Gardenia

Gardenias are waxy, white and very fragrant flowers Gardenias are one of the most popular exotic flowers

Gardenias are native to the tropical and subtropical regions of Africa, southern Asia, Australasia and Oceania. This species can be difficult to grow elsewhere because it demands high humidity to thrive and bright (not direct) light. Some types of gardenias can be grown as houseplants.

Kingdom – Plantae

Division -Magnoliophyta

Class -Magnoliopsida

Order  -Gentianales

Family -Rubiaceae

Genus -Gardenia

Gardenias symbolize purity and sweetness. They indicate secret love. They convey joy. They tell the receiver “you are lovely”.

ome Interesting Facts About Gardenias

• Gardenias are grown for their beautiful foliage and they make great cut flowers.
• Gardenias flowers from about mid-spring to mid-summer, i.e., May through July
• Many of the gardenia species are strongly scented.
• The genus Gardenia is named after Alexander Garden, a physician in Charleston of South Carolina.
• Gardenias can be used as screens, hedges, borders or ground covers.
• In France, Gardenia is the traditional flower which men wear as boutonnieres.
• The most popular cultivated species is the Cape jasmine, native to China.
• Each gardenia flower is followed by 6-sided berries of rich orange-red with long, elegant stems.
• Gardenia thunbergia produces a woody fruit which has hard, angular seeds inside.

About Gardenia Flower and Plant

Gardenias are very fragrant creamy-white flowers with glossy, dark-green leaves. Gardenia flowers are solitary or in small clusters, white or pale yellow. The gardenia flowers are with a tubular-based corolla with 5-12 lobes petals from 5-12 cm diameter.

Gardenia plants are evergreen shrubs and small trees growing to 1-15 m tall. The Gardenia plant leaves are opposite or in whorls of three or four. They are dark green and glossy 5-50 cm long and 3-25 cm broad, with a leathery texture. They are simple, entire, hairless, with wavy margin.

 

Growing Gardenias

• Gardenia plants need high humidity.
• A loose, well-drained organic soil is recommended.
• For best results plant gardenias in full sun, partial shade, or shifting shade.
• Dig a hole twice the size of the root ball.
• Thoroughly mix one part soil and one part planting mix.
• Check that the top of the original root ball is slightly above the level of the surrounding soil.
• Take the soil mixture and make a gentle mound of soil sloping away from the plant so that the water drains away from the trunk.
• Remove any air pockets, if present.
• Water the plant with a root stimulator.

Gardenia Care

• Do not over-water gardenias.
• Fertilize with an acid fertilizer.
• Check for aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, thrips and scales.
• Also check gardenia plants for bud drop, a common ailment.

Sweet Pea

Did you know? Currently, almost every cultivar of the sweet pea is available in international markets, except yellow.

 

Sweet pea is a plant native to the Mediterranean region. Since they are annual climbers and grow in a wide spectrum of colors, they grow for a long period of time, and are the first choice for individual cut flowers and/or exquisite floral decorations.

Kingdom – Plantae

Division – Magnoliophyta

Class – Magnoliopsida

Order – Fabales

Family – Fabaceae

Subfamily – Faboideae

Tribe – Vicieae

Genus – Lathyrus

Species – odoratus

All sweet pea flower varieties are not fragrant, but the ones that are, live up to their namesake. This particular strain of flowers contains up to 160 species.

One must keep a constant eye on the flower throughout its lifespan, as it is prone to all kinds of pests and insects. Unlike the edible pea, seeds of this flower are not edible, and are known to cause toxicity.

Growing Sweet Peas

•  Choose a site in full sun with rich, well-drained soil.
• Sweet Pea vines need full sun and rich, well drained soil.
• Work in some compost before planting. Sweet Pea seeds should be sown directly where it is to grow.
• Soak seeds overnight then plant about an inch deep and 3-4 inches apart.
• Water thoroughly after planting, then restrict water until seeds germinate.
• Fertilize every two to four weeks, or work in a slow-release fertilizer at planting time. Sweet peas are heavy feeders.
• The Sweet Pea plant benefits from deadheading, but leave a few flowers at the end of theseason to seed for next year.

Sweet Pea Plant Care

• Plant Sweet Peas in an area that gets good air circulation.
• Water early in the day so the leaves are dry by nightfall; wet leaves are a magnet for fungus.
• Do not over fertilize or you’ll wind up with very deep green leaves but few flowers.
• Alternatively,organic fertilizers are also excellent for Sweet Peas. Additional mulching with composted manure will help retain soil moisture and provide nutrients for strong plant growth and flowering.
• If the blooms are not cut regularly, deadhead the plant as soon as flowers fade. Allowing the plant to produce seedpods will reduce overall flower production.
• Removing spent blooms will ensure more blooms.
• Do not grow sweet peas where other legumes are growing or grew last year.

Gifting Tip

Sweet Pea is the most popular gifting option world over, but don’t let this deter you into thinking that it will be a common gifting idea. Due to its availability in numerous colors and its ability to be styled into any kind of floral arrangement, it has immense scope for original, innovative arrangements every time.

Peony or Paeonia

Paeonia is a genus of flowering plants, the only genus in the family Paeoniaceae. They are native to Asia, Southern Europe and Western North America

Peonies are hardy flowering plants that need little care and live through severe winters. After becoming established in a garden, Peonies bloom each spring for many years. Peonies are also extensively grown as ornamental plants for their very large, often scented cut flowers.

Two Types of Peonies are grown in home gardens:

 1. The garden or herbaceous type or Paeonia hybrids: these have full bushy stems that grow two to four feet tall. Garden peonies grow from tubers.

2. Tree peony or Paeonia suffruticosa: these types often grow to eye-level height on woody stems with few branches. Tree peonies are shrub like plants grown either from seed or from grafts.

Most are herbaceous perennial plants 0.5 to 1.5 metres (1.5 to 5 feet) tall, but some resemble trees 1.5–3 m (5–10 ft) tall. They have compound, deeply lobed leaves and large, often fragrant, flowers, ranging from red to white or yellow, in late spring and early summer.

Peonies can be classified by both plant growth habit and flower type. Plant growth types are Herbaceous (nonwoody), Tree (shrub), and Itoh (or “Intersectional”), which is intermediate between herbaceous and tree forms. In winter herbaceous peonies die back to their underground parts, whereas tree peonies lose their leaves but retain viable woody stems above ground. The Itoh hybrids are intermediate between herbaceous and tree forms. They are named after Toichi Itoh, who first produced a successful intersectional hybrid in 1948.
The following sequence of flower types becomes more complex in its arrangement of petals. The flower types include Single (e.g., Athena, Scarlet O’Hara), Japanese (Nippon Beauty, Madame Butterfly), Anemone, Semi-Double (Paula Fay, Buckeye Belle), Double (Gardenia, Paul M. Wild) and Bomb-Double (Raspberry Sundae, Mons Jules Elie)

Varieties of Peonies include:

• Chinese cut flower Peonies, with large double flowers in shades of red, pink, and white.
• Semi-double Peonies, characterized by several rows of petals and a centre of petals mixed with stamens.
• Anemone Peonies, similar to the double Chinese variety of peonies, but with a centre of narrow petals.
• Japanese Peonies, noted for the contrasting colour of the centre petals and their finely divided foliage.
• Fern leaf Peonies with delicate, fern-like foliage are dwarf in stature and bloom very early.
• Single Peonies with only a few rows of petals standing in their utter simplicity.

• Single Peonies with only a few rows of petals standing in their utter simplicity.

Rhododendron

Rhododendron is a genus of over 1000 species of woody plants in the heath family, either evergreen or deciduous. Most species have showy flowers. Azaleas make up two subgenera of Rhododendron.

Fire Orange Rhodendendron

 

Species of the genus Rhododendron are native to every continent of the world, except South America and Africa.^[9] The highest species diversity is found in the Himalayas from Uttarakhand, Nepal and Sikkim to Yunnan and Sichuan, with other significant areas of diversity in the mountains of Korea, Japan and Taiwan.

Tropical rhododendron species range from southeast Asia to northern Australia, with 55 known species in Borneo and 164 in New Guinea. Interestingly, the species in New Guinea are native to subalpine moist grasslands at around 3000 metres above sea level in the Central Highlands^{. ]} Relatively fewer species occur in North America and Europe.

Invasive species

Some species (e.g. Rhododendron ponticum in Ireland and the United Kingdom) are invasive as introduced plants, spreading in woodland areas replacing the natural understory. R. ponticum is difficult to eradicate, as its roots can make new shoots.

Insects

A number of insects either target rhododendrons or will opportunistically attack them. Rhododendron borers and various weevils are major pests of rhododendrons, and many caterpillars will preferentially devour them.

Rhododendron species are used as food plants by the larvae of some members of the order Lepidoptera (butterflies and moths) (See List of Lepidoptera that feed on rhododendrons).

Diseases

Main article: List of rhododendron diseases

Major diseases include Phytophthora root rot, stem and twig fungal dieback; Ohio State University Extension provides information on maintaining health of rhododendrons^. Rhododendrons can easily be suffocated by other plants.

Rhododendron is a genus characterized by shrubs and small to (rarely) large trees, the smallest species growing to 10–100 cm (3.9–39 in) tall, and the largest, R. giganteum, reported to over 30 m (98 ft) tall.^[4] The leaves are spirally arranged; leaf size can range from 1–2 cm (0.39–0.79 in) to over 50 cm (20 in), exceptionally 100 cm (39 in) in R. sinogrande. They may be either evergreen or deciduous. In some species, the undersides of the leaves are covered with scales (lepidote) or hairs (indumentum). Some of the best known species are noted for their many clusters of large flowers. There are alpine species with small flowers and small leaves, and tropical species such as section Vireya that often grow as epiphytes. Species in this genus may be part of the heath complex in oak-heath forests in eastern North America.

Pelargonium

Cultivar – the garden variety of Geranium is in fact a Pelargonium, the Geranium is actually a storksbill
Wildflower – Cranesbills

This attractive perennial shrub about 3 feet is often seen in hedgerows. There are a few hundred different varieties of geranium ( pelargonium odorantissimum/graveolens ) but the essential oils are distilled mainly from the pelargonium graveolens variety. Its leaves are serrated and pointed and have small pinkish/white flowers. Geranium originated from South Africa, Egypt and Morocco and were introduced to Europe in the late 17th century. The aroma is a little like rose but heavier, floral with mint overtones. The plant can be potted and is great as a table decoration because the 700 or more varieties yield different colored flowers. In perfumery, it is a middle note.

a white

a pink\

Quick facts

Common name Pelargonium, geranium
Botanical name Pelargonium
Group Houseplants, bedding or greenhouse plants
Flowering time Mainly spring-summer
Height and spread 10-90cm (4in-3ft) by 7-50cm (3-20in)
Aspect Most need full sun, some tolerate partial shade
Hardiness Tender
Difficulty Moderate to Easy

Pelargonium groups

Most pelargonium cultivars are divided to six groups:

• Regal: Bushy evergreen perennials and shrubs with rounded leaves sometimes lobed or partially toothed, producing single rarely double flowers in shades of mauve, pink, purple or white grown for outdoor or indoor display
• Angel: Similar to regals, but more compact and bushy. Mostly derived from P. crispum
• Ivy-leaved: Trailing evergreen perennials with stiff fleshy leaves and single or double flowers used for hanging baskets or containers
• Zonal: These are mainly derived from P. inquinans and P. zonale. Upright, bushy, succulent-stemmed perennials grown for their single or double flowers. Some have attractive foliage. This type is most commonly used for bedding displays
• Scented-leaved: Shrubby evergreen perennials and shrubs, which are mainly cultivated for their scented and often distinctly lobed, toothed or incised or variegated leaves
• Unique: Shrubby evergreen perennials that do not fall into the above categories

 

Cultivation notes

• Pelargoniums can be grown in borders or containers. In borders or beds, plant in fertile, neutral to alkaline soil. Most prefer full sun. Regal cultivars prefer partial shade and zonal cultivars will tolerate some shade.
• For indoor or outdoor container cultivation use well drained soil-less multipurpose compost or soil-based compost such as John Innes No 2.
• If growing indoors or under glass grow in full light shaded from scorching midday sun.

Watering and feeding

• Water moderately during the growing season from spring to summer, avoid the compost becoming too wet and provide good ventilation. Apply a balanced liquid fertiliser according to the application instructions on the packet, every 10-14 days in spring. Once flowers start to form, switch to a high potassium fertiliser such as tomato feed. Water only sparingly in winter. Many will continue flowering if kept at 7-10°C (45-50°F).

Overwintering

Pelargoniums are usually grown as annuals, but with a little care, they can be carried through the winter using one of the methods described below:

Method 1: Overwintering by taking cuttings

This method is useful where there are large numbers of plants to overwinter; it suits soft-stemmed pelargoniums that cannot be kept in a semi-dormant state as per method 3.

• Take softwood cuttings in late summer and discard the old woody plants
• Once the cuttings have rooted, they can be overwintered in trays of compost kept on a well-lit indoor windowsill
• Water the tray only sparingly in winter, allowing the compost to dry out between watering
• Start feeding in late winter, giving a balanced liquid fertiliser every seven to 10 days according to the application instructions on the packet
• Pinch out the shoot tips in late winter to encourage bushy growth
• Pot up individually in mid-spring
• Harden off and place outside once the risk of frost has passed

Method 2: Overwintering in containers under glass

This method is useful where there are only small numbers of plants to overwinter and space in the glasshouse or conservatory to keep them.

• Lift and pot those growing in the soil before the first autumn frosts. Cut them back to 10cm (4in) at this time. Use John Innes No 1 potting compost
• Keep the plants in their pots over winter, in a light, frost-free position
• Very little water is needed until growth resumes in spring
• Re-pot into John Innes No 2 potting compost in mid-spring
• Harden off and place outside once the risk of frost has passed

Method 3: Overwintering in a semi-dormant stateThis method is only suitable for varieties with tough woody stems, but is useful where there are large numbers of plants to overwinter.

• Lift plants from the ground or pot and shake off excess soil or compost from the roots
• Allow the foliage and stems to dry off in a frost-free place and then wrap the plants in newspaper or hang them upside down from the shed roof (which must be frost-free)
• Plants which survive and show signs of growth in early spring should have their roots soaked in water for a few hours before being potted up cut back to about 10cm (4in)

Pruning and training

 Many pelargoniums are naturally bushy. They can be pinched back in spring or early summer to encourage further branching. Tall, vigorously growing cultivars can be trained on canes to form a pillar. Young plants of trailing ivy-leaved cultivars are best pruned back to promote branching.

Deadhead plants regularly to promote flowering.

If kept actively growing all year round, the majority of pelargoniums can be renovated by hard pruning in spring. Those that are overwintered in a semi-dormant state (method 3) have already been cut back in autumn and should not need further pruning.

 

Propagation

• Zonal F1 and F2 (bedding type) pelargoniums and species pelargoniums can be propagated by seed. Sow in late winter and grow on in a protected environment such as a heated greenhouse.
• Many bedding type pelargoniums are sold as plug plants from mail order suppliers.
• Pelargoniums can also be propagated by taking softwood cuttings from spring to autumn.

 Problems

 Pelargoniums are easy to grow, but there are a few things worth watching out for:

• Pelargoniums can suffer from viruses transmitted by sap sucking insects such as thrips, or by cross-handling of plants and tools, like knives or secateurs
• Roots of container grown plants are prone to vine weevil larvae damage
• Poor air circulation and damp conditions favour diseases such as grey mould and rust
• They can also suffer from leafhopper, root mealybug and whitefly
• Dense clusters of distorted leafy shoots, often close to ground level, are leafy gall