Charming Flowers

The 4 O'clock flower, Mirabilis jalapa earned its name because the flowers open around late afternoon each day, and the blooms close and die come morning. Because four o'clock plants bloom in the late afternoon and evening, it's best to plant them where you’re sure to see them and catch a whiff of their fragrance, such as around a patio.…

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…

Candytuft, a ground-hugging perennial flower frequently used as pathway edging, is a late bloomer that brightens gardens in April or May. Best planted in early fall, it is a slow grower that will brighten gardens for many years. Its white or pink blooms are abundant and showy. Masses of blinding white flowers dot the stems. The color of the blossoms…

This pretty annual variety is an attraction for children. It blooms in a variety of shades of white, violet purple, rose pink, red & mauve, single & double. The flowers bear double petals and come in an array of colors but are partially hidden by large attractive leaves with pronounced veins. Some fun balsam plant information is found in another…

Can be grown indoors or in the garden. Indoors, water freely and fertilize monthly during the growing season. If plants are in pots, move outdoors in summer if desired. In the garden, plumbago likes fertile soil in full sun. If growing on a trellis, tie stems to supports. Protect from strong winds. This evergreen shrub, native to South Africa, has long,…

Crocosmia are summer blooming bulbs with exotic, brightly-colored flowers on wiry, arching stems. The buds open one-by-one from the bottom up and are magnets for hummingbirds. Typically planted in the spring, these warm-weather bloomers usually don’t survive cold winters if the bulbs are left in the ground. The Crocosmia is also known as the montbretia. These plants have a tendency to become…

Instead of simply adding another piece of furniture to cover that empty corner by the wall, why not go for this exotic looking plant that can grow anywhere between 3 feet- 8 feet in height? Areca Palm wins hands down as a choice for an indoor plant, because it has has multiple stems emerging from the base, arched green leaves…

If only plants bore money as gifts on their leaves! But since they do not, why not go for a plant where you can stretch your imagination a bit and visualize that the the round, plump, flat leaves actually look like coins! It doesn’t harm the cause, that the plant is attractively leafy, requires little care and efficiently removes indoor…

Your African mask plant prefers a tight fit in its pot so don't repot too often. Humidity is second on the list of necessities for your new houseplant. Alocasia thrives in a moist environment and need plenty of water during active growth. If you’re an indoor plant enthusiast looking for a unique addition to your collection of houseplants, then Alocasia…

Blooms are carried in small clusters of two to five, each flower is 4-5cm across and may be single or double, sometimes with ruffled petals. The colors of blooms are white, magenta or any pink shade and sometimes they are attractively bicolored. Their blooms are often lasting several weeks. Here’s a popular, fragrant flowering shrub that has always signaled the…

If you are looking for a durable houseplant that thrives in low-light conditions, schefflera is worth a look. It’s extremely popular and easy to grow as long as you understand its needs. The Dwarf Umbrella Tree is a tropical tree with compound leaves which is very suitable for indoor bonsai. It can live with dim light and low humidity, but it must…

The tree can grow up to 15 meters. It is evergreen and has compound medium green leaves in clusters of seven. This tree depends for mechanical support on other rainforest trees. The tree is multi-trunked and flowers bloom at the treetop. The umbrella plant is a multi trunk tree that can grows over 15 metres tall outdoors and has to be…