Ask and Answer Flower Questions Archive - Sep 2009

By Teymur Mamedov: I'm looking so long for the name of this flower in attached picture. I was writing too many Botanic Associations but no one of them answered me. No One knows name of this flower.Please if you have any idea or if you know what is botanical name of this flower answer me?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Teymur,

The flower is Tacca

chantrieri or commonly called as Bat flower.

They are huge flowers which resemble black bats.

These plants are native to China.

By Tara: My bird of paradise plant has never bloomed. I got it from another plant five years ago. what do I need to do?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Tara,

The Birds of Paradise plant should receive adequate moisture during the establishment period (i.e., the first six months). Dry or soggy conditions will cause leaves to yellow and eventually die.

Once established, bird-of-paradise prefers frequent watering from rain or irrigation during the warm growing season. During the winter months, plants should be watered only when the soil is fairly dry.

One of the most common reasons mature Strelitzia do not bloom well is insufficient light. They require nearly full sun in the summer and as much light as possible in winter to bloom. Be sure that your plant is getting that!

By Rodgers: If a fresh marigold flower is placed in a cup of water, will it shoot in a week or two?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Rodgers,

The Marigold flower may remain fresh for few days, but will not grow in a cup of water.

By Bobbi: I love flowers and anything that grows but have never attempted gladioli. This Fall we bought some corms (about 150 or so) from a local grower. Was told to store them in bags in a cool basement and plant in the Spring. Well today since it was too cold to do anything else, I decided to look in the bags to see how they were doing. Well to my surprise a lot of them were sprouting....actually 11 dozen of them. So now I want to know: do I have to plant them now and if so, what will that do to them since they will bloom so early, and will they survive? Are these 11 dozen a lost cause or?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Bobbi,

Plant the ones that have sprouted first as soon as the soil warms up.

Amomg sprouted Corms, if you have good size corms with more than one eye or sprout, you can divide them. You can cut the corm between the eyes and then let the corm heal for a couple of days before planting.

It wouldn't hurt to give those corms a good start by mixing some dehydrated cow manure or compost into the planting area. Glads are very heavy feeders so plan on adding more when they start to bloom. When they become about a foot tall, loosen the soil around them and scratch in some high phosphorus fertilizer. This increases the bud count and flower size on each spike. Keep the soil moist and mulch to control weeds.

See that, if you can slow down the sprouting by getting others into a cooler location.

By Krisna Kumar: I'm looking so long for the name of this flower in attached picture. I was writing too many Botanic Associations but no one of them answered me. No One knows name of this flower.Please if you have any idea or if you know what is botanical name of this flower answer me?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Krisna Kumar,

We do not know, what type of Jasmine flower you are talking about.

Anyways, Jasmines bloom only in summer season.

They do not flower in winter season.

By Samantha: I'm writing freelance articles for a how-to website. My most current articles are: "What are the top 5 annuals for the South" "What are the top 5 annuals for the Southeast" and "What are the top 5 perennials for the South."

I was wondering if you might happen to know the answers to those questions. If not, do you know where I could go for quality information?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear samantha,

This list of annuals and perennials are in my opinion.

What are the top 5 annuals for the South

Asters

Bachelor's Button (Centaurea cyanus)

Crested Cockscomb (Celosia argentea)

Myosotis or Forget-me-not-

Calendulas

What are the top 5 annuals for the Southeast

Azeleas

Pink Camellias

Red Double

Camellias

Impatiens

What are the top 5 perennials for the South.

Coneflower

Shasta daisy

Hemerocallis

Coreopsis grandiflora

Aster novae-angliae

By Jim: I am creating a fishing theme in my back yard and burried a boat 1/2 under ground and plan a flower bed inside

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Jim

Impatiens, Ageratum, Angelonia, Giant Snowflake, Calibrachoa, Begonia, Coleus, are some of the shade loving annuals in zone 4.

By Guest: Hello, my morning glories have flowered and are beautiful. After they bloom for about a day, the flower closes up and then falls off. I thought that the flower was supposed to close and reopen several times. Is this normal? Do you know why this is happening?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Guest

Its nice to know that your Morning glories are blooming.

The Morning glory flowers start to fade a 2 hours before the petals start showing visible curling, and fall off. This is the normal course.

By Guest: Can you freeze lilacs to use them in Summer? Lilacs are my favorite flower and I've always wanted them in my wedding, but the problem is my wedding is not until August. Is there a way I can preserve real lilacs to use?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Guest

Fresh lilac are only best in season for your marriage.

Though, Freeze drying is the best method to preserve lilac but it is quite expensive and you will still have lots of very fragile small pieces, i do not recommend it. They are likely to fall apart and may not be worth the effort.

You can get lilacs grown in greenhouses, white lilacs are available from December until June and lavender from April to early June.

By Guest: I was given paper whites as a Christmas gift and had not had them 2 days when they wilted over and will not stand upright again. can they be revived or do i need to cut them back?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Guest,

Try by cutting the base of the stalk putting in water. It will take up the water and stand.

Try it.

By Richard: The stems of the plant are wilting, is this normal? I have this as an indoor plant at this time?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Richard,

If a shade loving plant is exposed to direct sun, it may wilt and/or cause leaves to be sunburned or otherwise damaged.

Sometimes, Over-watered plants have the same wilted leaves as under-watered plants. Fungi such as Phytophthora and Pythium affect vascular systems, which cause wilt.

Not enough water and roots will wither and the plant will wilt and die.

By John: I am moving to Cheyenne Wyoming and would like to know what types of flowers will grow in this area?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear John,

These are some of the flowers can grow in Wyoming, Cheyenne

Indian Paintbrush, castilleja inverta

Heartleaf Arnica, arnica cordifolia,

Larkspur, D. nuttallianum

Silvery Lupine

The Scarlet Gilia

By Liz: Does Heather do well as a hanging plant? Is there some guidelines I should follow?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Liz,

Yes, Heathers are suitable as Hanging plants.

Heathers can be invaluable for providing colour in patio pots, hanging baskets and containers.

If planting heathers use ericaceous compost, and any compost used should be free draining.

By Guest: Can we cut Birds of paradise upto 6 inches?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Guest,

You can cut the spent Birds of paradise flower and stalk down to foliage level around 6-8 inches above the ground to keep the plants looking neat and tidy.

This pruning should be done only in late winter or early spring after danger of frost is past.

New growth will be vigorous when temperatures warm.

By Cleo: How you please tell me how to apply the Epson Salt. Do I put grains on the soil or do I dilute it with water?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Cleo,

You can Sprinkle epsom salt at the base of the plants and then slightly water it in.

By guest: I have done something bad to my Agapanthus but I do not have any blooms at all.What have I done and should I do anything now to encourage regrowth of stems?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Guest,

Agapanthus plants are heavy feeders and do not bloom well if undernourished or grown in too shady a location.

Aganthus also needs sandy acidic soils for thriving well.

Agapanthus (African lilies) are big plants and usually summered outdoors in tubs where the root system can spread.

Fertilize your agapanthus according to its age.

Fertilizing the Young and Established Plants: - Fertilization for Young Plants:

Young plants need extra phosphorus to encourage good root development. Look for a fertilizer that has phosphorus, P, in it(the second number on the bag.) Apply recommended amount for plant per label directions in the soil at time of planting or at least during the first growing season.

Fertilization for Established Plants : - Established plants can benefit from fertilization. Trees need to be fertilized every few years. Shrubs and other plants in the landscape can be fertilized yearly. A soil test can determine existing nutrient levels in the soil. If one or more nutrients is low, a specific instead of an all-purpose fertilizer may be required.

Fertilizers that are high in N, nitrogen, will promote green leafy growth. Excess nitrogen in the soil can cause excessive vegetative growth on plants at the expense of flower bud development. It is best to avoid fertilizing late in the growing season. Applications made at that time can force lush, vegetative growth that will not have a chance to harden off before the onset of cold weather.

Observe the difference and act accordingly.

By Eddie Donn: What is a tropical red flower which is called as Rose of sharon?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Eddie Donn,

Its is hibiscus flowering plant.

By Mary: Please can you tell me why my Gardenia Bonsai leaves are turning yellow?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Mary,

Yellow leaves (particularly seen in spring): Leaf yellowing in Gardenias has generally been attributed to a magnesium deficiency and treated with applications of Epsom salts (sulphate of magnesium) but the plant is probably more in need of an all purpose fertiliser and a good watering.

Apply fertiliser in spring when weather begins to warm and yellow leaves begin to show.

By Shirley: What is the reason for having small brown spots on both sides of the leaves of my jasmine plant? What can I do to alleviate this problem ?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Shirley,

Probably these brown spots are due to fungi or bacteria.

Remove the basal leaves infected.

Pour water from the bottom but not from the upper side.

You can use any recommended fungicide with the help of a local gardener.

By Toni: It is fall in Central New Jersey and I have a daisy tree that I kept outside potted all summer.

How should I care for this in the winter?

Answer By The Flower Expert: In colder climates it is better you cover your daisies with a heavy mulch in the winter to protect them.

In Winter they are best kept above 50 deg F (10 deg C).

Freezing will kill the plant, so from November to May, water only when the soil becomes fairly dry.

By LHSENSEI: When is the best time to plant moon flowers and how do you plant them?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Moon flowers are planted in Spring.

You can either buy a plant from a nursery, or buy seeds.

The hard, white seeds should be scratched and then soaked overnight in water, or soaked without scratching.

When the seed begins to swell, we can understand, that it is ready for planting in the ground or in pots.Give Moon flower a warm, sunny location and regular watering and it will reward you with many blooms.

By Jill: If I have Narcissus bulbs planted indoos in a glass with rocks and they are blooming, what do I do to keep them blooming? Do I cut off the flowers when they die? If they bloom once, are they done for the year?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Its better to remove spent flowers of Narcissus.

Once they bloom , they are done for the year. Ofcourse, you can prolong the blooming period.

By Sandy: I have a Bird of Paradise plant growing near the pool. It has been there for about 3 years. I have just learned that it shouldnt get too much water so I disconnected the sprinklers there and I have fertilized it..with water of course. I have NEVER seen a bllom on this plant. What can I do to get a bllom? Or is this a male female plant thing?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Your Birds of Paradise plant is a young one i suppose. Therefore the plant when young needs 3-4 years to mature and then give blooms.

Some times it even takes 4-7 years for the plant to begin blooming.

Be optimistic and have patience, your BOP will defintely bloom.

By Barbara: I have a large daisy bush with thick, woody stems. The blooms have been prolific this year. I am not sure of the name of this daisy.

I would like to know if I cut it back in the fall or leave it. Usually in the winter it looses its leaves and then new buts appear on the stem in early spring. This is a bush like daisy.

Please advise me.

Answer By The Flower Expert: It is better to pinch the spent flowers off the daisy plant as this will help to promote new blooms. The flowers of the daisy are great for making cuttings for your favorite flower vase.

So, you can cut back daises in fall.

Since your is plant is daisy bush, then pruining or cutting back can be done only after the danger of frost.

A Bush Daisy would survive severe pruning now but if there is unseasonably warm weather the plant would be fooled into thinking it should put out new growth. This new growth would be vulnerable if temperatures drop suddenly, which is very probable. The new growth would freeze and damage the plant.

By Lotus: What kind of lotus flower might survive the climate in the central united states like Missouri or Kansas where winters can be quite harsh? I am assuming the lotus is a perennial and will come back every spring as long as I silt the bottom of my pond with mud. Is that correct?

Answer By The Flower Expert: The varieties which can be winter hardy are:-

Water Lily, White: Nymphaea mariacea

Water Lily, Yellow: Nymphaea Sulphurea

Water Lily, Red: Nymphaea Attraction

Water Lily, Pink: Nymphaea Fabio

All these varieties are winter hardy to -30 degrees and can remain in ponds during the winter where the water does not freeze to the level of the plant. They are easily stored for winter in colder climates. All bloom from June to September.

By James: Does a Lotus comes back every Spring?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Yes, Lotus is a perennial and come back every spring.

By Barbara: Do you mean to say that I should wait until may for daisies?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Yes, pruning for daisies should be done in May after the danger of frost.

By Dan: I am looking for a flower to welcome back someone...so what flower and what color shouild I buy?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Dear Dan

meaning for Welcome = gladly received

Synonyms: acceptable, accepted, agreeable, appreciated, cherished, congenial, contenting, cordial, delightful, desirable, desired, esteemed, favorable, genial, good, grateful, gratifying, honored, invited, nice, pleasant, pleasing, pleasurable, refreshing, satisfying, sympathetic, wanted

All the words with the above meanings can be taken.

gratitude - Pink Carnation

pleasure - Tuberose

Roses are universal symbol of Love, so you can gift your loved one with Roses.

You can gift your love with Rose, White and Red - Meaning, "We are inseparable, or Roses", Bouquet of Mature Blooms - Meaning Gratitude, 9 Roses - Meaning , We'll be together forever, 12 Roses - Meaning , Be mine.

In my view, Red is the ideal color I think.

By Bill: What are Micronutrients?

Answer By The Flower Expert: Micronutrients are plant nutrients that are essential for plant growth but are only needed in small amounts to be effective. There are six micronutrients:

Boron (B), Copper (Cu), Iron (Fe), Manganese (Mn), Molybdenum (Mo), Zinc (Zn) .

These micronutrients are essential but in a lesser quantity. They should be given in high quantities. If they are given in excess, then the plants are susceptible to salts injury.

Micronutrient toxicities can occur if substrate pH is too low.

Excess micronutrients on the plants can cause dieback of the growing tips, marginal necrosis of leaves.

New Guinea Impatiens need only moderate levels of micronutrients.

By Sondra Howel: Where can I order a book with pictures of various floral designs?

By Webmaster: Mastering the Art of Floral Design by Paula Pryke's is the best book it gives good information and pictures of various floral designs. You can buy them at Amazon. Mastering the Art of Floral Design by Paula Pryke's is the best book it gives good information and pictures of various floral designs.You can also look at these books also The Complete Book of Floral Design and Wedding Bouquets: Over 300 Designs for Every Bride.