FLOWER POT

History of Modern Rose II

2012-01-30T06:50:00.001-08:00

History of Modern Rose II
Hybrid teas are not only popular modern roses – the Floribundas are challenging them for the crown.

Their story goes back to Guillot the man who raised La France. In 1875 he introduced Ma Paquerette which had Rosa multiflora and a China Rose as its parents.

The small white blooms were borne in large clusters over a long flowering period in a small bush.

This was the first Polyantha Rose and the introduction of Orleans Rose in 1909 established the popularity of this type.

But the Polyanthas needed something more – extra height and extra flower size, and here the Poulsen families in Denmark were the originators of the Polyantha x Hybrid Tea cross.

These were the Hybrid Polyanthas or Poulsen Roses – Else Poulsen and Anne Poulsen.

Many other varieties followed, bred in Denmark, Brutish, United sates, Germany and other countries, the Hybrid Tea influence became stronger and stronger.

A new name was obviously required, and the U.S term Floribunda was accepted by the National Rose Society in 1952.

The milestones marking the history of the Floribundas are many, and any short list must omit numerous epoch-making roses.

Masquerade and fashion introduced new colors in the 1940s and Queen Elizabeth introduced a new size and elegance in the 1950s.

New shapes and colors flooded in during the 1960s, and the 1970s were marked by the growing interest in dwarfs and new colors such as Picasso (1971) and Iced Ginger (1971).

The 1980s saw Mountbatten take away Queen Elizabeth’s crown in the world of tall Floribundas.

There were several important developments during the final quarter of the 20th century.

In the 1980s a number of excellent low growing Floribundas appeared – Gentle Touch (1986), Sweet Magic (1987) and Sweet Dream (1986) all received the ‘Rose of the Year’ award.

Most of these dwarf Floribundas and a few tall Miniatures were classed as a new group – the Patio Rose.

Something similar happened in the world of Shrub Roses. A stream of excellent new varieties began to appear in the 1980s which had a spreading growth habit, and so these prostate and arching varieties were separated as a new group – the Ground Cover Rose.

Finally, a new type has appeared among the Climbers. Small flowers and small leaves but growing 2.5 m high – the Miniature Climber has recently appeared on the scene.
History of Modern Rose II

Orchids in Cultivation

2012-01-25T21:30:00.000-08:00

The origins of orchid cultivation are lost in the mists of time, but intensive cultivation in Europe began towards the end of the 18th century.

The species then grown were the native, hardy orchids, which were generally transferred from the wild to gardens by interested enthusiasts.

With the opening up of the tropics by botanical exploration in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, the existence of the enormous range of floral form became better known, and wealthy enthusiast, who could provide the necessary glasshouses and staff, became obsessed with forming of living collections of the rare, the beautiful and the bizarre.

The rise of this class of enthusiasts was rapidly followed by the development of specialist nurseries aiming to fulfill the rising demand.

These nurseries began the practice of sending out specialist orchid collectors to various areas of the tropics, to collect plants and send them to Europe. Where they could be either sold in, or used as nursery stock.

Towards the end of the 19th century, the mania for new orchids reached its peak, when some growers would pay prices of 1000 guineas or more for a single pseudobulb of something new and interesting.

The high economic returns from the trade meant that the collectors went through certain areas, completely denuding them of their ‘interesting’ species. Vast numbers of plants (in the hundreds of thousands) were collected and shipped back to Europe, where, if they arrived at all, they were sold on.

Fortunately, during the 20th century, the mania died away, and now, in perhaps more enlightened times, trade in wild orchids is strictly banned under the terms of CITES, the convention which regulates international trade in organisms threatened with extinction in the wild.
Orchids in Cultivation

Synstylae Species

2012-01-18T16:58:00.000-08:00

All rambling roses and most of our modern garden roses are descended from Synstylae species. The Synstylae are a group within the genus Rosa, which includes such important species as R. multiflora and R. wichurana, each of which has been extensively used to breed garden hybrids.

There is one characteristic which distinguishes the Synstylae roses from all others: they have a projecting column of fused styles at the center of the flower.

Synstylae roses tend to have lots of small white flowers in large clusters. They also tend (but there are exceptions here too) to have a string musky scent.

This differs from species to species in both quality and degree.

Some such as Rosa setigera are commonly scentless, but muskiness is unique to the Synstylae and very distinctive. Another characteristic of the section is of horticultural significance - they flower late. When this characteristic is transmitted to their garden progeny, it will climbing until late into the season.

One of the most important events in the history of the rose was the development of dwarf, bushy, repeat-flowering growth among the garden roses of China. This is usually thought to have occurred as a mutation in Rosa chinensis, but the phenomenon also occurs within the Synstylae section.

The Synstylae roses are native of every continent in the Northern Hemisphere, from North America across Europe and all of Asia, with a concentration of species in a rapid state of evolution in the Himalayas and western China.

Some species are distinct and immediately recognizable (e.g., Rosa soulieana), but others dissolve in a confusion of subspecies, varieties and forms.
Synstylae Species

Grow Orchids Outdoors

2012-01-10T00:48:00.001-08:00

Orchids can be grown outdoors year round in some regions of the country. South Florida, all along the Gulf Coast, coastal regions of Southern California and Hawaii are an orchid grower’s area – many plants can simply be tied to the trees in the backyards.

Californians grow cymbidiums in pots on the patio or at the entryway and San Franciscans and other fog dwellers have an ideals climate for cool growing orchids such as odontoglossums and a host of fascinating if relatively small masdevallias.

Across much of the country, orchids can spend the summer outdoors, provided they are not moved until the weather is warm and settled - and they are brought back inside before night temperature drop bellows 50 degree to 60- degree F.

This means that at about the time, can safely move your orchids plants to where they will spend the summer.

Cymbidiums are an exception to the rule with regards to when they are brought back inside in the fall. Wait until night temperatures hover around 38 to 42 degree F. This chilling will help set lots of flower buds. The same is true of Christmas, Thanksgiving and Easter cacti (Schlumbergera and Rhipsalidopsis).
Grow Orchids Outdoors

Hoeing and Disbudding

2012-01-03T04:13:00.000-08:00

Hoeing

The main purpose of hoeing is to keep down weeds, which are not smothered by mulching.

For this purpose hoeing must be carried out at regular and frequent intervals so that the underground parts of the weeds will be eventually starved.

Hoeing must not go deeper than 2-3 cm below the surface, or rose roots may be damaged. Do not bother to hoe to keep moisture in the soil – a “dust mulch” is of very little value.

Disbudding

Many Hybrid Teas normally produce more than one flower but at the end of each shoot.

If you want large specimen blooms for exhibition, garden display or indoor flower arrangement, then disbudding will be necessary.

This calls for removing side buds by nipping out with the thumb and finger as soon as they are visible.

This allows the stronger terminal bud to develop to its maximum size.
Hoeing and Disbudding

Phalaenopsis

2011-12-29T18:57:00.000-08:00

One of the most popular, possibly the best beginner’s plants, are the Phalaenopsis orchids, and the virtually indistinguishable man made genus of Doritaenopsis, which are both called phals for short. Phals are among the easiest orchids to grow at home, preferring lower light and warm home temperatures where winners nights do not drop below 60 degree F.

Give an eastern exposure with 1,000 to 1,500 foot-candles of light, just enough to cast a soft shadow when a hand is held between the sun and the plant. If windowsill light is not adequate, phals do fine under four fluorescent light tubes, about 8 inches away, on a timer for 14 hours a day.

Known as the tropical Moth Orchids, from their resemblance to wide-winged moths in flight, Phalaenopsis send up long arching sprays of flowers up to 6 inches across, in colors from basic white to pink, yellow, peach, red and green, with any combination of stripes, spots, and colored lips. It’s not unusual to have breathtaking clouds of sprays with 20 to 30 blooms that can last four months.

They make excellent cut flowers as well, lasting a good week in water. When bloom is over, the inflorescence (spike) can be cut down to just above the second or third node, enticing the node to send up another spray.

Pot the epiphytic phalaenopsis in well drained potting material, such as a mix of medium size fir bark, coarse perlite, and chopped sphagnum moss. If home humidity is less than 30 percent, use plastic pots instead of clay, to keep more moisture around the roots.

Low humidity can cause buds to “blast” and fall onto the floor before blooming, so use a humidifier near the plants or set them on plastic egg crate grids in trays filled with water to raise humidity. Phals don’t like to dry out completely, but they need a rest between waterings, so water thoroughly once a week on average. Fertilize weekly with a quarter strength 20-10-10 fertilizer.
Phalaenopsis

Orchid Environment: Air Movement

2011-12-19T09:08:00.000-08:00

Gentle air movement will help orchids in many ways. Moving air cools the leaves, allowing the plants to tolerate higher light intensities without burning. It also evaporates water on the surfaces of the leaves and in the cracks between them, reducing the risk of infection by fungi and bacteria. A gentle breeze eliminates pockets of cold air that may form next to the windows or along the floor.

The air movement produced by a ceiling fan mimics the gentle breezes in the leafy canopy of a tropical cloud forests.

The need for ventilation is often emphasized in orchid books written for energy-conscious greenhouse growers, but it is less of a problem for home hobbyists. Still, if your home is very well sealed, indoor pollutants from pilot lights, cooking, smoking, and aerosol sprays can built up to levels that will damage orchid flowers.

Obviously, the easiest way to ventilate a windowsill garden is to open the windows. Don’t open them too wide, though, as strong drafts can rapidly dry the plants and a gust of wind can knock them over. Double hung windows work well because they can be opened from the top, allowing air to circulate through the room without creating drafts blowing directly on the plants.

If it is too hot or too cold to open the windows, circulate the air with a small fan, directed away from the plants. Ceiling fans are quiet, inexpensive to run, and the ideal way to keep the air healthfully activated.
Orchid Environment: Air Movement

Boursault Rose and Evergreen Rose

2011-12-13T16:43:00.000-08:00

Boursault Rose (Rosa Alpina)
This is a distinct but worthless group which receives its name from M. Boursault, a Parisian rose amateur. Most of the varieties are free from thorns and have long, flexible, reddish colored shoots. Amadis, or Crimson Boursault, is the one most esteemed.

The Evergreen Rose
The Evergreen Rose (Rosa Sempervirens), with seven leaflets has much in common with the Ayrshire, but is characterized by dark green foliage, which is retained till dislodged by heavy frosts; they are of the same hardiness as the Ayrshires and require the same freedom from the pruning knife; the knife should only be applied to cut out entirely shoots that require thinning.

There have been several pretty varieties of this group sent out, but Felicite Perpetuelle is perhaps the best representative and the only one we would commend for cultivation.
Boursault Rose and Evergreen Rose

Light Tips for Orchids

2011-12-10T09:37:00.001-08:00

Light is the key in successfully orchid growing. Too much light will burn the leaves, too little light – or light at the wrong time – will keep the plants from flowering. Follow the tips to make sure the plants are receiving the illumination they need to grow and bloom.

• Turn the plants occasionally to keep them from becoming lopsided. Don’t turn them when they are in bud, though, or the flowers may twist around at awkward angles to face the sun.

• Move an underexposed orchid into stronger light one step at a time over a period of several weeks. If using a light meter, try to increase the light intensity by no more than 100 to 200 foot-candles at a time.

• Remove the plants from full sun once their flowers have opened. Bright sunlight can make the colors fade.

• Watch new acquisitions closely to be sure they don’t burn before they adapt to a possibly stronger exposure than that to which they were accustomed.

• If suspect a plant is receiving too much sun, feel the leaves. If to the touch of fingers they feel notice warmer than the surrounding air, reduce the light intensity.

• Be sure to keep the plants and windows clean – dust and dirt block valuable sunlight and rob the indoor garden of sustenance.

• Some orchids need a period of uninterrupted darkness at night in order to flower. Plants growing in a living area may be prevented form flowering by the illumination of a single table lamp.
Light Tips for Orchids

Choosing the right rose

2011-11-29T16:10:00.001-08:00

Some points to be considered when choosing for the rose.
• What do you want the rose for – a bed or border, a container an arbor, a hedge or some other use? Do you plan to cut flowers for arrangement?

• How much space do you have? If your garden is fairly small, look for compact roses that are in scale with your other plants. Large properties obviously can support larger roses.

• What colors do you like best? Are you looking or bright reds, oranges, gold, or stripes, or do you prefer more pastel shades? • Is fragrance importance to you?

• How much maintenance are you willing to do? Hybrid tea roses for instance, can require careful attention to disease control and pruning, while many shrubs roses can perform respectably with minimal care.

• What growing condition do you have to offer? Keep in mid the hardiness zone you live in.
Choosing the right rose

The Family Orchidaceae

2011-11-22T08:19:00.001-08:00

The orchids comprise the botanical family Orchidaceae. This family, together with grasses, palms, lilies, and others, is grouped into the smaller of the two major units into which the flowering plants (Angiospermae) are divided.

This group, the Monocotyledoneae is characterized by a number of features, notably the presence of only a single seedling-leaf (cotyledon) in the embryo and young plant, the parallel venation of the leaves, and the production of new roots from the stems or other underground organs (tubers corms, bulbs, etc); those roots, known as adventitious roots, rapidly come to make up the whole of the plant’s root system, the original root of the seedling rapidly dying off. The orchids show all these features, and are in many respects representative Monocotyledons.

The family is probably the largest of all the families of the Angiosperms. Estimated that there are some 700 genera and 22,000 – 25,000 species; representatives of the family are found in all parts of the world that can sustain plant growth, though they are particularly abundant in the tropics and subtropics, where most of them grow epiphytically, that is on the branches of other plants.
The Family Orchidaceae

Ayrshire Rose and Banksia Rose

2011-11-14T07:28:00.001-08:00

Ayrshire Rose
The Ayrshire Rose (Rosa Arvensis Hybrida) – These roses of English origin, are slender, rapid growth, having file leaflets, often running fifteen or twenty feet in one season, and are of use in covering buildings, unsightly objects, etc.

They are somewhat less hardy and less valuable than the hybrid climbers and prairie roses. They do not require rich soil, and should be pruned very little, or not at all. Bennett’s Seedling, Queen of Ayrshires, Queen of Belgians and Ruga, are the leading sorts.

The Banksia Rose
The Banksia Rose (Rosa Banksiae) is the native of China, named in honor of Lady Banks by the botanist Robert Brown. It was bought to England in 1807.

The flowers very small, resembling double cherry blossoms, are produced in clusters early in the season, and have generally a decided violet perfume.

The wood is very smooth, slender and of rapid growth. The leaflets are often but three in number, are long, dark and lustrous.

Not being hardy they can have no great value at the North, but in the Southern States they form a very desirable group. The best known sorts are Alba Grandiflora, Fortunei, White and Yellow. They should be sparingly pruned.

Ayrshire Rose and Banksia Rose

Temperature for Orchids

2011-11-08T00:41:00.000-08:00

In nature, the temperature begins to drop when the sunsets and is at its lower before dawn. Orchids are accustomed to this temperature fluctuation and in fact, most of them depend on it.

Without a day night fluctuation of 10 to 15 degree F, the plant will grow plenty of healthy foliage but may stubbornly refuse to flower.

Cool nightmare temperatures allow them to store rather than expend the carbohydrates they manufacture during the day – the carbohydrates they need to produce beautiful blossoms.

To make easier to describe the temperature needs of orchids, orchid growers divide the plants into three temperature categories: warm, intermediate and cool.

Although the exact temperature ranges associated with these terms vary (some growers use wider ranges), the following ranges are most common:

WARM

80 -90 ° F day
65 – 70 ° F night

INTERMEDIATE
70 – 80 ° F day
50 – 65 ° F night

COOL
60 to 70 ° F day
50 to 55 ° F night

Most orchids, like most people, prefer temperatures in the intermediate range. Given adequate humidity and ventilations, many orchids will tolerate higher daytime temperature than those above – as long as they cool off at night.

Thus, the night temperature is the most important factor to consider when selecting orchids.

Although some determined hobbyists have used space heaters, infrared lights, and heating cables to create a warm spot in their homes for orchids, such efforts are only necessary if trying to grow plants that require much warmer temperatures than naturally provide.

It is much more practical to find out what temperature available and select the plant accordingly.
Temperature for Orchids

Rose Flower

2011-10-31T18:45:00.000-07:00

Flowers have the power of bringing a smile to anybody's face and are associated with radiance and cheer. Flowers are one of the most popular gifts and many people like to send as well as receive flowers.

There are various kinds of flowers available all throughout the year and prices may vary depending on the season. The demand for fresh and beautiful flowers is on the rise, which has led to increase in business of flower shops.

Flower shops offer bouquets and flower arrangements, and a stunning range of flowers that vary in color, size and cuts. Customers can also place an order for customized bouquets.

Rose is considered as a king of all flowers and comes in a various colors. Rose signifies emotions and the color of rose flowers is associated with a particular emotion. For instance, a red rose stands for love, a white rose denotes peace, and a yellow rose signifies friendship.

There are flower shops that deal exclusively in rose flowers. They offer all types of floral arrangements that cater to occasions ranging from weddings to funerals.

Rose shops provide freshly cut roses and rose bouquets at a high price during special occasions such as mother's day, Valentine's Day, Christmas, and New Year's Day.

Most rose shops also have websites to generate more business. They accept online orders and generally offer overnight delivery service. Some rose shops offer same day delivery service to customers.

Many flower shops have a tie-up with overseas flower shops to provide delivery services outside the country. They also have a strong local network to ensure prompt and reliable delivery.

Customers can even send a personalized card attached to the bouquet of tastefully selected roses. They also have the option of selecting a specific style of rose arrangement from the product catalog.

Generally, roses that are sold in special boxes come with a set of instructions to help the customers preserve and arrange the flowers in a better way.

Many rose gardeners sell their flowers through their own websites to save middleman charges. Long stemmed red roses are in huge demand on Valentine's Day.
Rose Flower

Distribution of Orchids

2011-10-25T04:54:00.000-07:00

Orchids are far more diverse in the tropics than any other ecosystem. There are about 803 genera with a total of 19,501 species for the entire family.

Thirty six genera, each with 100 or more species, comprising 10,849 species are found in the tropics. Of these 36 genera only a few also occur marginally in subtropical regions and 13 are exclusively neotropical. These include two of the most diversified genera: Pleurothallis, which with an estimated 1120 species constitutes the largest genus of Orchidaceae, and Epidendrum (800 species).

The second largest genus, Bulbophyllum (1000 species) has a pantropical distribution with a large proportion of the species in tropical Asia.

Dendrobium, the third largest genus, is found in India and tropical and subtropical Asia. In general, the epiphytic flora of tropical Africa and Australasia is improvised compared to that of the Neotropics.

Several factors appear to influence the distribution pattern of orchid species. Experts proposed that epiphyte orchid diversity increase along moisture and latitudinal gradients. In their analysis, the neotropical site with the largest number of species was La Selva, Costa Rica (with 4000 mm of annual rainfall); the one with the lowest was Capeira, Ecuador (804mm).

The peak in epiphyte diversity appears to be between 1000 and 2000 m elevation, somewhat lower in Costa Rica and Panama. This elevational rain is perhaps important because of the greater microsite differentiation there.

Other explanations put forward to explain high plant diversity in the northern Andes are the ‘evolutionary explosion’ hypothesis of Gentry, generated by the relatively recent uplift of the Andes, founder events associated with shifts in pollinators; and the colonization of habitats left vacant by retreating glaciers.

Large numbers of small seeds that favor the expression of genetic variability and high dispersal rates across geographical/ecological barriers, relatively rapid life cycles, high plasticity in floral architecture and fragrance, and preadaptation for epiphytism may account for the high diversity found in the orchids.

Most plants have evolved incompatibility between stylar tissue and pollen of closely related species that function as hybridization barrier. Orchids rely instead on mechanical and/or ecological factors for barriers to hybridization such as different pollinator, different microsite the same pollinator, and different phenologies. Distribution of Orchids

History of the Modern Rose

2011-10-24T22:00:00.000-07:00

The Victoria Queen of Roses, the Hybrid Perpetual, had its flowering problems.

The color range was limited, repeat flowering was limited (a massive early flush was often followed by only sporadic summer or autumn blooming) and their garden use was restricted – the bushes were large and rampant which meant that formal bedding in a small garden was not really practical.

What was needed was the introduction of some of the elegance and delicacy of the Tea Rose. Many varieties of Tea Rose were available, but none was really winter-hardy. What was wanted was a cross between the hardy Hybrid Perpetual and the dainty Tea Rose.

There is some argument about the identity of this first Hybrid Tea but the honor generally goes to La France, introduced in 1867. A momentous date, as this is accepted as the birth date of the modern rose.

There was no rush to buy this new rose, and the early Hybrid Teas crept in during the close of the 19th century. The acceptance of the group was accelerated by the appearance of some excellence varieties such as Madame Caroline Testout and Lady Mary Fitzwilliam but the real breakthrough came in 1900.

Pernet-Ducher in Lyons introduced Soleil d’Or, bred from a red Hybrid Perpetual and the Persian Yellow. Not truly a Hybrid Tea (it was called a Pernetiana at first,) but it nevertheless enabled the Hybrid Teas to snatch the rose crown and keep it to this day.

The first pure yellow appeared in 1910 – Rayon d’Or. By this time the high centered form of the Tea Rose was becoming dominant among Hybrid Teas – Ophelia (1912) was the first truly elegant pink.

An impressive succession of trend setting varieties were introduced up to the second World War – Etoile de Hollande, Betty Uprichard, Shot Silk, Mrs Sam McGredy, Crimson Glory and so on. Then just before the war a rose was bred in France which was to change the face of the Hybrid Tea.

Peace, introduced into Britain in 1947, heralded in a new vigor and a new flower size. After the war, the steady stream of exciting advances continued. In 1960 Super Star came to Britain from Germany – the first of the vermillion roses.

Then came Fragrant Cloud, Alec’s Red, Alexander, Silver Jubilee and the quest for better Hybrid Teas goes on.
History of the Modern Rose

Epiphytes Class of Orchids

2011-10-17T07:46:00.001-07:00

In the tropics, some orchids in the humus rich soil at the edges of stream, in clearing, and other spots on the ground where the dense shade is dappled by patches of sunlight.

These orchids are terrestrial, that is, they live on the ground. In most parts of a tropical forest, however, there simply isn’t enough sunlight at ground level to support many flowering plants.

Thus, most tropical orchids are epiphytes (air plants or tree dwellers) that have adapted to living up above the ground where the light is more plentiful.

When Darwin first saw epiphytic orchids clinging to the branches of their hosts, he thought they were parasites, drawing nourishment from their hosts through tenacious, leechlike roots.

This was of course a false assumption; true parasites are rare among plants. Two of better known examples are mistletoe ad a golden yellow, stringlike vine called “dodder”.

Actually, orchids use the branches of trees only as a place to live. They absorb their nutrients not from their hosts, but from the decaying organic matter that accumulates around their roots, and they photosynthesize sugars from the sunlight streaming through the gaps in the leafy canopy.

They damage trees only when they grow too heavy for branches to bear. Occasionally, massive colonies of orchids, often accompanied by ferns, bromeliads, and epiphytes gesneriads, crash to the forest floor.
Epiphytes Class of Orchids

Rosa brunonii and Hybrids

2011-10-10T20:24:00.000-07:00

Rosa brunonii displays so much natural variability that it is best regarded as a group of species or as a single in a state of rapid evolution.

It grows naturally throughout the Himalayas, from Kashmir and Afghanistan to the mountains of western Sichuan and has given rise to many horticultural hybrids and selections, including the rose known as R. moschata.

Rosa brunonii is one of the finest of climbers for temperate climates. Their hybrids are often hardier than the species. They are among the most rewarding of all small flowered ramblers.

Rosa brunonii Lindley is a Himalayan musk rose. This deciduous shrub has arching stems 5 – 12 high, which can grow taller up a tree. The leaves are large (15 – 25 cm long) with prickly, glandular rachis.

The leaflets are large 7 cm long drooping, narrowly ovate to elliptic, acute or acuminate, greyish green and glaucous above, and occasionally hairy or downy beneath; the margins have simple, regular teeth.

The flowers are creamy white in bud but open pure white, single, 3 – 4 cm across, and carried in large corymbose clusters fairly late in the season. The clusters are often combined into one huge compound inflorescence measuring as much as 35 cm across.

The flowers have a strong musky scent. The long sepals reflex during flowering, then drops off. The hips are round or obovoid, red, shiny and 1 – 2 cm across.

Rosa moschata Miller is a cultivated plant and variable in its characteristics. Rosa moschata is said to be less vigorous than R. brunonii with greener leaves, broader leaflets, larger flowers, acuminate petals and larger corymbs.

Semi double and double forms have been known since the seventeenth century. The semi-double R. brunonii ‘Autumnalis’ is sometimes attributed to R. moschata. Rosa phoenicia Boissier is close to R. moschata but not in cultivation outside its native Turkey.
Rosa brunonii and Hybrids

Cattleyas –the most popular orchid for the home

2011-10-04T19:15:00.000-07:00

This orchid belongs to the Cattleya Alliance. Cattleya types are among the showiest and most rewarding orchids to grow in home, ranging in color from classic orchid lavender to white, red, yellow, orange, green and blue. Many are fragrant.

Intergeneric hybridizing trends in the past decade have produced compact and miniature “catts” that greatly reduce the space needed for traditionally big and gawky Cattleya, yet still produce nice-sized flowers.

Several related genera make-up the Cattleya Alliance of orchids, which can cause beginners some confusion in names Cattleya, Laelia, Sophronitis, Brassavola, Broughtonia, Epidendrum, and Rhyncholaelia are the main genera that are interbred.

Whatever the combination of genera, Cattleyas are all grown in a fairly similar manner. Native from Mexico to Brazil, these are epiphytes, usually growing on sides of trees.

In the home, they prefer intermediate home temperatures with winter nights of 55 degree F. To flower well, medium bright light is essential.

Cattleyas can grow well for year without giving a bloom and the reason to be too little light. Cattleyas are “camels” in the orchid world, possessing pseudobulbs that store water, and must have a well drained mix. Water thoroughly, only when the mix has dried out to an inch below the surface.
Cattleyas –the most popular orchid for the home

Feeding the Roses

2011-09-26T01:12:00.000-07:00

Roses, like most other garden, make heavy demands on the reserves of plant foods in the soil.

If one or more of the vital elements run short, then hunger signs appear in the leaves or flowers and both vigor and display are affected. The answer is to feed your roses every year.

Mulching will provide humus and some nutrients. But extra plant foods will be required, and the basic way to provide them is to use a propriety compound fertilizer containing nitrogen, phosphates and potash.

Powder or granular fertilizer
Powder or granular fertilizer is the usual form, sprinkled the plant in spring and summer.

The most famous powder mixture is Tonks Formula, devised about 100 years ago.

A modern version is available as Toprose Fertilizer, which contains magnesium and iron plus gypsum as well as the three major plant foods.

Liquid fertilizers
Liquid fertilizers are available in bottles. An excellent choice for quick and inexpensive treatment. Need regular repeat treatments are necessary during season.

Foliar feeding
Foliar feeding has aroused a great deal of interest and some argument in the rose world.

The specially formulated fertilizer are used to supplement and not replace soil feeding, and have the unique advantage of getting into the sap stream only hours after being sprayed on to the leaves.

A favorite with exhibitors, as trials have shown that the size of blooms is increased as well as the general health of the plant.
Feeding the Roses

Orchid Seduction

2011-09-18T17:37:00.000-07:00

Orchids have made thousands of such bizarre adaptations in order to seduce specific pollinators, giving some of the most potent and compelling demonstrations of the theory of evolution. Some have been evolved in uncannily accurate reproductions of female bees, complete with female bee texture and perfume, so that the male bee will try to mate with flower. He winds up instead hauling away the orchid pollen, which then gets deposited in a second “mating” frenzy (scientifically known as pseudocopulation) onto other attractive looking, “musky” smelling yet totally bogus paramour.

Landing Platforms
Many orchids attract pollinators to their beautifully patterned or flamboyant lips that act as irresistible landing platforms. Some even shoot the pollinator in the head with sticky pollen, in something very much like a child’s rubber tipped dart gun.

Fragrance
Fragrance is another seductive device. People familiar with orchids only as corsages or cut flowers are unaware of how wonderfully scented orchids can be, since fragrance usually fades after the flower is picked, but goodly proportion have some sort of scent. Besides the obvious allure of rioting liver, some orchids use fragrance as an intoxicant, causing the bee to fall drunkenly into an orchid tank of liquid, where it is rudely awakened into recovery. With wings soaked and the option of simply flying away now gone, the insect must instead crawl and climb to escape and naturally, must pass by the pollinia on the way out.

Orchid fragrances range from cinnamon to jasmine, lemon, baby powder, hyacinth, orange, coconut, chocolate, winter-green and even watermelon and menthol. In fact, vanilla is an orchid. Others are decidedly unpleasant.
Orchid Seduction

The Name of the Rose

2011-09-12T07:47:00.001-07:00

Species, or wild, roses generally have two names: a Latin-based scientific (botanical) name with two of more parts – such as Rosa eglanteria – and a common name – such as eglantine.

When a change occurs naturally in a plant (such as a white-flowering seedling of a normally red flowered rose), that is called a variety.

When a variety results from or is sustained by human intervention, this correctly called a cultivar (short for cultivated variety).

A cultivar may be the result of hybridization (when pollen from one plant is placed on the female reproductive parts of another plant to produce seedlings with genes from both parents), or it may be results of people actively reproducing a variety by rooting cutting (section of stem growth of the desired plant).

Cultivars usually have at least one “fancy” name, such as ‘rainbow’s End’ or ‘Knock Out’, which is chosen by the breeder or by the company that sells it. When a rose is sold in more than one country it may have more than one fancy name.

If the rose is registered with the International Registration Authority for Roses, it may also receive a “code name.” This code name begins with three capital letters that denote the hybridizer or introducer, followed by additional lowercase letters, as in TANorstar.

In addition to the three types of names – the scientific name; the fancy name; and the commercial code name – some roses, especially older varieties, also have common names, which can be thought of as nicknames they have acquired aver the years.
The Name of the Rose

Watering the Roses

2011-09-06T17:58:00.001-07:00

One of the blessings of the rose is its deep rooting habit of growth. This means that watering of established plants is not vital in some seasons.

Unfortunately this ability of a rose bush to remain fresh and green in summer when shallow rooted plants have started to wilt leads many people to neglect watering.

Trials have shown that during a summer with several dry spells the failure to water leads to impaired growth, small blooms, and an early end to flowering even though the leaves may stay firm and green.

Some roses may need watering after only a few days of dry weather – new planted roses, climbers growing against walls and bushes planted in sandy soil. All roses will need water, and plenty of it, during a period of drought in late spring in summer.

A watering can is the usual applicator – use about 5 liters for each bush or standard and 15 liters for a climber. Never water little and often. Hold the can close to the ground and water slowly through the spout, not through a rose. Follow the expert by adding a measure of soluble fertilizer to the water.

Trickle irrigation through a perforated hose pipe laid close to the bushes is perhaps the best method of watering. A quick and easy technique popular in America is to build a ridge of soil around each bush and then fit the basin with a hose pipe.
Watering the Roses

Orchid flowers in common

2011-09-02T21:11:00.000-07:00

Although orchid flowers often look very different from one another, they have one thing in common. All orchids have six symmetrical parts that most people would be tempted to call petals. It’s not six; it’s two sets of three.

The first three known as sepals, one on top (the dorsal) and two at either lower side (lateral), and the other three are technically the petals. Yes even in this simple anatomy orchids can seem baffling, for in typical orchid exceptions, the various parts can be outlandishly exaggerated, or the two lateral sepals can fuse together, or all three can even fuse into a cup, with the petals almost disappearing altogether. All this can be very confusing to someone trying to decipher the parts.

On of the petals, however, is very often spectacular in shape, color, pattern, and/or size. That petal, located almost always at the bottom of the flower, is called the lip, or labellum.

Orchid buds actually twist around 180 degrees during development to ensure that the lip is lowermost.

Since most other types of flowers don’t perform this twist, orchids are frequently mistakenly displayed in vases and in pictures upside down, with the conspicuous lip at top. In fact, the designations for orientation used in describing orchid flowers (dorsal, lateral and so forth) are in relation to this bottommost lip.
Orchid flowers in common

Caring for the Roses

2011-08-24T08:26:00.000-07:00

Although roses have been grown since ancient times, often in fairly inhospitable climates and conditions, they will give of their best only if they are suited to their environment. The roses should be with us for a long time, so it is worthwhile planting them properly.

Soil sickness
If new roses are to be planted in a site where others have grown for some time, it is vital to change the soil to avoid rose sickness.

New roses planted in the old soil will not necessarily die, but will sulk and fail to put in new, healthy growth.

Rose sickness has still not been completely explained, but is probably a combination of the exhaustion of trace elements in the soil, the build up of roots disease and attack by minute eelworms.

Change the soil
The simplest way of changing the soil is to swap it with some in another part of the garden, such as the vegetable garden. Remove the old soil, digging out a hole approximately 60 cm (2 ft) across and deep for each new plant and fill it with fresh garden soil mixed with plenty of well rotted organic matter. The discarded, rose sick oil can be used safely in other parts of the garden.

Roses should be planted as soon as possible. If they are bare rooted plants, the delivery package should not be left unopened for longer than a week.

With a containerized or container-grown rose, knock it out of the pot, disturbing the roots as little as possible, then ease the root ball into a hole just large enough to accommodate it, and once filled in, tread in firmly.

Water is essential to a newly planted rose, so for the first fourteen days water each day until the rose looks really well settled.
Caring for the Roses