Flower Fest

White as Snow!

2009-10-10T15:56:00.000-06:00

Yes, we have snow here in Colorado! And that's all I can see or think of right now so I figured white would be very appropriate for the next color! No grays, please!

Hex triplet: #FFFFFF
RGB(r, g, b): (255, 255, 255)
HSV(h, s, v): (-°, 0%, 100%)

Color: White
Entries per blog: 2
Deadline: October 31, 2009
Directions:

Write a post on your blog with a picture of your white flower and link to this announcement in your post.
Your white flower must be identified using its botanical name or common name. Either will do. Both is terrific! If you need help identifying your flowers, upload a picture to your Flickr account and send it to the group ID Please asking for help.
Paint, sketch, doodle, photograph. The choice is yours.
Please include the Flower Fest logo in your post. You can download it by clicking here. (We also have a .gif with a transparent background, if you would prefer to use that. This does not render well on dark backgrounds.)
Then, drop us an email at flowerfestival [at] gmail [dot] com with the following information:
- Your name / nickname / blogger handle
- A permanent link to your post with a picture of the flower
- Do this before October 31, 2009.
A round-up will be posted within a couple of days after the deadline.
Not a blogger? No worries. Send an email with your picture to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com. Don't forget to include the name of your flower, botanical or common, and we'll include it in the round-up.

Looking forward to your white flowers!

Orange-y Flowery Goodness

2009-09-30T17:38:00.000-06:00

Orange is such a warm color - just the right one to set the mood for fall in the northern hemisphere. Thanks to everyone for sending in their orange flowers! Here's what we have for you!

Asha, an avid gardener in Bangalore, India, sent pictures of her luscious container garden.

Ixora

There are about 400 species spread from Africa to India to Southern Asia!

Stictocardia tiliifolia

This uncommon species is a tropical vine related to the Ipomoea or Morning glory. Its beautiful funnel-form flowers are large and brightly colored in reddish orange with some yellow stripes in the throat.

Soma found these orange beauties on her jaunts:

Jointvetches

The above orange flower is Aeschynomene genus of flowering plants in the family Fabaceae (Legumes/Pea/Bean). They are known commonly as Jointvetches. These legumes are most common in warm regions and many species are aquatic. These were growing wild in the Dinosaur Valley Park, Glen Rose, Texas. There are over 100 species found of the Aeschynomene.

Orange poppy

Soma saw this deep orange poppy at the Dallas Arboretum.

Sailu sends in this lovely flower with some cultural tidbits:

Firecracker

Kanakambaram is a tropical shrub that is usually grown in pots. It has small fragile orange flowers also known as Firecracker. With no fragrance, these tiny flowers are often strung together into strands, sometimes along with white jasmine flowers. In most cities in Southern India, especially near temples and street corners, you will find flower vendors, busy stringing together these flowers into garlands that are offered to temple deities as well as adorn women’s hair.

Botanical Name: Crossandra infundibuliformis

Shilpa sends in the view from her window - what a lucky girl!

Gulmohar

Gulmohar is from the Fabaceae family and flowers from April to July. It is grown as a street tree mainly for its ornamental properties. An Indian summer is incomplete without the flamboyant flowers.

Manisha found an orange flower when she traipsed through the Utah desert:

Globe mallow

She came across these bright flowers in Utah's Arches National Park last year. They are called Desert Globe Mallow and belong to the Malvaceae family. The botanical name for this globe mallow is Sphaeralcea coccinea. It can be found in semi-desert and arid regions.

Raji goes on hikes in search of flowers!

California Poppies

She times her hikes so that she can catch them in full bloom. She often sees a bed poppies on either side as she hikes!
Botanical name: Eschscholzia californica

Orange lantana

Sometimes she finds them on her walks during her lunch hour.
Botanical name: Lantana camara

Thanks to everyone for sending in their orange flowers and I hope you stay tuned for the next color, the announcement will be coming up soon!

Orange you glad it's a new color?

2009-09-02T13:33:00.001-06:00

The colour orange is named after the orange fruit, introduced to Europe via the Sanskrit word nāranja. Before this was introduced to the English-speaking world, the colour was referred to (in Old English) as geoluhread, which translates into Modern English as yellow-red.

Color: Orange (no browns)
Entries per blog: 2
Deadline: September 25, 2009
Directions:

Write a post on your blog with a picture of your orange flower and link to this announcement in your post.
Your orange flower must be identified using its botanical name or common name. Either will do. Both is terrific! If you need help identifying your flowers, upload a picture to your Flickr account and send it to the group ID Please asking for help.
Paint, sketch, doodle, photograph. The choice is yours.
Please include the Flower Fest logo in your post. You can download it by clicking here. (We also have a .gif with a transparent background, if you would prefer to use that. This does not render well on dark backgrounds.)
Then, drop us an email at flowerfestival [at] gmail [dot] com with the following information:
- Your name / nickname / blogger handle
- A permanent link to your post with a picture of the flower
- Do this before September 25, 2009.
A round-up will be posted within a couple of days after the deadline.
Not a blogger? No worries. Send an email with your picture to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com. Don't forget to include the name of your flower, botanical or common, and we'll include it in the round-up.

Looking forward to your orange entries!

Round-up for Purple

2009-08-29T01:45:00.008-06:00

Do you know what time it is? Yes! It’s time to round-up all those purplicious flowers we have received! Thanks folks for coming up with these beauties to kick-start this new season at Flower Festival.

Here’s the round up for the color purple:

Orchid from Gini

Gini sends us this delicate Orchid (Spathoglottis Plicata) from her mother’s garden in Kerala.

Aster from Aparna

Aparna from My Diverse Kitchen sends us these pretty Aster flowers that were a gift for her husband.

She also sends in Purple Shamrock (Oxalis regnellii) as her second entry.

Verbena from TBC

Budding Cook, TBC sends us this lovely Moss Verbena (Verbena tenuisecta) that she found in Hershey Gardens in PA

Wild Brinjal and Milkweed from Shilpa

Shilpa has the star shaped flowers of the Wild Brinjal or Purple Fruited Pea Eggplant as her first contribution.

She also sends us Milkweed (Calotropis gigantea), a common Indian wildflower, that she found on her morning walk.

Butterfly Bush from Cherry Blossoms

Our blogger over at Cherry Blossoms sends us a picture of this gorgeous Butterfly Bush (Buddleja davidii)

Hydrangea and Iris from Soma

Soma from eCurry has contributed two gorgeous purple flowers for us. She sends us this Hydrangea variety from her front yard.

And as her second entry she sends us this purple Iris that she found at the Dallas Arboretum.

Chicory from Ashwini

Konkani Foodie, Ashwini has this edible beauty, Chicory, that she found on one of her trips.

Purple Tedra and Lotus from Madhuli

Madhuli at My Food Court pitches in with these two beautiful pictures of Purple Tedra (Impatiens lawji) and Purple Lotus (Nelumbo Nucifera)

Hibiscus and Orchid from Asha

Asha has these two pretty flowers for us from her garden, Hibiscus and Orchid Dendrobium.

Wild Bergamot or Purple Bee Balm from Manisha

Manisha has these beautiful Wild Bergamot or Purple Bee Balm that she found on a hike in Boulder Mountain Park.

Verbena from Anita

Mad Tea Party's Anita sends us these beautiful Verbena from her terrace garden.

Salvia and Potato Flowers

Bee and Jai from Jugalbandi send us the perfectly purple Salvia and Potato flowers from their garden.

This brings us to the end of this round up for purple. Thank You once again everyone for your help in reviving Flower Fest. Stay tuned to find out which color is up next.

If you would like to participate in the Flower Festival, send in your photographs, doodles, paintings or sketches to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com. Check this post for more information.

Purplicious

2009-08-04T17:37:00.003-06:00

Purple is a general term used in English for the range of shades of color occurring between red and blue. In additive light combinations it occurs by mixing the primary colors red and blue in varying proportions.

Color: Purple
Entries per blog: 2
Deadline: August 25, 2009
Directions:

Write a post on your blog with a picture of your purple flower and link to this announcement in your post.
Your purple flower must be identified using its botanical name or common name. Either will do. Both is terrific! If you need help identifying your flowers, upload a picture to your Flickr account and send it to the group ID Please asking for help.
Paint, sketch, doodle, photograph. The choice is yours.
Please include the Flower Fest logo in your post. You can download it by clicking here. (We also have a .gif with a transparent background, if you would prefer to use that. This does not render well on dark backgrounds.)
Then, drop us an email at flowerfestival [at] gmail [dot] com with the following information:
- Your name / nickname / blogger handle
- A permanent link to your post with a picture of the flower
- Do this before the deadline. The first deadline is August 25, 2009.
A round-up will be posted within a couple of days after the deadline.
Not a blogger? No worries. Send an email with your picture to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com. Don't forget to include the name of your fower, botanical or common, and we'll include it in the round-up.

Looking forward to your purplicious entries!

Reviving Flower Fest

2009-07-22T12:05:00.001-06:00

It's been almost 2 years since we last had a fest here. I would like to revive Flower Fest, with a slight difference: Flower Fest by color.

Who's in?

Round up for Z

2007-09-20T09:31:00.000-06:00

We are the end of the Flower Festival. An event that brought people of varied interests together. Artists, photographers, gardeners, bloggers and non-bloggers joined in to show case their talent. In nature's world, the festival of flowers will go on. As Clare Ansberry said in The Women of Troy Hill - "Gardens and flowers have a way of bringing people together, drawing them from their homes."

Zinnia from Sree

Medium: Oil on Canvas

Named after the German botanist Johann Gottfried Zinn, these flowers come in a multitude of flowers. Long stemmed and solitary blooms attract butterflies. They favour strong sunlight and are a very popular garden plant. Zinnia's belong to the family - Asteraceae.

Zephyr Lily from Priya

Medium: Watercolor on paper

Z is for Zephyranthes aka Rain Lily, Zephyr Lily and Fairy Lily. These flowers belong to the Amarylis family. These are funnel shaped yellow, white or pink flowers. They bloom profusely during the rainy season, hence the name Rain Lily. Another version of the story behind the name Zephyr Lily is that Zephyr is the Greek God who ushers in the West Wind and it is the West Wind which brings in rain. Natives of the American Continent, these lily's are popular in Indonesia and Thailand too. They can be grow as potted plants.

Zinnia from Mythreyee

Medium: Photography

Mythreyee's Zinnia comes from her patio garden. These are bright colored flowers and looks very catchy and beautiful.Zinnias are true American natives that originated from the Southwest US, Mexico and Central America. The original was a purplish wildflower that grew in the Mexican deserts. Hybridizers have turned it into one of the most popular bedding plants.

Zinnias grow to between 6 and 40 inches in height with single and double blossoms varying in diameter from less than an inch to 7 inches. The petals can be any of a wide range of colors or multicolored.

Zip it up with Z

2007-09-13T07:20:00.001-06:00

This is the last of the A-Z Flower Fest series. It's been just over a year since Flower Fest was launched on September 5, 2006. Thank you all so much for your support, your visits and your flowers!

You know the routine...The email address is flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com. The deadline is September 19, 2007. If you don't have a blog, please include a brief description about the flower you are submitting. The rest of the guidelines are here!

Round up for Y

2007-09-07T10:53:00.000-06:00

Yellow Day Lily from Mythreyee

Medium:Photography

Mythreyee's contribution for this round is the Yellow Day Lily. The leaves of the Yellow Day Lily Flowering Bulb grow vigorously to over two feet long, arching like grass. Blooms of the Yellow Daylily Flowering Bulb begin from mid-May and continue forward. The Yellow Day Lily Flowering Bulb measure six inches across with petals that reflex backwards gracefully.

Yucca from Sree

Medium: Oil on canvas

Another Lily family member is the Yucca. The spineless yucca originates in Guatemala and southeast Mexico. Its a popular indoor plant. Roots of related species are used for making soaps, shampoos etc. Some parts are also used in food.

Ylang-Ylang from Priya

Medium: Watercolor on paper

Ylang Ylang is well known for its fragrance which has the flavors of pineapple, custard and jasmine. It is enough for a single yellow flower to bloom and fill your yard with its fragrance. The essential oil of Ylang Ylang is used in aromatheraphy where it is considered to have calming effects. Believed to be a native of South East Asia, it grows widely in the Pacific Islands. The plant thrives in moist, warm and humid temperatures. Tagalog is a Philippine language where the word Ylang Ylang means "flower of flowers". (Source: Britannica)

Yes, it's Y!

2007-08-28T23:09:00.000-06:00

Y.

The email address is flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com. The deadline is September 5, 2007. If you don't have a blog, please include a brief description about the flower you are submitting. The rest of the guidelines are here!

Do you alliterate? Do you write strong headlines? If you have an idea for a title for Z, write to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com and let us know!

Round up for X

2007-08-23T07:52:00.001-06:00

There are not many flowers for the letter X, unless one rummages extensively through botanical texts to find the botanical names for common flowers. Yet this round got in two entries and we are 'xited to have them.

Xanthosoma from Sree

Medium: Oil on Canvasboard

Sree's entry for this round is Xanthosoma which is closely related to Colocasias. Used mainly for ornamental purposes, these flowers resemble the Arum lilies and are sometimes called as Elephant Ear. The corms are edible and sold commercially.

Xeranthemum from Priya

Medium: Color Pencil

Xeranthemum is a native of Southern Europe. The flowers are shiny, paper like and may have one or two layers. They are drought tolerant. Ideal as dry flowers, they bloom in white, rose, yellow, purple and pink.

Xhilirating X

2007-08-15T12:41:00.000-06:00

Just three left to go. What flower are you going to bring to the Flower Fest from X? We look forward to your entries!

The email address is flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com. The deadline is August 22, 2007. If you don't have a blog, please include a brief description about the flower you are submitting. The rest of the guidelines are here!

Do you alliterate? Do you write strong headlines? If you have an idea for a title for Y, write to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com and let us know!

Round-up for W

2007-08-09T07:55:00.000-06:00

W seems to be a very easy letter in the flower kingdom. There is a lot of diverse florals in this round.

White Silene from Manisha

Medium:Photography

Manisha found these teeny white campions on a cold late summer morning in Tiny Town, Colorado, which is at about 8500 ft in altitude. These flowers are originally a native of Europe. It can be an invasive weed, depending on where it is found.

White campion or silene latifolia has male and female plants. The picture featured above is a female plant with female flowers.

White campion contains saponins which are toxic but since they are poorly absorbed by our body, they don't cause much harm. When the root is simmered in hot water, it can be used as a soap substitute for washing clothes.

The plant grows up to 3ft in height and the flowers are between 1/2 inch to 1 inch in diameter. It flowers between June and September.

The plant to the left in the picture below is a male plant with flowers.

Wisteria from Shilpa:

Medium:Photography

Wisteria is a climbing vine with purple-blue flowers that hangs down like a bunch of grapes. It flowers in the beginning of spring. This plant is not very popular as it is invasive and suffocates other native plants, which in turn affects wildlife who depend on these native plants for food.

Shilpa found these flowers at the Japanese Tea Garden in San Francisco's Golden Gate Park.

Wiegla from Jugalbandi

Medium:Photography

Wood Sorrel and Woody Nightshade from Mamatha:

Medium:Photography

Common Wood Sorrel (Oxalis acetosella) is a plant from the Oxalis family. It flowers for a few months in spring, with small white flowers with pink streaks. The leaflets are made up by three heart-shaped leaves, folded through the middle. It is sometimes referred to as a shamrock (due to its three-leaf clover-like motif) and given as as gift on St. Patrick's Day. Mamatha clicked this picture at Smoky's.

(source: http://www.wikipedia.org)

Medium:Photography

Woody Nightshade (Solanum dulcamara) is a member of the Nightshade family (Solanaceae) - the family that supplies us with vegetables like potato, tomato, green and red peppers, eggplant. The leaves are always arranged to face the light and the flower clusters invariably face a different direction from the leaves. The plant bears tiny egg-shaped green fruits that finally mature into shiny red berries.

Mamatha found this flower along a trail by the Monongahela River in Pittsburgh.

(source: http://ww.the-tree.org.uk/EnchantedForest/WoodlandFlowers/woodynightshade.htm)

Wishbone from Sree

Medium: Oil on Canvasboard

A common annual that loves shade along with hot and humid weather. It resembles an open snap dragon. Purple, rose, light blue and white and most common colors.

Scientific Name:Torenia fournieri

Wildrose from Mythreyee

Medium:Photography

Each year, in the early part of June, these small white wild roses begin to bloom, bringing a contrast to the green background. These roses are a climbing variety, and they utilize other trees and shrubs for their support. A few of these roses are in single bushes, but most are seen cascading down from the branches of other vegetation.

These are wild growing, massively fragrant multifloras that bloom buckets of five petaled white flowers in late spring and early summer.

Waterlily from Priya

Medium: Watercolor on paper

Water Lily also known as Nymphaea belongs to a family that has around 50 species. Some of these are day blooming one's and some are night bloomers. Colors include white, pink, purple and blue. There is often a confusion between Water Lily and Lotus - the former belongs to the Nymphaea family, while the latter belongs to the Nelumbo family. The name Nelumbo is from Sinhala.

Wild, woodsy, wonderful W!

2007-07-30T12:30:00.000-06:00

Thank you, LR Ramaswamy for a title for W!

The email address is flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com. The deadline is August 8, 2007. If you don't have a blog, please include a brief description about the flower you are submitting. The rest of the guidelines are here!

Do you alliterate? Do you write strong headlines? If you have an idea for a title for X, write to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com and let us know!

V are ready with the Round-Up!

2007-07-26T07:01:00.000-06:00

Here's the round up for V

Verbascum Thapsus from Manisha Manisha sends us this weed she found on a camping trip on a cold day. Known as common mullein or great mullein, this weed can grow over 7 feet tall. A wet spring can result in leaves that are as long as 20 inches.

Wikipedia says that it has been used since ancient times as a remedy for skin, throat and breathing ailments. It has long had a medicinal reputation, especially as an astringent and emollient. It contains mucilage, several saponins, coumarin and glycosides. Dioscorides recommended it for diseases of the lung and it is nowadays widely available in health and herbal stores. Non-medical uses have included dyeing and making torches.

Vicia satvia from Shilpa
Shilpa found these growing on the sidewalk outside her home. Common vetch, as Vicia sativa is commonly called, is a weed that grows on roadsides and fields. It is a small plant with attractive purple-pink flowers from the pea family. The leaves are a lovely shade of green growing on stems that taper off into tendrils. The flowers bloom from April to August and are very attractive to bees and butterflies.

Vinca from Priya
Vinca, commonly known as Periwinkle or Madagascar Periwinkle is an ornamental plant. Vinca is a Latin word meaning "to bind". These flowers are annuals and their flowering time is from June to September. They love the sun and are drought resistant. The foliage is evergreen and glossy. They are ideal for borders and as container plants. The commonly found colors are white, pink, lavender and red. They are native to North America, China and India. Vinca has medicinal uses too and are used for lowering blood pressure and sugar levels.

Vinca Minor from Mythreyee
We have another picture of Vinca sent in by Mythreyee. She says, "This is a picture of a Periwinkle, popularly called Vinca Minor. I found these pretty flowers in my Apartment Complex."

Viola by Sree Sree sends this oil painiting of Viola. Violets or Viola from the Violaceae family also come in shades of cream, yellow or mix of blue and yellow.Some are sweet scented and others have a substance that can desensitize the nasal receptors. They grow well in wet and shaded regions and are common in the Northern Hemisphere. Some of these are called Pansies.

Violets by Mamatha

Mamatha, a first time participant at Flower Fest, sends us two pictures of Violets that she found in the Smoky Mountains. The first picture is that of a Sweet White Violet and the second one is called Canada Violet.

Venture forth with V

2007-07-13T22:55:00.000-06:00

The next letter is V.

The email address is flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com. The deadline is July 25, 2007.

Do you alliterate? Do you write strong headlines? If you have an idea for a title for W, write to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com and let us know!

Round up for U

2007-07-09T06:32:00.000-06:00

Ursinia from Priya

Medium- Soft pastels and pen

Ursinia anthemoides belongs to the daisy family. This is a native of South Africa and is also called as the South African Marigold or Common Parachute Daisy. Bright and sunny, these flowers bloom in spring and summer. A place called Namaqualand in South Africa has fields of these yellow beauties during Spring. In Afrikaans it is called glansoogbergmagriet which means glossy-eyed-mountain-daisy.

Ulex Europa from Sree

Medium- Oil on Canvas

This evergreen shrub that has yellow blossoms resembling pea flowers, is mostly found in parts of Europe, Scotland and Portugal. Leaves are modified to spines. Its considered a weed in many parts of America, NewZealand and Australia. Also called the Common Gorse (from the family Fabaceae), its grows up to a maximum of 3 metres in height.

Up the umph factor with U

2007-06-23T12:06:00.000-06:00

We're running a little late with U. Let's blame it on the summer solstice, shall we?

So on to U.
The email address is flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com. The deadline is July 4, 2007. I know...I know...but there's nothing to stop you from getting your entries in earlier. Go for it!

Thanks Pani Thuly for the nifty title.

Do you alliterate? Do you write strong headlines? If you have an idea for a title for V, write to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com and let us know!

Round up for T

2007-06-19T16:52:00.000-06:00

Round Up for T:
Trifolium pratense and Trifolium repens from Shilpa

Shilpa's entry for this round are white and purple/pink clovers. Clovers are native to Europe and introduced in the US as a pasture crop. They can be found throughout the US in warm weather. Clovers have three oval leaflets with V shaped markings on them. The ball-shaped flower head is made up with many small flowers, and is very attractive to bees. Some flowers are edible and used in salads and to make tea.

The pink or the purple clover is Trifolium pratense and is considered nutritious food for livestock. The flowers and leaves are slightly bigger than the white clover.
The white clovers are called Trifolium repens. The flowers look like a little white ball and once a bee or other pollinating insect has visited it, the petals droop and reveal the red center indicating that it does not have to be visited again.

Tulips from Sree

Medium: Oil on Canvas

The national flower of Holland is a favorite of many flower lovers for the sheer variety in color and uniformity of shape. They are bulbous plants and belong to the species Liliaceae. Some have petals which are striped and feathered.

Thyme from Gini

Medium: Photography

Gini's entry is Thyme - an herb that doesn’t need a lot of water. The flowers of thyme are white and as tiny and delicate as the leaves. Thyme leaves are very fragrant and goes well with veggies, rice, seafood and meat.

Tulip from Priya

Medium: Photography

Tulips and Holland are inseperable. But Tulips trace their name to the Turkey where they were thought to resemble turbans. Tulip Festivals take place in Holland, England and North America during Spring.

Tango and Twist with T

2007-06-04T13:02:00.000-06:00

The letter is T.
The deadline is June 13, 2007.
The email address is flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com.

Do you alliterate? Do you write strong headlines? If you have an idea for a title for U, write to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com and let us know!

Round up for S

2007-06-01T07:57:00.000-06:00

Entries for the round up on S are :

Stonecrop and Shrubby Daisy from Anita

Medium:Photography

Stonecrop (Sedum ewersii) species love to grow on stony slopes, around well-watered areas. These beauties were pictured by Anita near Mana Village, Uttaranchal. This cluster was found near the Bheem Pul, a natural stone bridge carved by water and ice.

Medium:Photography

Shrubby Daisy or Blue-eyed Daisy, better known as African Daisy (Osteospermum fruiticosum), is a drough tolerant, sun loving plant. These flowers are from Anita's winter garden.

Salvia and Sunflowers from Jai and Bee

Medium:Photography

This is another beauty from the garden of Jai and Bee. The sun loving Salvias bloom from June to September and attract a lot of butterflies and bees.

Medium:Photography

If someone truly loves the sun, it has got to be the bright sunflower. Nothing can be more apt for these yellow beauties than this quote -

“Flowers have an expression of countenance as much as men and animals. Some seem to smile; some have a sad expression; some are pensive and diffident; others again are plain, honest and upright, like the broad-faced sunflower and the hollyhock.”- Henry Ward Beecher

Sanguinaria Canadensis from Shilpa

Medium:Photography

The only species in the genus Sanguinaria, Sanguinaria canadensis or Bloodroot, as it is commonly called, is a plant indigenous to United States. Blood red juice can be extracted from its root, so the name Bloodroot. Native Americans used this juice as body paint, dye and as an herbal remedy to treat various diseases of the skin.

The flowers are white with oblong petals with a yellow center. The plant prefers shaded spots and produces flowers in March and April. An interesting fact about this plant is that the seeds are spread by ants in a process called Myrmecochory.

Snow-in-summer from Manisha

Medium:Photography

Manisha stumbled into these white dainty blooms with beautiful silvery gray-green foliage. Ideally suited for rock gardens, Snow-in-summer's are summer bloomers. They thrive in the wild too.

Snow-in-Summer or Cerastium tomentosum are perennials that reseed every year. They thrive in well-drained poor soil and are drought-tolerant.

They are called Snow-in-Summer because they bloom profusely from late spring to early summer and the teeny white flowers look like a matt of white snow on the silvery foliage.

Spider Lily from Mythreyee

Medium: Photography

Mythreyee snapped this picture of a Spider Lily in San Diego.

The leaves of Spider Lily grow in 6 leaf clusters and are present in spring but are gone by the time of flowering in the summer season. The flower stem is about 2 feet high and each stem has several flowers. This Spider Lily is a relative of the Cahaba Lily (Hymenocallis coronaria) which grows in the Cahaba River.

Sweet William from Priya

Medium:Watercolor on paper

Sweet William are little flowers that look as if they just came out of a pencil sharpener with their fringed petals in pink, red, white and purple. The wild Sweet Williams's usually have a white base with a pink or red center. They love sunny and warm climates. They are edible and are known to have anti-inflammatory and analgesic properties.

As to how the name Sweet William came to be assigned to these flowers, Wikipedia says "Many legends purport to explain how Sweet William acquired its name, but none are verified. It is variously said to be named after Saint William of York, William the Conqueror, or Prince William Augustus, Duke of Cumberland. Another etymology is that william is a corruption of the French oillet, meaning little eye. Sweet William is a favorite name for lovelorn young men in English folkloric ballads. Due to the supposed association of the flower with the Duke of Cumberland, the commander of the government forces at the Battle of Culloden in 1746, it is known in Scotland as "Stinking Billy".

Sizzle Slowly into Summer with S

2007-05-21T23:08:00.000-06:00

The deadline is May 30, 2007. The email address is flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com.

Just 8 more letters to Z! We love the amazing response and adore the beautiful flowers even more! Send in your entries to S. And spread the word about Flower Fest.

Do you alliterate? Do you write strong headlines? If you have an idea for a title for T, write to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com and let us know!

Round up for R

2007-05-15T10:44:00.000-06:00

With summer inching in, nature's palette is being filled up with colors and more colors. R is an easy letter in the flower world. It is the humble Rose that caught the eye of most Flower Fest participants. Here's the round-up for R -

Rose and Ranunculas from Sigma

Medium:Photography
Sigma's entry for this round is Ranunculas and a bunch of yellow Roses.

Ranunculus, pronounced as ran-UN-kew-lus, is a latin word meaning "little frog". It has its origins in the middle east, hence it is also called as Turban Butercup.

Ranunculus belong to the Buttercup family (Ranunculaceae) and is the cultured cousin of the Marsh Marigold.

It has bright, rounded flowers atop dense green parsley-like foliage. It comes in a wonderful array of colors, with shades of red, purple, yellow, white, pink, and orange. You can even find copper ranunculus flowers and also ranunculus flowers with dark and yellow circles.

Medium:Photography

Rose from Anita

Medium:Photography

Anita's culinary and gardening skills bring the best in her with the Indian desi Gulab or musk rose (Rosa moschata). This is a very fragrant rose variety, closely related to the Damascus rose (Rosa damascena) that originated in Persia. It produces small flowers (2 to 3 inch across) with red or pink petals. The petals retain their delicate fragrance long after drying, which makes them an ideal ingredient for potpourris. The desi gulab is grown on a large scale for the ayurveda and cosmetic industries. Rose oil is an essential ingredient in itr, oil-based Indian perfumes.

Rose water is used in the preparation of many Indian and middle-eastern dishes. A hint of fresh roses is what makes the rasgulla taste so refreshing. Gulab ark (rose extract) is also a key ingredient in Hamdard’s ever-popular summer drink Rooh Afza.

Rudbeckia from Manisha

Medium:Photography

Manisha's entry for R is the bright and sunny Rudbeckia fulgida or the Black-eyed Susan, as it is commonly known. This is a very popular flowering plant. It is an easy-to-grow perennial that is native to the US. It is loved for its bright yellow/orange ray florets and its cone-like head of dark disk florets. This plant spreads aggressively by both rhizomes and seed.

Rudbeckia blooms from mid to late summer into fall. It does well at higher temperatures. So the hotter the summer, the more the blooms.

Rose from Coffee

Medium:Oil Painting

Coffee's entry into the Flower Festival is with this fabulous oil painting of a rose.

Radish Flowers from Giniann

Medium:Photography

Giniann had planted some radish plants last year. They are the simplest things to grow and give a very good yield. Apart from crunchy radish, they also produce the most beautiful flowers. For a newbie to gardening who wants some easy-to-grow plants, radish is the way to go. These flowers can also be used as garnish for salads.

Roses from Jai and Bee

Medium:Photography

Jai and Bee are avid gardeners whose favorite pick in their Rose garden are Lincoln featured above and Sheila's perfume featured below. Both these varieties of roses have a bewitching perfume.

Rose from Sushma

Medium:Photography

Sushma sends a beautiful pink and yellow rose as a thoughtful gift on Mother's Day for every mother who spreads love, comfort and happiness.

Round-lobed Hepatica from Shilpa

Medium:Photography

Shilpa's entry is the Round-lobed Hepatica, from the Buttercup family which is a small plant with small white, pink or lavender flowers. The leaves are three lobed and are shaped like the liver, hence the common names Liverwort and Liverleaf. The flowers bloom in early spring and are supported by hairy stems.

Hepatica was once used to treat liver diseases based on the doctrine of signatures.

Rose from Mythreyee

Medium: Photography

Rose is Mythreyee's favorite flower too and she shot a lovely white rose at her sister's place.

The rose is a flowering shrub of the genus Rosa. There are more than a hundred species of wild roses, all from the northern hemisphere and mostly from temperate regions. The species form a group of generally prickly shrubs or climbers, and sometimes trailing plants, reaching 2–5 m tall, rarely reaching as high as 20 m by climbing over other plants.

The name originates from Latin rosa, borrowed through Oscan from colonial Greek in southern Italy: (Source:Wikipedia)

Rose and Rhododendron from Priya

Medium: Watercolor on paper

Wild Roses, true to their name bloom in wild and large numbers and fill up the rose shrub leaving little space for the leaves to show up. The small variety of white wild rose emits a mild and sweet fragrance. These wild roses start blooming from April when they begin to savour the warmth in the air. The rose hips of these wild roses are used for brewing tea by Native Americans. They are considered to be a power house of Vitamin C. The scientific name of wild rose is Rosa Acicularis. The petals can also be used for tea.

Medium: Photography

Another flower from Priya is the Rhododendron. Its name is closely related to the Rose. In Greek, rhodos means "rose" and dendron means "tree". Azaleas belong to this family. When spring sets hold, Rhodos bloom in large numbers in the Northern hemispere. These flowers grow in Asia, Australia and Europe too. They are not found in South America and Africa. There are many groups and genus within this species. They have a high level of pollen. The pollen and nectar of some species are toxic.

Do send in your entries for this round and for upcoming rounds to flowerfestival@gmail.com.

Roll out the Red carpet for R

2007-05-08T16:59:00.000-06:00

The deadline is May 16, 2007. The email address is flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com.

Let's hope we see more flowers in this round! Spring is here and there are flowers and blossoms everywhere!

This round's Nifty Title is courtesy of Shilpa.

Do you alliterate? Do you write strong headlines? If you have an idea for a title for S, write to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com and let us know!

Round up for Q

2007-05-02T08:44:00.000-06:00

Entries for the round of Q are:

Quaker Ladies from Shilpa

Medium:Photography
Quaker Ladies are wildflowers better known by their other common name, Bluets. Houstonia caerulea is the scientific name. The tiny plant appears in clusters and usually grows in woodlands, fields and on roadsides. The flowers are tiny, less than half an inch wide, four-petaled with a yellow center, and are pale blue. They are easily noticeable because they bloom profusely close to each other, making an attractive carpet on the ground.

Quince from Mythreyee

Medium: Colored Pencil and Sketch Pens
Quince is a Chinese ornamental shrub (Chaenomeles speciosa) having spiny branches, sharply serrate leaves, and red or white flowers.

Queen's Wreath from Priya

Medium: Watercolor on paper
Queen's Wreath is a climber that goes by the name Bluebird Vine or Sandpaper Vine. During blooming times the whole creeper is covered with drooping clusters of flowers in blue, violet and white combinations. The leaves of this plant have the texture of sandpaper. This plant is native to Mexico.