Flower Guide - Identification And Planting Your Own

The world without flowers would probably be ugly and insipid like a sullen lady without a smile on her face. Nowadays people become so materialistic that they often fail to notice and appreciate the simple beauty of mother nature. Flowers are actually everywhere for you to enjoy. Next time you stroll by a park or walk past your neighbor's lawn, take a look at some flowers for a moment and allow such beautiful simplicity to lighten up your mind.

In this article, you will learn about some interesting flowers, a lot of useful gardening tips as well as some fun floral trivia. There are so many types of flowers and so many ways to categorize them, but here I would like to put them into 3 broad categories based on their shapes:

1. Flowers with separate petals
2. Flowers with cuplike, tubular or bell shapes
3. Flowers with irregular or asymmetrical shapes

Creeping Buttercup

Belonging to a weedy species, the Creeping Buttercup is often regarded as coarse, rampant or even invasive. Even so, it has been widely used for ornamental purposes in many parts of the world. It has both prostrate and erect stems. Its basal leaves and stems are covered with short, stiff, silvery hair, whereas its stem leaves are dark green, three-lobed and a little blotchy. The white patches on the leaves help distinguish the Creeping Buttercup from other similar plants such as hardy geraniums. The flowers are only about 1 inch wide and usually have 5 petals. The Creeping Buttercup is poisonous and not supposed to be eaten, but just touching it won't do you any harm.

Color: Yellow

Plant Height: 10 - 12 inches

Flowering Date: May - July

Gardening Tips: Creeping Buttercup plants can grow in any kind of soil, any time, on either a partially shady site or in full sun. It is also frost tolerant and can survive moderate droughts. Soon after you plant it, it will creep all over the ground and flourish excessively, sometimes at the expense of other plants. But you can avoid that by pulling some young plants before they are fully established.

Each Creeping Buttercup plant produces from about 20 to 150 seeds, which can remain viable in the soil for at least 20 years, and up to 80 years, especially under acid or water-logged conditions.

A truly handsome perennial. One of my favorites. Originated in southern Europe and northern Africa, Love In A Mist can grow in fields, along roadsides, and even on rocky grounds. Its jewel-like little flowers (about 2 inches wide) are charmingly nestled in a mass of bright-green leaves, which are lacy and threadlike, creating an impression of "the mist". It could be either single (with 5 petals) or double flower (see picture on the right). After blooming, each flower will become a balloonlike seedpod with purple stripes (see picture below). Love In A Mist seedpots are very popular for dried flower arranging. To dry the pods, cut them while they are still green and fresh, then tie the stems into a bundle and hang upside down to dry.

Color: Typically blue. But sometimes we may find white or pink ones.

Plant Height: 10 - 15 inches

Flowering date: July - August

Gardening tips: Love In A Mist is very easy to grow and take care of. Plant seeds about 1/8 inch deep in ordinary garden soil and full sun. Due to their long taproot, they don't transplant very well so it's better to just leave them alone. Since the plant can grow quite rapidly, and the leaves can become very dense, you may want to thin the seedlings while they're still small to prevent your garden from looking overcrowded. Love In A Mist is perfect to be used for edging or filling gaps between bigger plants.

Trivia

• In southern Europe, they call this flower "Devil In The Bush".
• In Turkey, the Middle East and India, people use the aromatic seeds of Love In The Mist for cooking and medicinal purposes.

Oriental Poppy

A very showy, almost gaudy flower. The Oriental Poppy is indigenous to the eastern Mediterranean region. It has huge hairy leaves, usually about 18 inches long. Each flower grows solitarily on a thick long stalk, and has five petals that can expand up to 8 inches wide. The color at the center is usually darker than at the margin.

Color: Various. But the popular colors are scarlet and apricot-orange

Plant Height: 2 - 4 feet

Flowering date: June and July

Gardening tips: Space each poppy about 20 - 30 inches apart, and try not to move them often, as their roots are very fragile. The roots should be approximately 2 inches below the surface of the soil. Stake them if site is windy. The Oriental poppy plants like to grow in full sun and moist well-drained soil. In fact, they need at least a full eight hours of sun in order to flower well. It can be a smart idea to plant them near large perennials such as Siberian Iris, Baby's Breath or Herbaceous Peonies to camouflage the hole left behind when Poppies go dormant in summer.

Trivia

• The red poppy is a symbol of Remembrance Day, which commemorates the sacrifices of soldiers and civilians in times of war. Sometimes it is even called "Poppy Day".
• There are more than 100 species in the poppy family. Some other famous kinds besides the oriental poppy are Californian and Welsh poppies, which are smaller and not as vividly colored.
• The kind of poppy used for making morphine and heroin is the Opium Poppy, AKA "sleep-bringing poppy".

Peony

A magnificent Chinese perennial, now available in hundreds of varieties. The peony plant has large, compound, deeply-lobed leaves and huge globe-shaped flowers (which can be either single or double), with numerous waxy petals. Each single flower has about 5 - 10 petals, whereas on a double flower, petals can be extremely thick and lavish (see pictures on the right). The flower buds tend to attract ants due to their sweet nectar that forms on the outside.

Color: Various

Plant Height: 15 - 36 inches

Flowering Date: June - July

Gardening Tips: Plant peonies in September or October. Mix soil with manure and garden loam. They grow well in full sun or on partly shady sites. Shade in the afternoon tends to improve quality of bloom. The roots of all peonies are very brittle, so try to handle with care. A good peony plant can thrive for over twenty years if well nurtured and left undisturbed. A decline in flower production is usually caused by overcrowding. In that case, you should carefully lift the clump and wash away the soil to expose the eyes. Use a clean, sharp tool to divide the clump into sections (each with three to five eyes and good roots). Then replant immediately.

Trivia:

• In the ancient Greek world, people believed that peonies could cure a number of ailments, and every monastery garden was flamboyantly adorned with peony bushes.
• The Chinese call peony "sho yu," which means "most beautiful."
• In 1903, the Qing Dynasty of China declared the peony as the national flower.
• Mischievous nymphs were believed to hide in the petals of the peony, causing this handsome flower to be associated with shame or bashfulness in the Language of Flowers.

Snow In Summer

A cute little blossom from Europe. Its leaves are silvery-green, wooly and prostrate. Snow In Summer is usually planted in a rock garden or used as a fine ground cover all year long. The flowers are pristinely white with a tiny yellow spot in the middle and little notches cut into them. Snow In Summer gets its catchy name due to its habit of blooming. It blooms rapidly and profusely in mid summer. Clusters of white flowers emerge all over an ashy carpet of fuzzy foliage.

Color: White

Plant Height: 3 - 5 inches

Flowering Date: July - August

Gardening Tips: Plant Snow In Summer in sandy soil and full sun. Ordinary garden soil is actually fine too, but sandy soil is preferable. Space 4 - 6 inches apart. Water only during the hottest and driest spells. In a year, it will carpet your garden with velvety gray foliage. Every spring passersby will stop and look at your lawn filled with lavish, tiny, white blossoms. To keep the plant looking tidy and not too rambling, you should cut off old flowers and an inch of foliage with bypass pruners, after the blooming period.

Trivia

• Some of its other names are "Mouse Ear", "Chickweed", and "Silver Carpet".

Balloon Flower

A lovely perennial from Eastern Asia. It gets its unique name from the way each flower bud inflates like a balloon before its petals unfold. The Balloon Flower blooms in profusion in mid to late summer. Its broad cuplike flowers are about 2 - 3 inches wide, accented with delicate purple veins and yellow stamens. Its lush foliage is bluish-green.

Color: Blue

Plant Height: 18 - 30 inches

Flowering Date: July - September

Gardening Tips: The Balloon Flower likes to grow in sandy, well-drained soil and full sun. Its roots rot easily in moist places, and it doesn't react well to transplanting and can sometimes break off with ordinary weeding. So try to handle with care. To encourage more blooms, try to cut off some of the flower stems with a bypass pruner. It can be very cold-hardy and can thrive through moderate drought conditions. Most gardeners like to use this perennial in rock gardens.

Bearberry

One of the finest evergreen, prostrate ground covers. It is a long-trailing woody plant, with ovalish, leathery one-inch-long leaves that turn bright green in summer and become bronzy in winter. Its dainty flowers are urn-shaped, barely about 1/5 inch long and followed by lovely scarlet berries, which are just about pea size. Bearberries are usually found in rocky outcrops as well as dry open woods.

Color: White or pinkish.

Plant Height: Prostrate. Forming dense mats.

Flowering Date: June - July

Gardening Tips:It is pretty difficult to grow bearberries as garden flowers. They like to grow in sandy and acid soil. Prepare soil a few weeks before planting by digging out all old soil about 18 inches deep, then putting in a layer of coal ashes, sand and acid peat. Buy potted plants from a dealer and plant them in the prepared bed. They grow well in full sun. Try not to disturb the soil. Hand pull weeds, if any.

Trivia:

• Some of its various names are "Kinnickinnick", "Hogcranberry" and "Barren Myrtle."
• Marco Polo reported in 13th century that the Chinese used bearberries as a diuretic, to treat kidney and urinary problems.
• Native Americans also used Bearberry tea to cure inflammation of the urinary tract, urethritis, kidney stones, and cystitis. Some tribes powdered the leaves and applied it to bruises and sores.

Daffodil

A very romantic flower, appearing in a famous poem by William Wordsworth. It originated in the Mediterranean region, northern Africa as well as the Middle East. Its leaves are long, narrow and flat. Its flowers have a trumpet-like shape, set at the center of 6 petals, that resemble a star.

Color: Originally yellow. But nowadays there's a great variety of colors.

Plant Height: 8 - 15 inches

Flowering Date: April - May

Gardening Tips: Daffodils are grown perennially from bulbs. Plant daffodil bulbs in rich, well-drained and slightly acidic soil. Water them regularly. Do not cut off leaves until they wither. To remove a dead plant after the blooming period, you can either snip it off at the base or twist the leaves while pulling lightly. Some florists have also grown daffodils indoors successfully, in pebbles and water.

Trivia:

• The daffodil is the emblem of Wales. People usually wear daffodils on St. David's day.
• In Australia, there's an annual Daffodil Day to help people raise awareness about cancer.

Hyacinth

An attractive blossom, native to Greece and Turkey. Widely admired for its sweet fragrance. The Hyacinth flowers grow in a cluster, on long leafless spikes. Each spike has about 5 - 15 flowers. The flowers have a tubular shape, about 1 inch long. The leaves are small and grasslike.

Color: Various. But typically blue or white.

Plant Height: 10 - 15 inches

Flowering Date: April - May

Gardening Tips: Hyacinths, like daffodils, are grown from bulbs, so it's very important that you select them carefully. Examine each bulb and make sure it's not drying out. Bigger bulbs usually mean bigger flowers. Plant bulbs 5 - 6 inches deep in rich soil and full sun. In the winter, cover with light mulch of straw or manure. A recommended maintenance task for hyacinths is deadheading, which simply means pinching off old blooms to encourage new growth.

Trivia:

• Iranian people use hyacinths in the Haftseen table setting for the New Year celebration Norouz.
• In Greek mythology, Hyacinth was a beautiful young man, a close friend of the god Apollo. One day, the two took turns throwing a discus. Apollo, wanting to impress his human friend, hurled it with all his might. As Hyacinth ran to catch it, the discus struck him dead right in front of Apollo's eyes.

Snapdragon

A very popular plant from the Mediterranean region. Usually grown as a long-season annual by home gardeners and forced by florists to bloom throughout the year. The Snapdragon leaves are lance-shaped, rather sticky and about 2 - 3 inches long. Its two-lipped flowers grow in a cluster and have a pouch shape that is slightly asymmetrical. Snapdragons are very popular cut flowers for bouquets and vases.

Color: All but blue.

Plant Height: 12 - 20 inches

Flowering Date: July - September

Gardening Tips: Sow seeds indoors, in rich or average soil,. Then about 8 weeks after that, move the seedlings outdoors (preferably in April or May). If night temperatures are likely to be freezing, cover the plants with a light mat. Snapdragons are pretty hardy and can withstand a heavy frost, though they don't like intense heat.

Trivia:

• Some of its other names are "Rabbit's Lips" and "Toad's Mouth."
• In the old days, snapdragons were believed to protect people from deceit and curses.

Bleeding Heart

Originated in Japan, Bleeding Heart is one of the most charming exotic flowers. It is a weak-stemmed plant with watery juice and glistening foliage. Its leaves are palmate and rather weak. The flowers have two delicate petals that protrude into a conspicuous spur, resembling a little heart with a drop of blood at the bottom.

Color: Pink or red

Plant Height: 12 - 24 inches

Flowering Date: May - July

Gardening Tips: Bleeding Heart plants are usually used in rock gardens or shade gardens. They love to grow in partial shade. However, they can tolerate full sun if they get enough water, and the soil has enough moisture. Buy robust-looking seedlings and plant them in ordinary garden soil, preferably in September or October. During dry weather, put a 2-inch layer of compost around the plants in order to help retain soil moisture.

Monkshood

A notable Asiatic wild flower. Its juice is dangerously poisonous if ingested, but harmless to touch. The leaves are light green, devided and maple-like. Its dark clustered flowers grow on a slightly wooly spike, at the top of a thin erect stem. Two of the petals are spurred, and the corolla arch into one another, looking interestingly similar to a monk's hood.

Color: Blue. White.

Plant Height: 4 - 5 feet

Flowering Date: September - October

Gardening Tips: Grow well in partial shade and well-manured rich soil. The Monkshood stems are pretty weak, so you should stake them if they're grown on a windy site. They're quite tolerant of heat and dryness. However, they do not react well to transplanting, so try to leave them alone.

Trivia:

• In folklore, the Monkshood flower was said to make a person transform into a werewolf if eaten. It was also believed to be an important ingredient in witches' magic potions.
• Some of its other names are "Wolfsbane", "Devil's Helmet", "Leopard's Bane" and "Blue Rocket."

Rosemary

A handsome evergreen from the Mediterranean region with extremely aromatic blossoms and foliage. Rosemary leaves are lance-shaped, ashy-colored and only about 1 inch long. The sweet-smelling flowers grow in a cluster at the leaf joints. Each flower has 2 lips; the upper lip is divided into two lobes, and the lower one is three-lobed.

Color: Pale blue

Plant Height: 1 - 2 feet

Flowering Date: July - August

Gardening Tips: It is very easy to grow, perfect for beginner gardeners. The Rosemary plants love to grow in full sun and can be cultivated in most kinds of soil. If grown in a pot, it is a good idea to keep trimming the leaves so that the plant won't look too straggly. To maintain its nice fragrance, try not to apply too much fertilizer.

Trivia:

• Fresh and dried rosemary leaves are extensively used in cooking. Its astringent smell somehow compliments oily foods such as lamb and fish.
• There's an interesting old English saying about Rosemary; "Where rosemary grows best, the mistress is master."

Scarlet Sage

An extravagantly bright Brazillian shrub. Not very winter-hardy. It blooms easily from seed and has been widely cultivated as a summer bedding plant. It has light green, ovalish leaves, with toothed margins. The flowers grow in a cluster, on erect spikes. Each flower has a very slim, tubular shape and two small lips at the apex.

Color: Scarlet

Plant Height: As a shrub in warm regions, it can grow up to about 6 - 8 feet high. But as an annual, it's usually just about 15 - 30 inches high.

Flowering Date: July - September

Gardening Tips: Plant seeds indoors in boxes or pots, some time in spring. Put seedlings outdoors when warmer weather arrives. Soil should be pretty moist. Mulching is a good way to enrich the soil. Scarlet Sage plants can stand no frost, but can survive through winter if kept indoors. Due to its extremely vibrant color, Scarlet Sage can create quite a dramatic look for your garden.

Trivia:

• In recent years, there have been several reports and experiments about psychoactive properties in Scarlet Sage leaves.

Sweet Pea

A fragile-looking climbing plant with a delightful fragrance. Native to Sicily, but very famous in the UK. Its leaves are pinnate with two leaflets tipped by a spiny tendril. The stems are weak and vine-like. The flower petals are flared and a bit curly somewhat like dainty butterfly wings. Each flower can expand up to 2 inches wide.

Color: All, except yellow.

Plant Height: 4 - 6 feet

Flowering Date: June - July

Gardening Tips: Prepare soil a few weeks before sowing seeds (seeds should be sown some time from September through November, or in mild winter weather) by double-digging and mixing soil with manure. The sweet pea seeds usually germinate slowly. In order to make them germinate faster, you should "nick" the seeds with a nail clipper before planting. Try to make a slice through the brown top coat of the seed, but avoid taking a chunk out. To keep the plants blooming longer, try to deadhead old spent flowers often (cutting them off before they have a chance to divert energy towards making seeds instead of more flowers).

Trivia:

• The sweet pea is sometimes called "Queen of Annuals."
• Market research consistently finds sweet peas to be one of the top three favourite flowers in England.