Tag: flowering plants

February is a good time to take a tropical walk. It does not need to be long — often less than an hour.

No need to bother with planes or reservations. Block out a little time and be sure you have fuel in the car is all you need to do in the St. Louis metro area.

Yes, I said tropical. This is orchid show time at the Missouri Botanical Garden.

Lean close. Breath deep. Enjoy.

My “thumb” is very pale green. I admire. I do not attempt to grow at home. (Many others are successful at this.) Instead I enjoy an annual visit to savor the hard work of others.

Can’t get to the garden? Cold winter weather being a bother? Settle into your favorite chair, have a warm drink within reach, and open a book. I favor romance. Comfort Zone, a later-in-life novel set in St. Louis should warm you with an opening in an August heat wave. Check out details at this link: https://amzn.to/2ZvL0Av

Would you like to cultivate a plant which symbolizes strength? How about good luck? Or long life?

Would you appreciate a plant that is both ornamental and medicinal? What if we could add edible?

Meet the Sacred Lotus. Cultivated for three thousand years and wearing all the attributes listed above the photo. This grouping of plants is much younger and grows at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. Come and stroll among these and many others. Can’t make a journey to St. Louis? Seek out a public garden near your home.

The sweet romance, Comfort Zone, is set in St. Louis — but a similar story could take place in many American cities. Check out this tale of second chances and choices to be made at the link. https://amzn.to/2ZvL0Av

Sometimes when you say a plant name, many varieties are included. For example: depending upon the species, today’s featured plant can be from less than one foot to greater then three feet tall. The blossom color also varies, from almost white, to pale pink, lavender, and dark purple.

This planting of ornamental onion grabs the walker’s attention. Are those colored ping-pong balls on stalks? Not exactly. Each of those globes consist of many, many small, star-shaped flowers. Long-lasting, this plant works well in borders. Yes, put the tallest ones in the back. Plant the bulbs in the fall, sit back, and watch for surprises in late spring into early summer.

Louisa Mueller, and all the other ladies tending gardens in 1851 Elm Ridge, Illinois, did not bother with this “onion”. They grew the traditional type to flavor soups, stews, and roasted meats. Some households grew them in great quantity — families were large — and some immigrant groups used them in more dishes than others.

Check out the sweet historical romance, New Dreams, to discover other facets of the lives of Louisa and other Deutsch immigrants in this fictional river town. Steamboat’s coming! Follow the link! https://amzn.to/3vWydWE

A July Friday is an excellent time to stroll in a public garden. Some days the simple act of walking under a tree sheds stress from the workweek.

If the day is sunny, I suggest you spend a few extra minutes enjoying the rich colors and tight blossoms of Cockscomb.

Planted to contrast with the white Vinca in this bed, the vibrant color really stands out. If you plant these in your home garden you can expect them to thrive well in hot, humid St. Louis summers. (Unlike most humans.)

On the hottest days, HVAC tech Janet in the sweet romance Comfort Zone, is working hard to keep homes and businesses comfortable. For a story with mature characters and second chances, check the details by following the link: https://amzn.to/2ZvL0Av

Pick me. Pick me. My flowers are pretty and my nectar is sweet. Please — hummingbirds and butterflies welcome.

Not that we will turn away bees, moths, or dragonflies. We welcome all the popular pollinators.

This planting of Mexican heather and Coneflowers are a delight to the eye of humans and a clarion call to the above mentioned pollinators.

This bed is located in a public garden. However, the serious (or even not so serious) gardener could grow this in a sunny flower bed for a splash of color and interest.

Pull up the lawn chair and settle in with your book. Between pages, glance up and enjoy the sight of colorful flowers and insects busy at work. I recommend a sweet romance such as Comfort Zone for your reading. More book information is available when you follow the link: https://amzn.to/2ZvL0Av

They enjoy staying in the shade where humans need to seek them out. The reward?

Delicate white bells hanging from a slender stalk.

Lily-of-the-valley in this well-established bed began to show off their blooms in mid-April this year. Started from half a dozen transplanted at the wrong time of year, (The friend of a friend was building a deck in the heat of summer and the plants were faced with get moved or die.) they struggled for the first few years. Fast forward almost twenty years and I’m grateful I planted them inside a cement block edging. I think the lily-of-the-valley and the English ivy are having a spreading contest.

Janet, the heroine of the sweet romance, Comfort Zone, does not claim to be a champion gardener. But it’s nice to imagine a bed of this spring flower living against the shady side of her house. For more information on the book, follow the link: https://amzn.to/2ZvL0Av

Usually I avoid creeps. I find them between unpleasant and scary on the human rating.

However, when it comes to plants, I’m more open-minded.

Creeping phlox, is the first to bloom in this particular raised bed. Spreading from year to year – hence the “creeping” — it is a bright spot and attracts early pollinators. If you want an accent ground cover near a walkway or garden feature, this plant deserves consideration.

Popular in gardens, this low-maintenance plant is the sort that would appeal to Janet, the heroine HVAC tech in the sweet romance, Comfort Zone. I can easily imagine her smiling at these blooms under a front window. For more information on her second-chance romance tale, click on the link: https://amzn.to/2ZvL0Av