Birthday Present !!!

Plant ID: Hyacinth Orientalis

Different colors of Hyacinth at display

This year birthday, my eldest daughter gifted me a beautiful plant like her, named Hyacinth. Ofcourse, my husband who is my all time sponsor is behind the gift ;). 

Hyacinth and Tube rose

As I continued to look at the shape, beautiful flowers and fragrance of the Hyacinth plant, I realized that they resembled tuberose.

That led me to look for similarities between them, then ended up on Wikipedia.

As I suspected they both belong to the same family.

Tube rose:

Tube rose

Wikipedia link for tuberose/sampangi : Agave amica

Agave amica (sampangi), formerly Polyanthes tuberosa, tuberose, is a perennial plant in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Agaveidae, the sap of which is particularly used in perfumery.

Now, widely grown as an ornamental plant, this species was originally native to Mexico.

Hyacinth:

Purple Hyacinth in full bloom

Hyacinthus is a small genus of bulbous, spring-flowering perennial. They are fragrant flowering plants in the family Asparagaceae, subfamily Scilloideae and commonly known as hyacinths.

Native to the eastern Mediterranean region from Turkey south to Palestine, although more widely naturalized.

(H. orientalis, native to Southwest Asia) This species was very popular. Over 2,000 cultivars were grown in the Netherlands in the 18th century, its main commercial producer.

This Hyacinth bears a single dense spike of fragrant flowers in red, blue, white, orange, pink, purple or yellow. A form of the common hyacinth is the florist's less hardy and smaller blue- or white-petaled Roman hyacinth. These flowers need indirect sunlight and moderate watering.

 Hyacinth grows from bulbs, each producing four to six linear leaves and one to three spikes or racemes of flowers. (A raceme or racemoid is a cluster of flowers arranged on a short flower stalk with unbranched, flower-bearing shoots).

A raceme

In wild species, such as H. litwinovii, there are 2 racemes, and the flowers are widely spaced.

In H. orientalis, usually six to eight, it grows to a height of 15–20 cm (6–8 in). Cultivars of H. orientalis have denser flower spikes and are generally more robust. This is the type I have in my house now.

I got a pink rose bulb 2 years ago. You can see in the picture that I planted it outdoors in open ground. It was not as big as growing indoors. Could be due to bulb size or hot weather. So you can grow the plant indoors or outdoors. Depending on the climate and the size of the tuber, the flower size varies.

Hyacinth bulbs are poisonous. They contain oxalic acid. Handling the bulbs can cause mild skin irritation. Protective gloves are recommended.

Preparation of Hyacinth bulbs for indoor planting:

1. When buying flower bulbs, always choose large, healthy-looking bulbs.

2.This will ensure that the bulbs store plenty of nutrients for long lasting blooms.

3.You can buy pre-chilled bulbs for immediate planting or if you buy regular bulbs, keep them chilled for at least 6 to 10 weeks before planting.

4.You can keep the bulbs in a cool basement, or in the refrigerator, but keep them away from fruits and vegetables because the ethylene gas they produce can damage the bulbs.

5. When the leaves emerge, move the pot to a sunny window and give it a slow release nutrient fertilizer.

6.It usually takes 3 weeks for the flowers to open after the first leaves appear.

7. Hyacinth flowers usually grow 8 to 10 inches (20 to 25 cm) tall.

8.The flowers are self-supporting, just support it with a small stick if you notice it falling down.

9.Sometimes you get two or more flower heads from one tuber.

Caring for Hyacinth Bulbs After Blooming:

1. Hyacinth bulbs grown in containers (pots/containers) can be treated as annual plants and replaced every year or the flowers can be removed and leaves die naturally.

2.They use photosynthesis to store nutrients for the next season.

3.After the leaves die back, the bulbs can be transplanted to the garden where they will bloom again the next season.

Side note: I'll also post how my Hyacinth journey goes later.

Thank you

- Bhuvanashri🌸

Orchid Phalaenopsis...

    Orchid is a tropical plant with a lot of varieties and beautiful flowers that grows in the wild, on other trees or plants. Orchids belong to the family of Orchidaceae, a flowering plant species. It is known for their unique and colorful flowers who stay bloomed for a month or more. 

Orchid Dendrobium Nobile

They need a medium to stuck themselves to grow. It doesn't suck the nutrients from the support plant, just clings on to them for physical support. Nowadays they are very common in all places, it is been widely cultivated for sales and their scent. Though it grows effortless in the wild, it requires some skill to grow and make it bloom in people's home especially if there are seasonal changes. 

 

Today I am here to brief about repotting store bought orchid. If you are interested to learn about orchids and their sub varieties or hybrids follow this link. 

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Orchid 

I received this below orchid as a gift. This type of orchid is called Phalaenopsis. It is not so easy to grow in very cold or hot places. This orchid needs moisture and indirect sunlight.

Similar to any other orchid, watering is only necessary if the roots appear to be dry. After purchasing from the store, please remove all the moss, cocopeat and wash the roots immediately.

 

Remove rotten, yellowed and mushy roots. Always wash the roots of this type of orchid with warm water.

They are susceptible to fungal diseases, so dry the leaves and crown with a tissue or cloth, without damaging the plant and flower.

 

Crown rot is the most common disease or reason if an orchid fails to grow or die. Repot again using orchid mix/coconut barks/oak barks/charcoal and moss (optional). The container needs good drainage system, i.e. it needs few holes in the bottom for the water to drain, also providing good ventilation for the roots. 

Let the roots be visible so that they can breathe air.

It is a beautiful tropical plant, but very difficult to maintain and requires constant attention. As mentioned earlier water when it is needed and fertlizing once a month promotes flowering. I have lost 3 orchids before.

They are sensitive plants, but their flowers last for 2 months or more. A few years ago I had a Dendrobium orchid that was 5 years old, but after coming to Belgium it couldn't survive the harsh climate.

My first orchid dendro, a beauty who bloomed after an year 

I haven't had any luck keeping any orchids alive since then, and I hope to keep this one healthy.

- Bhuvanshri🌸

#floragardening21

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The Story of My Chrysanthemums

Survivors....

 In Belgium the marigold season starts from September. Last year we bought 4 colored plants. They bloomed well.

My living bouquets

I kept the plants outside with a plastic sheet to cover them during the winter. Last winter was very severe and it even snowed in April. As you can see in the pictures, my plants were weakened.

Survivors

But the plants protected them with their own branches. I was very surprised and happy. Then I started taking care of them.

 First I removed all the dead branches and added soil to the pot. Watered regularly, they started growing well.

Then when summer started, the aphids started eating all the new growth. So I dissolved turmeric, garlic and ginger paste in water and sprayed it on the plants. It was back to normal after a few days.

I had to come to Chennai for a 2 month vacation and my neighbor was watering the plants and when I came back in September they were already growing well.

 

Then it's time to wait for it to bloom. I didn't do anything extra special, just with regular watering and the perfect climate, my chrysanthemums started to bud.

   

Now they are in full bloom. Although I did 40% of the work 60% of the credit goes to my plants, for surviving and looking so beautiful.

  

They are currently living inside the Greenhouse...

Note: If they could speak, "I am the one who goes through all the hardships, but why are you  feeling so proud?" would be their question to me😄.

                                                         

- Bhuvanashri 🌸😊

Oleander: Why and How to prune Oleanders?

Oleander is a shrub or small tree grown as an ornamental plant.



It has beautiful star-shaped flowers in many colors. Although very easy to care for and a beautiful plant, it is highly poisonous.



It also tends to grow into large bushes quickly. That's why it's important to prune them in the fall, especially when growing in pots.

Old and side branches should be pruned without touching the main trunk so that a tree-like shape can be formed. Most importantly after cutting, apply any fungicide or cinnamon powder to prevent any diseases from the cuttings (as shown in the picture.




New young plants can be propagated by cuttings if you wish.



Note: Since this is a poisonous plant, wear gloves or any protection if you have sensitive skin.

Happy gardening.

- Bhuvanashri🌸