Archive for the ‘Summerflowers’ Category
Saturday, October 15th, 2011 |
ALPINE TOADFLAX
Alpine toadflax is not necessarily an annual, although it is well known as such. In ideal circumstances, it will survive the winter. This often happens on rockeries with perfect drainage, but the gardener has to wait and see. It is therefore better to regard the small plant – it grows to 4-8 in tall – as an annual. The stems with their bluish-grey foliage branch out and become pendulous without any support, which makes the plant eminently suitable for hanging baskets. The attractive, violet flowers, V4 in long, with an orange spot, appear continually from June until the end of the summer. Although it is quite feasible to sow the species oneself, I was unable to find the seed at any of the suppliers. The plants themselves are quite often from growers of rockery plants and suppliers of annuals.
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Thursday, September 8th, 2011 |
SWEET ALYSSUM
Gardens where sweet alyssum comes up spontaneously are fortunate, for they must have soil that is loose and aerated, sunny, yet moist enough to allow seeds to germinate. Alyssum is a small plant and will not return to hardened, neglected, overgrown soil in a chilly garden. You will have to sow it yourself the first time round, because the species originally came from the sunny slopes along the Mediterranean coasts. Warmth is important to germination, which is why the plant often germinates between paving slabs and in cracks in walls.
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Sunday, June 12th, 2011 |
This solar terracotta cascade fountain is made from terracotta clay and steel. It has built-in solar pump that utilizes nature to cycle the water downward from the jug to the succeeding terracotta pots. It operates in direct sunlight and comes with an AC adapter for night time use. It provides a soothing and relaxing atmosphere in your garden while you lounge and unwind from a hard day’s work. You can fill the terracotta dish with white marble chips for added style and beauty. It has a sturdy plastic-coated metal frame.
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Wednesday, May 4th, 2011 |
FLOSS FLOWER
The Ageratums are divided into two distinct groups, i.e. the taller upright plants suitable for incorporating in imaginative borders, and the typical low-growing plants for covering large areas and cultivating in containers. Both groups are referred to as floss flowers.
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Sunday, September 12th, 2010 |
THREE BIRDS TOADFLAX
Each bud of this species resembles a sleeping pigeon, with its head tucked under its feathers. And because the flowers are always grouped together in spikes of three, the botanist Linnaeus called the species “three birds” (trior-nithophora). As they awaken, purple flowers with a yellow lip unfurl. The plants grow to about 32 in in height and flower in late summer. They like well-drained soil and may survive the winter there in mild climates. In The Netherlands, this is unlikely, and it is better for us to sow annually in April-May.
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