Charming Flowers

When growing bachelor buttons, take advantage of their indoor uses as cut or dried flowers. Once the flower is cut, it offers a long-lasting display in cut flower arrangements. This specimen was often worn in lapels of the courting gentleman of days past, hence the common name bachelor button. It’s a vigorous plant commonly found growing among the grain crops in…

Broom is a large, deciduous shrub, similar in appearance to gorse, but without the spines. This member of the pea family is common on heaths, in open woodlands and along hedgerows, and can also be found at the coast. Its bright yellow flowers appear in spring, from April to June, and smell of vanilla. Brooms can be deciduous or evergreen and…

Cuckooflower has a rosette of leaves at its base and an upright stem that bears the delicate, small, pale pink or mauve flowers. A sure sign that spring has arrived, the Cuckooflower blooms from April. Look out for its delicate, pale pink flowers in damp meadows and ditches, and on riverbanks. The Cuckoo Flower produces loose clusters of white flowers,…

Growing hollyhocks (Alcea rosea) in the garden is a goal of many gardeners who remember these impressive flowers from their youth. Hollyhocks add drama and height, making an impressive backdrop to shorter perennials. Alcea is a genus of about 60 species of flowering plants in the mallow family Malvaceae, commonly known as the hollyhocks.  They are native to Asia and…

Delphiniums are perennials grown for their showy spikes of colorful summer flowers in gorgeous shades of blue, pink, white, and purple. They are popular in cottage-style gardens and cutting gardens. They prefer moist, cool summers and do not fare well in hot, dry weather. The plants also dislike sudden wind or rain. The delphinium is a tall flower, growing around 39…

Calibrachoa is a very beautiful flower that bears hundreds of small bell-shaped flowers often used as a cascading flower for suspended pots and overhangs. Its trailing habit makes it perfect for use in hanging baskets, containers or as a small area ground cover. They prefer to be grown in moist but well-drained, organically rich soil in full sun. They do…

The foliage shows compact growth and the upright stem in the later years of growth transform into climbing stem. Native to Central and South America and known for their unique arrow-like leaf shape, Arrowhead plants are easy to grow and do well in low to medium light. The Goosefoot or Arrowhead plant is named so because of the arrow or…

Prayer plants make an amazing addition to your collection of indoor houseplants. They have dark green leaves with light green/white and red strip running down its spine. This plant gets its unique name because of the unique nature of its leaves. They fold in an upright position at night, resembling that of folding hands in prayer. The Red Prayer Plant…

Peace lily is a natural for filling a corner, including those with part sun as well as dark spots. Tuck it into a simple container to let glossy leaves and stately flowers steal the spotlight. A beloved houseplant, peace lilies are renowned for their easy care. All of us crave to live a life filled with peace and contentment. Peace Lilly…

It’s been grown in India from as far back as 5,000 years. No wonder then, that Indians harbour a deep cultural and religious attachment with the plant from time immemorial. In fact in the Ayurvedic approach to medicine, it has been revered for it’s medicinal properties in curing several diseases ; dried leaves have also been used as mosquito repellents…

Donkey's tail (also commonly known as burro's tail or lamb's tail) is a popular and easy-to-grow succulent with rows of fleshy, tear-drop shaped leaves. Sedum morganianum is one of the most beautiful succulent plants that add an exotic touch to the place where it is present. The succulent is most often called by the name donkey tail it is characterized by the…

European fan palms are frequently used to add tropical flair to temperate landscapes. They also grow well as houseplants, adapting easily to indoor conditions. These palms can grow both as a shrub with multiple trunks or as a small tree with a single trunk. The light blue-green to silver-green, fan-shaped fronds stretch roughly 2 feet long and wide and feature…