The Smell Of Fresh Flowers

Ask a kid to draw you a flower and it will draw you a daisy. Daisies are just what we think a flower should look like. This Mother of all Flowers just has to be Mother Natures favorite. Simple yet elegant. But maybe that's just us. Maybe you prefer the more complicated and sophisticated looks of amaryllis. Or the volume of hyacinths. That's cool too. We prefer daisies. White daisies.

We prefer our daisies white, but this relative of the Aster comes in a variety of unique colors. That's why daisies are an ideal addition to almost any garden or floral arrangements.

Daisies can be found all over the world. It lends its origins to regions of Europe. Daisies grow wild all over the US. Most common colors include pink, yellow, purple, and of course white.

The one found most in US backyards is the Ox-eyed daisy. It's the common, everyday daisy we love. Another well known variety is called the Shasta. It's so popular because it does a great job getting butterflies to visit in your garden.

Black-Eyed Susan is another well known daisy. You just got to love that name! Black-Eyed Susan blooms are recognized by their deep, dark central discs and vibrant yellow ray discs. Black-Eyed Susan thrives beautifully in a wild environment.

Daisies are associated with a number of expressions. Simplicity is one. Innocence ia another not hard to understand association. Daisies are also thought to represent virtue, purity and goodness. Finally, daisies are often associated with cheerfulness. Why? Because they turn toward the sunlight whenever the opportunity arises.

Tulips.. who doesn't love this beautifully scented bloom with its six petals. We all know the goblet-shaped variety and it's for a reason that this variety is the most popular in the world. What many people do not know, is that there are other varieties as well. Have you ever seen a tulip with striped petals? Jagged petals, pointy-tipped petals or even ruffled petals?

Colors? You name it. Tulips grow in a huge variety of shapes and colors. Some of the most common colors include fuchsia, orange, yellow, white, and the ever-popular red varieties. What's more, many tulips grow with multi-colored patterns and designs. There is an endless variety to choose from. Including black. Except for blue. The Dutch are working on it.

Speaking of the Dutch... there are still some widely believed misconceptions, especially when it comes to the tulip's history. Most common misconception is that tulips are 100% Dutch. They are not. Not at all, actually. Tulips are native to several countries including Iran and Turkey. Actually tulips are the officially named national flower of both these countries. The Dutch however are the primary cultivators of tulips.

Tulips need a passage through one season of winter to initiate their growth cycle. Therefore tulips are grown by creating illusory conditions. Such 'forcing' involves tricking the tulip bulb into believing it's winter. Tulip cultivators even freeze bulbs for a period of time and then plant them.

Hyacinths are gorgeous spring blooms that possess a fragrant odor and come in a breathtaking rainbow of colors including pink, red, yellow, white, purple and even blue. Hyacinths are great for edgings, borders and last year I visited a great rock garden where hyacinths were stealing the show.

Hyacinths are grown from bulbs. The size of the bulb is an indication of the size of the final result. The bigger the bulb, the bigger the blooms. A good and healthy Hyacinth has fifty or more florets in every bloom!

Did you know that a Hyacinth is an 'I am Sorry Flower'? Both faithfulness and forgiveness are linked to the flower. Probably because of its particularly fragrant that appeals to so many people.

Hyacinths aren't the easiest flowers to plant. They need good soil drainage and partial sunlight. If you aren't sure in what part of your garden your hyacinth will thrive, use containers (make sure the have drainage holes though!). That makes it easy to replace the flower to a shadier spot if necessary. Remember where the plants did well (even better: start a garden journal and write it down) and next year you'll know exactly where to plant your Hyacinths.

Hyacinth bulbs need to be planted a good 8 or even better 10 inches deep. I like to grow clusters of hyacinths, so I always plant 5 or 10 bulbs relatively close together. But hey, that's just me... Talking of clusters. Take a look at this "cluster" on the left. A Hyacinth field in Holland.

By the way: hyacinths are perennials. When left alone after the season, they will pop up next year. For some people that's another good reason to grow their hyacinths in containers, so they can rearrange their flower garden without having to dig up last year's bulbs.

What we love in the marigold, is that the flower comes in such a great number of varieties and each variety comes in different colors. It can be a bit confusing though. It takes an expert to tell weather you're looking at a Calendula, Caltha, Golds, Ruddes, Pot Marigold, Marygold, African marigolds, French marigolds, Signet marigolds, Tangerine-scented marigolds, Spanish Tarragon, Irish lace marigolds and finally, the Pot marigolds. To name a few...

We love the flower but we know some people don't. Ask why and they'll probably tell you it's the odor. The common marigold has an odor that's a bit bitter. Not everybody's favorite.

Still, marigolds are amongst the nations most favorite flowers. Not just because of its beauty, but also because this flower is easy to propagate, it does well in a variety of soil types and is resilient to diseases and insects. Marigolds are annuals. They are typically planted in early spring and will bloom until the first frost.

Marigold can grow to be anywhere from 6 to 36 inches in height. The varying heights make it an excellent flower for both gardening and freshly cut floral arrangements. And with so many varieties at hand, it isn't hard to make a 'Marigold Only' arrangement or border using lots of different looking flowers and a variety of colors.

The marigold is an excellent flower to demonstrate your kids the basics of Mother Nature. When they go to school in the morning, the flower faces east. When they come home again, that same flower faces west. Miracle!

Take a good look at the picture, close your eyes and I bet you can smell this incredibly aromatic flower...

Their smell, that's what Lilacs are famous for and that's why we love this flower so much. Oh, and there is another reason: this is one of these rare flowers that can become livelong friends. Lilacs are perennials that can live well over 90 years!

It's a bit off to speak of lilacs however. There are close to a thousand different species. You can find this flower all over the world. In both America's, but also in Europe and Asia.

There are two downsides. I hate one, don't care about the other. The one I hate? Well, the fact that it's a bit of a shy flower. its bloom only lasts for about two weeks. Sometimes even less. So don't get too attached to the beautiful color and the bewitching smell.

The downside I don't care about? It takes a bit of patience when it comes to propagation this beauty. Occasionally I had to wait well over five (5!) years before I saw the plant produce any sort of bloom. Too long? Well, just buy some at your local garden store and you'll be fine. If I start a new garden and want lilacs in it, I do both. Instant gratification makes waiting for Mother Nature to do her job much easier.

One more thing: lilacs aren't very fond of water. I prefer to plant lilacs on a slope or at least in a elevated flowerbed for proper drainage. Don't pay too much attention to the soil. Your lilacs will do fine in both clay and sand.

Amaryllises come in a variety of hues including orange, salmon, pink, white, red and orange. What's more, many amaryllises grow in striped and bicolor variations. Their big, lily-like blooms are ideal in bridal bouquets. Finally, amaryllises is the perfect flower for wonderful Easter and Mother's Day gifts!

The amaryllis should be planted in the first six months of the year. The amaryllis is rather diverse. It can grow indoors, outdoors and can even be forced to re-flower. Remove the dead blooms and your amaryllis will bloom again within a fairly short time.

Stay away from the shady parts of your garden. An amaryllis requires a lot of sunlight. In fact, it requires pretty good temperatures and hates the cold. In the North Eastern regions of the US, amaryllises will more than likely fail to thrive or will not last very long outdoors.

The good news however: that's about all the care this flower needs. A minimal amount of watering will do. It's a 'set and forget' flower, excellent for borders and edgings.

Fertilizing amaryllises is only needed when planted in very poor soil. If you have to, be careful and choose a fertilizer that has low levels of nitrogen. Nitrogen tends to hinder the number of blooms. Be cheap. Really cheap I mean. Overdoing can actually kill the plant entirely.

When the amaryllis is planted indoors, realize that the plant can't stand to be flooded and its roots need quite some room to grow. So pick a pot that has drainage holes and is at least four inches deep.

To most people a violet is just a violet: a gorgeous flower, found in many shapes, many colors and all over the world. A violet however offers more than just good looks. This pretty little flower provides added benefits.

In the past, violets were believed to be effective in spells and love potions. They were and are still being used in jams, cough syrup, emetics, and laxatives. They are known to be a natural remedy for all kind of health problems like acne, dizziness, eczema, exhaustion and headaches. They even seem to help in speeding up the healing of wounds. And guess what: some people actually eat violets. They add the flower to salads. For the taste, but also for the colorful looks.

If you want to chew on violet leaves, have fun. To us, old fashioned gardeners, violets don't belong on a plate but in a container, soil or floral arrangement. But hey, we are over 100 years in age J.

The hardest thing with violets? Picking the ones you like best. There are well over 150 species. They come in all colors of the rainbow. The common wild violet or blue prairie violet, grows almost all over the US. You can find them cropping up in fields, in forests and along roadsides. Another common species is the well known and loved African violet. Its often raised indoors because it needs little light to thrive.

Violets aren't the easiest plants to grow. Many varieties are an easy lunch for aphids, beetles, cockroaches, earwigs, larvae, mealy bugs, mites and springtails. Creeps you normally don't want in your garden. Despite that, we simply can't imagine a spring garden without violets.

Violets are 'made' for hanging baskets. To us, spring really begins when we have completed our first hanging basket of the season. You can buy hanging baskets in your local garden center, or online. But why don't you make them yourself? It is so much fun! And rewarding as well. Difficult? Not at all. Here is a video that explains you exactly what to do: Video: making hanging baskets