photos – Gardeners Tips

Roses with Single Petals

March 16, 2024 hortoris

My book de Jour is ‘Fifty Favourite Roses’ Michael Gibson. A second reading has given me some new insights and some varieties to look out for: 5 petalled Tea Roses Dainty Bess, Mrs Oakley Fisher (golden) and Ellen Willmott (white) rugarosa Robusta and colour changing Mutabilis

Above is a true red rose that also flowers very early on a robust plant 5 feet tall.

Now a more commonly available single rose this Rosa ‘Canary Bird’ is a tall growing very floriferous lemon- yellow rose with good foliage.

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Winged Insects in your Garden

October 1, 2016 hortoris

This summer has been damp and the plants have grown lush. In some way this has contributed to a dramatic cut in the number of greenfly on my roses and other plants (perhaps they found other feeding grounds or did not mate as prolifically).

By contrast there have been lots of Bees and Flies and last week the Wasps came for my plums and apples. On the bright side it has been easier to get some photographs that would other wise not been practical. The fly wings show up well against the Cystus that if flowering for the second time this year.

Like many gardeners I regard Ladybirds as posative helpers in the garden. It is therefore a concern to be confronted with the aggressive Harlequin Ladybird that is invadingÂ and threatening our 45 native species. Originally from Japan it was introduced to North America 20 years ago as an aphid control and it now out numbers all American species. Log any UK sightings here.

Lily Flowered Tulips

August 29, 2015 tejvan

A red ‘Lily Flowered Tulip’ creeping above the late spring snow.

I have just ordered my tulip bulbs for autumn planting.

Lily Flowered tulips are so called because of their unique shape: the blossom resembles a lily, or sometimes an urn. This effect is created by long, pointed petals which tend to bend back; it can give the impression of a six pointed star.

Varieties of Lily Flowered Tulips Include

Ballade
Ballerina
Blom’s Harmonious Mixture
China Pink
Elegant Lady
Fly Away
Jane Packer
Mariette
Marilyn
Marjolein
Maytime
Mona Lisa
Moonlight Girl
West Point
White Triumphator
Yuri Dolgorukiy

How to Recognise Lily Flowered Tulips

Lily tulips are all classed as Division 6 tulips.
They are a small group of tulips, which used to be classified as Cottage Tulips with an hourglass shaped bloom.
Lily-flowered tulips with their cinched-in waists and reflexed petals show their distinctive shape off best if not too closely crowded together.
In style they are similar to the Ottoman or Turkish tulips of the 18th century.
They are a beautiful race of tulips with lovely flowers and gracefully reflexing and pointed petals.
The elegant blooms are born on strong wiry stems from mid April to May.

Thanks to Bloms Bulbs

It is hard to see what type of Tulip is showing in this photograph as the flowers are well blown! (that means they are open to the fullest extent and are nearing the end of there display life.)

Because tulips are such showy flowers I couldn’t resist adding another favourite picture to this short collection of snaps.
See also Parrot Tulips on Gardeners Tips

Close Up Flower Pictures

June 4, 2014 tejvan

flower

Verbascum

flower

Gazania

flower

Not sure, looks a little like Antirhinnum

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Purple Flowers that Attract Bees

May 27, 2014 hortoris

Is it the nectar, pollen or colour that attracts bees to flowers. May be it is all three!
Just watch bees swarm over Thyme when in flower.

Cistus only seem to flower for one day then the petals drop. Resting in the sun this Bee seems content with life.

Foxgloves have long tubular flowers so the Bee has to crawl right in to get the nectar. This moves pollen from flower to flower and Foxgloves then produce thousands of small powdery seeds.

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Aquilegia Growing

June 16, 2013 hortoris

Aquilegia are growing and flowering in all parts of my garden at the moment. This Aquilegia canadensis or red columbine hybridises very easily and will self sow if left to its own devices. This Aquilegia Kansas looks very striking in tight groups.

When I saw this photograph of Aquilegia colombine growing withÂ Honeysuckle the significance of the names escaped me. The Honeysuckle will flower a bit later than the Aquilegia which I will cut down after it flowers in the hope of a second flush of flowers later in the year.

The horns of a dilema are shown on this close up of an Aquilegia flower. It pays to take the time to inspect individual flowers as well as the whole plant.
You can acquire or just admire plants as part of a collection

Aquilegia combine well with other plants and the colours of the Rhododendron work well with the shade of this Aquilegia.

Whilst it may not be obvious Aquilegias grow as small alpines 4 inches tall like A. Flabellata and as 3 feet high plants and various sizes in between. A good selection of seeds from many Aquilegia varieties are in theÂ Chiltern Seed catalogue.

The leaves have a pleasing shape and vary in colour from the yellow green above to grey green and dark green.

Give Aquilegia a try in your garden. They grow very easily from seed so poor specimens and colours can be weeded out.

Aquilegia plants at Thompson & Morgan

November’s Backend Bonanza

November 3, 2012 hortoris

Americans call it ‘Fall’ and the Brits call it ‘Autumn’ but November’s ‘Backend’ can produce a garden Bonanza.
These flowers are still showing their true colours despite all that our English weather has been able to throw at them.

You can tell the leaves know it is fall and the Cyclamen hederifolium know it is autumn and time to flower.

Dollar Princess was a group of Fucshias I received as cuttings. It took awhile for the flowers to arrive but the late profusion is very welcome.

A bit over blown and beginning to loose their colour the Hydrangeas have enjoyed our wet season this year. The reward is going to be a winter windfall of flower.

The Dahlias have also been a stroke of luck, lasting very well without as much deadheading as they should have received.

The annual Lobelia has surprised my with its deep blue colouring that has lasted all through summer. It may be the autumn light but the intensified colouring seems to have strengthened as the seasons moved on.

For next year I will try some more Lobelia seeds from Thompson & Morgan

Photographs and Images of Purple Iris

May 4, 2012 hortoris

The Bearded Iris offers a huge range of colours. This is a deep purple variety growing in the Oxford Botanic Gardens. The furry hairs on the petal or ‘Fall’ give the plant the bearded image.

Bearded Iris do well in a sunny, well drained soil. They can provide years of spectacular colour in May – July.