文章
Miss Chen
2017年08月08日
Miniature pine tree (Crassula tetragona) is a low-growing succulent shrub resembling a small pine tree, boasting a tree-like habit of bluish green, awl-shaped leaves and spring-blooming white flowers. A popular bonsai, miniature pine tree is often grown as a potted garden plant or houseplant, though it may also be grown directly in the garden where hardy. Aesthetically, miniature pine tree fits in well with rock gardens, bonsai plantings and zen-themed gardens.
Location
A native of South Africa, miniature pine tree is a heat-loving frost-sensitive plant, hardy to about 28 degrees Fahrenheit. It may be grown successfully outdoors in U.S. Department of Agriculture plant hardiness zones 9 to 11, where it will thrive in full sunlight or light shade. Provide indoor plants a winter dormancy period with temperatures around 48 degrees Fahrenheit.
Soil
Like other succulents, miniature pine tree requires very well draining soil. Poorly draining soil, coupled with excessive irrigation, is a surefire recipe for the often fatal fungal disease root rot. A mixture of sand, loam, pea gravel and peat moss with a pH between 6.1 and 7.8 is ideal. Fertilize once during the growing season with a balanced 10-10-10 fertilizer diluted with water to about half strength.
Maintenance
The low maintenance miniature pine tree requires water only once a month or so during the growing season, watering deeply, then allowing the soil to completely dry out before watering again. In the winter, water sparingly, just enough to keep the leaves from shriveling. Miniature pine tree may be propagated by leaf or stem cuttings, rooted in moist, well-draining potting media. The plant may also be divided during the growing season or grown by seed.
Problems
Members of the Crassula genus are prone to mealybugs -- small, cottony insects that form colonies on leaves. If left unchecked, they may stunt plant growth or invite unattractive black sooty mold. The University of California Integrated Pest Management Program recommends removing mealy bugs with a direct stream of water or applying insecticidal soap or narrow-range oil. Avoid excessive use of insecticides in the home garden, which can kill the beneficial insects and parasites that prey on mealybugs.
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年08月07日
Crinum
Spidery, sweet scented crinum flowers dangle from a central stem, brightening late-summer gardens. The huge leafy plants spring from giant bulbs. The native Southern swamp lily depends on summer rain to set its perfumed flowers in motion. In colder climates, crinums are a botanical curiosity to show off on a summer patio, and then bring indoors to overwinter.
LIGHT:Part Sun, Shade, Sun
TYPE:Bulb
HEIGHT:From 6 inches to 8 feet
WIDTH:To 5 feet wide
FLOWER COLOR:White
SEASONAL FEATURES:Colorful Fall Foliage, Fall Bloom, Spring Bloom, Summer Bloom, Winter Bloom, Winter Interest
PROBLEM SOLVERS:Deer Resistant, Drought Tolerant
SPECIAL FEATURES:Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Fragrance, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance
ZONES:7-10
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年08月07日
Colchicum
Delightful colchicum is a dramatic plant for adding a burst of fall color to your garden. It bears big flowers that look like crocus in shades of pink and white. The flowers rise about 6 inches above the ground and appear seemingly overnight, so plant it near a path or other spot where you're sure to see it.
Like crocus, this bulb blooms year after year, getting bigger and better with age. And also like most crocus, it produces foliage in spring -- so don't be surprised to see the long, strappy leaves among your tulips and other early season bulbs. The leaves gather energy for the blooms, then disappear by midsummer.
One note: All parts of the plant are poisonous -- so be sure to keep it away from children who might be tempted to eat its candy-color blooms. Because it's poisonous, however, it's typically ignored by even the hungriest deer, rabbits, and other critters.
LIGHT:Sun
TYPE:Bulb
HEIGHT:Under 6 inches to 12 inches
WIDTH:To 12 inches wide
FLOWER COLOR:Pink, White
SEASONAL FEATURES:Fall Bloom
PROBLEM SOLVERS:Deer Resistant
SPECIAL FEATURES:Good for Containers, Low Maintenance
ZONES:4-9
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年08月07日
Bletilla striata
Chinese ground orchid is the perfect name for this little beauty, which actually is a true orchid. Its lavender-pink flowers resemble that of its larger, showier cousin, the Cattleya.
It grows best in partial shade with moderately moist soil. Where summers are cool, it can take full sun. In ideal conditions, it spreads gradually, forming a large clump over time.
LIGHT:Part Sun, Sun
TYPE:Bulb, Perennial
HEIGHT:1 to 3 feet
WIDTH:6-12 inches wide
FLOWER COLOR:Blue, Pink
SEASONAL FEATURES:Spring Bloom
SPECIAL FEATURES:Cut Flowers
ZONES:6-8
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年08月07日
Camassia
Camassia is a perfect plant for extending the spring bulb season. It produces spires of beautiful purple or blue flowers in late spring and early summer -- right alongside favorites such as allium, peony, and iris. There are a handful of varieties available; give your garden a boost by selecting one with variegated foliage.
Camassia does best in full sun or part shade in moist soil. In fact, it tolerates clay and wet conditions better than most other spring bulbs. Camassia is native to areas of North America.
LIGHT:Part Sun, Sun
TYPE:Bulb
HEIGHT:From 1 to 8 feet
WIDTH:To 1 foot wide
FLOWER COLOR:Blue, White
SEASONAL FEATURES:Spring Bloom, Summer Bloom
PROBLEM SOLVERS:Deer Resistant
SPECIAL FEATURES:Cut Flowers, Good for Containers
ZONES:3-10
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年08月07日
Caladium
Providing color pizzazz in dim places where flowers can't, caladiums have come into their own recently with the craze for tropical plants. The clumping, heart-shape leaves are available in a variety of veined patterns in colors from cream to neon pinks, reds, silvers, and greens. Newer introductions bring caladiums out of the shade. The more substantial leaves of the Florida series, with greater heat tolerance, give the splashy caladiums their place in the sun. Plant caladium tubers shallowly in pots, and water sparingly until sprouts appear. They begin to grow vigorously once the weather warms in late spring to early summer.
LIGHT:Part Sun, Shade, Sun
TYPE:Bulb
HEIGHT:From 6 inches to 3 feet
WIDTH:To 24 inches wide
FOLIAGE COLOR:Blue/Green, Purple/Burgundy
SEASONAL FEATURES:Summer Bloom
PROBLEM SOLVERS:Groundcover
SPECIAL FEATURES:Good for Containers, Low Maintenance
ZONES:10-11
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文章
Miss Chen
2017年08月07日
Alstroemeria
Alstroemerias are best known as cut flowers, where their rich colors and lovely veining grace many a vase, where they'll last for as long as two weeks. But they can also be grown in the garden, where they do best in light, well-drained soil. They bloom freely through the summer and come in almost all shades of the rainbow except true blue.
Where they're perennials, in the warmest parts of the country, deadhead flowers when they are done blooming to prevent them from spreading too much by seed.
LIGHT:Part Sun, Sun
TYPE:Bulb, Perennial
HEIGHT:1 to 3 feet
WIDTH:1-2 feet wide
FLOWER COLOR:Blue, Orange, Pink, Red, White
FOLIAGE COLOR:Chartreuse/Gold
SEASONAL FEATURES:Summer Bloom
PROBLEM SOLVERS:Deer Resistant
SPECIAL FEATURES:Attracts Birds, Cut Flowers, Good for Containers, Low Maintenance
ZONES:6-7, 9-10
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月07日
This exotic-looking evergreen member of the Heath family can grows to a height of 12m. With its glossy evergreen leaves and either flowers or fruits (sometimes both) present in every month of the year, the Strawberry Tree is easy to recognise.
Identification
The short-stalked leaves of this much-branching woody plant are hairless, glossy green, oval and slightly toothed. Trunk and branches are brown with reddish tinges towards the bristly growing tips.
Typical of members of the Ericaceae, the drooping flowers are bell like; they are typically 8mm long and 5mm in diameter, sometimes white but more often tinged with red, pink or green. Smelling like honey, the flowers are particularly attractive to bees, including honey bees. Fruits of the Strawberry Tree start off green but turn orange and eventually red; they do look a little bit like their ground-hugging namesakes, but instread of seeds on the surface there are pyramidal outgrowths all over the spherical fruits. When fully ripened they taste quite pleasant (but not much like strawberries) although with a hint of bitterness.
Distribution
Arbutus unedo is a native of the Mediterranean region, most plentiful in the west. We see lots of Strawberry Trees in southern Portugal, where they grow wild in the hills around Monchique in the Algarve region and in the Alantejo further north.
Habitat
The Strawberry Tree is most commonly found on poor soils in maquis habitats, but occasionally plants can be seen on woodland edges and around field margins, generally on higher ground well away from the coast.
Blooming Times
Arbutus unedo produces its flowers between October and April.
Uses
Although the fruits of Arbutus unedo do not taste anywhere near as nice as they look (they are a bit like lychees), the Portuguese use them to make Aguardente de Medronhos, a brandy-like alcholic drink sometimes called simply Medronho.
The wood of the Strawberry Tree can be used to make high-grade charcoal.
Similar Species
Arbutus andrachne, the Eastern Strawberry Tree, is found in Crete and parts of the eastern Mediterranean. The flowers are erect rather than pendent, and the papery bark of the tree is orange-red and peels off in strips.
Identification
The short-stalked leaves of this much-branching woody plant are hairless, glossy green, oval and slightly toothed. Trunk and branches are brown with reddish tinges towards the bristly growing tips.
Typical of members of the Ericaceae, the drooping flowers are bell like; they are typically 8mm long and 5mm in diameter, sometimes white but more often tinged with red, pink or green. Smelling like honey, the flowers are particularly attractive to bees, including honey bees. Fruits of the Strawberry Tree start off green but turn orange and eventually red; they do look a little bit like their ground-hugging namesakes, but instread of seeds on the surface there are pyramidal outgrowths all over the spherical fruits. When fully ripened they taste quite pleasant (but not much like strawberries) although with a hint of bitterness.
Distribution
Arbutus unedo is a native of the Mediterranean region, most plentiful in the west. We see lots of Strawberry Trees in southern Portugal, where they grow wild in the hills around Monchique in the Algarve region and in the Alantejo further north.
Habitat
The Strawberry Tree is most commonly found on poor soils in maquis habitats, but occasionally plants can be seen on woodland edges and around field margins, generally on higher ground well away from the coast.
Blooming Times
Arbutus unedo produces its flowers between October and April.
Uses
Although the fruits of Arbutus unedo do not taste anywhere near as nice as they look (they are a bit like lychees), the Portuguese use them to make Aguardente de Medronhos, a brandy-like alcholic drink sometimes called simply Medronho.
The wood of the Strawberry Tree can be used to make high-grade charcoal.
Similar Species
Arbutus andrachne, the Eastern Strawberry Tree, is found in Crete and parts of the eastern Mediterranean. The flowers are erect rather than pendent, and the papery bark of the tree is orange-red and peels off in strips.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月07日
There is always something rather special about finding a cultivated plant from your garden growing as a wildflower in its natural state, and there are plenty of wild Common Snapdragons in the Mediterranean region. Finds of these flowers further north, including in Britain and Ireland, are most likely to be naturalised garden escapes, because the Snapdragon has been a popular cultivar for hundreds of years.
Identification
A perennial plant growing to 1m or more, but more commonly 50cm tall, Common Snapdragon has lanceolate leaves typically 2 to 6 cm long arranged in spirals along the stems. Flowers, in elongated spikes, are each 3 to 4.5cm long with two lips that open when the sides of the flower are compressed - hence the dragon's mouth implication in the common name. Most wild plants have pinkish purple flowers with yellow-and-white areas where the two lips touch. Yellow snapdragons can also be found in the wild in Mediterranean countries, but they are most likely to be naturalised cultivars.
Distribution
Native to the Mediterranean region from Portugal in the west across to Turkey and Syria in the east, the range of this wildflower extends southwards into parts of North Africa and northwards as far as southern France. Elsewhere it is an introduced species that has escaped from parks and gardens to colonise old walls and dry wasteland particularly near towns and villages.
Habitat and Blooming Times
March and April are the best months for seeing Common Snapdragons in the wild. Coastal sand-dune systems and other areas of dryish sandy soil are favoursed by this Mediterranean wildflower, which also occasionally colonises the crumbling walls of derelict buildings. Garden cultivars in northern Europe also cope well with dry, sunlit locations, where they bloom rather later and are often at their best in June, July and August.
Pollination
Snapdragons are pollinated by bumblebees, which crawl inside the lips so that the mouth of the dragon closes over them; they emerge covered in pollen which they transport to other flowers that they visit.
Identification
A perennial plant growing to 1m or more, but more commonly 50cm tall, Common Snapdragon has lanceolate leaves typically 2 to 6 cm long arranged in spirals along the stems. Flowers, in elongated spikes, are each 3 to 4.5cm long with two lips that open when the sides of the flower are compressed - hence the dragon's mouth implication in the common name. Most wild plants have pinkish purple flowers with yellow-and-white areas where the two lips touch. Yellow snapdragons can also be found in the wild in Mediterranean countries, but they are most likely to be naturalised cultivars.
Distribution
Native to the Mediterranean region from Portugal in the west across to Turkey and Syria in the east, the range of this wildflower extends southwards into parts of North Africa and northwards as far as southern France. Elsewhere it is an introduced species that has escaped from parks and gardens to colonise old walls and dry wasteland particularly near towns and villages.
Habitat and Blooming Times
March and April are the best months for seeing Common Snapdragons in the wild. Coastal sand-dune systems and other areas of dryish sandy soil are favoursed by this Mediterranean wildflower, which also occasionally colonises the crumbling walls of derelict buildings. Garden cultivars in northern Europe also cope well with dry, sunlit locations, where they bloom rather later and are often at their best in June, July and August.
Pollination
Snapdragons are pollinated by bumblebees, which crawl inside the lips so that the mouth of the dragon closes over them; they emerge covered in pollen which they transport to other flowers that they visit.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月07日
This low spreading annual plant has sprawling stems that gradually harden and become rigid, hence its scientific specific name rigida. The flowers of Rayless Chamomile are usually yellow, sometimes flushed with pink, and the stems and leaves of the plant are slightly hairy.
Distribution
Found in the eastern Mediterranean region of Europe, Anthemis rigida is particularly common in Crete but is also often found in Greece and Cyprus.
Habitat and Blooming Times
Rayless Chamomile grows in rocky, stony or sandy places, and although occasionally found inland it is most common in coastal areas. This member of the Daisy family, asteraceae (formerly known as the compositae) blooms from February through until May.
Taxonomy
Anthemis, the genus name, comes from the Greek anthemon, meaning flower, and indicates that this plant produces many flowers. The specific epithet rigida implies, just as it sounds, that the flower stems eventually become hard and rigid.
Distribution
Found in the eastern Mediterranean region of Europe, Anthemis rigida is particularly common in Crete but is also often found in Greece and Cyprus.
Habitat and Blooming Times
Rayless Chamomile grows in rocky, stony or sandy places, and although occasionally found inland it is most common in coastal areas. This member of the Daisy family, asteraceae (formerly known as the compositae) blooms from February through until May.
Taxonomy
Anthemis, the genus name, comes from the Greek anthemon, meaning flower, and indicates that this plant produces many flowers. The specific epithet rigida implies, just as it sounds, that the flower stems eventually become hard and rigid.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月07日
Identification
Unlike other daisy-like flowers, plants of the genus Andryala have large 'petals' on all florets and not just those on the periphery flower head. The plant is extremely hairy and has barrel-shaped buds surrounded with a neatly-arranged single row of hairy bracts.
Growing to between 30 and 75cm in height with branching stems covered in dense, soft white down that gives an overall whitish appearance to the plant, Andryala integrifolia has alternate lanceolate hairy leaves that are often corrugated (with wrinkled wavy margins).
The flowers are hermaphrodite (posessing both male and female reproductive organs), and they are a delicate lemon yellow. Flowers are grouped into corymbs (loose clusters) of typically three to nine composite heads, each head being in the range 1.5 to 8cm across, but most commonly between 2.5 and 5cm across.
Distribution
This wildflower is seen throughout the Mediterranean region. Well known in the Iberian Peninsula, where it is both widespread and common, Andryala integrifolia can be found from north Africa as far east as Greece, Sicily and Italy.
Habitat
This lovely wildflower tends to frequent rather sandy or rocky ground, but it can also be found on heaths, in abandoned farmland, and on some stony roadside verges.
Blooming Times
In the Mediterranean region where it is native, Andryala blooms from April to July.
Uses
A toxic latex within this plant contains hydrogen cyanide, and so no parts of Andryala should ever be eaten.
Unlike other daisy-like flowers, plants of the genus Andryala have large 'petals' on all florets and not just those on the periphery flower head. The plant is extremely hairy and has barrel-shaped buds surrounded with a neatly-arranged single row of hairy bracts.
Growing to between 30 and 75cm in height with branching stems covered in dense, soft white down that gives an overall whitish appearance to the plant, Andryala integrifolia has alternate lanceolate hairy leaves that are often corrugated (with wrinkled wavy margins).
The flowers are hermaphrodite (posessing both male and female reproductive organs), and they are a delicate lemon yellow. Flowers are grouped into corymbs (loose clusters) of typically three to nine composite heads, each head being in the range 1.5 to 8cm across, but most commonly between 2.5 and 5cm across.
Distribution
This wildflower is seen throughout the Mediterranean region. Well known in the Iberian Peninsula, where it is both widespread and common, Andryala integrifolia can be found from north Africa as far east as Greece, Sicily and Italy.
Habitat
This lovely wildflower tends to frequent rather sandy or rocky ground, but it can also be found on heaths, in abandoned farmland, and on some stony roadside verges.
Blooming Times
In the Mediterranean region where it is native, Andryala blooms from April to July.
Uses
A toxic latex within this plant contains hydrogen cyanide, and so no parts of Andryala should ever be eaten.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月07日
So waxy and beautifully veined, these delightful little flowers are quite unlike most other members of the Primrose family.
Identification
Once you get to see it at close quarters, this wildflower is quite unmistakable. Flowers are 6 to 10mm across with usually 5 to 7 lilac-pink round petals patterned with longitudinal red veins; they are backed by pointed short sepals. The centres contain a tangled mass of filamentous stamens.
Along the prostrate red-tinged stems are opposite pairs of leaves on shortish stalks; most leaves are roundish but some are shaped like the Ace of Spades.
A single flower grows on a short up-turned slender stalk at the end of each creeping stem, but when in full bloom the flowers of Bog Pimpernel all but obliterate the leaves, so densely are they packed together..
Distribution
In Britain and Ireland this lovely little wildflower is localised in the south and west; it is also found in Ireland where it is also most common on the western side.
Bog Pimpernel is found throughout most of Europe except in the far north and in arid parts of the south. Its range extends eastwards into Asia, but this wildflower is not native to North America.
Habitat
Anagallis tenella generally favours damp and acidic peaty substrates, but it can also be found in alkaline coastal dune slacks. As with all marsh and wetland plants, the enemy of Bog Pimpernel is land drainage.
Blooming Times
In Britain and Ireland Bog Pimpernel produces dense mats of flowers that open fully on sunny days from May right through to September.
Uses
Don't even think of picking these flowers; they are extremely fragile and likely to break as soon as they are touched. Cultivated forms of Bog Pimpernel are available from specialist garden centres and nurseries, and they make wonderful additions to any bog garden or to the waterlogged margin of a small pond.
Identification
Once you get to see it at close quarters, this wildflower is quite unmistakable. Flowers are 6 to 10mm across with usually 5 to 7 lilac-pink round petals patterned with longitudinal red veins; they are backed by pointed short sepals. The centres contain a tangled mass of filamentous stamens.
Along the prostrate red-tinged stems are opposite pairs of leaves on shortish stalks; most leaves are roundish but some are shaped like the Ace of Spades.
A single flower grows on a short up-turned slender stalk at the end of each creeping stem, but when in full bloom the flowers of Bog Pimpernel all but obliterate the leaves, so densely are they packed together..
Distribution
In Britain and Ireland this lovely little wildflower is localised in the south and west; it is also found in Ireland where it is also most common on the western side.
Bog Pimpernel is found throughout most of Europe except in the far north and in arid parts of the south. Its range extends eastwards into Asia, but this wildflower is not native to North America.
Habitat
Anagallis tenella generally favours damp and acidic peaty substrates, but it can also be found in alkaline coastal dune slacks. As with all marsh and wetland plants, the enemy of Bog Pimpernel is land drainage.
Blooming Times
In Britain and Ireland Bog Pimpernel produces dense mats of flowers that open fully on sunny days from May right through to September.
Uses
Don't even think of picking these flowers; they are extremely fragile and likely to break as soon as they are touched. Cultivated forms of Bog Pimpernel are available from specialist garden centres and nurseries, and they make wonderful additions to any bog garden or to the waterlogged margin of a small pond.
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文章
Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月07日
Description
The Holy orchid flowers are reminiscent of those of the Bug Orchid Anacamptis coriophora, but they are much larger and more variable in colour. The lip of the flower is unspotted, and by the time the flowers open the basal leaves of the plant have died back almost completely.
The colour of the flowers of Anacamptis sancta varies from pink to red. Picture Ray Tipper.
Distribution
This rare orchid is an eastern Mediterranean species and is found in the Aegean Islands, Turkey and Cyprus.
Habitat
The Holy Orchid favours dry and stony ground.
Flowering times
This orchid flowers in April and May.
Although inclined to grow in isolation this species sometimes hybridises with Anacamptis coriophora resulting in large hybrid swarms.
The Holy orchid flowers are reminiscent of those of the Bug Orchid Anacamptis coriophora, but they are much larger and more variable in colour. The lip of the flower is unspotted, and by the time the flowers open the basal leaves of the plant have died back almost completely.
The colour of the flowers of Anacamptis sancta varies from pink to red. Picture Ray Tipper.
Distribution
This rare orchid is an eastern Mediterranean species and is found in the Aegean Islands, Turkey and Cyprus.
Habitat
The Holy Orchid favours dry and stony ground.
Flowering times
This orchid flowers in April and May.
Although inclined to grow in isolation this species sometimes hybridises with Anacamptis coriophora resulting in large hybrid swarms.
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Dummer. ゛☀
2017年08月07日
Description
The flowers are pure white and the spur is somewhat shorter than that of the pink flowered form.
Distribution
Although it is the pink form of this orchid that is most widespread and occurs in vast numbers in some locations, it is always worth looking out for a white specimen since they appear in the same locations as the pink form. We have not yet personally seen this variant of the Pyramidal Orchid in the UK, but there are colonies to be found in France, Greece, Portugal and in Italy.
Habitat
The white form of Pyramidal Orchid occurs in the same kinds of habitats as the pink-coloured Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis, and both colour variants bloom at much the same time.
Flowering times
In Britain during a good year Pyramidal Orchids will appear in their thousands from early June until late July. Further south in Europe Pyramidal Orchids start flowering in March and April. The white variety flowers at the same times, although it is very scarce.
The flowers are pure white and the spur is somewhat shorter than that of the pink flowered form.
Distribution
Although it is the pink form of this orchid that is most widespread and occurs in vast numbers in some locations, it is always worth looking out for a white specimen since they appear in the same locations as the pink form. We have not yet personally seen this variant of the Pyramidal Orchid in the UK, but there are colonies to be found in France, Greece, Portugal and in Italy.
Habitat
The white form of Pyramidal Orchid occurs in the same kinds of habitats as the pink-coloured Pyramidal Orchid Anacamptis pyramidalis, and both colour variants bloom at much the same time.
Flowering times
In Britain during a good year Pyramidal Orchids will appear in their thousands from early June until late July. Further south in Europe Pyramidal Orchids start flowering in March and April. The white variety flowers at the same times, although it is very scarce.
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