Pink Dogwood Tree Gift

My pink dogwood tree now in bloom, a gift from a dear friend. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Pink Dogwood Tree Gift

I like to give friends a tree in memory of a lost one. I have done so for decades, letting the recipient chose a tree that means something to them and the missing loved one and my making arrangements to either plant it for them, or finding someone to do so.

So it was with delight that a very dear friend surprised me with a pink dogwood tree many years ago. He knew I was systematically adding Missouri’s state tree, cornus florida, to my limestone hillside garden so he chose to give me “something extra special,” a pink dogwood tree.

I have to confess, at first I didn’t know if I would like the color. When I think of my garden colors pink doesn’t immediately come to mind but Sunbonnet Sues Handmade Quilt in pink does. One of my first ever handmade quilts was one my mother made out of Sunbonnet Sues in a variety of pink fabrics. But I digress.

About the same time that native dogwoods bloom, my garden is covered in a pink haze from another one of Missouri’s lovely spring-blooming trees, the Eastern Redbud.

Deciding I liked the sentiment expressed by the gift tree more than a matched garden, I planted the pink dogwood by the path leading to the front of my house so it could welcome me home as I pulled into my garage.

Similar to Missouri’s state tree, the pink dogwood has added color on petal edges. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

The pink dogwood tree pops out behind an evergreen hiding what is behind the pathway leading into my garden, a nice way to offer a little garden surprise.

The pink dogwoodf lower colors start out strong, then slowly fade to a lighter color before the blooms disappear.

Native white dogwoods are notoriously difficult to get established so I wasn’t sure how successfully the pink dogwood tree would settle in. We lived for several years with tree branches hitting me in the face as I walked by and a couple of branches reaching into an odd angle but that gave the tree character.

This year the pink dogwood tree branches are finally tall enough to reach over my head so I don’t have to duck every time I pass under it.

I planted the gift pink dogwood where it would welcome me home. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

From a personal perspective, this gift pink dogwood tree also reminds me of how much enjoyment a gift tree can give. I think of my friend every time I look at it, remembering the evenings of sharing hopes, dreams and wishes as well as a lot of gardening talk. Not only is a gift tree a lovely sentiment but I can attest the gift tree keeps on giving year after year.

Charlotte

Personalized Gardening Starter Kit

Donated personalized gardening starter kit to a spring conference. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Personalized Gardening Starter Kit

This spring I was one of the speakers at a state beekeeping conference focused on planting natives for bees. It’s hard to cover the topic without discussing the fundamentals of gardening, especially the need for good healthy soil. Knowing the conference would have a silent auction, I quickly made up this personalized gardening starter kit with an excellent Fundamentals of Gardening book; handmade gardening soap; gardening claws and, for a special treat, a little jar of honey that took bees visiting 100,000 flowers to make.

In addition, I shared seeds from two of my favorite plants, Cushaw pumpkins, the native North American pumpkin that most likely was at the first Thanksgiving, as well as zinnias. The zinnias are not native but they are so easy to grow and provide wonderful pollen and nectar for a variety of pollinators. For a beginning gardener, zinnias are a guaranteed win.

Alice, the silent auction winner, came up to me at the end of the conference to tell me how delighted she was with her gardening starter kit. Her son had squirreled away her yard sale gardening book so she bid on the starter kit for the book. Her family, however, is excited about the gardening claws. Her husband wants to scratch the dog with the claws and another family member thinks they would be excellent for a Halloween costume. So glad to hear they have found many other handy uses for the gardening claws!

I warned Alice the soap will last a long time so not to be thrown off by the small size. She said she will be happy to have something handy as soon as she gets in from the garden and ,in terms of the honey, she has very specific plans for that and they don’t involve sharing.

Enjoy your gardening starter kit, Alice and let me know how the seeds do in your garden!

Charlotte

Gift Zinnia Seeds

A bouquet of zinnias keeping me company in my kitchen are a beautiful summer bounty. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Gift Zinnia Seeds

Years ago, when I was focusing on what I would grow in my garden, I decided I would concentrate only on perennials because, once planted, they come back year after year. The one exception is zinnias, an annual originally from Mexico that needs to be planted every year. Frankly, if I could only grow one flower it would be zinnias. I know, so much for planning what I am going to plant in my garden…

These hardy, colorful and butterfly and pollinator-friendly flowers are also long lasting cut flowers, bringing a delightful pop of color into any room.

History of Zinnias

According to Diana Wells, zinnias were named after Dr. Johann Gottfied Zinn, a Gottingen University professor who in 1753 wrote a book on the eye anatomy as well as a book on the Gottingen area flora.

In Mexico, the original flowers were called mal de ojos, translated as “ugly to the eyes” because the original flowers were small and considered ugly.

Burpee Seed Co. decided to experiment with the flowers and “Old 66,” one plant in the sixty-sixth row of the experimental gardens, is the basis for most of the current zinnia hybrids.

Gift of Zinnia Seeds

So as I was sharing with friends on a social media platform, a friend from my local television days shared a beautiful photo of a Monarch butterfly on a zinnia taken that morning. That does it, I posted, I am covering my garden in zinnias next year.

A couple of days later, Diane texted she was in town and had something for me:

A gift of zinnia seeds in an ice cream bucket with a sweet identification label. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Not only were there zinnia seeds but she had dried and separated the seeds so they are ready to plant.

Beautifully-dried and sorted zinnia seeds, ready for planting. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

Garden Gift Ideas

Her thoughtful gift was a good reminder how seeds make wonderful garden gifts. Pick or cut off the flower heads and allow to fully dry. Separate the seeds from the flowers and allow to dry again for a couple of days. Package in small envelopes with the flower variety and planting instructions.

If you have kids, have them draw flowers on the gift seed packages before filing.

I picked my last zinnias of the season and have them on my den coffee table, a reminder of the thoughtful gift and the promise of next year’s flowers.

My last zinnia bouquet keeping me company on my den coffee table. (Photo by Charlotte Ekker Wiggins)

By the way, Diane and I had a lovely visit, another wonderful benefit of sharing seeds. In the language of flowers, zinnias represent “thoughts of absent friends,” which is only too appropriate. Thanks, Diane!

Charlotte

White Rose Gift Bouquet

White Rose Gift Bouquet

A friend's wife and daughter were under the weather so I picked a small bouquet to cheer them up. John F. Kennedy fragrant white hybrid tea roses, purple forget-me-nots and white garlic chives all in a porcelain watering can I picked up at a local thrift shop.

Punishing summer weather this year gave way to a couple of weeks of cool temperatures, prompting my garden to produce flowers again.  Most plants go into survival mode when temperatures go over 90F for any length of time. 

I pick up these small containers when I find them so I have them handy to make gift flowers.

Pick up small containers you can use as flower vases for gift flowers from your garden.

I did explain to the husband/Dad that the roses will smell wonderful but there will also be a garlic whiff from the garlic chives. Garlic chives are wonderful bee plants and one of the few plants that bloom profusely in August and September in hot weather conditions.

If you have to choose between a small and large container, choose a smaller one. Small flower containers are more versatile than large ones. Most people can make a spot for a small flower vase versus something larger and it takes less flowers to make a bouquet.

Pick roses early morning still in bud form so they can have a longer vase life.

Pick roses and the other flowers early morning. Use sharp scissors to cut them at a 45 degree angle and get them into water immediately. I sometimes take a jar with water into the garden when I am cutting flowers so I can get the cut ones immediately hydrated.

Also make sure the flowers are compatible. Daffodils, for example, don't get along with other flowers unless they are kept in a vase with water to drain toxins first.

Another benefit of making gift flower bouquets, it gives me a chance to see my garden from a different perspective. Garden dreams are a delightful way to enjoy a garden, too!

Charlotte

Flower Pens

These silk flower bouquets greet visitors to our local post office, aren't they welcoming?

Flower Pens

The first time I saw one was from a child's classroom project. Then they popped up recently at our local post office, little bouquets of silk flowers at every work station. It's a way to keep people from taking the pens, the clerk told me as she was weighing one of my boxes.

But what a lovely way to brighten up the office, too, I said. We are all lady clerks now, she offered, except for one senior man. And he likes the pens, too.

Who wouldn't. Usually I see people taping plastic spoons on their pens to keep people from walking off with them, silk flowers are so much more attractive.

How to make them? I took a closer look:

Silk flowers, floral tape and a pen are all it takes to make these charming floral pens.

The clerk confirmed they are easy to make. You can add one silk flower or more, it's up to you. I prefer my pens not to be top heavy so I would start with one, no more than two and try that out at first.

She said they tried three flowers and didn't like more than two so most of their pens have either one large flower or two smaller silk flowers.

I can see making a little bouquet of someone's favorite flower pens for a pick me up or personalized birthday gift. When not using the pen, the flowers still keep the space bright and cheery!

Charlotte

February Gift Flowers: Primroses or Violets

A lovely variety of English primroses for sale for 99 cents at one of our local grocery stores.

February Gift Flowers: Primroses or Violets

Depending on which calendar you check, the February gift flower is either the English primrose or violets. The only violets available this time of year in Missouri are the tender, inside African violets.

Both these flowers are non-natives and grow in shade in their native habitat. English primroses are blooming now in France, where although it's also winter the weather is a little more forgiving.

I have a little purple English primrose in my living room, a purchase at a local grocery store.

This was the only purple English primrose in the bunch of flowers on sale. 

I bought the purple English primrose because it reminded me of the wild violets that will be  blooming in my one-acre hillside garden later this year.

What I noticed about caring for English primroses is that they don't tolerate their roots going dry. That makes sense since in their native environment, they live in the moist leaf litter under trees. When the soil is dry, their leaves drop and the plant can easily die.

The same thing with African violets, only African violets prefer their soil more on the dry side. This is a hybrid purple African violet I've had for many years:

This little purple African violet has been with me for many years and almost blooms continuously.

I keep both English primroses and African violets in indirect light on the southwest side of the house in a window and check daily that the soil has not dried out. 

This is one of the older African violets, considered original. It's hardier and blooms continuously.

Besides a few African violets purchased on sale, the rest of my African violets are a non-hybrid variety so they are hardier, and bloom almost constantly. Their color is more of a pink purple and the color changes as the flowers unfold.

In the "Language of Flowers," violets stand for faithfulness. In a month celebrating Valentine's day, it seems appropriate, don't you think?

Which ones have you tried to grow or have you grown both?

Charlotte

Gift-Boxed Thread Snips

Gift-Boxed Thread Snips

If you are a quilter or do much embroidery, you already know about this wonderful tool for easily and quickly cutting threads. Thread Snips have a metal ring that helps secure the metal scissors so you can easily remove hanging threads without getting a cramp in your fingers.

The larger, 4-inch thread snips in this Thread Snips Gift Box were made in China by Acme United and have a limited lifetime warranty. The brand new thread snips are heavy duty and have been popular gifts among my quilters for many years.

The second, lighter also 4-inch metal thread snips can also be used in a sewing room but I discovered they are perfect for cleaning up dead leaves on plants. Ever since I started to use them in my inside garden, I love how quickly I can remove leaves with precision cuts as opposed to fumbling with scissors or even gardening shears.

Combining the two, I have this sweet gift box that has both thread snips included so you can give them as a birthday gift, Valentine's Day gift, Mother's Day gift or just because.

Free gift card included, just tell us what you would like on the card!

Box size: 4 inches by 5.5 inches.

Thread snips are traditionally used to easily and quickly cut sewing and embroidery threads.

Use a separate set of thread snips to easily trim leaves and dead flowers off plants.

I am painting my garden thread snips a blue color so I don't confuse them with my sewing and embroidery ones, love using them for quickly and easily dead-heading flowers.

Charlotte

January Gift Flowers: Carnations

Red carnations from a gift bouquet keep a little sprig of pink geraniums company in kitchen vase.

January Gift Flowers: Carnations

January is a special month in my home because both my cat Margaret and I celebrate our birthdays. Margaret turned 19 years old this year, human years equivalent of 98 years old. She has always had selective hearing and now she's a little challenged with her eyesight so I keep tabs on her so that when she cries because she's lost, I can quickly find her.

She was sitting next to the little vase with leftover gift flowers from a friend over Christmas when I remembered carnations are January's gift flowers. The red carnations had lasted almost a month already, one of the longest cut flowers one can buy among the many choices.

Florists like to add long-lasting flowers in their arrangements so the flowers can be enjoyed as they wilt. Chrysanthemums, in all of their forms, is another long-lasting choice, as are Peruvian lilies, which can last as cut flowers for a good 6 weeks.

I try to remember how well a plant will work as a cut flower as I add them to my garden. 

What Carnations Represent in Language of Flowers

In the Victorian era, flowers held special meaning so they were carefully selected when sending to someone. Today the "Language of Flowers" still holds, with the color of carnations having a different meaning, much as roses do.

White carnations suggest pure love and good luck, light red symbolizes admiration, while dark red represents deep love and affection.

Here are some other meanings for carnations in various different colors:

Pink Carnations: Mother's Love

Light red Carnations: Admiration

Dark red Carnations: Deep Love and a Woman's Affection

Striped Carnations: Regret, Refusal

Green Carnations: St. Patrick's Day

Purple Carnations: Capriciousness

Yellow Carnation: Disappointment, Dejection

These hot pink carnations blended in beautifully with my long-lasting Peruvian lilies.

I almost picked up some yellow carnations on sale to keep my flower vase company earlier today. I settled instead for a bouquet of hot pink ones to keep my still-blooming Peruvian lilies company. The yellow ones were so tempting because they were bright and cheery, a welcome spot of color in an otherwise cold and gloomy month.

When I looked up the meaning of yellow carnations in one of my Language of Flowers book, it said yellow carnations represent disdain. Regardless of the meaning, I think fresh flowers are welcome in any color, for any celebration, any time of the year!

Charlotte

September Gift Flower: Asters

September gift flowers are New England asters, which are a favorite fall garden flowers.

September Gift Flower: Asters

There is such a lovely variety of colors in this family of flowers, asters. Some of my favorite fall blooming plants belong to this group: White Boneset, White Heath Asters and one of my top favorites, New England Asters.

According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, "Symphyotrichum novae-angliae, commonly called New England aster, is a Missouri native perennial which occurs in moist prairies, meadows, thickets, low valleys and stream banks (Steyermark) throughout the State. It is a stout, leafy plant typically growing 3-6' tall with a robust, upright habit.

New England Asters feature a profuse bloom of daisy-like asters (to 1.5" diameter) with purple rays and yellow centers from late summer to early fall. Rough, hairy, lance-shaped leaves (to 4" long) clasp stiff, hairy stems. Flowers are attractive to butterflies" and I will add bees, too.

How to Grow New England Asters

Easily grown in average, medium, well-drained soil in full sun, prefers moist, rich soils. Good air circulation helps reduce incidence of foliar diseases. Pinching back stems several times before mid-July will help control plant height, promote bushiness and perhaps obviate the need for staking. Pinching back will also delay flowering.

Most New England Asters are sold early fall when they are in bloom. I buy the plants after bloom, remove the spent flower heads and make sure they are well watered and mulched when I plant them. Any dead branches get left on to help protect the new growth that will start at the plant base. I also give them some water for a couple of months to make sure their roots get established.

Since this is a native Missouri wildflower, it's also easily seen growing on road sides, my garden and a friend's garden.

These are wild Missouri asters growing in a beekeeping friend's side garden.

According to the Language of Flowers, the Victorian Era practice of giving every growing thing meaning. The Victorians used this vocabulary to send secret messages in flower bouquets. In this flowery world of meaning, asters represent "variety" and "spontaneous impulse."

Charlotte

Bridal Veil Wedding Gift Idea

This sprig of bridal veil was cut when most of the flowers were closed.

Bridal Veil Bush Wedding Gift Idea

One of our customers wanted to add a living plant to a country double wedding ring quilt she purchased as a wedding gift and bridal veil bush was one of the recommendations I gave her.

This long-lived perennial bush is lovely as is, even prettier when it is in bloom. The delicate white flowers give the bush its name.

Bridal veil bush has delicate leaves and makes a nice focal point in a garden corner.

In addition to being easy to care for, the cut branches are long lived as cut flowers for inside vases. I like the delicacy of the white flower clusters and how they fall on the long branches.

A cut branch from bridal veil bush in a vase on my mantle.

Other growing wedding gift ideas I passed on was to select the plant for the month of the wedding. Not all of the traditional flowers are perennials but they can inspire similar plants that come back every year. The following are the flowers for each month:

January: Carnation

February: Violet

March: Daffodil

April: Daisy

May: Lily of the Valley

June: Rose

July: Larkspur

August: Gladiolus

September: Aster

October: Calendula or Marigold

November: Chrysanthemum

December: Narcissus

Not one there you like? Then Bridal Veil bush it is!

Charlotte

June Gift Flower: Rose

Pink climbing roses growing across the street from Bluebird Gardens.

June Gift Flower: Rose

Roses are by far one of the most popular flowers in the Victorians "Language of Flowers," each type and color having a unique meaning.

Some meanings have evolved. According to Cindy Brick, yellow roses meant 'untrustworthy' to the Victorian, but by the mid-20th Century had come to symbolize friendship.

As June's gift flower, roses in general stand for beauty and love. 

There is a distinction between a full rose in bloom and a rosebud. One red rosebud represents "purity and loveliness; youth and beauty." A white rosebud represents girlhood.

A rose in full bloom represents adult love and devotion, or true love.

Luckily these days, people appreciate any rose, and I most appreciate those growing in my garden. Or in the case of these photos, the climbing roses growing literally across the street!

Cluster of pink climbing roses growing across the street from Bluebird Gardens.

Although clusters of climbing roses are hard to cut for flower vases, they are not impossible. I recommend cutting them when they are still in bud form, which gives them extra time to unfold and show their loveliness.

The pink climbing rose shrub that has formed over the years across the street.

Cut roses are wonderful but I recommend if you want to give roses, give a rose bush. That way the plant can be added to a flower bed and keep giving roses for many years to come!

Charlotte

March Gift Flower: Daffodil

Miniature daffodils "Tete a Tete" were a gift from an east coast friend last fall.

March Gift Flower: Daffodil

March gift flowers have to be either borrowed from someone who grows them or given as bulbs the fall before. That's how I received mine last year, two bags in a small box from a friend I had not heard from in some time. We had worked together a few years back and enjoyed comparing notes about our gardens.

His was a more formal design, with clipped topiary Boxwoods, old Weeping Willows and lovely Drooping Cherries - I used to tell him his garden sounded a little sad based on his description.

By comparison, my hillside garden is a combination of native redbuds and compact fruit trees sprinkled with anything that blooms. No grass to mow, ponds, lots of birdhouses, bird baths and bees. And frogs, lots of frogs. 

Frogs, he would say. 

One of my spring peepers makes a cameo appearance on a deck shepherd's hook.

Spring peepers, I would say, nodding. Little frogs with a big sound, they make a lot of noise on the first warm spring-like day, everyone knows just when that is. It's special.

We would go on with our business, no more garden talk until later, when we would be sharing a meal or waiting for something to start. The conversation would inevitably come back around to these little frogs and what they did.

Well, I would say, giving it due consideration. I find them swimming in the water in my empty flower pots. They sit under plants. They suction cup themselves to my windows. 

And peep?

They peep. Usually in spring, when the daffodils are blooming.

I didn't say it was scintillating conversation, now, did I. 

So when I opened the box of miniature daffodils, I knew exactly why he sent them. They were for the spring peepers, tiny flowers for the frogs.

Happy garden, happy frogs!

Charlotte

Rose Pen Gift

This handmade rose pen is a cherished gift I found on my office desk many years ago.

Rose Pen Gift

If you are a fan of one of those pin your favorite "I can make this" ideas on an online board, it is easy to be seduced into thinking handmade flower gifts have to be complicated, intricate and expensive.

I submit exhibit A, a handmade rose pen gift. I found it a good 6, maybe 7 years ago lying on papers on my work desk.

I used to bring fresh flowers from my garden in for the office coffee room. It was during the craze to decorate pens with silk flowers. I had admired a number of them but not had the time to make one for myself. My first thought was that one of my colleagues may have made this one for me.

As I asked around about who had made it, a colleague friend said several days later that her young daughter had suggested she should make one for me. Her daughter at the time was not very old but she liked to pop into my office when she came by the office after school.

My friend said they had meant to make it at home but time had caught up with the looming holiday so they brought the leftover supplies from another project to the office when she had to work late. She had forgot to check for floral tape. Doesn't this have "not going to come together" written all over it?

I said who was it that said improvisation is the mother of invention, or was it masking tape will do when duct tape is nowhere to be found. Either way, it was not a problem.

This gift was quickly made by wrapping tape around a silk flower and writing pen.

Green floral tape would have finished it nicely but frankly when I look at this tape now, I have fond memories of the little girl who used to visit me on her way to her mother's office. I can also still imagine her carefully wrapping the masking tape around the flower and pen for me.

And look, no need for duct tape, it's still holding up after all of these years!

No floral tape? No problem, any tape will work. No one will see it once it's in a floral vase.

This very simple, inexpensive but thoughtful gift has literally lasted years, keeping me company in two offices and now decorating my little office corner in my kitchen.

So looking for a simple, quick, last minute Valentine's Day gift idea the kids can make and not sure this will work?

Trust me, it will be just fine.

Charlotte

February Gift Flower: Primroses

These sweet pink primoses are now giving my den a splash of spring color.

February Gift Flower: Primroses

I picked up this little pink primrose grocery shopping last week. It was one of the last little pot of flowers left, most of the flowers dark or shriveled so the flower was on sale. I love primroses but I haven't had much luck getting them past their inside blooming stage.

Primrose History

Diana Wells, in her book "100 Flowers and How they Got Their Names" said the primrose is the prima rosa, or the first rose of the year. Diana said the shade-loving plant is also named for the first spring flower. 

How to Grow Primroses

According to the Missouri Botanical Garden, primroses prefer cool temperatures, a rich humus soil (lots of compost and leaf mold) and partial shade. They appreciate full sun in the spring, but must have semi-shade as the temperatures warm.

Luckily for me, they are quite tolerant of being transplanted, even when they are in bloom. They should be planted in a cool, partly shady area in the garden with rich, well-draining, slightly acid soil (pH 6.5). Primroses need to be planted so that their crown is right at soil level.

The Key to Growing Primroses Indoors

Missouri Botanical Garden's website said Primroses may be grown indoors "if you are able to provide them with cool night temperatures of 50-60° F, high humidity, filtered sun and moist soil." That may explain it, my house tends to be dry in winter. Maybe if I place the potted primroses on rocks in a saucer will help its growing conditions.

When they have finished blooming in the house, the Missouri Botanical Garden said  it is best to plant them directly into the garden, or summer them outdoors in their pots and move back to the house at the end of the summer. I may just try that. Our summers tend to be very hot so I doubt these cool-temperature lovers will like those conditions. 

My basement, on the other hand, is quite cool, perfect conditions to keep this primrose happy, I hope. Wish me, and this sweet little pink flower, luck!

Charlotte

November Gift Flower: Mums

These yellow mums were on sale at a local grocery store and have been blooming for a month.

November Gift Flower: Mums

The traditional gift flower gift for November is Chrysanthemum, also known as Mums.

In fall, mums are available in a wide range of colors and styles including white, red, burgundy, brown, orange and my favorite, yellow. I tend to buy plants on sale and mums are no exception. Once they stop blooming, stores tend to mark them down for a quick sale. Those mums can be planted, spent blooms removed and they will continue to bloom through the first frost. Water through winter to help them establish and you will have mums for years to come.

To keep them in bushy form, mums should be pinched through July 4 to encourage them to bush out for fall bloom. Mark a favorite calendar to remind yourself to keep them pinched until mid-summer.

Mums are a favorite plant to recommend for beginning gardeners because they are so easy to grow and bloom for a long time.

Daisy mums are getting rooted in my mum nursery at Bluebird Gardens.

Mums can also be started from cuttings, just make sure to use rooting hormone to give them a good boost. Plant in good soil and keep watered until plants root in approximately 2-4 weeks.

In the Language of Flowers, mums represent hope. Red mums represent love; yellow slighted love and white truth.

Mums are not considered gift flowers in the Orient, there it is considered a funeral flower.

Charlotte

September Gift Flower: Asters

Purple asters add color when there is not much blooming at Bluebird Gardens.

September Gift Flower: Asters

I can't get enough asters in my fall garden. The bluish-purple, daisy-like flowers add a pop of color when little else is in bloom and are very easy to grow. They also look like tiny daisies, one of my favorite all-time flowers.

This easy perennial grows in sun or partial shade.

I have both a domestic and wild variety. Aster plants height ranges from 8 inches to 8 feet, depending on the type. I trim some of mine mid-summer so they don't get too tall. They are better bushy, that encourages more flowers.

Asters work well in borders, rock gardens, and wildflower gardens. They are good pollen sources for butterflies and bees.

Close-up of a purple aster in bloom at Bluebird Gardens.

Asters are also the gift flower for September. In the Language of Flowers, asters represent variety and spontaneous impulse. Of all of the monthly gift flowers, this one has the most interesting folklore. According to the Old Farmer's Almanac, asters are good for chasing off serpents!

Another benefit, finding asters on sale!

This year, I found several aster plants on sale and added them to a new flower bed. I cut off the flowers to encourage more growth and made sure they were mulched. What's better than a September gift flower? It's one on sale!

Asters are wonderful cut flowers, too!

Charlotte

Sur-PRISE Lily Gifts

Sur-PRISELily Gifts

If you need a less than ordinary gift from the garden, try surprise lilies. These North American cousins to the traditional holiday flowering gift Amaryllis bloom mid-July through August and have a colorful arsenal of names - glory lilies, resurrection lilies and the more provocative naked ladies.

Bulbs are planted in fall so they can get established through winter. Once spring starts to unfold, the long, rounded leaves sprout out of the ground to collect energy in the bulbs.

Surprise lily leaves appear in spring, then die back until the flowers bloom mid-July.

About mid-July, the flower buds pop out of the ground without any greenery around them.

Surprise lily buds pop out of the ground mid-July without any greenery around them.

Within days, the flower stalks are 2-3 feet tall with unfolding buds at the top. Some stalks have only a couple of flowers, others may have several.

My surprise lily bulbs blooming into stalks with several buds per stalk.

My surprise lilies bloom in waves, starting mid-July through early September. The ones southwest bloom first. The bulbs on the north side of the house bloom last, giving me almost a one month blooming season.

Cut surprise lilies make lovely scented gifts. Select tall bases to better display their long stalks.

To give as gifts, place a small bouquet with long stems in a flower vase with water. Add a card explaining what they are. "Enjoy these naked ladies" always gets a response.

I dried surprise lilies from a neighbor's yard and share bags with gardening friends.

You can also dry surprise lily bulbs once they have finished blooming and stalks turn yellow. Once dry, store in a cool place until you can either gift them or plant them in the ground.

 Most garden centers offer the bulbs for sale in the fall along with other spring-flowering bulbs.

Charlotte

August Gift Flower: Gladiolus

Pink gladiolus in a vase at my local favorite Japanese restaurant.

August Gift Flower: Gladiolus

Yet another reason why I love this Japanese restaurant where I live. In addition to wonderful food, they keep gladiolus in vases by the check out. It seems people either love or hate these beautiful annual flowers from sub-Sahara Africa. 

I used to associate these flowers with funeral arrangements until one of my brothers confessed he loved these flowers, too. He has planted several dozen in his flower bed, daylilies fronting the bed and hiding the bottom of the flower stems.

In the Victorian Era language of flowers, Gladiolus is considered the Flower of the Gladiators. It symbolizes character strength, sincerity, and generosity. It also symbolizes “love at first sight" so if a bouquet shows up on your desk full of gladiolus, a romance may be starting.

How to Care for Gladiolus

Gladiolus are sold as corms in bags mid-spring. They are planted after all danger of frost has passed, usually Mother's Day.

Once planted, their leaves reminiscent of Iris will grow, followed by flower stalks. Gladiolus don't always sit up on their own so they sometimes need to be tied to support, especially after a good rain storm. 

After blooming has finished for the season, leave the foliage in place. The leaves will gather sunlight, create food through photosynthesis and strengthen the bulb for the future. Water as needed. Leaves and stalks may be removed when they yellow.

f you live in an area where your glads aren't winter hardy and you want to save them for next spring, dig the corms after the first frost, cut the stems to 2", wash the soil off, dry for a few days and then store in a cool place in paper bags or cardboard boxes filled with peat moss.

Your gladiolus will rest for a few months before beginning the next growing cycle in the spring.

There is now a more hardy gladiolus on the market, one that doesn't have to be dug up if winter temperatures don't get below -10F. Haven't tried those yet, have you?

Charlotte

May Gift Flower: Lily of the Valley

Lilies of the valley are tiny but mighty when it comes to having a lovely scent.

May Gift Flower: Lily of the Valley

My lilies of the valley finished their blooming cycle end of April but a few were still hanging on by early May. Their Latin name Convallaria majalis honors that May blooming period, majalis means "pertaining to May."

Lilies of the valley look similar to tiny hostas, upright glossy green leaves that taper to a point reaching 6 to 9 inches. They look best growing in clumps in shade, they make a lovely ground cover in a woodland setting.

Originally from Eurasia, they can grow in most USDA zones 2-9. They are poisonous so keep kids and pets from playing in them

I love lilies of the valley in small flower vases throughout my house, they are so delicate with a lovely scent. 

Give a group of bulbs coupled with a garden gift set as a birthday present to a May baby so they can have a little nod to their birthday in their garden.

Charlotte

March Gift Flower: Daffodils

A bouquet of daffodils from my garden usher in the season of new beginnings, spring.

Give the Gift of Spring

When I think of what marks the four seasons, daffodils are the ambassadors for spring. The long-nosed flowers are the first to bloom in my garden, the early ones smaller than the mid-season flowering bulbs but special in my heart for ushering in the season of new beginning.

How to Incorporate Other Flowers with Cut Daffodils

If you want to include other cut flowers in with daffodils, allow daffodils to sit in water all by themselves for a good day or so. Daffodil sap has calcium oxalate crystals, an irritant, so let the sap work its way out or it will kill the other flowers.

Include Daffodils Still in Bud Form

I personally like a handful of daffodils in a vase all by themselves, either all the same or a nice variety. Include a few still in bud form, they will continue to open once picked and placed in water.

A bouquet of freshly-picked daffodils should last about a week if placed away from heat sources.

Charlotte