flowers

Globe Thistle

If you are looking for a beautifully unique blue flower that adds some variety to your garden, look no further than the globe thistle. This unique plant has some strikingly beautiful blue flowers, and is fairly easy to care for depending on your hardiness zone.A perennial garden is incomplete without Blue Globe Thistle. This flowering plant is native to southern and eastern Europe and western Asia. As part of the sunflower family, this plant is sure to create a summer spectacle with a spectacular twist. It is mainly sought after for its spherical, spikey flowers that come in beautiful hues of blue. Unfortunately, these pretty spines do sting when they come into contact with the skin. On top of its summery looks, there are several benefits to growing this plant. It’s very fast-growing, adaptable, and easy to care for, thriving in almost any condition. They are also drought tolerant and deer resistant. Plus, they attract a myriad of beneficial insects. Butterflies in particular are fans of its spiky foliage, as it’s a delicious source of food for them. This summer-blooming beauty continues to add textured interest in fall with its striking seed heads. Blue globe thistle looks most at home along beds and borders in cottage gardens and meadow-style landscapes. However, they can also add splashes of color in rock and gravel gardens. Throughout history, globe thistle was a popular plant – not typically for its looks, but for its medicinal properties. The roots were mainly used by herbal practitioners for their anti-inflammatory and lactation-promoting capabilities, predominantly used to treat mastitis and breast swelling. Globe thistle was first named in the 1700s by renowned Swedish botanist Charles Linnaeus. He aptly named the genus Echinops, which is a Greek word that roughly translates to ‘hedgehog head’. Echinops is a large genus, consisting of over 120 different globe thistles. The most popular is Echinops ritro, which was one of the few that made their way into home gardens. Echinops were eventually introduced to the United States in the 1800s, and since then has spread across North America. The blue globe thistle has won several prestigious gardening awards, including the Royal Horticultural Society’s Award of Garden Merit. Blue is not a common color in the flower world, so this plant, with its steely blue spikes, is a popular choice amongst gardeners. Propagation is done in one of three ways – seeds, roots, and division. No matter the method you choose, remember to wear thick gloves to protect your hands from the sharp spikes.

Grape Hyacinth

Thinking of planting grape hyacinth in your garden, or around your home? This beautiful flowering plant can be something different and unique, that's not commonly seen amongst gardens around the globe.The draping bulbs of grape hyacinth are sure to create a stunning spring spectacle, no matter where they’re planted. While not related to true hyacinths – a flowering garden staple – grape hyacinth still deserves a spot in your landscape. They get their unique name from their pretty blooms that look like a cluster of grapes mixed with tiny hyacinths. Their blooms are small, but they come in a variety of colors that brighten any space. Grape hyacinths have a lot more going for them than just their looks. They’re extremely low maintenance, cold-hardy, and naturalize quickly, allowing them to be planted in a variety of ways. They make striking additions to beds and containers, perfect for cottage gardens. These unique bulbs also add a pretty twist in meadow and woodland gardens, as well as non-traditional urbanized spaces. There are more than 40 species of grape hyacinth, each with its own unique quirks and colors. Though blue is the most common color, some varieties come in different shades of purple and pink, while others are bright yellow and even white. The most traditional grape hyacinth is the Muscari aucheri ‘Blue Magic,’ which of course has striking grape-blue flowers. Grape hyacinth belongs to the Muscari genus, which is part of the asparagus (Asparagaceae) family. Muscari is a Greek word meaning ‘musk’ which refers to the flower’s delicious fragrance. Grape hyacinths are native to the Middle East and the Mediterranean and made their way across Europe throughout the 13th century. They became increasingly popular in the 1500s, and by the middle of the century, they were commercially cultivated. By this time, these bulbed flowers had reached the Americas, too. Despite this relatively long history, grape hyacinth’s popularity dates back much further. Archeologists in Iraq found evidence of them amongst many other types of flowers at a burial site dated back almost 50,000 years. Today, they are still used for display purposes, mainly in spring gardens. They’re known for their striking appearance in the ‘Blue River’ display at the Keukenhof Gardens in Holland. But these flowers don’t need to be planted in a world-renowned spring garden to be appreciated. They still make quite the spectacle when planted in small groups in home gardens. In the Mediterranean, many species star in both gardens and kitchens. The bulbs, flowers, and buds of some varieties are particularly popular in dishes from Crete and southern Italy. Some species’ bulbs are often boiled, pickled, and used as a substitute for onion. Others add a nutty flavor to dishes when they’re pickled in vinegar. Part of Grape Hyacinth’s allure is their self-seeding nature and ability to naturalize easily. While this is great, many gardeners opt to propagate their plants to quickly increase their stock. Propagation is also a great way to share your favorite plants with friends and family at no cost. Luckily, there are two easy ways to propagate them – from seed or by dividing the bulbs.

Are Sunflowers Annuals Or Perennials?

Are sunflowers annuals or perennials? We dig into the world of the Helianthus species to learn more about these garden favorites! Sunflowers are commonly used in many sunny gardens since, unsurprisingly, sunflowers demand full sun. Whether you grow sunflowers for the seeds, beauty, or birds, sunflowers are a bright addition to both edible and flower gardens and will add a pop of color. If you like to plant the same types of flowers in the same place, you may be wondering, are sunflowers annuals or perennials? There are both annual and perennial sunflowers available. Even in the Helianthus family overall, which we’ll look at in this article, you’ll find both annuals and perennials. You may be surprised to find out that you can tell which type a sunflower is by taking a close look at several parts of the flower! Let’s take a look at how to identify annual and perennial sunflowers. We’ll also talk about the difference between them and look at some specific varieties so you can start thinking about which ones you’d like to add to your garden. How to Identify Annuals and Perennials Identifying annual and perennial sunflowers is easy once you know what you’re looking for. But first, let’s review the differences between the two. Annuals complete their life cycle in one year. You can plant a seed in the spring, watch it grow through summer, and it will die soon after. The only way the annual sunflower can “come back” is by dropping seeds at the end of its life cycle. Perennial sunflowers, on the other hand, will last for more than one year. They won’t die back completely and will return the following year from the same plant rather than seeds it dropped the previous year. Depending on your garden’s conditions and the plant’s health, a perennial sunflower can come back for several years. Now then, let’s consider how you can tell these two types of flowers apart. Sprouting Time When you leave sunflowers to do their thing, you’ll notice that perennial sunflowers typically come back in early spring, while annual sunflower seeds won’t germinate until late spring. Perennials are more established and can withstand cooler temperatures, while seeds are more delicate and have to wait for the soil to warm up enough before sprouting. Blooming You can determine what type of sunflower seeds you have by waiting to see if they bloom later in the year. Annual sunflowers bloom the same year they’re planted, while perennials won’t develop blooms until the second year. Since perennials will come back, they take a year to develop roots and stems to be fully established before blooming. Growth If you have multiple types of sunflowers growing in the same space, their growth habits are the easiest way to tell which is which. Fast-growing annuals germinate quickly once they’re in the optimal temperature and will continue to grow quickly through the growing season and into early fall. Perennials germinate and grow slowly since they’re playing the long game and intend to stick around for a while. If you have full-grown flowers that are well established, look at their stems. Annuals will have one thick main stem and may have several smaller ones shooting off of it. Perennials are clump-forming and will have several stems coming out of the ground rather than just one. Roots Perhaps one of the most undeniable ways to determine if your sunflowers are annual or perennial is to look at their roots. It’s not necessarily the most convenient way to tell them apart, but a little bit of digging will be telling. Annual sunflowers are often tall and mighty but here for a short time, so they grow a deep taproot with smaller, thin roots coming off of it. Perennials are here to stay and have to survive winter, so they develop rhizomes for storage to keep them alive. You won’t have to dig too far to find the rhizomes, so it should be fairly easy to find them. Seeds Seeds are probably the more difficult way to determine what kind of sunflower you have, but you can use them to make a guess. Annuals tend to have large seed heads, which is typically the largest part of the flower. The seeds are also sizable. If you think about it, it makes sense for the flowers to be this way since they spread by dropping seeds. The plant needs to focus on the seeds so the species can live to see another day. Perennial varieties are a bit trickier. Heirloom perennials generally have small seed heads and seeds since the plants can spread by the roots. Heirlooms are the “original” type of flower and haven’t been bred to have special traits. But, some hybrid varieties, which are a cross between two different species, may have bigger seeds. The seed heads will likely remain small, but that doesn’t necessarily mean it’ll always be the case.

Okame Cherry Tree

If you want to add a gorgeous, charming pink tree to your driveway, look no further than the Okame cherry tree. This incredible species of Prunus is one of the most striking of the flowering tree category, with pops of color brighter than you’re likely to see in a tree of any kind. Even when the Okame flowering cherry tree isn’t blooming, it makes a beautiful addition to your garden, thanks to its green leaves with strong orange tints in its fall color display. Its rosy pink flowers are perfect for cherry blossom festival season, and they lack the messy fruit that other stone fruit trees do. So let’s delve into the Okame cherry tree, so you can learn to grow one at home!Okame cherry trees sport striking pink and white blossoms that will add bundles of beauty to your landscape, and they can be planted at any time of the season. Producing masses of candy floss-pink flowers in early spring, Okame cherry trees are ideal for small gardens or lining driveways. These are strictly ornamental trees and don’t often produce viable fruit.This tree was originally bred in England from a cross of Prunus incisa and Prunus campanulata. The breeder, Captain Collingwood Ingram, wanted to create a tree with bright pink flowers, but without the low cold tolerance of the parent plants. It’s safe to say that he succeeded!Before reaching maturity, it grows in a vase-shaped structure, rounding out as it grows older. When not in bloom, the foliage of these evergreen trees is still beautiful. It remains deep green until late August. At this point, the fall foliage begins turning golden yellow before eventually fading to a deep orange and red. The leaves remain, meaning it’s not a deciduous tree. All year long, the tree dons reddish brown bark that looks great in a landscape. If you want a tree that attracts bees like crazy, look no further. Pollinators of all kinds flock to the rosy pink blossoms of this flowering cherry, with flowers lasting up to three weeks in the early spring. It also tends to flower earlier than other varieties of cherry for an earlier spring burst of color. You can buy your own bare-root plants or find someone with a tree and propagate from that one. Whatever you decide, you won’t be disappointed.Planting an Okame cherry tree requires careful site selection and preparation to ensure healthy growth. Start digging a hole twice as wide and slightly deeper than the tree’s root ball. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole and mix in compost to enrich it. Place the tree in the hole, ensuring the root collar (where the trunk meets the roots) is level with or slightly above ground level. Backfill the hole with the soil, gently tamping it down to remove air pockets. Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil around the roots. Mulch around the base with organic material, keeping it a few inches away from the trunk to retain moisture and prevent weeds. Water regularly during the first growing season to establish the tree. Before reaching maturity, it grows in a vase-shaped structure, rounding out as it grows older. When not in bloom, the foliage of these evergreen trees is still beautiful. It remains deep green until late August. At this point, the fall foliage begins turning golden yellow before eventually fading to a deep orange and red. The leaves remain, meaning it’s not a deciduous tree. All year long, the tree dons reddish brown bark that looks great in a landscape. If you want a tree that attracts bees like crazy, look no further. Pollinators of all kinds flock to the rosy pink blossoms of this flowering cherry, with flowers lasting up to three weeks in the early spring. It also tends to flower earlier than other varieties of cherry for an earlier spring burst of color. You can buy your own bare-root plants or find someone with a tree and propagate from that one. Whatever you decide, you won’t be disappointed. Planting an Okame cherry tree requires careful site selection and preparation to ensure healthy growth. Start digging a hole twice as wide and slightly deeper than the tree’s root ball. Loosen the soil at the bottom of the hole and mix in compost to enrich it. Place the tree in the hole, ensuring the root collar (where the trunk meets the roots) is level with or slightly above ground level. Backfill the hole with the soil, gently tamping it down to remove air pockets. Water thoroughly after planting to settle the soil around the roots. Mulch around the base with organic material, keeping it a few inches away from the trunk to retain moisture and prevent weeds. Water regularly during the first growing season to establish the tree. Popular in the south, where it’s hot and humid, this tree can also tolerate a moderate to slightly cold climate. In fact, it needs a cold winter to bloom well in late winter and early spring. Grow it if you’re in zones 6 to 8.

flowers

Globe Thistle

Grape Hyacinth

Are Sunflowers Annuals Or Perennials?

Okame Cherry Tree

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