flower blog

Last week, I released my list of the Top 10 summer flowers only to find that 10 wasn’t enough to cover all the great blooms out there. What about lisianthus, asked a fellow flower lover.

He’s right: lisianthus is gorgeous and can last well over a week as a cut flower.

And I realized I’d neglected another star of the season – the beguiling and mysterious dahlia. “You’re talking about quite a magnificent creation,” says Alan Fisher of the American Dahlia Society, dahlia.org. “They offer a tremendous range of possibilities.”

 
Photo courtesy of the American Dahlia Society

Consider these facts about dahlias:

• There are 50,000 named varieties.

• An individual flower can have up to 300 petals.

• The ADS recognizes 18 classifications of form and 15 different colors or color combinations. (Color is second to form when exhibiting dahlias.)

• There is also great variation in size. The smallest measure less than 2 inches in diameter; the largest are about 18 inches. Bigger isn’t necessarily better, however. Most times, it’s a smaller dahlia that wins best in show at competitions. That’s because as petals get larger, they get less precise.

• Most dahlias have significant depth, ie they are not flat like sunflowers.

• Dahlias were originally found in the mountains of Mexico about 200 years ago. Seeds were brought to Europe and hybrids were produced.

• The name dahlia comes from a Swedish botanist named Anders Dahl (1751 -1789).

• Movie and TV actress Arlene Dahl (born 1928) is a direct descendant of Anders Dahl.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts on caring for dahlias as cut flowers and how the subject of Hollywood’s most famous unsolved crime – the Black Dahlia – acquired her floral nickname.

Flower Fact of the Day: A hybrid geranium has been created for the grande dame of gardening in San Diego’s Balboa Park, Kate Sessions: signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20080621/news_1m21balboa.html.
 

Today's post comes courtesy of Evan Santi, president of Urban Plantscapes in New York City, NYClandscapes.com. Evan saw one of my previous posts on container gardening and asked if he could contribute. I said sure, as I likely would to most guest bloggers.

So if you have a flower or garden topic about which you'd like to wax poetic or you have a great tip or a cool photo you'd to share with other flower lovers, just drop me a note.

And now, take it away, Evan...



It is 2008; please stop watering like you are stuck in the 80’s, age of excess.

Drip it, drip it good
Drip irrigation is a luxury on a street level and a necessity on roof tops or any area where you have unobstructed sun. With a combination of bizarre weather patterns, more rooftop gardens popping up and clever ways of hiding drip systems, you are sure to hear a great deal about them. There are countless benefits to going with a reservoir or drip system.

For starters, with traditional watering, you are constantly wetting the foliage which can cause any plant or flower with prepubescent foliage (grey furry leaves; examples include licorice, silver falls or any helichrysum) to rot or produce mold.

Secondly, you will save crucial time and money on fertilizer. Every time you water from the top you are flushing the nutrients right thought the drainage holes. By allowing the plant material to gradually absorb the water you will cut your fertilizer cost in half.

Lastly, you will have a much healthier root system and in return a much fuller plant or flower. Think of your soil as a sponge. If it is 90 degrees outside and you throw a gallon of water onto a sponge it may soak up an ounce or two, but if you take that same sponge and slowly gave it water over a half an hour you can be sure that it will be super saturated.

Now that you have stopped the “splash and dash,” you can focus on pruning, pinching and dead heading your container gardens and most importantly enjoying the fruits of your labor.

Gardeners' secret: If you are expecting rain and cooler temperatures, place rocks or styraboard under your container to make certain that your container drains properly. Also, the opposite is true: if you are anticipating no rain and a serious heat wav, remove the rocks under the planter to reduce drainage and lock in the moisture.

Flower Fact of the Day: Gardeners in Beijing are working to plant 40 million flowers throughout the city in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympics in August.
 

   x17online.com photo

Yesterday I wrote about Nicole Richie wearing flower frocks two nights in a row at high-profile events. Today I saw that Paris Hilton was all about flowers on a recent outing in NYC. Or should I say, the flowers were all about her -- literally wrapped around her head.

Paris and boyfriend Benji Madden were out on the town Thursday. See more pix at: http://x17online.com/celebrities/paris_hilton/paris_hilton_flower_child-06202008.php.

I think she looks great, though somehow I don't think I could carry off this look myself. How about you?

Meanwhile, Charlize Theron sported a terrific floral look while promoting her new movie, "Hancock," co-starring Will Smith, at the Moscow International Film Festival, as reported on people.com.

Misha Japaridze/ AP photo

Flower Fact of the Day: There are 50,000 named varieties of dahlias, a great summer flower. Stop by next week when I'll be sharing info more on dahlias, gleaned from the American Dahlia Society.
 

Want to update your wardrobe in a flash? Just add flowers. Blossoms and blooms are everywhere: blouses, shoes, hats, purses. Today's Hellomagazine.com highlighted Nicole Richie's floral fashion choices, two nights in a row.

On Tuesday night, Nicole hit the red carpet at a movie event in a cornflower blue gown with roses and mums. Tres chic! Attending a Cartier party on Wednesday, she opted for a yellow satin dress adorned with petals. Read the full report and decide which look you like best at: hellomagazine.com/fashion/2008/06/19/nicole-flower-dress.

• Meanwhile, actress Rachel Bilson of "The O.C." fame was recently quoted as saying that her mother always taught her to ask a flower's permission before picking it: http://justjared.buzznet.com/2008/06/15/rachel-bilson-flower-formalities. "I try to be as green as I can," she said.

• Perhaps not famous yet but trying out a fantastic idea is Jennifer Haf of Charlevoix, Mich., who debuts an open-air flower stand, Bloom Unique Floral Creations, on Saturday at the Rose Cottage in downtown Charlevoix. I love this pic! Read more at: charlevoixcourier.com/articles/2008/06/19/business/doc
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Flower Fact of the Day: Lilacs are low-maintenance shrubs and can offer good summer shade. Check out more tips at: helpfulgardener.com/lilacs/03.