Ask the Expert: What perennials bloom each season.
I live in the Washington, DC area and would like some flowers to blossom for each season, spring, summer, and fall. Can you help me? Cynthia

Reply:

The possibilies are vast.  So, I’ll share a few of my favorites that will also work in your area.   Our hardiness zones are very similar  Paragould Ar is a 6b (6-7)zone and DC is a 7b (7-8)zone.  Knowing what zone you are in is important when selecting perennial.  The hardiness zone defines how cold the area will get and every plant has a cold hadiness thresshold.

For Winter -Gerberas (if you are lucky) and Hellebores.  I also plant tulips and daffodil.

For Spring- Iris, Verbascum, Peonies, Phlox subulata (creeping phlox), Anemone, Bergenia, Clematis and Dianthus.

For Summer - Phlox paniculata, Guara, Echinacea, Ascelepias, Liatris, Gallardia, Veronica, Platycodon, Monarda, Kniphofia and Alcea (hollyhock). I could go on and on but I these are my favorties.  I also plant Asiatic lilies, Oriental lilies and Gladiolus.

For Autumn - Anemone, Solidago, Helianthus, Chrysanthemums, Dianthus, Rudebeckia and Geum.

Of course these are just a handful of the many perennial options for the Washington Dc area.  There are also an abundance of flowering shrubs for each season that can add color to your yard.  The thing to do is to pop into your local nursery & garden center - not a box store.  Most nurseries will have a perennial person (someone who is both knowledgeable about and has actually grown many of the perennials themselves).  I happen to be the perennial person for our garden center.  They will be able to give you the true ins and outs about which perennials perform well in your area.  Other factors such as humidity and rain fall can also determine the right perennials for your area and the staff at your local garden center will be able to help you with those issues.

Good Luck and let me know how your perennial garden does.

Looking For Something Different But Still Comfortable?

Here’s Why I Recommend Cyclamen

You know how it goes. Sometimes you want to buy one thing over and over and over because it’s comfortable. It’s familiar. It’s safe. Then again sometimes you want to cycle through every option available until you find the thing that’s comfortable, familiar, safe. I’m that way with gift-giving and I know I’m not the only one. It’s not just limited to gift ideas though. I’m like that when I begin to decorate my home. Though not a big fan of change, I get bored easily and need to find something that I’ll like better. Something that suits the new me. Something comfortable, familiar and safe but different. After all, I don’t want things to change too much!

Buy Cyclamen Blooming Plants

Reasons Why You Will Like Cyclamen

Reason #1 To Try Cyclamen: Cyclamen (Cyclamen persicum) is a beautiful blooming plant.  The colorful blooms make it easy to enjoy. It adds a splash of color to the decor but is not busy or bold. It’s just…plain…pretty.

Reason #2 To Fall For Cyclamen: When you send cyclamen plants what you do not realize is that you might as well be sending perfumed petals because that’s what the recipient is getting. Cyclamen is a very fragrant plant when in bloom. It’s not an overwhelming scent so it’s ok to send to most people with sensitive olfactory senses (people that get sick around strong smells). If you want a fresher environment, call up your local florist or stop by and pick up Cyclamen plants for yourself. The fragrance is well worth it.

Reason #3 To Buy Cyclamen: This particular flowering plant is a mound forming plant which basically means that it grows in a neat little contained area. If you want a plant for your office or apartment, cyclamen is a great option because it is not overbearing. It’s not in-your-face and overwhelming. It’s the perfect size for decorating small spaces. It can also be grouped together or bought in larger sizes to decorate large spaces. It’s one of those can-do blooming plants that seems to satisfy every spacial requirement.

Reason #4 To Give Cyclamen A Chance: Cyclamen blooming plants are not hard to take care of. They’re about as easy as any other flowering plants which means keep them watered during growing season (mid-winter to spring), give them a fair amount of light, and keep the soil moist but well drained. Again, cyclamen plant care requires the same amount of attention as most other blooming houseplants. Whether sending cyclamen to a newbie or a seasoned houseplant expert, cyclamen is a good gift idea.

Send A Blooming Plant!

Oh yeah. That’s right. I said BIG gift idea.

While the size of a blooming plant may be small, their stature and status in the gift world is nothing short of grandiose. They’re awesome!

There are many occasions that require sending a gift. It’s easy to get caught up in trying to find something perfect, unique, attractive, etc. When you find yourself staring into space thinking about your next big gift idea, consider these three reasons why you should send a blooming plant.

Blooming Plants Are Practical And Beautiful

Blooming plants are the best of both worlds. They are flowering plants that allow the recipient to enjoy the beauty of colorful blooms with the practicality of a plant. Flower lovers enjoy the mass of blooms that form on the plants while plant lovers enjoy a long-lasting gift.  Speaking of long-lasting…

Blooming Plants Are The Gift That Keeps Giving

Blooming plants bring together the attractive qualities of both flower bouquets and houseplants. Plants are well renowned for lasting quite a bit longer than a bouquet of flowers. While flowers are great gifts in their own right, plants tend to stick around to be enjoyed longer than flowers. Blooming plants offer the recipient a chance to enjoy the beauty of flowers and the durability of plants at the same time.

There Isn’t A Bad Time To Send A Blooming Plant

The occasion is almost irrelevant when sending a flowering plant. Going to a housewarming party? Bring along a blooming housewarming plant. Know someone with a birthday coming up? Blooming plants are especially good for people who have had enough birthdays that now they’re trying to count backwards. Flowering plants acknowledge every occasion with dignity and a splash of color.

I’d be thrown off if I ever met someone who didn’t like Easter lilies. I’m sure this person would have a good reason, but I can’t think of one off hand. Easter lilies are just that cool! Though not really a “plant” per se, I have decided that these springtime favorites should be the featured plant profile for March.

Buy Traditional Easter Lilies From A Local Florist

Easter is coming up soon. It’s one of my favorite times of year. Spring weather is gorgeous which means blossoming flowers, warm rain showers, and blogs that randomly break into rhyme. With Spring comes Easter and with Easter comes Easter lilies.

Everyone loves the Easter lily (Lilium longiflorum). It’s no surprise. It’s great! My favorite thing about Easter lilies is that they bring to mind so many different memories for each person. It doesn’t matter who is looking at them. Each year provides another memory and another reason to send Easter lilies to a loved one.

My favorite memory involving Easter lilies takes place in church. (Go figure, right?) My mother always loved attending the sunrise services held each Easter Sunday. One particular morning started out rather chilly because of a morning breeze.

We warmed up quickly, at least warmed our hearts, as my good friend and pastor began a short sermon. He began to discuss the many flowers that we see each Easter on the altar. After finishing the sermon he gave each of us a small Easter lily to drive his point home. We were all duly impressed. This simple gesturer along with the memory of his words solidified my opinion of the beautiful flowers.

Do you have a favorite memory that involves Easter lilies? Share it! We always love to hear how your life has been touched by flowers.

Are you worried about sending flowers to your friend that sneezes due to allergies? Flower allergies are more common than you’d think, but don’t let that deter you from this tried-and-true gift idea.

There are many allergy friendly flowers that send the same message of love and friendship but without the mess of lousy symptoms. The next time that you’re interested in sending flowers to someone with strong allergies, consider some of these for your allergy-friendly bouquet:

Gladiolus



Potted Daffodils

• Agapanthus
• Bouvardia
• Carnations
• Daffodils
• Gladiolus
• Hydrangeas
• Hypericum Berries
• Iris
• Leucadendron
• Lisanthus
• Magnolia
• Orchids
• Protea
• Snapdragons
• Spray Roses
• Thistles
• Tulips
• Hibiscus

See anything you like? The good news is that this list is full of very commonly used, gorgeous flowers that are popular in every local flower shop. It’s so simple to make two caring gestures by sending flowers for an occasion (or just because!) and making sure that they are allergy friendly. Your friend will be very appreciative! Don’t forget the foliage! There are also several types of allergy friendly plants that you can ask your local florist to send instead.

• Blooming Azalea
• Flowering Kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana)
• Blooming Hydrangea Plant
• Golden pothos (Scindapsus aureus)

Sending flowers and plants has become a standard gift-giving idea for many reasons. Whatever the cause may be, sending flowers or plants is a great way to express feelings to a friend or loved one. Let your friend know that you’re looking out for him or her in the biggest ways by sending allergy friendly flowers or plants.

Colorful Croton Houseplant

Valentines Day is over and the chocolates are probably eaten. However, there are many other occasions this month that call for good gift ideas. To the rescue once again, here is a suggestion that should no longer be overlooked:

Send a plant!

The brilliance of that suggestion deserves more fanfare. Customers in flower shops often overlook houseplants as gift ideas when they should instead be drawn to plants for many reasons; practicality, longevity, and beauty among them. Houseplants are as diverse as flowers but bring a lot more to the table (or the corner, or the desk, or the nook). They are definitely worth a mention when discussing gift ideas with your local florist.

Chrysanthemum Blooming Plant

Your florist will be able to guide you as to which plants are easier for beginners and experts. This will help you choose just the right plant for your friend or loved one. When ordering plants from a florist, be sure to ask if they have plant care information available. Many times this information can be included with the enclosure card, helping the recipient’s plant last longer.

If your florist does not have this information, Flower Shop Network has plant care information for many houseplants such as daffodils, African violets, Norfolk Island pine, Schefflera, English ivy and others.

A dish garden or houseplant lasts longer than a typical cut flower arrangement. Want the best of both worlds? Send a blooming houseplant such as kalanchoe, exacum or hydrangea. While the natural beauty of many flowers is unrivaled, houseplants preserve a special memory of their sender. Help perpetuate wonderful thoughts of a budding relationship by sending a houseplant along with plant care information.

Enjoy English Ivy Plants

Oh yeah. There’s a lot to love about English Ivy (Hedera helix). From stem to stern (pardon the pun) there are many reasons to choose English Ivy as your next houseplant. When considering giving a gift to someone that you love, ask your local flower shop to send this awesome plant.

Want to know what makes English Ivy an awesome houseplant? Here are your top 5 reasons to get down with Hedera helix.

1. English Ivy is highly available. ~ Your grandmother has it. Your mother has it. Your aunt’s cousin’s brother received it as a gift. Chances are great that you’ll be able to buy English Ivy houseplants from your local florist.
2. English Ivy (Hedera helix) is easy to remember. ~ Sci-fi lovers will enjoy how Hedera helix sounds like a character name from Star Wars or The Matrix trilogy. Do I sense a funny card message with this gift?
3. English Ivy plant care is simple. ~ Part of the reason English Ivy is popular is because it’s easy to care for. Even the most forgetful of us can remember how to care for this plant. Plus, English Ivy plant care information is available 24/7 from Flower Shop Network! Ta-da!
4. Diversity reigns with English Ivy. ~ It’s true. Like a meeting of the United Nations, English Ivy can represent every part of its world. This plant can be trained as a climber against a supporting pole, seen trailing across yards and gardens, left to bring green beauty as an indoor houseplant, or climbing walls. Not many other houseplants are able to serve in so many locations.
5. Because I said so. ~ Just kidding! English Ivy comes with my recommendation but it stands on its own as one of the most popular, diverse and beautiful houseplants around. It’s the perfect gift idea for plant lovers!

When shopping for unique gifts that keep giving throughout the year, consider English Ivy plants from your local flower shop. They are well worth the phone call!

Shuffle Toward Scheffleras

Actinophylla to arboricola, Schefflera plants have long been among the favorites in the houseplant world. They’re popular, easy to care for, and show a lot of love in return.

January is the month when the Christmas tree comes down (for most people) and that empty feeling begins to set in. It’s not empty because of the passing of the holiday or anything like that. It’s that longing need to fill the space where the tree stood with a natural substitute that has more staying power. To keep those non-holiday blues away, I fully recommend schefflera plants.

Silliness aside, schefflera houseplants are very cozy and inviting additions to any room. Caring for schefflera houseplants is rather simple for those who have had houseplants before. Beginners shouldn’t be scared. A little t.l.c. goes a long way with this plant. Need a little more information about schefflera before stopping by your local flower shop? Flower Shop Network has the schefflera plant care information that you want along with plant care information for many other popular houseplants.

One thing to note about schefflera plants is that they tend to require a lot of light to become vibrantly green. If you live in an area with very gray winters, try keeping your plant in rooms with a lot of light though not very near the source as the heat can be damaging. With all of the post-holiday parties to come, light and sound will invariably make it to your schefflera. The tree may be down but the natural beauty of indoor plants lives on!

Ask the Expert: Grown in water with pebbles
Can Dragon trees/plants be grown in water with pebbles? If not, what plants can be grown in water with pebbles besides “lucky bamboo”? I would really appreciate your help!! Ains

Reply:
Ains,

Dragon trees (Dracaena marginata) is not one that I would grow in water. My suggestion is to use one of these four plants:

Equisetum hyemale - Horsetail
Juncus effusus spiralis - Corkscrew Rush
Lysimachia nummularia - Creeping Jenny
Acornus gramineus - Sweet flag

Horsetail

You should be able to plant these the same way you would lucky bamboo. My favorite is the horsetail because it texture, color and up right growth pattern. Horsetail is very versatile and can be used as a cut foliage as well as a potted plant or a landscaping plant.

This photo of Equisetum hyemale was provide by Dr. Amadej Trnkoczy through CalPhotos.

See what I mean about the texture and color. Horsetail is a very interesting plant. My aunt uses it at the edge of her pond and I love the unique element it give to the landscaping.

Corkscrew Rush

The next three images come from Ball Horticulture.

I have grown the Corkscrew Rush as a potted plant but not as a bog plant. However, I have known other who have and they like the curly yet smooth texture of the leaves.

Creeping Jenny

Creeping Jenny is another very versatile plant. My aunt with the pond uses it as a cascading plant at the top of the waterfall. Part of the plant grows in the water and part in the soil.

Sweet Flag

Sweet flag is another plant that my aunt uses along the edge of her pond in the shadier areas. It seems to like the water; but of all the plants, I find this one the least interesting. However, it will give you the fullest look.

Any one of these plants could be used in the same fashion as lucky bamboo. Your choice will depend on the texture, color and growth pattern you prefer. Some local flower shops and most nursery garden center will carry these plant varieties. Our nursery carries all of them and we usually sell the Horsetail as a water plant. Good luck and keep me posted. I’m excited to see which one you choose. Send me a picture when you make your choice and I’ll post it.

Send A Holiday Norfolk Island Pine

Until recently I did not realize the impression that norfolk island pine houseplants can have on someone. I decided to visit Aunt Cathy one day and stepped into her office for some chit-chat. In a corner of the room stands this incredible plant that towers over a small file cabinet. It certainly adds a grand atmosphere; that’s for sure!

Well there are many reasons why Norfolk Island Pine (Araucaria heterophylla) plants are so popular, especially during the holiday season. You can place these plants in an office, a corner, or in brighter lights. The room can be slightly cool, normal, or warm. Norfolk Island Pine thrives in all of these environments.

Bright fluorescent lights of an office work just as well as the incandescent bulbs of a home or the natural sunlight of a patio. It’s a pretty versatile plant. Most people wanting to send the gift of a houseplant gravitate toward Norfolk Island Pine for this reason.

Caring for Norfolk Island Pine is a breeze compared to plants of similar stature. I was rereading some plant care information about Norfolk Island Pine houseplants and had the following reactions:

• “Keep the soil surrounding the plant evenly moist.” Uh huh. Can do.
• “Norfolk Island Pine requires ample light but never direct sunlight.” So you mean I don’t have to keep transferring it inside and outside of my house to make sure it has enough light? Score! “
• “Another unique use for this popular plant is for bonsai, the Asian art of sculpting miniature trees.” I’ve been needing a new hobby. And short trees. I definitely need short trees.

Because Norfolk Island Pine houseplants come in a variety of sizes, these plants make excellent gift ideas. If your friend needs a colorful way to decorate an office nook, send them a Norfolk Island Pine plant. If your loved one wants to fill out a sunroom with more greenery, give this plant.

Another great thing about this plant (as if these weren’t enough reasons) is that it has a lot of great qualities that people look for in a holiday gift idea. Norfolk Island Pine plants are easy to care for so you are not putting a burden on your loved one with these plants. You’re lightening up their scenery. You can find these plants in many sizes. In this way, it’s easy to satisfy the recipient whether the plant is for an office, an indoor living space or somewhere else. Because I’m a bit quirky, my favorite thing about sending houseplants for Christmas is that you can wrap a pretty red bow around the baskets of the green plants. Now you’re talking quick and simple gift wrap in Christmas colors.

Let’s review:  1) Caring for Norfolk Island Pine doesn’t require much effort. 2) You can’t get more simple but appropriate with the gift wrap. 3) This plant thrives in many environments. 4) Big enough or small enough for most homes and offices.

What’s not to love!?