TheGardenLady received this question from Leah:

Isnt the Oklahoma rose the state flower for oklahoma?

According to all the websites on Oklahoma, in 2004 the Oklahoma Rose became the state flower.  Oklahoma Rose is Rosa Odorata, a hybrid tea rose. This is a very fragrant rose developed at Oklahoma State University.

Oklahoma also has a state floral emblem - Mistletoe- Phoradendron serotinum  This became the state floral emblem in 1893, 14 years before Oklahoma became a state.  See here and here.

And Oklahoma has a state wildflower - the Indian Blanket Gaillardia pulchella.  See here and here.  

TheGardenLady received this question from Steph.

I am going away for 4 weeks from mid-July and I don’t know what will happen to my plants! I can’t get anyone else to water them and I am afraid they will die…I’ve been nurturing them for about 1-3 years now…I have a ficus/rubber plant (Ficus elastica ‘Robusta’), a yucca (not too worried about this one) and still young/small Cycas revoluta/Sago palm. The sago palm is already suffering as one of its leaves is turning increasingly yellow, and I never know if this happens because of sun burn or lacking/excessive water. How can I ensure my beloved plants (I’ve even named them!) do not die while I am away? The only outside space I have is a small balcony which is west-facing and is battered by the sun from the early afternoon onwards (and is subject to temperamental UK weather).  

Going on vacation and leaving plants can be a serious concern. 4 weeks is a very long time to leave plants untended. Two weeks is about the longest time that plants seem to be able to tolerate. You are really trying to “push the envelope.”

I have been told that bonsai growers will rent a van and pack all their bonsai in the van and drive with the bonsai wherever they go when they go on vacation. Of course, this is an extreme measure, but it is a suggestion.

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TheGardenLady received this question from Shelly:

My daffodils have grown, but after a few days, they fall over, should I put some bone meal in the soil? I have Tulips and day lillies in the same bed, around a tree.

If your plants look healthy, no diseases on them, there are a few reasons that your plants are falling over.  Daffodils can be blown over by strong winds or if there are heavy rains, the rain can make the leaves and flowers flop over.

But generally, the reason the leaves and flowers of outdoor planted bulbs flop over is because of the planting depth. Planting depth and spacing are very important to the success of bulbs.

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TheGardenLady loves to let her readers know about excellent nurseries she thinks her readers would like to know about as well as flower shows that her readers would enjoy.

One such nursery is Stony Brook Orchids,  an orchid business in Pennington, NJ, that specializes in Phalaenopsis orchid plants of all colors and sizes, including the more unusual yellows, art shades, stripes, spots and more.  The nursery also sells miniature Cattleyas, one of the small treasures of the orchid world with plant height generally under 6 inches (flower spikes taller on some varieties) as well as Oncidium orchids.  And the nursery sells orchid-growing supplies, such as potting mix, fertilizer, etc.

The owner of Stony Brook Orchids is Susan Gange who says that she bought her first orchid in 1978 and promptly killed it, having relied on the rather sketchy orchid-growing information available to the hobby grower at that time. A couple of years later, she tried again, with much better success. So much success that this hobby resulted in a business.

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As TheGardenLady was eating her morning banana, she found this fun website that seems to answer every question one might have about the banana. She thought that her readers might also enjoy reading the facts about this plant.