Rosemary Flower Is Said To Represent Constancy And Loyalty

The rosemary flower is an exceptionally small and bright blossom that blooms from a woody, perennial herb plant. These flowers, which grow from the genus rosmarinus in the family lamiaceae, are native to regions of the Mediterranean. These herbs are best known for their needle-shaped evergreen leaves, which sprout for either trailing or upright plants. They are generally very long, and – though comparatively small – are quite broad in structure; their upper sides are a dark green, while their underbelly is a light, ashy white with small, dense hairs. The flowers themselves only begin to develop when the plant is fully mature, and may be seen in hues of blue, purple, pink and white.

The rosemary flower is often overlooked, as these plants are best known for their flavorful leaves – which are most commonly used in food and folk remedies. However, these blossoms have found their own place in storytelling and custom. In some legends, these blooms are said to improve memory, and thus – over time – they have become a large part of both weddings and funerals. Rosemary springs have long been thrown into open graves to show respect for the dead, and to tell them that they will not be forgotten; on the other hand, wreaths and garlands are made of these flowers – which are most frequently worn by the bride – and are retained as a keepsake, so that the couple may always be reminded of their wedding day.

The rosemary flower has also been used in divination and magic. One such example tells of the plant being potted and assigned the name of several potential love interests. The plant that grew healthy and strong belonged to the most suitable candidate. In addition to naming a new love, these blossoms were often used as love charms – cloth dolls were sewn and stuffed with rosemary to attract love; bunches of rosemary sprigs were carried by newly married couples to bring about fertility; while sachets filled with the dried flowers could be placed under a pillow, in a linen drawer or under a doormat to either dream of your next love, bring about the start of a sensual attachment, or attract your lover right to your door.

In addition to symbolizing remembrance, the rosemary flower is said to represent fidelity, as well as constancy and loyalty. These blossoms are most commonly traded between old and new lovers alike – to show that they will always be true to each other. They are also sometimes given to both lovers and friends that have to leave, so as to express the notion that they will always be remembered.

Here in Southern Andalucia the recent sunny weather has brought out the first flowers of the herb Rosemary or Rosmarinus Officionalis which in Latin means"dew of the sea". Wild rosemary on the hillsides flowers alongside the first flush of almond blossom, and makes a welcome flash of colour in the herb garden. This versatile herb is also a useful natural ingredient for both the hair and scalp and also in several skin care preparations.

Its ability to stimulate the circulation helps the skin to eliminate toxins and to regain a healthy sebum production therefore making it ideal for both overly greasy skin problems and extra dry skin irritations, however it is perhaps best known for its wonderful effects on the scalp and hair. For centuries people have been steeping handfuls of this aromatic herb in boiling spring water as a general hair rinse and tonic. Its toning effect on the scalp stimulates the circulation which inturn stimulates hair growth and general hair strength. Macerating the gently crushed herb in an oil of choice such as Olive or Jojoba and then using this oil to massage into the scalp can help to reduce more severe scalp problems such as seborrheic dermatitis or dandruff.

I have recently combined pure locally distilled rosemary essential oil and the algae spirulina in one of my to aid the treatment of overly greasy skin. The concentrated spirulina powder helps to detoxify and also feeds the skin with nutrients, and gives this soap a lovely soft green colour combined with the rosemary oil that stimulates the circulation and is an effective natural anti inflammatory, anti fungal and antiseptic. For an extra skin care tonic after washing with the rosemary and spirulina soap you can tone the skin with an easy to prepare tonic - by just steeping lightly crushed rosemary leaves in witchazel and then gently dabbing this onto the face, before moisturizing if necessary.

Petunia Flowers Are Very Popular For Their Vibrant Colors And Delicate Petals

Petunia flowers are very popular for their vibrant colors and delicate petals. Petunia plants with attractive and bright flowers are native to South America and belong to the family Solanaceae and genus Petunia. While most of the known varieties of petunia are hybrids, it is contented that the forerunner of these hybrids is a crossbreed between Petunia axillaris with large white flowers and Petunia integrifolia, which has violet-flowers. At present, we can see a wide range of trumpet-shaped petunia flowers in different size, colors and designs. Let us take a look at some petunia flower facts and petunia plant care.

Petunia Flower Facts

Petunia is a low-lying plant with a green and hairy foliage and bright trumpet-shaped flowers. There are many different varieties of petunias and these plants are roughly classified into grandiflora, hedgiflora, multiflora and milliflora. Grandiflora consist of those petunias with the largest flowers, i.e., up to four inches in diameter. The members of this class are further divided into four groups - merlin blue morn with blue and white flowers, supercascade series with flowers in many colors, daddy series with pink or purple flowers, and ultra series, with flowers in many colors. The last group includes bi-shaded flowers too.

The plants in the second category or hedgiflora are commonly known as spreading petunias. Most of the plants in this category have a maximum height of up to six inches, but they can cover a large area (up to four feet). The most popular among these types are the opera supreme with large flowers and tidal wave, which is much taller than the other members. The third category called multiflora includes petunia plants that produce flowers, which have a diameter of up to two inches. As compared to grandiflora varieties, these plants and flowers cannot be easily damaged by rain. The popular varieties include carpet series with flowers in many colors and surfinia series, which has flowers in pink, blue, purple and white. The fourth and last category is milliflora, which has the smallest petunia flowers. The petunia flowers in this category have a diameter of up to one inch. These plants are found to be more tolerant to harsh weather.

Now, you know more about petunia flowers and petunia plants. Petunia flowers come in various colors and can make your flower garden bright and lively. The following paragraphs deal with petunia flower care.

How to Grow Petunia Flowers

Petunia is one of those plants, which is easier to grow and needs less maintenance. They have some basic requirements like good sunlight, moist, well-drained soil and water. One of the initial steps of planting petunias is the selection of the right plant, with the color of your choice. You have to decide the site for growing these plants. It can be grown in garden beds, in containers, hanging baskets or indoors. You can select plants as per your requirement. For example, if you want petunia plants for garden beds, then low lying varieties with a large spread will be more suitable. The following are some tips and guidelines regarding petunia flower care.

• You can either buy petunia seedlings at the time of planting or sow the seeds eight weeks before the time of planting.
• Planting petunias is usually done after the last frost, during the onset of spring. Choose a location with full or partial (but should have at least six hours of full sunlight) sunlight.
• The soil must be well drained and at the same time, should be moist too. A peat based mix containing perlite or vermiculite (for drainage) is found to be good for planting petunia plants.
• Once the location is decided, you can start planting. These plants have to be planted at a distance of 12 to 18 inches, in case of garden beds. If you like them in containers, then plant two to three plants in the center of the container.
• Regular watering and fertilizing is good for petunias, especially for the new plants. This ensures continuous blooming.
• You may also use fertilizers at the time of planting. Usually, a ratio of one part fertilizer to four parts soil is found to be best for a healthy growth and flowering of petunia plants. Otherwise, use a water soluble liquid fertilizer, once a month.

Now, you have a basic idea of petunia flowers, petunia planting and care. These plants can prove to be an asset for your garden or indoors. So, if you do not have a petunia plant, start planning about planting some.

Implied Meaning of Easter Lilies

This lily was really thrive in the climate there. It was similar to Florida's native island of Ryukyu in Japan. By 1945, more than a thousand farmers in the west coast of the harvest of these bulbs to sell. There are only about two full weeks during the year that these flowers are commercially available. Easter lilies, it is estimated that the cultivation of plants in pots fourth largest in the United States, following the poinsettia, the mother, and azalea.

The history, mythology and art are filled with stories and images that speak of the beauty and majesty of the elegant white flowers. One of the most famous Biblical references is in the Sermon on the Mount, when Christ said, "Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow: they neither toil nor spin, yet Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of them . "

Lilies are often called "white-robed apostles of hope." Lilies were discovered in the Garden of Gethsemane after Christ died on the cross. During the Easter season, churches line their altars and envelop their crosses with a host of Easter lilies to signify the resurrection of Jesus Christ and the hope of eternal life.

Another concept associated with the pure white lily is the woman. In some early paintings, the angel Gabriel offers pure lilies to the Virgin Mary, and this symbolizes that she is the mother of Jesus. Other paintings show saints bringing vases of lilies to Mary and the divine child. According to legend, the flowers are formed when Eve cried tears of repentance to the output of Eden, and the tears became lilies. The point of this legend is that true repentance leads to beauty.

Established through the centuries as a symbol of purity, grace and style of real life, the white lily is a proper reminder greater meaning of Easter. These flowers grace millions of homes and churches each year, incorporating the joy, hope and life, either as gifts or displayed proudly in your home, the Easter lily is still a beautiful reminder of how Easter is a time of celebration and joy. So when you buy Easter baskets for your loved ones, do not stop with colored eggs and chocolates, but be sure to include some Easter lilies as well!

Easter egg evokes memories of decorating baskets, Easter, chocolate bunnies, the local church services, family gatherings, parades, and the meaning of Easter Lily. Its beautiful trumpet-shaped flowers symbolize purity, hope and life, the spiritual essence of Easter and all the promises of spring. The lilies are mostly administered with Easter flowers. Lilies are sometimes affectionately called "white-robed apostles of hope." Rumored to be found growing in the garden of Gethsemane after Christ's atonement took place there. Honoring a million homes and churches, the flowers represent the joy, hope and life.

Lily serves as a beautiful reminder that Easter is a time of rejoicing and celebration.

Easter is such special time to remember those who are dear to us who have passed away. We have a tradition of offering the Easter lilies in their memory. Envelopes are available at the entrances of the church where you can list the names of your family & friends for Easter lilies that will be around the Altar for Easter.

Colorado Landscapers Add More Texture And Beauty

Colorado landscapers and gardeners should be very thankful for the beautiful backdrop provided by the Rocky Mountains for their landscape designs. However, there are many challenges being faced by these people when it comes to their landscaping needs. One thing is the limited water resources that for people in eastern Colorado, so they have to create their inspiration by adding adapted shrubs and flowers to add more texture and beauty to their design. Being in the USDA hardiness zones 4 to 6, Colorado landscapers also have to content with soils rich in alkaline that need constant organic amendments and which experience frequent drought period.

Because of limited water supplies, xeriscaping is very popular in Colorado. The basic principle of xeriscaping involves the limited use of turf grass, but instead using ornamental grasses like buffalo grass, blue grama, bluestem, switch grass and feather reed grass. This is because they grow well in poorer soils and have lower water requirements than shrubs and flowering plants. Xeriscaping also involves selecting water-wise plants, using efficient irrigation practices and assisting plant survival through the application of soil amendments and mulches. Suggestion for water-wise plants include penstemon, prairie zinnia, Mojave sage, coreopsis and showy black-eyed susans.

Aside from xeriscaping techniques, rock gardens are also a good idea for Colorado landscapers. It will not only help you solve the problem with water supply, but also gives you the luxury of using the many colorful and decorative rocks available locally. Some of the most commonly used rocks for landscaping available in the region includes the moss rock and Colorado red rock. Using these elements, you can design a landscape plan around large- and medium-sized rocks, leaving space between the stones for various-sized plants. Plant suggestions for rock gardens are sedums, alpine stonecrest, alyssum, alpine rockcress, cottage pinks and shrubs such as prostrate junipers and littleleaf peashrub.

Lastly, Colorado is also blessed with beautiful wildflowers that can be used as additional features of your landscape design. Plants such as sage, columbine, fireweed, prairie gentian, pink bergamot, prairie coneflower and Mexican hat will certainly add a more casual but natural look for your garden.

Just like in every aspect of life, using what you have is one basic principle for landscaping. Knowing this will give your landscape design more personality instead of looking very generic. Besides, a unique landscape is a good landscape in most situation.

By Planting A Garden Stocked With Beautiful Flowers

Imagine a never ending supply of beautiful flowers for your home, bouquets and arrangements to give to friends, flowers to pluck at will for gifts, get well visits, anniversaries and birthdays. By planting a garden stocked with flowers that happily give up their blooms for your pleasure, you can have fresh flower arrangements in every room in your home all throughout the spring and summer.

To create your own flower garden, start with a sunny spot in your yard. A garden spot that gets 6 to 8 hours of direct sun a day is ideal. It should be within easy reach for watering, since a cut flower garden will need daily watering during any dry spells. You'll also want to design it to make it easy for you to reach all the flowers in it, so a raised bed that can be approached on four sides is perfect. If you decide to plant against a fence or as a border, make sure that you can get to all the plants without stepping on others by putting in footpaths or trenches for walking.

The best way to start your garden is with bulbs planted in the autumn. Daffodils and tulips are among the most popular spring bouquet flowers. By getting them in the ground in the autumn, you'll be able to start cutting early in the spring.

Naturalized bulbs look beautiful in a wooded setting. You can plant them and leave them to multiply. After the bulbs bloom the foliage will die down, but you can intersperse bulbs with ground covers and other perennials for a carefree and beautiful garden. For a natural look you should arrange your bulbs informally. If you toss them and plant them where they land, with small adjustments for spacing, it'll look much better than if you arrange them.

Perennials are the basic flowers for any garden. Each year they die and renew themselves for the next growing season. They are long-lived and last for many seasons. Perennials are also, historically, among our oldest plants. They have been cultivated for centuries and often, as a result of breeding and crossbreeding, bear no resemblance to their wild forebears. In some of the perennials, the blossoms have become so specialized through centuries of cultivation that they no longer grow 'seeds.

Annuals are also of use as a filler between shrubs set some distance apart. This permits the shrub to grow, yet prevents too stark an appearance. The sowing of annuals, of course, depends upon the class to which they belong. The hardier flowers, such as larkspur, poppies and cornflowers, can be profitably planted in late fall. The ground preparation must be just as careful as for spring planting.

Flowers can add a perfume as well as a visual aspect to your outdoor area. You may choose climbing plants that flower each year. These will take several years to reach their full potential but once they do they will create climbing plants of color on a gazebo, a fence or even up the side of a house. If you are looking for a variety that will provide lots of color, try the blue trumpet vine. This climbing plant blooms from autumn through summer and has bright blue flowers on a twining stem.

There are a number of ways to solve the problems of short-flowering periods and the resultant unsightly spaces. One way is to intersperse perennials with annuals and other bulbs and flowering plants whose bloom occurs either later or earlier than that of the perennials. Some perennials are easy to transplant: chrysanthemums, for example, can be moved from one place to another with no noticeable effect on their vigor. This is another way to keep color and bloom throughout the growing season. A garden of perennials, either by themselves or mixed with annuals and other bulbs, should be placed along a path, or as a border, with a background of trees, shrubs, a wall or fence.

The background shows the brilliant coloring to best advantage. Some varieties can flourish in the shade, such as anemone, lily of the valley, day lilies, sweet pea, primrose, hollyhock, harebell and peonies, but these flowers must be chosen carefully and faced so that some sun reaches them every day.

Roses are an entire subject of their own, but they deserve special mention when discussing cut flower gardens. Rambling and climbing varieties of roses are especially suited to cut flower gardens, putting out masses of blooms and responding to cutting with even more flowers. Trail a rambling rose along a wooden fence rail and you'll have sweet smelling roses for your bedroom dresser all summer long.