FLOWERS

WHY IS TWO-YEAR-OLD HYDRANGEA NOT FLOWERING?

noreply@blogger.com (NSHAZ) — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 23:33:00 +0000

We have a hydrangea that flowered great the first year but has nothing but leaves, no flowers, this year. What's the problem?

This is a common problem with flowering shrubs. We purchase them in bloom and enjoy the flowers the first season. The next year the plant focuses its energy on developing roots instead of flowers.

This is good for the establishment and longevity of the plant but discouraging for the gardener.

Some plants like the big leaf hydrangeas bloom on old wood. If these plants die back or are pruned back to the ground over winter, they will not flower.

Repeat blooming big leaf hydrangeas like Endless Summer are supposed to flower on old and new growth. So if the plant dies back to the ground, it is supposed to form flowers on the new growth. These have been a disappointment for most gardeners.

I have found that keeping the soil moist, not wet, spring through summer and fertilizing once in spring with Milorganite will help promote flowering. Milorganite is a low-nitrogen, slow-release fertilizer that promotes slow, steady growth and does not interfere with flowering.

In addition, research has found that as the microorganisms release the nutrients in the Milorganite, they also make some of the phosphorous and potassium bound to the soil available to the plants. This along with the phosphorous in the Milorganite encourages flowering.

JAPANESE FLOWERS LANGUAGE

noreply@blogger.com (NSHAZ) — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 05:48:00 +0000

JAPANESE HAD THEIR-OWN LANGUAGE OF FLOWER MEANINGS

Hanakotoba is the Japanese form of the language of flowers. In this practice plants were given codes and passwords. Physiological effects and action under the color of the flowers, put into words the impressions of nature and the presence of thorns with the height of tall plants, flowers and garlands of flowers through the various types. Meant to convey emotion and communicate directly to each other without needing the use of words.

The language of flowers, sometimes called floriography, is a means of cryptological communication through the use or arrangement of flowers. Meaning has been attributed to flowers for thousands of years, and some form of floriography has been practiced in traditional cultures throughout Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. Plants and flowers are used as symbols in the Hebrew Bible, particularly of love and lovers in the Song of Songs, as an emblem for the Israelite peopleand for the coming Messiah. In Western Culture, William Shakespeare ascribed emblematic meanings to flowers, especially in Hamlet, Prince of Denmark.

Interest in floriography soared in Victorian England and in the United States during the 19th century. Gifts of blooms, plants, and specific floral arrangements were used to send a coded message to the recipient, allowing the sender to express feelings which could not be spoken aloud in Victorian society. Armed with floral dictionaries, Victorians often exchanged small "talking bouquets," called nosegays or tussie-mussies, which could be worn or carried as a fashion accessory.

History

The renewed Victorian era interest in the language of flowers finds its roots in Ottoman Turkey, specifically the court in Constantinople and an obsession it held with tulips during the first half of the 18th century. The Victorian use of flowers as a means of covert communication bloomed alongside a growing interest in botany.

The floriography craze was introduced to Europe by two people: Englishwoman Mary Wortley Montagu (1689–1762), who brought it to England in 1717, and Aubry de La Mottraye (1674–1743), who introduced it to the Swedish court in 1727. Joseph Hammer-Purgstall's Dictionnaire du language des fleurs (1809) appears to be the first published list associating flowers with symbolic definitions, while the first dictionary of floriography appears in 1819 when Louise Cortambert, writing under the pen name 'Madame Charlotte de la Tour,' wrote Le langage des Fleurs.

Floriography was popularized in France about 1810–1850, while in Britain it was popular during the Victorian age (roughly 1820–1880), and in the United Statesabout 1830–1850. La Tour's book stimulated the publishing industry especially in France, England, and America, but also in Belgium, Germany, and other European countries as well as in South America. Publishers from these countries produced hundreds of editions of language of flowers books during the 19th century.

British floral dictionaries include Henry Phillips' Floral Emblems published in 1825 and Frederic Shoberl's The Language of Flowers; With Illustrative Poetry, in 1834. Shoberl was the editor of the popular annual "Forget Me Not" from 1822 to 1834. Robert Tyas was another popular British flower writer, publisher, and clergyman, who lived from 1811 to 1879; his book, The Sentiment of Flowers; or, Language of Flora, first published in 1836 and printed through the 1840s, was billed as an English version of Charlotte de la Tour's book. One of the most familiar of the language of flower books is Routledge's edition illustrated by Kate Greenaway, The Language of Flowers. First published in 1884, it continues to be reprinted to this day.

In the United States the first print appearance of the language of flowers was in the writings of Constantine Samuel Rafinesque, a French-American naturalist, who wrote on-going features under the title "The School of Flora," from 1827 through 1828, in the weekly Saturday Evening Post and the monthly Casket; or Flowers of Literature, Wit, and Sentiment. These pieces contained the botanic, English, and French names of the plant, a description of the plant, an explanation of its Latin names, and the flower's emblematic meaning. However, the first books on floriography were Elizabeth Wirt's Flora's Dictionary and Dorothea Dix's The Garland of Flora, both of which were published in 1829 (though Wirt's book had been issued in an unauthorized edition in 1828).

During its peak in America, the language of flowers attracted the attention of the most popular women writers and editors of the day. Sarah Josepha Hale, longtime editor of the Ladies' Magazine and co-editor of Godey's Lady's Book, edited Flora's Interpreter in 1832; it continued in print through the 1860s. Catharine H. Waterman Esling wrote a long poem titled, "The Language of Flowers" which first appeared in 1839 in her own language of flowers book, Flora's Lexicon; it continued in print through the 1860s. Lucy Hooper, an editor, novelist, poet, and playwright, included several of her flower poems in The Lady's Book of Flowers and Poetry, first published in 1841. Frances Sargent Osgood, a poet and friend of Edgar Allan Poe, first published The Poetry of Flowers and Flowers of Poetry in 1841, and it continued in print through the 1860s. Osgood also edited a special gift book, The Floral Offering, in 1847. Sarah Carter Edgarton Mayo, author of several flower books, was associate editor of the Universalist monthly The Ladies' Repository in Boston from 1839 to 1842. Her book, The Flower Vase, was first published in 1844. She also edited the books Fables of Flora in 1844 and The Floral Fortune Teller in 1846. C. M. Kirtland is probably Caroline Matilda Kirkland, editor of theUnion Magazine of Literature and Art from 1847 to 1851 and the Unitarian weekly Christian Inquirer from 1847 to 1852. First published in 1848, Kirkland's Poetry of Flowers continued to be in print at least until 1886. One of the more comprehensive books, its 522 pages contain an extensive dictionary and numerous flower poems.

MEANING OF FLOWERS

noreply@blogger.com (NSHAZ) — Mon, 14 Sep 2015 05:31:00 +0000

Do you know the language of flowers? As our list below shows, each flower has its own meaning. Orange blossom, for instance, symbolizes chastity, purity and loveliness, while red chrysanthemum means I love you.

Flowers have always been a big feature at weddings, too. As an example, look to the royal flower bouquet in the wedding of Prince William, Duke of Cambridge, to Kate Middleton (now Catherine, Ducchess of Cambridge). Her flowers had very special meaning.

The groom, too, wears a flower that appears in the bridal bouquet in his button-hole. This stems from the Medieval tradition of wearing his Lady's colors, as a declaration of his love.

One fun idea is to have a garden gathering and have each person bring a flower that has meaning to them. Or, paint tiles on a kitchen island with a flower that represents each of your loved ones.

There is a language, little known,
Lovers claim it as their own.
Its symbols smile upon the land,
Wrought by nature's wondrous hand;
And in their silent beauty speak,
Of life and joy, to those who seek
For Love Divine and sunny hours
In the language of the flowers.
–The Language of Flowers, London, 1875

Please tell us which flowers have meaning to you! If we are missing one of your favorites, please tell us which one and its meaning.

Wish to grow a flower that has meaning to you or a loved one? Click on the linked plant names for free planting and growing guides.

Symbolic Meanings of Herbs, Flowers and Trees
Aloe	Healing, protection, affection
Angelica	Inspiration
Arborvitae	Unchanging friendship
Bachelor's button	Single blessedness
Basil	Good wishes
Bay	Glory
Black-eyed Susan	Justice
Carnation	Alas for my poor heart
Chamomile	Patience
Chives	Usefulness
Chrysanthemum	Cheerfulness
Clover, white	Think of me
Coriander	Hidden worth
Crocus, spring	Youthful gladness
Cumin	Fidelity
Daffodil	Regard
Daisy	Innocence, hope
Dill	Powerful against evil
Edelweiss	Courage, devotion
Fennel	Flattery
Fern	Sincerity
Forget-me-not	Forget-me-not
Geranium, oak-leaved	True friendship
Goldenrod	Encouragement
Heliotrope	Eternal love
Holly	Hope
Hollyhock	Ambition
Honeysuckle	Bonds of love
Horehound	Health
Hyacinth	Constancy of love, fertility
Hyssop	Sacrifice, cleanliness
Iris	A message
Ivy	Friendship, continuity
Jasmine, white	Sweet love
Lady's-mantle	Comforting
Lavender	Devotion, virtue
Lemon balm	Sympathy
Lilac	Joy of youth
Lily-of-the-valley	Sweetness
Marjoram	Joy and happiness
Mint	Virtue
Morning glory	Affection
Myrtle	The emblem of marriage, true love
Nasturtium	Patriotism
Oak	Strength
Oregano	Substance
Pansy	Thoughts
Parsley	Festivity
Pine	Humility
Poppy, red	Consolation
Rose, red	Love, desire
Rosemary	Remembrance
Rue	Grace, clear vision
Sage	Wisdom, immortality
Salvia, blue	I think of you
Salvia, red	Forever mine
Savory	Spice, interest
Sorrel	Affection
Southernwood	Constancy, jest
Sweet pea	Pleasures
Sweet William	Gallantry
Sweet woodruff	Humility
Tansy	Hostile thoughts
Tarragon	Lasting interest
Thyme	Courage, strength
Tulip, red	Declaration of love
Valerian	Readiness
Violet	Loyalty, devotion, faithfulness
Willow	Sadness
Yarrow	Everlasting love
Zinnia	Thoughts of absent friends