Ask and Answer Flower Questions Archive - Jun 2007

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 Sanjay:Were are the flowers come from how did the flowers originate?

Answer By Webmaster: There have been many discoveries to know the exact origin of flowers. All of them direct to Prehistoric Period.

Evidence of flowers dating back to the prehistoric period have been discovered through Flower Fossils. There are traces of association of flowers with humans during the paleolithic age.

To know more about these facts, visit our page at Flowers and History.

By Sanjay:What type of seed poinsettia has ?

Answer By Daniella: Poinsettias are the Christmas flowers. Here the colorful leaves are very large and looks like flowers, whereas the actual flowers are very inconspicous.

Poinsettias are usually reproduced by means of cuttings.

By Susan:How to care for a Sago Palm also known as Cycas revoluta?

Answer By Webmaster: Cycas revoluta is one of the most widely cultivated cycads, grown outdoors in warm temperate and subtropical regions, or under glass in colder areas.

It grows best in sandy, well-drained soil, preferably with some organic matter.

It needs good drainage or it will rot. It is fairly drought-tolerant and grows well in full sun or outdoor shade, but needs bright light when grown indoors.

The leaves can bleach somewhat if moved from indoors to full sun outdoors.

The pith is very rich in edible starch, and is used for making sago.

Before use, the starch must be carefully washed to leach out toxins contained in the pith.

By Des burke:What kind of flowers and plants were common in the 17th century

Answer By Webmaster: There were many kinds of flowers used in common in 17 th century. They are:- Crown Daisy is an old garden plant known since the early 17th century.

Echinacea purple flowers were used since 17-18 th century, etc., were such flowers used in 17 th century.

By Denise:Gladioli left in winter, it has plant growth but no flowers, why?

Answer By Daniella: Generally, bulbs fall into two groups; those planted in the fall for spring blooms and those planted in the spring for summer blooms. The spring flowering bulbs are hardy and actually require the cooling of the winter months to bloom.

The summer flowering bulbs like (Gladioli) are not as hardy and many cannot withstand winter in the ground. These bulbs should be dug up in the fall and stored through the winter to be replanted the following spring.

By Shirley: What causes yellow leaves on geraniums?

Answer By Webmaster: There are other bacterial and fungal diseases, that causes geranium leaves to turn into yellow spots.

The main reason with leaves turning yellow is inadequate water.

Water geraniums when the soil becomes moderately dry. Never allow the plants to dry out to the point of wilting or the leaves will turn yellow and drop off. Give the soil a good soaking at each watering, and avoid frequent light waterings. Apply water to the base of the plants to keep water off the foliage, since moist foliage favors the development of disease.

By Bea: What is a mass arrangement?what are they look like?

Answer By Webmaster: The Flower Arrangement is an ancient art. There are different types of flower arrangements. Among them Mass arrangement is one.

Mass Arrangement of Flowers:- Mass arrangement of flowers is an arrangement with Full, flowing and symmetrical, a generous mixture of flowers arranged in a decorated china vase It portrays the typical mass design so reminiscent of Victorian opulence and elegance.

Mass designs look usually like triangular, oval, circular or fan shaped.

By Bronte: Where are frangipani's found?

Answer By Webmaster: Frangipani (Plumeria rubra), also known as the Hawaiin Lei flower.

Frangipani is native to warm tropical areas of the Pacific Islands, Caribbean, South America and Mexico.

Frangipani is withstand subtropical climate.

Synonyms of Frangipani are:- Temple Tree, Champa, Dead man's fingers, Egg Flower (southern China) Amapola (Venezuela) are other synonyms of Frangipani.

By Mushtaq Ahmad Marazi: Causes for yellowing of Gardenia plants?

Answer By Webmaster: Gardenias turning yellow could have several reasons. If gardenia leaves have yellow in between the nerves, then it is iron deficiency.

Add 1tbsp of iron sulfate to the soil and water after.

May be it also needs a complete fertilizer too.

Just water when the soil starts to dry

It needs a lot of light and may be outside if it is not freezing.

By Sandeep:How does a neelmohor look like...is it blue coloured like gulmohor?

Answer By Webmaster: It is called as Jacaranda mimosifolia (Neelmohor).

It looks like a Jacaranda.

It is nearly always blue in color.

It is also known as the Black Poui.

By Deedy: What flowers are appropriate for a 40th wedding anniversary?

Answer By Daniella: Gifting on anniversaries is a traditional form of expressing love. Gifting flowers is a lovable gift around the world.

Nasturtiums flowers are appropriate for a 40th wedding anniversary.

By Mary ann:Why do flowers have beautiful colors?

Answer By Daniella: Nature has beautiful flowers in its arms. Nature gives flowers different and bright colors and interesting patterns to attract birds and insects.

The flowers provide sweet nectar for those creatures to eat. While they enjoy the nectar, a substance called pollen sticks on their bodies. As they fly from flower to flower, they deposit pollen from one flower into another one. When that happens, the flowers start to produce seeds.

By Visitor: What is the scientific name meaning for Epigaea repens?

Answer By Webmaster: The scientific name, Epigaea repens, coined by Linnaeus in 1753 from Greek and Latin, literally means creeping (or running) on the earth.

By bob:What are the best indoor plants that have a scent for beginners?

Answer By Webmaster: For indoor plants, Amaryllis (Hippeastrum) is one of the easiest bulbs to grow.

By Chris: What to do as Roses turned brown and fell off?

Answer By Daniella: Until, the stem of the rose bush remains green, the bush will not die. It will come up.

By Tiquell:When was the Mayflower discovered,who named it,were was it discovered,and who discovered it?

Answer By Webmaster: It is the University?s official flower and gave the Arbutus yearbook its name. One hundred years ago, a popular destination for students traveling by horse and buggy was Arbutus Hill, just east of town. It was said that the plant occurred nowhere else in the state in such abundance and that the spring air was perfumed by its delicate odor. Herman B Wells and the Indiana University Board of Trustees later requested that bouquets of trailing arbutus be brought to their meetings so they could see Indiana University?s official flower.

By Cathy: After blooming processes in tiger lilies.

Answer By Webmaster: After Lilies Flower remove stalks. Bulbs of the lily must be replanted quickly in the soil in the early days of winter. This is important for the growing cycle of the plant to continue. The soil has to be enriched with compost, the required amount of fertilizer and animal manure. Lily bulbs need not to be lifted and stored every year.

By Kerry: Name the flower with yellow stamens and some have brown stamens, the flower has five petals and is about an inch in diamater?

Answer By Webmaster: May be you are talking about the flower, Clematis lanuginosa'Candida' (Clematis). Clematis flower has yellow stamens or soemtimes brown stamens with 5 petals.

By Scott: What is the state flower of norway.

Answer By Webmaster:The state flower of Norway is Purple Heather (Calluna vulgaris). The flowers are pale purple, sitting in leafy stalked spikes.

By Marilyn: I have a flower circle about 7 feet in diameter, filled with low growing flowers. Until recently a flag pole stood in the center. What would be a good flower to replace the pole? It needs to be hardy to zone 4, tall, and hopeully bloom most of the summer.

Answer By Garry: Lilium (Lily) Lilium is a large and diverse group of trumpet shaped flowers. You can find almost every color and heights from about 2 feet to over 6. Most are hardy to down to Zone 4 and will require little care, once established.

By Lyn Kristensen: Can I plant ice begonias in half shade. The garden spot gets sun about half of the day.

Answer By Garry: Tuberous Begonias are frost-tender plants that thrive where they receive bright light but little or no direct sun. Given an early start, they put on a glorious display all summer long.

By Felix: What are national flowers of Ireland (EIRE),Denmark and Sweden"

Answer By Webmaster: National Flower of:

Denmark - Marguerite Daisy (Argyranthemum frutescens) - Marguerites produce large, single, daisy-like flowers most of the summer.

Ireland - Shamrock - Shamrock is the common name for several unrelated herbaceous plants with trifoliate leaves.

Sweden - Linnea (Linnea Borealis) - The flowers are pink, bell-like, very fragrant and grow in pairs.

By Bonnie:What is the largest number of buds a stargazer will produce?

Answer By Garry:The largest number of buds a stargazer will produce may be from 11-13.

By Sheila: Calla lilies care for cutting, and at what point the blooms should be cut.

Answer By Daniella: Calla lilies care for cutting, and time blooms should be cut

Harvest flowers in the cool of the morning or evening. To ensure the longest possible stem length, flowers are pulled rather than cut. Coolstore flowers at 45-48?F for 8-12 hours in a solution of flower preserve. This will minimize stem splitting and rotting, and control post harvest fungal diseases. Re-cut the stems before they are placed in the condition solution. Pre-treated flowers can be transported dry for up to 3 days.

Calla lilies will last longer as stems than as single blooms; a cut orchid arrangement will last longer than a boutonniere. Flowers should be as fresh as possible. If they appear a little wilted, they can be submerged in warm water for a few minutes. After stems are purchased and brought home, 1/2 inch (approximately 2 cm) should be cut from the base of the stem with a sharp knife if possible while the stem is submerged in water then place the stems in a vase. Blooms should be kept away from direct sunlight and heat sources. They will last longer at cooler room temperatures, but will suffer from cool drafts. A cool draft is moving air that is cooler than the ambient temperature, such as air from an open window on a cool day.

By Debby:I am told I have talent, in flower arranging. Do I have to go to school to learn more?

Answer By Garry: I can say Yes and No. Yes because, if you have talent, it is not sufficient. To enhance your talent, it is good to have lessons at popular designers.

And No, because, if you are interested in learning tips from popular florists, there are some online courses, which you can learn being at home.

By Jennifer Long:My plant, Cosmos is pink in many of those colors, it only grew 14 cm. and the label and facts say that it could grow 3-6 feet, why isn't mine like that because it is a science project for the five kingdoms?

Answer By Webmaster:If there is a deficiency of Nitrogen which is seen when the plant shows yellowing of leaves and stunted growth.

Give the plant fair amount of nitrogen.

By Gail:I was given some flowers from a florist. They called them dog heads. I can't find the common name.

Answer By Garry: Probably you are talking about Mayweed, which has synonyms like Maruta Cotula. Dog Chamomile. Maruta Foetida, or Dog-Fennel.

By Rebekah: What does a gardenia look like?

Answer By Garry:Gardenias 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. Gardenias flowers from about mid-spring to mid-summer, i.e., May through July. Many of the gardenia species are strongly scented.

By Maggie: Find me a couple of flowers that symbols love?

Answer By Danielle: The flowers that symbols love are: Aster - Love; Bluebell- Carnation; Forget-Me-Not

By Iris: What are sirbinica?

Answer By Danielle: The flower you are talking about may be Montia sibirica, or Claytonia alsinoides. It is an evergreen annual/Perennial growing to 0.15m. It is in leaf all year, in flower from April to July, and the seeds ripen from June to August. The flowers are hermaphrodite (have both male and female organs) and are pollinated by Bees and flies. The plant is self-fertile.

The plant prefers light (sandy), medium (loamy) and heavy (clay) soils, requires well-drained soil and can grow in nutritionally poor soil. The plant prefers acid, neutral and basic (alkaline) soils and can grow in very acid soil. It can grow in full shade (deep woodland) semi-shade (light woodland) or no shade. It requires dry or moist soil.

By Jessica:What variety of flowers grow in southern Italy?

Answer By Danielle: The southern places of Italy are filled with citrus and other fruit trees as well as vegetable gardens and sweet smelling flowers like bougainvillea and verbena, palm trees, wild orchids and tropical flowers, Crocus flowers, Lavender flowers.

By Ruth Richardson:How to propogate Jasmines? And do you have to have two jasmine plants to pollinate ?

Answer By Danielle: All you need to do is take cuttings of a decent size (upto 8-9 inches), preferably terminal, remove the leaves in lower 1+1/2 to 3 inches, peal to expose the cambium layer in this part soak in water for a couple of minutes, apply rooting hormone and simply poke this into coarse sand upto a depth such that remaining leaves stay above sand. cover this pot with a clear polybag or something such that it forms a small greenhouse of its own; this is crucial for quick results. mist it a couple of times a day after removing this cover.

Just take care that you have atleast a couple of nodes on the lower part of the cutting that you expose by pealing.

wait till you see activity on the cutting. then repot in a different medium after pulling the new plant out of sand.

There is no need to have two jasmine plants to pollinate.

By Donna:Do you dead head a gerbera daisy after the bloom has become discolored?

Answer By Garry:Yes, we dead head a gerbera daisy after the bloom has become discolored.

By Norene:A story told that the flower of the dogwood looks like the cross of Jesus with the holes and the center looks like the crown, do you know this story and the one dogwood flower that looks like this ?

Answer By Webmaster:There is a Christian legend according to which the cross Christ was crucified on was made of dogwood. However, facts suggest that this legend is unlikely to be true.

By Marilyn:Recently, I planted Darlin Daisies which have bloomed. However, all my flowers on my daisies are gone. Is there an animal that would eat flowering daisies, such as, a rabbit etc.?

Answer By Daniella:Rabbits and guinea pig are the animals feeding on Gerbera Daisies.

By Visitor: What type of soil does Iris needs.

Answer By Webmaster:Iris Grow in well-drained, neutral to rich acid soil in full sun or part shade. They like full sun, lots of water and are very easy to grow.

By Garry: The daisy plant was very healthy when I bought it but now the white petals are turning pink and the plant looks sickly. Do you know what this could be and what caused it?

Answer By Garry: The plant is slowly dying of some bacterial or fungal disease. It sounds like they were potted in either the wrong containers and/or soil. I would suggest replanting in new freely draining containers. Use fresh potting soil that has some good drainage characteristics. Gerbera daisy is an easy container plant to grow. Any problems that arise are usually the fault of either the container, potting soil mix, or the owner's over-watering.

By Starry: How to go about Gardenias and their care, and growing Azaleas and their care?

Answer By Webmaster: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.
• Water drains away from the trunk.
• Remove any air pockets, if present.
• Water the plant with a root stimulator.

Gardenia Care

• Do not overwater gardenias.
• Fertilize with an acid fertilizer.
• Check for aphids, mealybugs, spider mites, thrips and scales.
• Also check gardenia plants, as the main problem is bud drop.

Azaleas: Growing Azaleas

Azaleas are flowering shrubs making up part of the genus Rhododendron.

One of the major differences between azaleas and the rest of the rhododendron family is their size. Another is their flower growth. Rhododendrons grow their flowers in stripers, while most azaleas have terminal blooms (one flower per flower stem).

Azaleas grow best in slightly acidic soil (pH 5.5 - 6.0) that has good drainage. Given the heavy clay soil in our area adding amendments to the planting bed is important. Azaleas can be planted or transplanted in the fall or the early spring. But should be adequately watered whenever they are planted. It is more beneficial to provide a deep soaking on an infrequent basis than regularly sprinkling the surface.

To plant an azalea, dig the hole 2x the width of the nursery container or root ball and only as deep to keep the plant stem at the same level as it was growing in the nursery or in your yard. It is better to plant a little shallow than too deep. Azaleas do not necessarily need to be fertilized when they are planted. If you do decide to fertilize do so before mid summer to avoid causing new growth that may be killed in the winter. Azaleas should be pruned soon after they bloom to avoid cutting off next year?s flower buds.

Azaleas Care:

We can safely remove about a third of the bush after it has flowered. Level the top to bring the plants to one height. Then, go back into the bush, removing some of the branches farther down on the bush and opening it up a little.

After you have rejuvenated the plants, frequent light pruning will help produce more blooms. Each place you prune will generate two new stems, and each new stem tip can produce flowers. More stem tips equals more flowers.

Often, azaleas that only bloom on top were pruned too late. Finish all pruning by the end of June to ensure that you do not take off the new growth that includes the embryonic flowers. As hedges, azaleas flower best if allowed to develop a natural, rounded shape.

By Sam: Write about sampaguita.

Answer By Sally: Sampaguita (Jasminum sambac) is a sweetly scented tropical flower. The species Jasminum sambac is native to southern Asia, in India, Myanmar and Sri Lanka. Sampaguita is serving as the National Flower of for two countries - Philippines and Indonesia.

Sampaguita's distinct sweet, heady fragrance is its unique feature.

The esential oils are extracted form Sampaguita. It is a fact that the fragrance of Sampaguita erose the sexual feelings in a relationship.

By Ken:The flowerheads on my gerbera daiseys are stunted. The petals are only about 1/4 inch long.What is wrong?

Answer By Garry: After flowering the growth of the plant will get stunted. Slugs and snails are partial to the leaves. Gerberas are prone to some viral, bacterial and fungal diseases.

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.