Ask the Expert: Lucky Bamboo
I know you can restart new plants by cuttings, but I have a fairly large plant in water and not knowing about the water depth thing, the roots are tremendous.  Can I trim away some unneeded roots????  Candy

Plant Expert Reply:

Yes, you can trim excess roots from your lucky bamboo.  Just trim the roots the same way you do your hair from the ends back to the stalk.  I don't trim the roots off completely.

Most florists are naturally in tune with the shades and hues that make flowers complement each other properly. It's something simply understood. We've already discussed the color use. In addition to this element of floral design, there are floral design principles surrounding what are often referred to as "warm colors" and "cool colors".

"Colorful Harvest" Warm Colored Flowers

Warm colors are all of the shades of red, orange and yellow (red through yellow-green on the color wheel). These are called warm colors because of their association with sunlight. Most people associate with warm colors with sunshine, fire and energy. Warm colored flowers are often used to express a very energetic emotion such as passionate love, excitement and enthusiasm. When included in a mixed flower arrangement, warm colors often stand out and gather the most attention. Because they seem to "project" from the rest of the design, warm colors are often called advancing colors or aggressive colors.

Cool colors are all shades of green, blue and violet (green through red-violet on the color wheel). Flowers in these colors are refered to as having "cool colors" because of their association with water, sky, grass and trees. These more earthy tones are used to express calm, relaxing emotions. Because these colors lack the energy of warm colors, they are also often associated with sadness and melancholy emotions. Because cool colors often sit back and let the warm colored flowers take the lead, they are often referred to as receding colors.

"For All You Do" Cool Colored Flowers

It is important to note with both that flowers in both color groups unconsciously enhance certain emotions in individuals. For example, red roses automatically remind recipients of love and romantic occasions. Therefore, red roses would be great for an anniversary but are less appropriate for funeral flowers.

In the same way, cool colored flowers would be less appropriate for exciting occasions that merit indulgence and excessive emotion. There are exceptions (like new baby flowers for boys), but cool colored flowers should typically be used to enhance warm colored flowers, express a less enthusiastic emotion or encourage relaxation.

Learn more about the color wheel used by florists.

Ask the Expert: How do you care for the peace lily flower?
I keep my peace lily near a sliding glass door which has an overhang on the outside which provides indirect lighting. The soil is kept damp to the touch. The flowers on the peace lily never open fully,develop a brown spot on it and eventually dies.

The leaves are green and healthy.
What am I doing wrong? Jacquie

Plant Expert Reply:

It sounds as if your are caring for your peace lily plant properly.  Peace lilies need a humid environment.  Lack of humidity could cause the blooms to turn brown and not open.   So, I would start misting your plant every other day.  If this doesn't correct the problem, we will need to explore the possiblity of some fungal or disease issue.  A photo of the problems can help us pin point the problem.  Good luck and keep me posted.

I have a beautiful magnolia tree in my front yard so I'm especially attached to the Louisiana state flower. In case you haven't guessed it yet, the Louisiana state flower is the magnificent magnolia. The flowers that bloom on a magnolia tree are beautiful, large, creamy white and richly scented. Even as the petals fall, there is beauty to behold. Watching magnolia flowers fall from a tree is like watching snow dance across the yard in the middle of June. There is very little to dislike about magnolias, so it's easy to see why Louisiana legislators would choose the magnolia as their state flower.

Photo courtesy 50states.com

Like most state flowers, the magnolia is not one that you will find in arrangements from a local flower shop. Instead, these are beautiful flowers that are found on magnolia trees all across the south. It's probably why you hear so many Old South impressions that include the phrase "like a beautiful magnolia" or "my little magnolia." Having never seen the movie, I can't tie Steel Magnolias into my southern theme but it says a lot for the magnolias to be in a movie title! That's one distinctive flower!

Louisianans can be very proud of their state flower. The magnolia is a credit to any yard that the magnolia tree graces. As the flowers begin to bloom a very sweet aroma is released. You can tell it's spring when you step onto your porch and smell a light, airy fragrance laced with sweetness. One look at a magnolia tree in bloom and there is no doubt what kind of tree it is. Magnolias are remarkable and unmistakable. Louisiana florists are not the only ones who get to witness the beauty of magnolia flowers. No, this is a bloom that florists everywhere can enjoy even if it's just a photo. They are that special!

courtesy of istock photo

Adding cool blue to your garden lends a feeling of calmness and restfulness. Because there are so few flowers that are truly blue, this color is most coveted by gardeners. One of the most beautiful blue flowers in the world is the Blue Himalayan poppy (Meconopsis betonicifolia). I haven't tried to grow them because they are temperamental and quite a challenge to grow in hotter areas, such as my Zone 7. The sight of a cluster of Blue Himalayan poppies blowing in the breeze will make you sigh.

Introduce lovely old-fashioned 'Nikko Blue' or 'Blue Wave' hydrangea to your garden as a foundation plant. Hydrangeas have the ability to change color based on the alkalinity of the soil. That means even the lovely 'Nikko Blue' has a chance at blooming pink instead of blue! The bloom colors will be pink in alkaline soil. In more acidic soil (5.2-5.5ph), the bloom colors are blue. To ensure that stunning blue hue, you need to manipulate your soil's pH level and mineral content. This must be done several times during the growing season. You can lower the pH by watering with 2 tbsp of aluminum sulfate per gallon of water. The results are well worth the extra effort!

Consider the enchanting Delphinium (also known as Larkspur). Delphinium derives its genus’ name from the Greek word for "dolphin" and is suggested by the shape of a gland in the blossoms that secretes nectar.  Delphiniums make wonderful long-lasting cut flowers and bloom in red, blue and yellow, as well as blended varieties. They prefer cool, moist places and bloom in late spring. Often growing six to eight feet tall, there are some dwarf varieties that top out at just two feet in height. They grow best in full sun, but will tolerate partial shade, and need staking to keep the stems upright. Keep the soil moist to feed quick growth and add a general purpose fertilizer once a month until they have bloomed.

The ethereal, light and airy Love-in-a-Mist (Nigella damascena) is a beautiful Victorian garden annual blooming in soft shades of blue, pink, white, and lavender. This annual herbaceous plant is in the buttercup family (Ranunculaceae), readily self-seeds, and is common in old-fashioned cottage gardens. It grows in full sun to partial shade and blooms from late spring through fall. Nigella is short-lived, so for continuous bloom, repeat sowing every four weeks. You can cut and deadhead this plant to keep it flowering longer.

It just wouldn't be spring without masses of tiny Grape Hyacinths (Muscari) planted as bulbs in swaths throughout your garden. Growing no more than 10 inches tall, the tight conical heads of tiny round flowers do look like clusters of grapes. Blue is a predominant color but they also come in pale ice blue, white and yellow. Muscari, a member of the Lily family, are quite prolific, making them perfect for naturalizing. Look for the popular 'Heavenly Blue', bright blue 'Dark Eyes', mid-blue 'Cote d'Azur',  sky blue 'Valerie Finnis', and the frosty 'Blue Spike'.  I  have the double-flowered 'Fantasy Creation' variety in my garden—their flower heads look like clusters of blue broccoli! Easy to grow in full sun to part shade in zones 3-9 and low-maintenance—what's not to love about these little blue jewels?

Star-shaped, pale blue Spring Starflower (Ipheion uniflorum), with grass-like foliage is a spring perennial grown from bulbs and is very long-blooming (3-5 weeks). This plant naturalizes very swiftly, spreading by self-seeding and from bulb offsets. Often used in rock gardens and woodland gardens, they grow just 4-5 inches tall, and are perennials in Zones 6 to 7 (with mulching to protect from frost) and in Zones 8 to 9 without mulching. They can be grown in full sun to part shade, require medium watering, and are low maintenance.

In my humble opinion, a garden without ‘Heavenly Blue’ Morning Glories (Ipomoea tricolor) is incomplete. Their fleeting beauty will take your breath away. These vigorous climbers are grown from seed and will cover a trellis or wall in just one season- growing up to 20 feet and blooming prolifically. One year, I counted over 300 blooms on the vines that covered my front wall! An herbaceous annual twining vine, it will reach out in a clockwise direction and take hold of anything near it. The 4-5" trumphet-shaped flowers come in a variety of other colors, including reds, pinks and purples—but there's nothing more heavenly than the classic  'Heavenly Blue' variety.

The buds of the herbaceous perennial Virginia Bluebell (Mertensia virginica), a member of the Borage family, begin as a pinkish shade and transform into pale blue-violet colored, trumphet-shaped flowers as they mature. Blooming in mid-to-late spring, they can be found growing en masse in moist woodland areas in partial to full shade. Plant them with hostas and ferns as companion plants.

Best planted in large groups for maximum visual impact, Blue-eyed grass (Sisyrinchium angustifolium), a member of the Iris family, is a late spring-blooming perennial with very tiny (less than 1/2 inch!) iris-like blue flowers with yellow centers. Blue-eyed Grass does well in moist areas with some sun, and if happy in its spot, will spread to form stands. Its diminutive size makes it great for adding a grasslike addition to a small garden where ornamental grass would be overwhelming.

This Hardy Geranium (Geranium 'Brookside' cultivar), also known as Cranesbill, is a deciduous, herbaceous perennial that forms a neat mound that is about 18" high and wide. Flowering begins in spring. If you cut it back after flowering, it should bloom again in the summer. It makes a great filler for mixed borders or full-sun perennial beds and grows well in containers. It prefers full sun but can tolerate part shade for half of the day. It does best in moist, well-drained soil. Hardy in zones 5-8.

Salvias also provide that saturated blue color that gardeners seek. Look for Mealycup Sage (Salvia farinacea 'Victoria Blue'), a member of the mint family. This herbaceous perennial is commonly grown as an annual in cold areas. Striped Squill (Puschkinia libanotica) is a beautiful spring bulb flower growing just 4-5 inches tall, with pale white-blue petals with darker blue center stripes. If you're an Iris fan, look for the lovely blossoms of the Giant Blue Flag Louisiana Iris (Iris giganticaerulea) with its four foot stems; or 'Sky Beauty' Dutch Iris with its combination of white and french blue petals with a single lemon yellow blotch. Agapanthus, or 'Lily of the Nile', with its blue ball-shaped clusters and funnel-shaped flowers on four foot stems, is a showy addition to any garden.

And finally, we can't forget the diminutive Forget-Me-Nots (Myosotis alpestris)! This perennial grows 5-12 inches high in alpine meadows (or your garden!). Each dainty flower is a mere 1/3 inch wide, with sky blue petals, a white inner ring, and a tiny yellow center. Blooming in May and June, hardy Forget-Me-Nots prefer partial shade and spread by reseeding. These charming old fashioned flowers can help fill in the blanks in your garden!

If you don't have the blues, you certainly should - for your garden, that is!

Don't keep the blues to yourself.  Did you know that local florists use many of these blue flowers, Hydrangea, Delphinium, Niegella, Grape Hyacinths, Iris, Agapanthus, and Forget-me-nots, in flower arrangements? So even if you don't have a garden full of blue flowers, you can share a beautiful blue bouquet with a friend.

Cindy Dyer is a freelance graphic designer and photographer in Alexandria, Virginia. Visit her blog at www.cindydyer.wordpress.com and her botanical gallery at www.cindydyer.zenfolio.com. She can reached at dyerdesign@aol.com. All photos © Cindy Dyer, unless specified otherwise.

My sister-in-law is having a baby boy this month. Another friend of mine is expecting a daughter around the same time. Not wanting to show partiality, I've decided to feature two flower arrangements this month.

Spring seems like baby season to me. The birth of new flowers coincides with the birth of precious little arrivals. I love children so these new baby flower arrangements stood out to me when I first came across them. After a second and third glimpse, I could no longer pass up sharing them with you.

Ok, I'll stop stalling.

"Congratulations Daughter" New Baby Flowers

"Congratulations Son" New Baby Flowers

Baby Caleb is going to make me Aunt Brynn for the first time. I can hardly wait! Because I'm partial to little boys anyway, his gift has to be extra special. What I love about the "Congratulations Son" arrangement is that it's a cool gift for both Caleb and his parents. There's flowers for mom and a toy for baby! Plus the toy becomes a really sweet keepsake that he can keep for years. I can just hear him now. "This was the toy that I came home with from the hospital on the day I was born." Ah, to know that I sent that gift warms my heart.

While I will not be "Aunt Brynn" to my friend's little girl, I'll definitely be a big part of her life. Her mother and I have been friends for years and will stay that way until we die. I can't just let her go through child birth without a gift! I love the "Congratulations Son" arrangement so much that I was super excited to see the "Congratulations Daughter" flowers. What a treat for me because I know that both baby and momma will smile when the gift is delivered.

Ahhhh. Welcome, Spring.

Ask the Expert: Can you identify this plant?

Datura

A lot of these plants are growing around our lot here in Illinois (near Chicago). We don't know what they are nor if they are toxic.  I'm hoping you will be able to give us some info regarding the identity of this plant.
Thanks in advance for considering this question. Anna

Plant Expert Reply:

I think the plant is a type of Brugmansia (Datura).  The common names associated with this genus are Angel's Trumpet  or Jimsonweed.  It looks more like Angel's Trumpet (Brugmansia), but I won't know until I see the bloom of the plant.  This plant can be toxic

Ask the Expert: I have an Azalea which my son bought me a few years ago I planted it out a couple of years ago and it has given me some beautiful shows each year. but now it seems that all the leaves have turned brown and i haven't had so many flowers on it this year seeing it is in a big pot on my patio do you think it would do it good to prune it right back and also get it out and refill with new Azalea soil again. i shouldn't like to think that i will loose it now after all this time.

regards
Lynne Harper

Plant Expert Reply:
A couple of things could be going wrong.

Your pot maybe to small to handle the growth of the azalea. Azaleas are a shrub and usually need more room than an average size pot for long term survivability.  If your azalea seems to have outgrown it's container, you will need to transplant it in the yard or into a larger pot.  I would trim the plant back by a fourth when your transplant it.  This should encourage new growth.

Water stress is another issue that could cause the symptons the plant is exhibiting.  You will need to determine if the Azalea has had too much or two little water.  Check your drain holes.  Make sure they are still draining.  Correct the water issue and then keep the plant evenly moist.  I recommend trimming the Azalea slightly.

The last issue that could be our problem is insect damage.  Take a magnifying glass and look for spider mites.  At the same time, look for any other indication of pests.  If you find insects, you will need to spray the Azalea with an insecticide. Once again I recommend trimming the Azalea slightly.

If you haven't fertilized the plant lately, you may need to give it a well-balanced fertilizer.  I usually wait until the plant shows signs of recovery before I load it up with fertilizer.

If you still are not sure what is going on with your Azalea, send me a couple of pictures.  I need one close-up picture of the leaf and one of the whole plant.

Ask the Expert: What is the name of this flower?

Tragopogon dubius

Yellow Goat's Beard

I have this plant in my garden. It just appeared there early this year and it only blooms in the early morning. It is beautiful and I would like to know the name.

Plant Expert Reply:

This wildflower is called Yellow Goat's Beard (Tragopogon dubius).  It is often found in fields, meadows, waste ground, roadsides, railroads and blooms April through July.

Gaillardia

Ask the Expert: Flower identification
This perennial blooms in June.  Any ideas on identification?  Thanks! Phil

Plant Expert Reply:

This is an awesome perennial called Gaillardia (Indian Blanket Flower) and will bloom all summer long.  This is one of the few perennials that will give me color all summer.  The only down side to this perennial is that it will come up everywhere if you let it.