Ask and Answer Flower Questions Archive - Jul 2007

By Donald: When and how is the ideal time to transplant Asiatic Lillies?

Answer By Webmaster: In my opinion, Asiatic Lilies form bulblets along the portion of stem that's undergound. There will be baby bulbs along the stem near the surface of the soil. Lily bulbs will actually pull themselves deeper into the soil as they grow. If you want to divide them, now is a good time.

When replanting, the bulbs should be planted at a depth 2 to 3 times the height of the bulb.

By Robbie: Are zinnias edible?

Answer By Webmaster: To my knowledge zinnas are not edible. Some of the flowers that I know are edible.

Flower................ Flavor

Calendula............tangy to bitter

Pansy..................mildly minty

Viola...................floral

Scented Geranium......Floral

Borage.................Cool, cucumber-like

Nasturtium...........Peppery

Daylily (petals only, not the buds).....Sweet, grassy

Rose....................Floral

Hollyhocks (petals only) .......nutty

English Daisy..........Tangy to bitter

Chives.....................Oniony

By Pamela: What is the birth flower for july

Answer By Webmaster: Larkspur is the flower of the month of July and its meaning denotes Fickleness.

However, The lotus, after all, is the flower for July in China. And the water lily, the flower of July in England.

By Wanda: Should we pull zinnias up after summer or do they return next year?

Answer By Webmaster: Zinnias can be started early indoors for transplanting outdoors about six to eight weeks before the last frost date, or they can be seeded directly into the flower bed after all danger of frost has passed. Sow directly into the soil and cover with about 1/4 inch of soil. Water thoroughly. Thin to 6-12 inches apart after they have sprouted.

Once established and healthy, zinnias will continue growing easily even year after year. Water to keep the soil moist but not wet. Zinnias will tolerate dry soil but tend to wilt in very dry conditions.

Fertilize monthly with an organic fertilizer once they have begun blooming. Pinch the spent blooms off to extend the blooming season.

By Tryglycerides,: What are Mass Style Arrangements and Ikebana Arrangement

Answer By Webmaster: Mass style flower arrangement: The term flowers in flower arrangement include real flowers, foliage, dried twig, fruits (fresh or dry). Dry & fresh flowers may be combined or arranged separately. Color combination adopted in a flower arrangement is highly based on individual taste &: preferences.

Ikebana: All styles of Japanese arrangements are based on three principles heaven , man and earth which are represented by three main sprays. The highest spray symbolizes heaven and it is arranged as central axis. The second height represents man. It gives greatest width to the arrangement. The lowest spray denotes earth. These arrangements always appear simple and never over crowded. The height of the spray is determined on basis of the diameter of the bowl.

By Kim: What ate Bulils and how do they grow in Lilies?

Answer By Webmaster: A few species and their cultivars if Lilies are well known for producing stem bulbils, like Lilium tigrinum.

Especially, The Tiger Lilies, L.tigrinum (lancifolium) are well know for their stem or leaf axis bulbils. Bulbils are usually a dark purplish-brown colour may measure about 0.5 inches (1-2 cm).

Mature bulbils will eventually fall off the stem by themselves to the ground. Once they touch the ground they will start to grow roots and pull themselves into the soil.

By A Visitor : Which flowers are edible? And which flowers are poisonous?

Answer By Webmaster: Edible flowers: Some of the popular edible flowers are almond, apple, lemon, orange, peach, and plum, all known for their delicious fruits or kernels. Other popular edible flowers include chrysanthemums, daisies, geraniums, jasmine, and marigolds. Roses and sunflowers are famous edible flowers.

Poisonous flowers: Lilies are wide spreading flowering plants spread to many regions, Europe, Asia, Japan, India, Philippines, and the U.S. Red or Tiger lily, Easter lily, and Japanese lily are some of the types. Tulips, Hyacinths, Daffodils, Narcissus are some of the poisonous flowers.

By Becky: Could you please help me discover the meaning behind that number and combination of roses?

Answer By Webmaster: In my opinion, by sending Red and White Roses, your friend might have the idea of uniting with you, and by sending 50 red roses, he may mean to continue with unconditional Love.

By Idelis: Name some non-allertgic flowers

Answer By Webmaster:There are flowers like daisies, gerbera, chrysanthemums, asters, dahlias, and sunflowers which are pollen-free ones, therefore are non-allertgic flowers.

There chrysanthemums, dahlias and asters that are called formal doubles and that have no pollen. All of these formal doubled flowers will be ones with a very high number of petals per flower. These flowers have been hybridized so often that the pollen parts (the stamens) have turned into parts that now look more like petals (staminoids). All true formal double flowers will be pollen free.

Flowers like Lilac are hypoallergic causing flowers.

By Dee:Will the Sego lily grow in central Illinois?

Answer BY Webmaster: Sego lily is not grown in Central Illinois.

This Sego lily is an inhabitant of meadows to light woods, this Rocky Mountain species is common east of the Continental Divide, from central Montana to South Dakota, south to New Mexico, eastern Arizona and Utah.

Illinois Central Lowland covers all but a small area of Illinois. Most of the Central Lowland is a level or slightly undulating plain, crossed here and there by broad, low ridges. As it is not suitable for Sego lily, it's growing here is very rare.

By Wendy: What kind of flowers can be submerged into water and how long can they last before placing them in the water.

Answer By Webmaster: There are 3 kinds of plants grown in aquatic environments.

Submerged plants/Oxygenating Plants, Marginal plants/Bog plants, Floating plants

Examples of submerged plants are: Water lily and Parrot Feather or Myriophyllum aquaticum, Hornwort, Cabomba, Anacharis Jungle Vall, etc.

By Visitor: When do you dead head, Shasta Daisies, or cut them to the ground

Answer By Webmaster: Deadheading(i.e., removal of spent flower heads) the Shasta daisies is best after blooming as it will promote further blooming. Divide clumps of shasta daisy every 2-3 years to maintain vigor and propagate.

By Madi: Give some flowering problems in Morning Glory's

Answer By Webmaster: Morning Glory's need a good leaf mold or compost and with clay to a depth of two feet.

Add peat moss if you like, or even dried leaves.

Prune to give the spot more sunlight, or choose a brighter location to grow them.

They like woodsy shade, but flowering is greater with morning sun.

Give them a good 4-5 hours of light, but never the hot afternoon sun.

Feed them once they have sprouted, at 1/2 strength.Then feed them every two weeks with a general food.

Probably anything less than these, might have been the blooming problmes in Morning Glory's.

By Alicia: How many times a year does the tiger lily blossoms?

Answer By Webmaster: The Tiger Lily blooms only once in a year.

The tiger lily grows from a bulb covered with leaf-like scales. A single flowering stem arises from the center of the bulb. The stem has alternate, lance-shaped leaves and terminates with the flowers. After blooming in the summer, the stem dies back down to the bulb.

By Marjorie: What is the vase life of cut flowers?

Answer By Webmaster: Many flowers will last longer when cut at very early developmental stages, and a large number of species do exceedingly well if harvested in the bud stage, and opened in special opening solutions (ie. standard chrysanthemums, carnations, lilies, etc.).

Practically speaking, the best way of insuring a sufficient supply of sugar available is to include some in the vase water. The sugar enables buds to develop properly and attain larger sizes, thus increasing cut flower longevity. Sugar may be dissolved in the water at concentrations of 4 to 7%, to be fed constantly, or else fed in a pulse of 5 to 12% overnight.

By Visitor: What is the meaning of altruistic?

Answer By Webmaster:The meaning of altruistic, can be loyal, Innocence ,Loyal, ove, I'll Never Tell, Purity.

By Hilary: Do Tiger Lilys bloom in the morning or evening?

Answer By Webmaster: Lilies are usually biurnal. Tiger lilies are also biurnal. That means the flower opens during daylight and closes at night.

By Diann Munn:Where is the eye of the peony and what preparation do I need to do before planting it in the ground?

Answer By Webmaster: The Peony tolerates some drought but needs moist, fertile, well-draining soil. If your soil is extremely acid, add some lime at planting time.

Plant the roots with the eyes (buds) pointing up and place them 1 inch below the soil level.

Peonies usually take a few years to establish and bloom heavily. Staking is recommended. Peonies attract butterflies and are great cut flowers and borders.

By A Visitor:Popularity, and Planting of Callalilies

Answer By A Daniella: Calla lilies have regained some popularity in recent years. They are attractive foliage plants, even when they are not in bloom. Plant them outdoors where they get some filtered sunlight or morning light. Avoid full afternoon sun. Plant it outside, mulch it and fertilize lightly.

By Lori:Are you supposed to dead head or cutback lillies to encourage new blooms?

Answer By Gabriella: After the bloom season, it is recommended that you "deadhead" spent lily flower heads. Cutting them off just below the bottom blooms and leaving as much stem as possible for feeding the bulbs. This not only makes your garden look better, but also prevents unwanted seed pods from forming that can rob some energy from the plants.

By Ruth: Blooming Problems in Peonies

Answer By Webmaster: There are 2 types of Peonies, Tree peonies, and Garden Peonies. Peonies are long-lived, but slow-growing at first. Most failures to bloom (Peonies) are caused by deep planting.

Answer By Gabriella: How to plant: Replace part of the soil in the form of a cone and spread the roots over it. Set the roots so that the tip of the eyes (swollen pink or reddish buds) will be no deeper than 1 inch below the surface of the soil.

Garden peonies will usually begin blooming within three years after planting.

Tree Peonies: Tree peonies will begin blooming at about the same time, but will increase slowly in size and bloom quantity. They can live for up to a hundred years. Tree peonies should also be planted in fall. Never cut back tree peonies. They are shrubs and will not grow back if cut down.

By Barbara:When you deadhead Dianthus, do you take the whole bud off or just the frills that are there after the flower falls?

Answer By Webmaster: Pinching Method in Dianthus: This method is for compact plants that have many flowers. Use your thumb and forefinger to pinch off spent flowers about one fourth above the new buds. Flowers in this group include marigold, impatiens, pansy, petunia, dianthus, poppy, and mums.

By Barbara:Is a Gerbera daisy edible?

Answer By Gabriella: Gerbera Daisy leaves are edible and can be used in salads. Though they are edible, florist's daisies are not advisable to consume, as they are sprayed with pesticides.

By Kia: Write about the Growing Tips of Nasturtiums and their care

Answer By Webmaster: Nasturtium's are one of the tastiest edible flowers.

Growing Tips:

Nasturtiums are usually started from seed, so you won?t often find them available as plants, at nurseries.

However, the seed germinate quickly and the plants will be up and blooming in little time.

Seeds can be sow directly in the garden, when the soil has warmed, or started indoors about 2-4 weeks earlier.

Nasturtiums don?t especially like being transplanted, so starting indoor seedlings in peat pots will reduce transplant shock.

Once planted, they tend to take care of themselves.

Care:

Nasturtiums like regular weekly waterings. They will survive some drought conditions, but flowering will diminish and the foliage can begin to look ratty.

Deadheading is not usually necessary, unless a plant has been stressed and is holding on to spent blooms.

They do, however, thrive in lean soil. Don?t feed nasturtium plants at all during the growing season. Fertilizer causes them to put out more foliage and less flowers.

By Erin: When can we cut back Dianthus barbatus and how far

Answer By Webmaster: Remove fading flowers to encourage more buds to form. Pruning plants back hard after blooming will encourage them to survive for another year. Self-sown seedlings may be moved in fall or early spring.

By Nora Epp:My mums leaves very badly bad ..but the soil is moist . What should I do ? does it need transplanted what ?

Answer By Webmaster: Mums are really hardy. Eventhough the buds, leaves are drooped, wait for few days an see what happens.

By Pat Gillette:Do you deadhead columbine flowers, if yes how is it done. Thank you, POat

Answer By Daniella: Columbine can be transplanted any time after they're large enough to handle. After Columbine have bloomed, their ability to survive transplantation drops dramitically. So, it is pointless and absurd to deadhead columbines. Columbines often send up additional bloom stalks whether the flowers are cut off, or left alone.

By Vicki Ramsey:When do you cut Asiatic lillies down?

Answer By Daniella: Allow the leaves of the Asiatic lillies to turn yellow and fall off to provide the bulb with ample nourishment for the next growing year. The foliage will probably stick around until autumn. You can cut it down after flowering and you will most likely get flowers back next year but they will do much better if you let them go in their own time. Cutting them down early every year is not a good idea.

By Hasan:Can I get the details that what are the exact dates of sowing any flower in a particular season?

Answer By Webnaster: There are different types of flowering plants. Each plant is unique in itself, its sowing time, regarding its growth, development, flowering season etc.Like Annuals, Bienniels, Perennials, each differ in almost every aspect of its development. It is very difficult to tell the exact dates of sowing any flower in a particular season.

By Milly:Can i use epsom salts on my roses once a year, and will epsom salt work for carnations? I need planting instructions for carnations?

Answer By Webmaster: It is wise to use Epsom salts for carnation flowers.

The plants get replenished with the epsom salts, where in the salts are leached out of the soil by rainfall.

Epsom salts are used as 1-2 spoons of Epsom salts to 1-2 gallons of water and sprayed.

Planting instructions for carnations:

Carnations prefer a sunny, well-drained position in a neutral soil, but will tolerate all but very acid or alkaline conditions.

Put garden compost, mushroom compost or any similar humus-forming material.

Make the soil firm before planting.

Plant with a trowel 15-18 inches apart.

Make plants firm and ensure lowest leaves are just clear of soil surface.

Stake tall layers with a short stick to prevent their being loosened by strong winds and inspect plants occasionally to ensure none has been lifted by frost action.

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.