Colorado Springs Flowers | Colorado Springs gardening tips, native plants, and best places to buy flowers

March’s Flower of the Month

Daffodil

The lovely flower of March was known in Victorian times as a sing of chivalry. Think being faithful to God and country, being merciful, protecting those poorer and weaker, and championing good over evil. Now-a-days chivalry is often joked about when a man opens the door for a woman or something as simple as that. The meaning associated with daffodils now is more of hope than anything else.

The technical name for daffodil is Narcissus. According to a number of sources (yeeha.org, gardenersnet.com, and angelfire.com to name a few) the flower got its name from the Greek youth Narcissus who apparently was enthralled with his own beauty. Apparently there was some sort of curse on the young boy and as punishment the gods turned him into a flower…the daffodil. Any of the Greek myths seem a bit odd to me, I mean, what kind of punishment is being a flower? Oh well, this isn’t a blog on Greek myths, though that would be a rather interesting one to research.

It seems that daffodils are a wonderfully easy flower to grow, which makes them perfect for me! According to the people over at Colorado State University you can, “pretty much plant ‘em and forget ‘em and they blossom freely year after year.” That sounds like a great plan for me since I’m not the most attentive of gardeners. There are tons of varieties to choose from too. Typically, when I think of daffodils I think yellow but you can apparently get them in white, orange, pink, lime green, and combination of said colors. Any of those colors could make a great contribution to gardens.

Danger – kids planting

"Do I think any of those visions will come true? Ummm…possibly."

While perusing our local home improvement store last week we came across the little plant starter kits. You know the ones…the cute little Veggietales ones that feature Bob the tomato on the front. Which, I’ve always kinda felt weird about since 1) I love Bob and 2) I’ll be chomping on his cousins if they grow. Anyway, back to the point. My oldest two got their choice of a kit and a single.

They looked kinda like this when we brought them home.

My son got birdhouse gourd and a baby bottle gourd while my daughter chose the basil and parsley for their kits. Visions of gourds and herbs have been dancing in their heads.

The single plants they chose were a lovely little pumpkin plant and watermelon. So this, of course, gets us thinking about watermelons on a hot summer day (if those exist here in Colorado) and carving pumpkins and such.

Do I think any of those visions will come true? Ummm…possibly. The conditions these poor little sprouts are subject to are criminal! OK, I may be exageratting, but just a tad.

My son forgets to water them. My daughter waters them too much. The baby wants to examine them; closely and upside down. All three of them just seem to forget there are plants on the table and enjoy jumping around, which in turn knocks things over and well, you get the picture…

I’ve attempted to salvage what I can and we actually have a few sprouting! I also have seeds left over that I will probably plant on the sly so the kiddos can actually watch something grow. Let’s see if any of these little suckers survive!

Violet

February Flower of the Month

Roses are red

Violets are blue

Keep reading my blog

And you might learn something new!

Corny? Yes! Relevant? Yes! Just as all months have a birthstone associated with them, they also have a flower. The flower for February…the violet (told you the poem was relevant). There are a number of interesting tidbits about the violet though that I just learned doing research for this blog. For instance, did you know that violets aren’t only blue or violet for that matter? Nope, you can also get them in pink, white, yellow, and even bi-colored.

According to folklore; the violet was considered a symbol of love and fertility to Ancient Greeks and often used in love potions (theflowerexpert.com). I wonder though, if many people didn’t get sick from drinking these potions, as violets can act as a laxative and shouldn’t be consumed in large quantities. I’m going to go out on a limb here and suggest that giving your intended love a potion that leaves them sitting on the chamber pot probably isn’t the best enticement to fall in love with you!

On to more pleasant mental images: here in the United States you can find violets growing up and down the East Coast. If you would like some for your home, you can probably find them at your local gardening store or order from an online nursery. Grownotes.com lists six different nurseries that offer quality plants for growing indoors. If you want to plant violets in your garden in Colorado you may want to stick with a True Violet rather than the African variety. The True Violet tends to be hardier and can withstand frost while the African needs consistently warmer temperatures. I have to warn you though, it may be somewhat difficult to find information about the True Violets as they have pretty much gone out of style. Whichever you decide to pursue I’m sure they will be a lovely addition to your home or flowerbed.

Happy planting!

Love is in the air

I know I said I would have pics of the rest of the survivors this week but I changed my mind. I got a present this week that I wanted to share with you! I’m not much of a mushy romantic person, it kinda weirds me out so I don’t pay much attention to the love fest in February. This year my husband was out of town for Valentine’s Day so my niece took my son to the store and picked something up for me.

Isn’t it pretty? My boy picked it out for me (with a little guidance).Rather than have to throw these out in a week or so when they are dead I can keep them! All I have to do is either repot them or plant them in our flower bed, though I’m not sure that’s a great idea here in Colorado. I’ll need to do a bit more research before I put it outside.

Roses have been the traditional flower of love since Victorian times, according to theflowerexpert.com. According to howstuffworks.com, “Cleopatra’s first romantic encounter with Antony took place atop a one-inch carpet of roses.” There are numerous other stories of how roses have been used in romantic settings and as offerings. My present wasn’t roses, they are sweet little tulips. Tulips have always been a sign of spring for me and remind me of Holland…not that I’ve ever been there but it reminds of it anyway. Red tulips are a symbol of true love and a request to believe in the giver (livingartsoriginals.com). Obviously not a romantic love but the love a child has for their parent and that a parent has for their little ones qualifies as true.

Replanting

And *I* haven't killed anything yet!

Someone else has though! A while back I received a few plants for free from a local lady. One met its demise when my husband tried to move the pot and it broke. I haven’t actually killed one yet! Now that is something to be excited about!

I tested myself a couple of weeks ago and actually repotted one of them. It had a sad chipped plastic planter that broke every time I moved the thing (which happens often due to space and lack of direct sunlight) so it received a nice new home in a pretty orangey container. It seems to be doing well though it could probably use a bit more soil as some escaped during the move.

The one right next to that is an amaryllis that I picked up at Target on clearance. I’m not sure if it will actually grow or not but I’m trying. During that same trip I picked up a few of the little flower pots with seeds and soil included that you find in the dollar section. I thought it would be a fun project with the kiddos to grow something before we start a raised bed garden in the spring. We planted the forget-me-nots and strawberries and watered them faithfully (somewhat)…all of that was for naught since my 18 month old knocked both of them over and then decided to stomp in the soil. Oh, well…guess we’ll plant something else now!

Next week I’ll have some pics of the rest of the survivors. Check back to see if they make it!

Happy New Year

Chinese Style

In honor of the New Year of the Dragon I thought I’d check out a bit of Chinese flora for this week’s blog. According to my research, “China doesn’t have an actual national flower but the national favorite would be the tree peony” (china.org). Back in ’94 a survey was taken in each of the districts and the peony got the most votes for National Flower, not that it was ever made so but at least it got the most votes.

This flower is held dear to so many people that there are even festivals for it. One of the more well-known ones is held in Luoyang every April. According to regenttour.com, “The city becomes a sea of flowers with tides of people during the festival.” Many varieties are brought in from around the world as well as the numerous varieties developed in locally in Luoyang.

China isn’t the only one who has a festival in honor of the lovely peony. Pavilion, New York has one each spring to celebrate the Tree Peony. Oshawa, Ontario holds an annual Peony Festival in the Oshawa Valley Botanic Gardens. Peony Farms in Sequim, Washington offers Peonies on Parade during the blooming season as well as the Peony Blooming Finale at the end of the season. Nichols Arboretum in Ann Arbor, MI has a Peony Garden that is known as, “a national treasure and has the largest collection of antique and heirloom peonies in North America “(lsa.umich.edu).

There is a plethora of festivals out there to celebrate the lovely peony. The peony can grow well in our local region though the planting should be done in the fall. It may be possible to find some growers that have planted them in containers and they can be transplanted into your garden. Your best bet is to check with a local nursery to find out if they have some available and what the best course of action is to get them in your garden.

Mmmm…mint

I found a great little mint growing guide online that walks you through every step of growing, transplanting, splitting, and harvesting.

Our niece recently moved in with us (again), yay! She’s been a bit under the weather with the different climate and adjusting to the altitude and all so she’s wanted tea, mint tea to be exact. Every time we go to the store she checks out the little potted flowers and plants thinking about grabbing a mint flower. I have a plethora of flavored teas but she’s stuck on the mint.

In honor of her cravings, I thought I’d write about that little flower this week. Apparently, the mint family is quite large and includes rosemary, lavender, thyme, catnip, spearmint, and peppermint. I didn’t realize that rosemary and lavender were included in the mint category; I’m not sure I ever really thought about what family they were in but I know I didn’t think it was mint. According to backyardnature.net the thing that separates mint plants from others is that the ovary is divided into four nutlets as well as often having strong-smelling herbs, opposite leaves, squarish stems, and irregular flowers. All of that is handy to know if you actually look at the construction of the plant; for those of us that are new to this whole thing then the little tag stuck in the side of the pot will let us know exactly what we need to!

I found a great little mint growing guide online that walks you through every step of growing, transplanting, splitting, and harvesting. A few things to keep in mind: mint needs copious amounts of water and can stand a ton of sunlight. The author also advises repotting the plant each year and dividing it into four pieces. It doesn’t seem like a hard plant to grow so I may be printing the handy little guide from patrickdepinguin.com and picking up a little potted plant for my niece.

Begonias and Carnations

Tasty recipes from these edible flowers

So last week’s blog made me think about some other flowers that may be edible. According to whatscookingamerica.net the use of flowers in cooking has made a comeback in recent years. Allegedly you can find petals garnishing plates at many of the top restaurants as well as being used in the dishes. So I did a bit of searching and came up with a few recipes I’d like to share with you that feature Begonias and Carnations.

There are over 1,500 named species of begonias listed on the American Begonia Society website and according to an article written by Patrick Worley, the San Diego Poison Information Center lists all begonias as being non-toxic. A quick little search turned up a rather tasty looking recipe from myrecipes.com:

Strawberry-Begonia Salad.

Ingredients

1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon honey $

Click to see savings

1 teaspoon grated lemon peel $

Click to see savings

2 quarts butter lettuce leaves, rinsed and drained
2 cups strawberries, rinsed and hulled $

Click to see savings

1 1/4 cups begonia blossoms, rinsed and drained
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves, rinsed and drained
Salt and pepper

Preparation

1. In a wide shallow bowl, mix vinegar, honey, and lemon peel.
2. Place lettuce in bowl. Cut strawberries in 1/3-inch-thick slices and scatter over lettuce. Top with begonias and tarragon.
3. Mix salad and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Carnations are typically used in desert type dishes as the petals have a sweet taste. A little searching turned up this recipe:

Carnation Pickle

Ingredients

6 cups carnation flowers
Brown sugar
A few cloves
2 teaspoons coriander seeds
2 cups wine vinegar
2 bay leaves
1 stick cinnamon

Preparation

Strip the petals from the rest of the flower and remove the bitter white portion at the base of the petals with a sharp knife. Lay a thin layer of petals in a wide-mouthed jar and sprinkle with brown sugar. Add another layer and sprinkle with more brown sugar and a few cloves and the coriander seeds. Add more layers and more sugar. Warm the vinegar with the bay leaves and cinnamon for 10 minutes. Pour the hot vinegar over the carnation petals. Seal and let stand for 2 weeks before eating. A peeled, sliced cucumber, or pickling onions, or green peppers, and even sweet corn cut off the cob, can be added to the recipe, alternating layers with the carnation petals. Serve with cheese.

As always, a word to the wise: use only flowers that you have grown, pesticide free, or flowers form an organic market. Never eat flowers that have been treated with pesticides or that you pick on the side of the road. Use caution and do your research! Happy tasting!

Rose Hips – Edible?

Are rose hips edible? This was the question that sent my husband back to start on a recent game of Battle of the Sexes. The answer? Yes, actually they are. This innocent little question spurred this weeks blog since I know nothing about rose hips and thought this would be a great time to find out more about them.

According to research, Rose hips are the seed pods of roses that only show up after the blooms have faded. They look like little berries and are left on the tips of the stems. The hips as well as the petals themselves are actually edible and I found a number of recipes that included one or the other; everything from a simple tea to flavorings in soups to eating them plain.

What is the benefit of these oft forgotten parts of the rose? Apparently they are loaded with vitamin C, which we all know is excellent for us (hanksville.net). They also contain bioflavonoids and a large amount of pectines. Now, I’m not a nutritionist nor overtly versed in the use of wild (or semi wild) plants but I am becoming more interested in gaining more nutrients from nature rather than from a manufactured pill. While modern science has given us a vast array of options when it comes to the intake of nutrients; I tend to think that the Creator knew what He was doing and that if we can gain what we need in the pure form then we may not need so many pills.

I encourage you to seek out edible plants, other than what you may find at the grocery store. Try starting a window garden or if space allows an actual garden in your yard. Look for blooms that can do double duty by enhancing the aesthetics of your garden as well as finding their way to your table. Check out a book on recipes from nature from your local library. There is so much to learn, we just have to take the time to look!

Oh, and the game? My husband ended up winning; getting sent back to start didn’t faze him in the least.

A Fond Farewell & New Beginnings

In honor of the end of 2011 and the beginning of 2012 I thought I would do a little research into the meaning of flowers. We’ve often heard that roses have different meanings depending upon their color so it follows that other flowers would have meanings attached also. If you do a search for New Years flowers, you will most likely come across a ton of arrangements featuring combinations of silver and white; this I’ve come to discover is mostly for aesthetic purposes rather than symbolic ones. What if we put a little more thought into the meaning behind the flowers we choose?

If you are going for symbolic meanings with your flowers then a good one to choose for saying good-bye to the past year would be a Cyclamen. This flower contains twenty species that are available in a vast array of colors. They grow wild mostly in the Mediterranean, as well as select parts of Europe, Asia, and North Africa. Most species will not do well in a place prone to frost though they can be planted in pots. The Cyclamen is often given when people retire or who enter a new chapter in their life. What a fitting way to say goodbye to 2011.

As for welcoming in the new year a perfect pick would be the daffodil. A bright and cheerful flower, the daffodil has long been acknowledged as a symbol of new beginnings. As the first flower to bloom in the spring it signifies a fresh start. As it blooms during Lent it is also known as the “lent Lilly.” What better way to welcome a new year than with a flower that symbolizes what so many crave; a new beginning?

I hope this New Year finds you, dear reader, happy and healthy. Enjoy the memories of the year that has passed and eagerly await the one that is about to begin!

Pages