’re heavenly”, reverence, humility, innocence and purity, “I’m worthy of you”, secrecy and silence. In rose history, white roses are just as colourful as red ones!
	Orange: Denotes enthusiasm and desire. Perfect for letting people know that you want to get to know them better.

Winter care in the Rose garden

2006-10-08T20:25:00.000+08:00

Hello world..

This show to you how to take winter care in the Rose Garden

How good is your soil?
Nature will tell you. With a garden spade, dig down 30cm (or 1 foot). What's the soil like? If it's heavy clay with just a thin covering of darker soil, then you should think about incorporating some well-rotted vegetable matter (compost) and perhaps something to help the drainage. If your soil has good texture and is in good heart, then it will be better able to grow great roses. This is the time to fork in a dressing of lime, preferably Dolomite, which will help condition the soil for roses. If you find worms in your soil, it's a good indication of healthy soil. The more worms the better.

Planting
Traditionally roses were sold in mid-winter with bare roots. This was because roses were field-grown and dug up for sale in the winter. Now most roses are sold in plastic pots or planter bags, which means they're available all year round. Most roses are still field-grown so will have been heavily root-pruned when they are lifted. The root growth will be approximately the same as the top growth. As a consequence of this drastic pruning, you should expect them to take a while to acclimatise and for new root and top growth begin.
Be tolerant and allow a season before expecting the best from new roses.

Some roses are grown "on their own roots" which seems to confer substantial benefits. There is considerable evidence to suggest that own-root roses are tougher and more able to cope with drought and adverse conditions. Unlike budded or grafted roses, any suckers will be from the plant itself, not the dreaded rootstock.

When planting roses, make sure you dig a big enough hole and try to incorporate some good soil or compost.
If you are planting where roses have grown before, beware of specific replant disease. Just like farmers use crop rotation to ensure that the soil is not exhausted by continual growing of the same crop, we should try and give roses new healthy soil. When planting in previously rose-inhabited soil, to avoid SRD you should dig out and replace at least a wheelbarrow full of soil before you plant your rose.

Don't incorporate chemical fertiliser in the planting hole. Compost is great, blood and bone (slow-release and won't burn roots) is good, but keep away from conventional rose fertilisers at winter planting time.

Mulching
Think about mulching. It's a great way of conserving moisture, suppressing weeds and making you garden look tidy. Remember that as mulch decomposes (bark especially) it leaches out nitrogen to feed the decomposition process. If you don't provide a supplementary source of nitrogen, you may see you mulched garden looking a bit pale and wan in the summer. Easiest way is to incorporate a handful of blood & bone per square metre when mulching. This has all sorts of benefits.

Holistic Rose Growing
Healthy plants don't need a lot of care. Tough plants thrive without much attention. Why therefore do we bother with plants that are inherently unhealthy?
Old fashioned roses, the sort that have been with us for hundreds of years are eminently capable of growing without care and attention. If they survived in Victorian times without today's hi-tech sprays, they'll survive today. Try them.

Sally Holmes

Select only roses that you know will do well for you. It sounds simple, but it's worth remembering. Have a look at the plants that do well in your neighborhood and consider whether that suit your garden style. Select from the large number of roses that 'do well' in your environment. Rugosas, for instance grow well in all environments. They are salt-tolerant and will even grow at the beach. Sally Holmes, the splendidly vigorous Hybrid Musk will grow almost anywhere and doesn't need spraying.

Winter Pruning
When plants are dormant and without leaves is the preferred time to prune. What happens if we don't prune ? Nothing much. Our roses will grow taller and our fruit trees will produce fruit out of reach. The quality of the blooms and the fruit will largely be unaffected. The sky will not fall in.

Pruning could be considered as man's dominance over nature. Before we discovered pruning, plants thrived. They flowered, fruited and carried on perfectly well. We prune for a variety of reasons, many cosmetic.
Modern roses unpruned will produce flowers higher up than one might like, but worse will have ungainly leggy growth with bare canes at the base. Pruning to ensure tidy plants and blooms where we want them makes sense. Even more sensible is the encouragement of new healthy growth. It is widely accepted that the best blooms and fruit are produced on young growth. For this reason, a process of renewal makes sense. Old growth should be removed to stimulate new healthy growth.
The more vigorous a plant or tree, the more likely it is to benefit from heavy pruning. Many old fashioned roses, climbers & ramblers will cope quite well without pruning, save for some renewal of old wood a few years after they are established.

As far as cutting to an outward-facing bud is concerned, treat this with a measure of contempt. Better to encourage new growth where you want it. Sometimes selection of inward-facing buds make more sense when shaping a plant.
Many shrubs, ramblers and patio roses will benefit from a routine winter 'shaping' with the hedgecutters. Don't feel obliged to lavish too much pruning care on your roses, they'll survive without it, despite what the experts say.

Winter Cleanup sprays
While plants are dormant is also the best time for winter cleanup sprays. The idea is to 'break the cycle', ensuring that in the spring there are no eggs to hatch or fungal spores left over from last season. Forget the evil sprays that damage you and the environment. Stick to the good old organic remedies. Lime Sulphur is a wonderful fungicide that will kill any overwintering fungal spores and go a long way towards inhibiting next summer's fungal problems. It smells so awful it must be good. Gets rid of lichen, too.
A fortnight or more after this, try mineral oil combined with copper. Oil smothers any eggs that will otherwise hatch insect pests in the spring. Copper is another organic fungicide.

Having cleaned up with these winter sprays, you shouldn't need much else. If you can resist spraying with insecticides, the natural predators in your garden will maintain the balance of nature and you plants will survive and may even thrive.
If you really must spray, bear in mind some simple rules :

keep a separate sprayer for weedkillers. Roundup residue is not good for roses

be sure to dress sensibly when spraying (rubber gloves, no exposed skin, mask)

wash thoroughly after spraying

don't spray insecticide when bees are visiting flowering plants

think about 'holistic' sprays. They're kinder on you and the environment

A Daisy A Day

2006-10-04T20:51:00.000+08:00

Hello world..

You belive that flowers can brighten an entire room?

I am no miracle worker, but I can bring sunshine to the dreariest winter day. It's not hard, really-I do it with the help of a simple flower.

This little bit of magic I learned years ago from my green-thumbed mother, who could always coax something to bloom in our yard. Around this time of year, she would clip deep-red camellia blossoms and group them carefully in a prized vase. Her timely arrangements were able to transform even our seasonally dark dining room.
Nature's Gifts

I didn't inherit my mother's gardening talents, but she instilled in me an abiding appreciation for nature. Although I don't have a yard full of flowers like she did, I still enjoy their benefits. Every week, when I'm shopping at the grocery store, I pick up a single cut bloom, usually a boldcolored gerbera daisy.

Moss Rose

2006-10-03T00:35:00.000+08:00

Hello world,

Of all the old roses families, the Moss is the odd one out. The name comes from the strange mossy bracts surrounding the buds, otherwise moss roses behave very much as their Centifolia parents.

Centifolias (a hundred petals) are often called cabbage roses, for their large blooms and abundance of petals. They were developed by the Dutch from the sixteenth century, being once-flowering hybrids probably of the Gallica family.

Many's the time we've heard people remark about the dreadful crop of aphids on some of our roses. This is the reaction of some to the mossing. Rub your fingers up the mossy stem to the bud and you'll experience sticky moss and smell a strange turpentine fragrance. Some varieties are more mossy than others but all are quite recognisable.

Moss roses are mostly very prickly, wonderfully fragrant and deserving of a place in your garden. They range from short-growing bushes through to lax arching shrubs. In their heyday there were 135 in the collection at Roseraie de l'Haye in Paris, owing their popularity to the attentions of the Victorian hybridists of Holland and France.

Today there are thirty of forty Moss roses available, which is sufficient to ensure their continued popularity. Their parentage is believed to descend through the Gallica family via the Centifolias, but one often finds reference to Damask Mosses, suggesting the influence of the damask family. While most Moss roses are once-flowering, there are some that will oblige with repeat flowers later in the season.

Red Roses

2006-10-02T05:42:00.000+08:00

Hello world,

Red roses are a timeless, elegant present. These freshly cut medium stem roses accented with greens are sure to please. They arrive wrapped and ready for the recipient to arrange in their own special way.

Seasonal and regional conditions affect the supply and cost of flowers and greens. Specific varieties or colors may not always be available or meet our quality standards. In some cases, substitutions may be necessary to fulfill your floral and container requirements. The dimensions given for arrangements are approximations. However, you may refer to them for general size guidelines.

Hybrid Musks Roses

2006-10-01T22:57:00.000+08:00

Hello world!!

All roses are subject to fashion. This article chronicles a family of roses developed in the twentieth century that enjoyed huge popularity, but then fell from favour, for no other reason than the arrival of a new rose fashion, the floribunda.

Many of us grow Buff Beauty, some recognise Ballerina and Penelope, but few appreciate the breadth and beauty of this hardy healthy family of shrub roses. Fear not, by the time you've finished, you'll better understand the enduring beauty of a family of roses that deserves your attention.

The Heritage Rose police will doubtless take me to task for applauding roses from this century. Nonsense ! Age does not confer greatness, nor are all modern roses to be sneered at. Equally we should resist the temptation to eulogise David Austin's expanding family at the expense of all other interesting roses.

The name is confusing. We know the Musk rose which descends from R. Moschata as a huge summer-flowering family coming from the Middle-East several centuries ago. Vigorous climbers, mostly with wicked thorns, the Musk Hybrids we know today include The Garland, Paul's Himalayan Musk, Moschata floribunda and the Persian Musk Rose, Moschata nastarana.

Hybrid Musks should not be confused with these monsters.

The family is the product of an Englishman Rev. Pemberton who devoted twelve years of his retirement to the breeding and growing of roses. His early interest, encouraged by his sister, was growing and showing roses. He was one of the early members of the National Rose Society. Jack Harkness writes 'He served the rose and the National Rose Society with unusual flair and vigour'. His book Roses, their History, Development and Cultivation' published early this century, before his retirement became a standard work. When he died in 1926, his gardeners, the Bentalls carried on his work, releasing further examples of the family. Ballerina & Buff Beauty were their most important introductions. They undoubtedly owed much to Pemberton's work. In 1932, Ann Bentall released The Fairy, which remains popular today. Mention should also be made of Kordes in Germany, Thomas in California and latterly Beales in England for the production of further derivatives.

Many early Hybrid Musks have Trier as a parent, an interesting shrub produced by Lambert in 1901. Named after the German town, it was a seedling of the Multiflora/Noisette hybrid Aglaia, and was the first recurrent shrub rose. Trier is a tallish shrub bearing clusters of small dainty creamy-apricot blooms, with good fragrance and repeat-flowering. Pemberton must have seen something desirable in Trier, using it for his early releases. It occupies a special place in our garden, both for its style and class, as well as its historical significance. Its style exemplifies much of the Hybrid Musk family.

Some say that its fragrance is of musk, which would have been inherited from the links to Moschata via Noisette and Multiflora parentage. Certainly many Hybrid Musks have relatively thornless wood that is reminiscent of these families. Equally certainly, the links to moschata are tenuous.

Today there are over 30 Hybrid Musks commercially available in New Zealand, with new members occasionally extending the family. We grow 28 and like obsessive collectors, we seek to complete the collection. Where to put them becomes a problem in a garden approaching its limits.

Hybrid Musks produce blooms in very large clusters, are fragrant and recurrent. It is said that dead-heading will stimulate remontancy, but left alone you can still expect them to flower from spring to autumn. Many produce hips, generally quite dainty. Some will climb if given the chance, most will grow to 1.5 metres if you let them.

They are not out of place anywhere in the garden. As shrub-climbers they provide cheerful background colour, especially with their healthy foliage. As shrubs they look good in a mixed border; as specimens they stand alone well, while they grow well as free-standing hedges. They fill the colour spectrum from soft pastels to startling vibrant scarlets. These are the Hybrid Musks we grow (in order of introduction) * rating is my subjective opinion.

Alba Roses

2006-09-29T12:49:00.000+08:00

Hello world,

Today i'm want talk about Alba Roses not Jessica Alba :D..

Of all the old roses, this small family often gets overlooked. This summer they were the undoubted stars of our garden, so I thought I'd share them with you.

Albas probably arrived with the Romans, and continue to be strongly associated with England. In Latin, Alba means white, but there are now probably as many pastel pink hybrids as there are whites. A small family, with only 13 varieties available in New Zealand.

Albas are believed to have originated as a cross between the thornless single white R. canina and R. damascena. The white Albas are the oldest, with the more recent pastel pinks probably being later hybrids.

Albas have many unique and distinguishing characteristics.

Most obvious is the foliage, sometimes blue-green, often leaden grey-green. Always matte, often with very serrated edges. Quite distinct from the other old rose families.
Albas will tolerate more shade than other families. Mostly tall shrubs (originally known as 'tree roses'), they are supremely healthy, thrive on neglect, cope with poor soil and don't need spraying.
Add fabulous fragrance and you have a family of roses that demands attention.
Flowering later than the Gallicas and Damasks, they provide grace, fragrance and style when the old rose garden is beginning to wane.

General Yarrow (Achillia) Information

2006-09-28T15:31:00.000+08:00

Hello all,

This blog is talking anything about flowers. :D Today i'm want tell you one types of flower that we use for medicine. It is the Yarrow or the common names is Achillia, Achillea, Yarrow.

Yarrow (Achillea millefolium) is an aromatic member of the Asteraceae (Compositae) family. This perennial European native with lovely, fern-like foliage is also named millefoil, or thousand leaves, because of its finely-divided leaves. There are many species and subspecies of yarrow, including a similar native American variety known as A. Millefolium var. lanulosa. Yarrow is naturalized throughout North America and can be found growing wild in meadows, fields, and along roadsides. Introduced to North America by early colonists, yarrow soon became a valued remedy used by many tribes of indigenous people. American Shakers gathered yarrow for use in numerous medicinal preparations. The plant was listed in the official U.S. Pharmacopoeia from the mid- to late nineteenth century.

Yarrow's hardy rhizome, or underground stem, develops from underground runners as the extensive root system spreads. The lacy, finely-divided leaves are multi-pinnate, and grow alternately, clasping at the base along the simple, erect and angular stem. The feather-like leaves may reach 6 in (15.2 cm) in length. They mound near the ground in early growth; then the slightly hairy stems reach upwards to 3 ft (0.91 m) in height during flowering. The tiny blossoms may be rose or lilac colored, or a creamy white; they flower from June until October. Yarrow blossoms grow in flat-topped composite clusters at the top of the stems.

Human relationships with this healing plant reach back to ancient times. The fossilized pollen of yarrow has been found in Neanderthal burial caves from as far back as 60,000 years. Yarrow has long been associated with magic and divination, and is considered by some folk herbalists as a sacred plant with special spiritual powers to offer protection. Yarrow stalks are traditionally used to cast the I Ching, the Chinese book of prophecy. The herb was also believed to be useful in love charms and in conjuring. One folk name for yarrow is devil's nettle. Other names include bloodwort, carpenter's weed, sanguinary, staunchweed, dog daisy, old man's pepper, field hops, nosebleed, knight's milfoil, soldier's woundwort, and military herb. Yarrow accompanied soldiers into battle and was relied upon for its hemostatic action to treat wounds. This use may have been the source of yarrow's generic name, taken from the legend of Achilles. The Greek hero is said to have used yarrow in the Trojan War to staunch the blood flowing from the wounds of fallen comrades. Yarrow was used in battlefield first aid as recently as World War I (1914-1918).

General use

Scientists have identified over one hundred active chemical compounds in yarrow, including the intensely blue-colored azulene derivatives found in the essential oil of yarrow and at least two species of chamomile (Chamaemelum nobile (L.) and Matricaria recutita). Other chemical constituents in yarrow include lactones, flavonoids, tannins, coumarins, saponins, sterols, sugars, a bitter glyco-alkaloid, and amino acids . The aerial parts of yarrow, particularly the wild white-flowered variety, are most often used in medicinal remedies.

External uses

Yarrow is well known for its wound healing capabilities, particularly in staunching the flow of blood. The herb is considered a vulnerary and hemostatic with antiseptic and antibacterial properties. The astringent action of the leaf, when inserted into a nostril, may stop a nosebleed. An infusion of the leaf, stems, and flowers will speed the healing of rashes, hemorrhoids, and skin ulcers. Dried and powdered yarrow sprinkled on cuts and abrasions may also facilitate healing. Native Americans used yarrow in poultice form to treat skin problems. Infusions of yarrow have been used as a hair rinse in attempts to prevent baldness.

Internal uses

In folk medicine, freshly gathered yarrow root mashed in whiskey was used as a primitive anesthetic. Yarrow has also been used to stop internal bleeding, and as a bitter digestive tonic. Its emmenagogic action promotes the flow of bile. Yarrow tea taken warm acts as a diaphoretic, or medication given to induce sweating. It is particularly beneficial in the treatment of fever, colds, and influenza, as well as the early stages of measles and chickenpox. The essential oil, extracted by steam distillation of the flowers, is dark blue in color and has anti-inflammatory, anti-allergenic, and antispasmodic properties. Fresh yarrow leaf chewed slowly is said to relieve toothache. The herb has also been used to induce nosebleed in an attempt to relieve migraine headache. Yarrow appears to be beneficial in reducing high blood pressure. Flavonoids in the herb act to dilate the peripheral arteries and help to clear blood clots .

Preparations

Yarrow should be harvested while the herb is in flower, on a dry day after the morning dew has evaporated. The leaves, stems, and blossoms are all used medicinally. The leaves should be cut from the stems and spread out on a paper-lined tray to dry in a bright, airy room, out of direct sunlight. Blossoms may be left on the stems and hung in small bunches upside-down in a very warm room. Dried flowers should be stored separately, and dry stems cut into small segments before storage in an airtight, dark glass container, clearly labeled to indicate the contents and the date and place of harvest.

Leaf infusion: Place 2 oz of fresh yarrow leaf, less if dried, in a warmed glass container. Bring 2.5 cups of fresh, nonchlorinated water to the boiling point and add it to the yarrow. Cover. Steep the tea for 10 to 15 minutes, then strain. Drink warm or cold throughout the day, up to three cups per day. The prepared tea can be stored for about two days in the refrigerator.