home up next
	To optomize for viewing speed we have limited each page to 10 gardening plant selections. To view more gardening plant selections in this group please click the next link. If you would like to view a new gardening plant group just hit the home link and choose a new plant group. To read Today's Gardening Article just scroll down For a new Gardening Article visit us daily Annuals "Light Salmon II ""E"" Geranium" Pelargonium x hortorum Accord Black Beauty Pansy Viola x wittrockiana Alba 2005 Geranium Pelargonium x hortorum Amethyst Geranium Pelargonium x peltatum Amethyst Improved Summer Wave Torenia Torenia hybrid Amora Coleus Coleus hybrid Anaheim Hot Peppers Capsicum annuum Appleblossom Geranium Pelargonium x hortorum Artic Red Geranium Pelargonium x peltatum Artist Alto Blue Ageratum Ageratum hybrid	The Tulip 'Apeldoorn Mixed', 'Tulipa darwin hybrid', is a fall planted bulb. This richly colored variety is always one of the show stoppers at flower exhibitions. This is one of the most popular sellers in red and yellow color blends. The huge perfectly shaped blooms are borne on strong, tall stems. Tulip 'Apeldoorn Mixed is excellent for colorful accents in the garden and tasteful bouquets. Perfect for warmerclimatic zones. Tulip 'Apeldoorn Mixed are excellent for mass planting, cut flowers, and borders. The Hyacinth 'City of Haarlem' 'Hyacinthus orientalis', is a fall planted bulb. This classic yellow Hyacinth is not a deep, bright yellow color you find in many other flowers. but a soft buttery yellow color which looks beautiful in your pastel garden and they are distinctly fragrant. Grow them for their graceful shape, long-lasting blooms and sweet scent. For the best effects, plant the bulbs in clusters of 5 to 15 bulbs of one variety, or scatter clusters throughout the garden or flower border. The Daffodil 'Accent', 'Narcissi large-cupped', a fall planted bulb, is a cheerful variety that has a ruffled delicate apricot-pink colored cup that is against a background of pure white petals. It will cheer up the border in your garden and will stand up to tough weather. The blossoms last up to 4 weeks and appear in mid spring. They are great for mass plantings, containers, and borders.

Today's Gardening Article
Want to see a new Gardening article?
Please visit us tomorrow

Chrysanthemums (Mums)

Did you know that those lush, colorful blooms called chrysanthemums are rooted in beliefs of human immortality and perfection? Today the "mum" graces gardens, cut flower arrangements and even salads (yes mums taste great), but they were taken much more seriously after T'ao Yuan Ming started it all in China around 500 A.D.

Over long periods of careful cross-pollination and selection, he developed stunning varieties of the flower and when he died, his birthplace was renamed Chuhsien. The City of Chrysanthemums. His efforts had produced a legacy that would bring pleasure to this world for centuries.

When China imported the first chrysanthemums to Japan, the people there bestowed many honors upon them. The Japanese wrote legends. To sip dew from the petals meant long life. To eat the flower meant immortality. Philosophers said that the systematic opening of the "ray" flowers symbolized both the sun and the perfection of orderly life.

By 800 A.D. the chrysanthemum had become so prestigious that only royal and noble families were permitted to cultivate it. Among the highest honors that could be bestowed in Japan was admittance to the Order of the Chrysanthemum... a reward granted to nobility for service to the Emperor.

In great contrast to this, the "mum" didn't make much of an impression when traders introduced it to Europe in the 1600s. But when in finally did catch on, it became one of the most popular blooms for both flower shops and gardens.

Today the mum comes in dozens of varieties. Fuji mums project rays with curly ends. Spider mums have straight-ended rays. Starburst mums have forked ends, while spoon-ended mums have a loop at the end of their rays. China mums are called "standard" and "football" because of their large, round heads. Daisy-like mums are called pompons. And those forming tight little balls are called button pomps.

Whether associated with spoons, forks or footballs, or with royalty or immortality, "mum" is the word for beautiful gardens and long-lasting floral arrangements. When you care for them as cut flowers, try to keep their ancient beauty away from such modern-day contraptions as air conditioning, TV sets and heaters. Don't place them in drafts or direct sunlight. Do watch their water, and replace it when needed. This way, a bouquet of mums can make your day every day for at least a week, maybe two.