MARIGOLDS. ( Tagetes ).
Tagetes species vary in size from 0.1 to 2.2m tall. Most species have pinnate green leaves. Blooms naturally occur in golden, orange, yellow and white colours, often with maroon highlights. Floral heads are typically 4 - 6cm in diameter, generally with both ray florets and disc florets. In horticulture they tend to be planted as annuals, although the perennial species are gaining popularity. Depending on the species, tagetes species grow well in almost any sort of soil.
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COMMON LILAC ( Syringa Vulgaris ).
Common Lilac is a species of flowering plant in the Olive family Oleaceae, native to the Balkan Peninsula, where it grows on rocky hills. This species is widely cultivated as an ornamental and has been naturalized in other parts of Europe ( including the United Kingdom, France, Germany and Italy ) as well as much of North America. S. Vulgaris is a large deciduous shrub or multistemmed small tree, growing to 6 - 7m ( 20 - 23 feet ) high. The bark is grey to grey brown, smooth on young stems, longitudinally furrowed and flaking on older stems. The flowers have a tubular base to the corolla 6-10mm long with an open four lobed apex 5-8mm across, usually lilac to mauve, occasionally white.
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WINDOWBOX WOODSORREL ( Oxalis Rubra ).
Oxalis Rubra is a species of flowering plant in the Woodsorrel family known by the common name Red Woodsorrel and Windowbox Woodsorrel. It is native to Argentina, Brazil and Uruguay but it is widely cultivated as an ornamental plant and can sometimes be found growing in the wild as a garden escapee. This is a perennial herb growing from a woody rhizome. There is generally no stem, the leaves arising on long petioles from ground level. Each leaf is made up of three leaflets which can vary in shape but are often heart shaped. The inflorescence is a loose array of white to purple pink flowers.
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RED CATCHFLY.
Known as red campion, it is a herbaceous flowering plant in the family Caryophyllaceae. It is native throughout central, western and northern Europe and locally in southern Europe. It is a biennial or perennial plant, with dark pink to red flowers. There are five petals which are deeply notched at the end, narrowed at the base and all go into an urn shaped calyx. The flowering period is from May to October.
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BLUEBELLS ( Hyacinthoides Non-Scripta ).
Bluebells transform our woodlands in springtime. The carpet of intense blue under the opening tree canopy is one of our greatest woodland spectacles. Common name Bluebell, English Bluebell, British Bluebell, Granfer Griggles. They are perennial bulbous herbs with flowering stems to about 50cm tall. They spend most of the year as bulbs underground and emerge to flower from April onwards. Up to 20 sweetly scented flowers are borne on a flower stalk which droops or nods to one side. Flowers are bell shaped and can be blue, white or rarely pink.
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GORSE ( Ulex Europaeus ).
Gorse, common Gorse, Furze or Whin is a species of flowering plant. It is native to portions of Europe from the northern United Kingdom south to Portugal and from western Republic of Ireland east to Galicja in Poland and Ukraine. Grows to 2-3 metres ( 7-10foot ) tall, it is an evergreen shrub. The young stems are green, with the shoots and leaves modified into green spines. The flowers are yellow 1-2 centimetres long. with the pea-flower structure typical of the Fabaceae family. They are produced throughout the year, but mainly in early spring. It is an extremely tough and hardy plant and can live for about thirty years.
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JAPANESE PIERIS ( Pieris Japonica ).
Pieris Japonica is a shrub or a small tree with alternate, simple leaves on brittle stems. The flowers are white and borne in early spring. The plant is poisonous if consumed by people or animals. The flower blooms and lasts usually for two or three weeks.
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PEONY ( Paeonia )
These are deciduous perennial herbs or shrubs with thick storage roots and thin roots for gathering water and minerals. They have rather large compound leaves without glands and stipules. The large bisexual flowers are mostly single at the end of the stem. Flowers close at night or when the sky is overcast.
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ALTISSIMO ROSE ( Rosa Altissimo ).
The name Rosa is derived from the Latin and botanic name of the flowering shrub rose, and also refers to the colour pink in many Indo-European languages. Family - Rosaceae, Genus - Rosa, Kingdom - Plantae.
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GREAT LAUREL ( Rhododendron Maximum ).
Great Laurel is an evergreen shrub growing to 13 feet tall. The leaves are 3-8 inch long and 2-4cm broad. The flowers are 1 inch in diameter, white, pink or pale purple, often with small greenish yellow spots. The leaves can be poisonous. It retains its waxy, deep green leaves for up to eight years.
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PETUNIA.
Petunia is a genus of 35 species of flowering plants of south American origin, closely related to Tobacco, Grape Gooseberries, Tomatoes, Deadly Nightshades, Potatoes and Chili Peppers in the same family Solanaceae. It is an annual, most of the varieties seen in gardens are hybrids.
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Your knowledge on flowers is impressive, my friend! Mine is not so much. But, I actually use marigolds in my tomato plant beds to keep a lot of the bugs away, and they work. Everyone has heard of lilac, I think. And, peony's. But, none the less nice looking flowers and plants. I wonder if those bluebells are related to our blue bonnets? Have to look that up. We have blue bonnets all over the place. In fact it's the Texas State Flower. I hear about petunias here and there, and I think this is the first time I knew I was looking at one. I do like the Great Laurel. Interesting looking to me. We have a wood sorrel here as well. Ours grows little pods that taste like a tart candy. Useful as a desert on survival camps. Flowers, if you are really knowledgeable on them can serve a lot more purposes than just looking pretty. Good subject here, Les! And without a doubt good photography.
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