Grow Ornamental Kale and Flowering Cabbage in Your Garden The Ornamental kale and flowering cabbage are all kales. They are very similar to the edible kale and cabbage in their look and growth. They belong to the same species Brassica oleracea and they love cool weather conditions. They are grown in gardens for the intense colour of foliage and not as vegetables. The flowers usually have purple hues. The Ornamental kale is different from flowering cabbage in having curly or ruffled leaves whereas cabbages have large flat leaves with smooth edges. The ornamental kales are biennial and can grow to 18 inches in height and width. Growing Conditions The Ornamental kale and flowering cabbage can be grown in areas with full sun or partially shaded areas. If grown in a warmer climate, provide them with partial shade. These ornamental plants need exposure to cold temperature to develop deep colours. It is used as a border plant or can be grown in masses for public displays. These plants require fertile and well-drained soil. They can be grown in pots in patios. Both kale and cabbage prefer soils with an acidic pH of about 5.8 to 6.5. Allow the soil to dry
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Hot Lips Plant – Know More About Salvias  The Hot Lips plant is an evergreen perennial that has the aroma of black currant and is known to the world for its distinct looking flowers. The flowers are bicoloured. They usually have white double lower lobes and a red hood. The plant flowers during the spring and the autumn months. These plants can be used in your garden landscapes as border plants or even can be grown as a mass planting. They can also be grown in containers and pots and are suited for wildlife and rock gardens. The botanical name of the Hot Lips plant is Salvia Microphylla. The flowers are variable and not always to the description. Masses of blooms may be totally red or white or pure white colour with red lipstick colour and hence it is named Hot Lips. More About Hot Lips The Hot Lips plant is a popular plant planted in Australian cottage style gardens like mine. It is a hardy perennial sage that flowers almost throughout the year. Plants can withstand most winters without a problem. Salvia microphylla hot lips plant can grow very fast and reach a height and width of up to
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Know About Yellow Iris Pseudacorus  Invasive Water Iris Iris Pseudacorus or yellow flag iris is a perennial belonging to family Iridaceae. This plant is fast-growing and can invade wetlands and backyard landscapes easily. This species comes from Europe North Africa and Western Asia. They invade and form dense growth as shown by my image. It can reduce water movement and prevent the growth of other aquatic plants. Yellow Iris plant has become naturalised widely and is used as garden plants. However, in some areas of the world, growing yellow iris is restricted as they are considered as noxious weeds. The plant has toxic properties and is not safe to consume. Plant Description This moisture-loving iris has green or bluish green long strap-like leaves. The leaves are usually 1metre long and 30 mm wide with a mid-rib. The plant reaches a height of about 150 cm. The flowers are large and bright yellow coloured with three broad and three narrow lobes. The flowers are produced on a flattened stem. The flowers flutter in the breeze like flags and hence the name. They are produced from October to January or early summer in Australia. The seeds are three-angled capsules with glossy green
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Geum Plant Information And Taking Care Geum or Avens is an herbaceous perennial flower belonging to the rose family. This rhizomatous plant is widespread in distribution across Asia, Europe, America, New Zealand and Australia. They are evergreen plants except in areas with extreme winter cold. They have coarse textured dark green leaves and grow 16-18 inches tall measured by flower height. Most flowers are produced on long stalks and the flower colour ranges from red, orange or tones of yellow as well as pinks. The plant forms clumps that spread to 12-18 inches. Hybrid cultivars have double blossoms which are fluffy, attractive and look affective. Flowers are usually produced during spring and re-blooms spasmodically throughout summer. The seed heads of the plant are also attractive with a feathery tail like appearance. Geums make good border plant in cool or warm areas and it is nice to see them planted in masses. They are well as container plants and are great as cut flowers. The plant grows well if given basic care and proper soil conditions. Growing Conditions Geum produces flowers when planted in the sunny location and given moderate watering. The plant requires at least 6 hours of sunlight. Believe
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How To Plant And Take Care Of Iris Gracilipes Iris Gracilipes is a grassy ornamental plant, a sampling of a Dwarf Crested Iris. The plant produces many small lilac-blue or mauve coloured flowers. This perennial plant with showy flowers is easy to grow in home gardens. Iris Gracilipes grows in a smaller rounded clump and because of its foliage, reminds me of a miniature daylily. This plant is ideal for the rock garden and woodlands but is difficult to grow compared to the crested roof iris – Iris Tectorum. Both species of the Evansia Iris are grown for the beautiful blooms. The plant forms the ground hugging groundcover and grows only about 10-15 cm in height. It is a native of Japan and found mainly on wooded, rocky mountain slopes and forest edges. They can withstand salty winds and grows well in seaside areas away from frosty atmospheres. These Irises can withstand snow to a certain extent. They can also be grown in flat pots. The flowers are produced from October to November in Australia. Plant Description The foliage of the plant is sword-like and the flowers have a complex structure. The leaves grow about 12 inches long. The three
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How to Grow and Propagate String Of Hearts The chain of hearts, string of hearts or rosary vine are some common names of Ceropegia woodii. This ornamental houseplant is a native to Southern Africa. This perennial plant belongs to milkweed subfamily. Even though this is an evergreen climber with a stringy purple coloured stem, the trailing stems make it a good choice for a hanging plant. You can also make them grow on a trellis by winding up the stems on the support. The trails of the vine can reach 12’ long in its natural habitat. When grown as houseplants it can grow to 2’ to 4’. Plant Description The leaves are heart-shaped and opposite in arrangement on the stem. The colour of the leaves is dark green with silver marbled effect on the upper side and purple or green on the underside. I have noticed when grown indoors the leaves may have light green or cream colour due to poor light. The tubers of the plant grow along the vine giving the effect of beads on the rosary and hence the name rosary vine. The plant produce blooms mainly during summer and autumn. The flower may appear at other
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Growing Bulbine Frutescens In Your Garden Bulbine Frutescens also known as snake flower or burn jelly plant is a popular flowering plant ideal for the water-wise garden. This plant is indigenous to South Africa. This succulent plant is fast growing and has long flesh leaves and clasping stems. They form clumps and have adventitious roots and star-shaped flowers with 6 petals are produced in clusters on elongated flowering stems. The blooming time is spring and flowers have yellow or orange colour. The yellow coloured fluffy stamen makes the flower more attractive. While the name of the plant is misleading as the plants do not develop bulbs. Nevertheless the plant is also grown for it’s medicinal value. The plant requires the least care and will add beauty to your garden throughout the year. If you are looking for a drought resistant ground cover, then Bulbine Frutescens are the ideal choice. The fruit of the plant is capsule shaped and bears three chambers which contain black seeds. Growing tips These plants can be grown anywhere as they are drought and frost resistant. They can be grown even in pots kept in a balcony. At my place this plant can survive with very
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All about Orris Root Plant Orris root is extracted from the aromatic rhizomes of three types of bearded irises. I grow these three types of irises used for Orris root preparation in my garden. They are iris Florentina, Iris germanica, and iris pallida – my image. Irises are perennial plants with beautiful blooms and are grown around the world. The bearded Irises have a sweet fragrance and iris pallida has the best fragrance out of the three. It will take 2 to 3 years for the iris plant to mature. Plants are harvested at this stage and it is used in various ways after drying it. The main ingredient of Orris root is myristic acid. The drying period may vary according to the product prepared using Orris root. If used for perfumes or for the potpourri, the rhizome should dry for at least 2 years. For the preparation of gin, it is dried for at least 5 years. Harvesting the Rhizomes Irises are slow growing plant variety and hence it will take at least 3 to 4 years for the rhizomes to mature. To harvest the rhizomes, pull out the plants during autumn and clean the soil and debris from
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Toad Lily Plant Grows In Shade Gardens Toad Lily Plants are also known as the Hairy Toad Plants. They are hardy perennial plants that belong to the lily family. The binomial name of the Toad Lily Plant is Tricyrtis Hirta and it belongs to Liliaceae family and the order Liliales. They are native to Japan and are seen commonly on stream banks and shaded rocky terrains. The flowers are the most attractive part of the Toad Lily Plant, they have thick and waxy flowers. The plant blooms from whitish to pale purple colours. These plants are most suited for beds and borders, waterside and for ground covers. More About Toad Lily Plant The flowers of the Toad Lily Plant are bell-shaped or star-shaped depending on the variety of the plant. The flowers will be blooming on the axles of the plant. The stems of the plant are upright and arched. These stems hold the attractive looking flowers. Even though the flowers of the Toad Lily Plant come in different colours, most of the flowers will have clear spots seen on them. This is how the Toad Lilies are recognised. They reach a height of 1 to 3 feet and the
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Saffron Crocus- How to Grow Them and Use Them in Cooking Saffron crocus or crocus sativus is the plant from which the spice “saffron” is obtained. The bright orange–red filaments seen inside the flower is the spice used to flavour foods. Saffron has been in use as spice for more than 3500 years. It grows well in East Asia, Mediterranean, and many other parts of the world as well. Because of the lightness of the saffron spice, it is expensive, as it needs huge number of flowers to produce useful amount of spice. The saffron plant grows from the corm or bulb. It can reach to height of 10 to 30 cm. The plant produces purple flowers during autumn. The filaments are the stigma of the plant and each flower will contain three stamens and one style. You can grow saffron plant in your garden to get the saffron for your home cooking needs. Growing Saffron Crocus Make sure that you get quality saffron bulbs to plant in your garden. Saffron plant requires well draining soil with good organic content and full sun to grow. During summer the bulbs remain dormant. Plant the corms in garden bed or in containers
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