Popular Flower Types
Aside from the traditional rose, tulip, and lily, there are many other types of flowers that you’re likely to find in a bouquet or arrangement. These flowers are not only beautiful, but they also carry different meanings for people from all walks of life.
Time is running out to get flower borders ready for summer. Taller plants, such as delphiniums, are liable to collapse under rain and wind, becoming difficult to support neatly. Aim to get supports in place soon. Ready-made linked stakes and cages are ideal and can last for years, but much can be done with canes and netting or twiggy prunings from garden shrubs.
Before adding supports, hoe off any weed seedlings and, using a border fork or trowel, remove perennial weeds. These have less “grip” on the soil now compared to later when they become very embedded. Follow with mulch to keep down weeds or sow annual flower seeds to fill up the space and exclude weeds. Calendula has notably strong suppressive foliage with, but feathery leaved Eschscholzia (California poppy) and love-in-a-mist (Nigella) do a surprisingly good job.
Some relatively tender seeds are worth sowing too – annual asters (Callistephus chinensis), Cosmos and – in warm regions – Zinnia, grow quickly providing late summer colour.
Although not strictly border plants, now is a good time to sow wildflower seeds including cornfield annuals such as chamomile and cornflower where they are to flower. Perennial meadow flowers such as Devil’s bit scabious and knapweeds are best sown separately and planted into borders later in the summer to flower next year. Having some native wildflowers in borders greatly enhances wildlife value.
Unfortunately the severe frosts last winter will have destroyed many dahlias left in the ground, but new tubers can be planted directly now. Other bulbs to consider include Crinum, Eucomis and Galtonia, but shop carefully – those in garden centre displays may not be in good condition and go for the largest bulbs available as smaller ones may not flower. Potted bulbs including agapanthus and Dierama are reliable buys to replace any winter losses.
There is still time to lift and divide perennials which, in many gardens, would have been prevented by the wet March weather. They will need careful watering if May turns out to be dry and warm. Late flowering plants such as asters ( including Symphyotrichum), heleniums, helianthus, kniphofias, monarda and rudbeckias will have plenty of time to re-establish and flower this summer if 9cm pot-sized offsets of the youngest, strongest growth are planted into soil rejuvenated with well-rotted compost and fertiliser.
Warm season grasses send out roots in spring and are best divided now. These include miscanthus, panicum and pennisetum.
Many perennials emerge slowly and their survival after the cold winter may be unclear until mid- May – check by gently feeling with fingers over a wide area for the delicate new shoots. Where losses have occurred there is no immediate need for replacements – it is an opportunity to search for treasures at flower shows and plant fairs this summer.
In the meantime, gaps can be planted with tender bedding plants next month including Diascia, Nemisia and Verbena which can fill until replacements for lost plants such as osteospermums and penstemon can be acquired. Alternatively, biennials such as foxgloves, hollyhocks and sweet Williams, can be sown next month to plant in autumn. However, if you are in a hurry, astrantia and hardy geraniums produce substantial plants quite quickly.
Some growers like to thin out the new shoots of prolific plants such as delphiniums and lupins so the remaining shoots are bigger and better. However, other plants benefit more from the Chelsea chop at the end of next month (sedums for example) where some or all of the plant is sheared back to delay flowering and shorten plants making staking easier.
Source: inews.co.uk
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