Cyclamen

Cyclamen coum by Paul Gulliver

One of the first charming mid-winter or spring flowers that will be popping their heads up from under the snow as soon as it melts is a little hardy perennial Cyclamen.  See here. Lucky the people who have these planted in their yards to welcome spring. (There are other hardy cyclamen that bloom in the summer or in the fall.)

Most people know of the large indoor plant that one sees in florists. This is the cyclamen persicum which is not hardy in most areas that have snowy winters. But how many readers know that there is a hardy Cyclamen that will grow in the gardens from Hardiness Temp Zones 4-8 and perhaps even 9 and return year after year? When buying, be sure to check to see if the variety is for your temp zone.

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Flower Shows 2011

Chelsea Flowers by naughton321

It is that time of year again when Gardeners need to have their gardening spirits lifted by seeing flowers in bloom. This is the time for Flower Shows. TheGardenLady column wants to share some good links to locate flower shows near you or places you may want to travel for Flower Shows. The joy of seeing any flowers in bloom at this time of the year is great, but which do connoisseurs claim are the top 4 in the world?

Philadelphia Flower Show by kightp

Philadelphia International Flower Show – This is billed as the oldest flower show in the US as well as the nation’s largest indoor flower show. TheGardenLady has been to this show numerous times and the warning is that crowds seem to be getting larger every year. The least crowded time to be there is around dinner time when many people start leaving. The 2011 theme for The Philadelphia Flower show is Springtime in Paris. How romantic is that?
Tickets can be purchased in advance at PNC banks and Acme.  PNC has a contest to give some free tickets away.  See here.  Of course, if you are a member of the Pennsylvania Horticultural Society, you get free passes with membership. It is worth joining PHS for these tickets, their outstanding magazine and discounts at various stores.   See here.


Chelsea Flower Show – This extravagant show has flower displays that are absolutely world class. TheGardenLady has been to this show one time. One hasn’t seen crowds at a Flower Show until one attends this show. Unbelievable. TheGardenLady was advised to get there before the opening hour when the line is shortest and of course one is the first on the grounds. Good advice. Of course, if you are a member of the RHS, there is one day set aside just for members so that the crowds are not so horrendous.   You can join the Royal Horticultural Society to get discounted tickets if you know you will be going to the Chelsea Flower Show.  You don’t have to live in Great Britain to be a member.  Their magazine is outstanding, too.   See here.

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TheGardenLady Wishes You A Happy New Year!

Flower Fireworks by gamaree

This Garden Lady would like to wish you all a very Happy, Healthy 2011 and a year of Great Gardening!

Thank You to all who read these columns and to those of you who subscribe to TheGardenLady blog. Also, a thank you to those who sent in questions, comments and even poems. I look forward to hearing from more of you over the Next Year. We would love getting more of your comments, plant and garden photos and your personal gardening tips.

To All of You around the world, Happy New Year.

TheGardenLady

Royal Horticultural Society Garden Hyde Hall Flower Show: Aug 13-15, 2010

Blue stemmed thistle – RHS Hyde Hall by Scootzsx

Are readers of TheGardenLady blog going to be visiting England this month or do you live in England? Lucky you! because you have the opportunity of attending the RHS Garden Hyde Hall first-ever flower show this August 13 through the 15.  See here.

It sounds fabulous. Besides the displays there will be experts answering questions, plants and shrubs for sale besides garden items for sale. Wish I were there. If you attend, could you send TheGardenLady some photos and write something about what you thought of the show?

While at the show, if you have any time, you can also explore Hyde Hall which is a 360-acre estate with a diverse range of self-contained garden areas.  Because Hyde Hall is located in one of the driest places in England, a highlight is their Dry Garden featuring more than 4,000 plants representing 730 species and cultivars, developed to promote sustainable gardening techniques.  With the drought in so many parts of the globe this summer, it would be interesting to learn what Hyde Hall recommends.  TheGardenLady would love to know what is included in the 4,000 plants in this Dry Garden other than cactus.

Daffodil Advice

Eyes on the Sun by Handcanons

TheGardenLady received this question from Fran.

I was given some daffodils at my garden club meeting this week.  They had bloomed already and there were just bulbs with green leaves on them. I live in zone 8 in Florida and was told that I could grow daffodils in Florida. I was not aware of this. Is this true and how did this lady grow them here in Florida?

Daffodils are grown throughout most of the US.  And Florida is no exception. There is an American daffodil society and there are regional daffodil societies including a Florida daffodil society.  See here.

Since you received the plant from someone who grew them in your area, that bulb should grow for you and re-flower. In one of the popular catalogs that sells bulbs from Holland it seems that all their daffodil bulbs are guaranteed to bloom in zones 3 through 8.  And if you go online or go to your garden stores, there are even daffodils that will bloom for those who live in warmer zones.

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Getting Marigolds to Bloom Again

Slowly… by Dialed-in!

TheGardenLady received this question from Cassie.

I recieved some  marigolds from a friend. They were orange and did not seem to be as big or sturdy as usual marigolds are. They bloomed well until it got too cold out.  I kept saving the flowers for the seed pods, and they grew very well, but they did not do too well during the Fall and Winter; so now I just have what looks like 3 long, thin sticks coming out of the ground.  Is there anything I can do so they will bloom again?

Marigolds are a hot weather flowering plant. They only do well in the Fall and Winter if you live in a zone like Mexico. If you live in an area that has cold or freezing Falls and Winters, your marigold plants will die. Then you will have to replant marigold seeds or the plants in your garden when the weather is warm enough next late spring. If you had taken the plants into your house to try to overwinter them, you would need a warm house with loads of sunshine shining on the marigolds. Without the ideal conditions indoors your marigold plants will look long and leggy and not very nice if they live. Most houses are not sunny enough to grow marigolds well indoors. You really need a warm greenhouse to grow them properly.

On a cold morning in October by joeke pieters

When the weather is warm enough – which means no more frost in your area – you should buy more seeds or marigold plants. If you buy a packet of seeds, you can start them indoors about six to eight weeks before the frost is estimated to be out of the ground in your area and then plant the seedlings outdoors after the last frost. Frost will kill marigolds. Or you can wait and plant Marigold seeds directly in the soil when the ground is warm enough. Generally the seed packet will tell you the best time to sow the seeds outdoors in your area. If you want to buy marigold plants, they are sold in plastic containers.  Your local nursery will sell them when it is time to plant them outdoors in the late spring or early summer.

TheGardenLady thinks you should toss the pathetic looking stems that remain of your friend’s marigolds. Of course, if you have some reason to want to save them- because your friend gave them to you- you can always try to salvage them. Provided the stems are not dead, when the weather is really warm you can stick what is left of your Marigold plant in the soil in your garden in a sunny location. If those pathetic plants live, you will be lucky, and if they die, you can tell your friend you tried. But it seems like a waste of time when marigolds are really one of the least expensive flowering plants to buy.

The Soil Needs of Fangipani – Plumeria

TheGardenLady received this question from Paddy.

I have been given a Frangipani and the only fertilizer I have to hand (before planting in ground) is one for acid loving plants – can I use this?

How lucky to be given a Frangipani- Plumeria. When my children went to Hawaii they were so impressed with this small, flowering, fragrant tree. They asked me if I wanted one. Sadly, this GardenLady is at a stage in my life that I no longer am able to nurse plants that have such specialized needs since I have no greenhouse to pamper my plants. And my house is filled with less temperamental plants.

Sweet Summer Perfume by NatashaP

Frangipani grows well in zone 10. It likes slightly acid soil and sunny, hot weather when it is planted in the ground. It cannot tolerate any frost or it will die. Indoors it has to be kept in at least 60 degree temperatures and shouldn’t be taken outdoors until it is a minimum of 65 degrees. Then when the temperature drops back to 65degrees, it should be brought back indoors. Plumeria can be grown in a pot- which should be large enough – but it will be weaker and won’t grow as tall. It might need a little shade when in a pot.

Not knowing what type of acid fertilizer you have, I would be careful. If you know the company where your friend bought the plant, you should ask for the telephone number and call them to ask their advice. I phoned a really fine nursery that specializes in tropical plants called Logee’s Tropical Plants,  888-3308038 for advice on the fertilizer they use. They use and sell a product called Dyna-gro. They said you can use any fertilizer that is below 15-15-15.

There are three numbers on any container of fertilizer. The first number is for nitrogen, the second number is for phosphorus and the third number is for potassium. Dyna-gro has the numbers 7-9-5 meaning that it has more phosphorus to get more blooms. Logee’s only feeds the Plumeria when it is in active growth, when it is hot. They discontinue feeding the plumeria in the winter. When they feed the Plumeria they only use 1/2 tsp. of the fertilizer per gallon of water and use it only 1 time a week.

There is a Plumeria Society that has a website with answers to commonly asked questions.

According to the Cooperative Extension Service from the U of Hawaii, you should “Fertilize plumeria with 10-30-10 every three to four months at about 1 lb per inch of trunk diameter, distributing the fertilizer around the plant to 2 feet beyond the foliage line.”

Another good website on Plumeria care is this.

Good luck and send TheGardenLady a photo of your Frangiapani when it is in bloom.