SPRING FLOWERS (Part 2)

Sweet Pea

Native to Italy, the sweet pea has become a cottage garden classic. With its seductive fragrance and variety of bright colors, the sweet pea makes the ideal climbing flower: grow some up trellis, supported by canes, or trail from hanging baskets.

Persian Buttercup

The tissue-thin petals give this flower a rose-like beauty, making for wonderful cut flower displays. The Persian buttercup (Ranunculus tomar picotee) is part of a genus of about 500 species of plants that includes buttercups.

Ornamental Onion

The allium genus has over 700 species, including onions and shallots. Alliums, commonly known as ornamental onions, are very hardy plants that are easy to grow. With beautiful purple to white blooms, they can grow several feet in height.

Tulip

Originating from Turkey, this member of the lily family has been bred thousands of times, for a wide variety of hybrids with an incredible range of colors and flower forms. The tulip is a beautiful flower that keeps coming back, year after year.

Forget-Me-Not

The forget-me-not was adopted by King Henry IV as his emblem in exile, and on return to England to claim his throne in 1399, he retained it as his royal symbol. It is also commonly known as scorpion grass.

Honeywort

You may well hear the honeywort sometimes referred to as the blue shrimp plant. This magnificent flower has an irresistible attraction for bees, butterflies and hummingbirds.

Dogwood

This flowering tree is a popular addition in landscaping a garden. Its colorful bark is not only attractive but can also be used for medicinal purposes, and dogwood timber is favored for woodworking.

Hydrangea

The pretty flowers of the hydrangea shrub grow in large flowerheads in a range of many vibrant colors. For some hydrangea species, the flower color will be determined by the pH of the soil where they are planted.

Cherry Blossom

The beautiful pink flowers of the cherry blossom tree, commonly known as the sakura flower in Japan, are said to represent the nature of life: beautiful, yet delicate and short-lived.

Violet

A purple bedding plant with over 600 unique species, violets have become a popular staple for gardens throughout the northern hemisphere.

Honeysuckle

The honeysuckle is a beautifully fragranced flowering shrub that loves to climb, and as such, it makes an ideal covering plant, especially for walls.

Freesia

This herbaceous perennial was discovered in South Africa in 1866. Freesia flowers come in a wide range of cheerful colors, ranging from purple to white to pink.

Bleeding Heart

Bleeding heart flowers grow on arching stems and have the appearance of a heart bleeding, hence the reason for their popular name. They are a symbol of grace.

Lily of the Valley

The lily of the valley is an extremely fragrant, yet highly poisonous flower. It has great symbolism in the Christian faith and is said to represent ‘the return of happiness’ in the language of flowers.