Ask MetaFilter questions tagged with flowers

What tree is this?

vanar sena — Wed, 15 May 2013 06:13:17 -0800

Please help identify this tree. The photo was taken in Vancouver yesterday.

Urban gardener flower seed resource?

annabellee — Fri, 19 Apr 2013 20:53:06 -0800

I'm looking for a reliable, affordable online outlet to buy flower seeds for my container garden. I'd like to buy a bunch of different seeds to grow in Brooklyn to create a colorful outdoor container garden. I've looked on Amazon and it seems that the shipping for packets of seeds that should cost under a dollar make them rather pricey. Is there a go-to site to buy reliably good seeds (basics--dahlias, impatiens, zinnias, etc.) where they shipping doesn't make it upwards of $5 for a packet of seeds?

I Googled you and I found you! Nervous laugh...

telegraph — Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:15:36 -0800

I have an internet friend (never met IRL) whom I met on a discussion board for a health issue we share in common. We connected because we live in the same city and are undergoing the same treatments. He has told me his uncommon first name, his employer, and the hospital where he's being treated, as well as the fact that (unfortunately) his most recent procedure had a lot of complications and he's still in hospital. Would it be really weird to send flowers and/or a card? I've sent him a message to let him know he's in my prayers etc etc, but the do-gooder in me wants to send flowers. I know his last name based on the information he's shared, so I easily can, but I don't want to be a creeper about it (since he never explicitly told me his last name). Do or do not? What does the hive say?

PS - His floor does allow flowers, I know many wards don't.

Best way to send flowers abroad?

dig_duggler — Sun, 14 Apr 2013 07:49:32 -0800

I have a dear friend whose father passed in Novi Sad, Serbia. I'm trying to figure out the best way to send flowers but am having a difficult time finding reviews on sites offering the service. Anyone have any experience/recommendations?

Please give me free gardening advice

Jess the Mess — Thu, 04 Apr 2013 16:39:17 -0800

I have a small porch and I would like to have some pretty flowers growing on it now that it's finally warming up. However, every time I've tried achieve this in the past, it has ended in dead plants and wasted money. I need help with this of the most remedial sort. So, I want a pretty little container garden on my porch but I have the Thumb of Blackest Death. Gardening seems to have so many variables and to rely so much on intuition that it just flummoxes me. No advice you are able to provide will be too basic for me. Go ahead and talk down to me, gardeners! That said, here are the specifics of my situation:

-I live in Chicago and have a south-facing front porch. It is not screened in.

-I have a couple long boxes and various pot to work with.

-I would love some colorful flowers but am open to other ideas as well. Stuff that is useful (herbs, fruits, etc) would be an extra bonus but pretty is my top priority.

-I was told we have a "squirrel problem" by the previous tenant. What do I need to do about that? Is there a way to cohabit peacefully with my fluffy-tailed friends?

Additionally, if you could point me toward any extremely dumbed-down gardening resources, I would be forever grateful. Ever single book or website I've looked at seems to assume that you already have a plan and pre-existing knowledge of some type. I have neither!

Where can I see flowering trees in the Bay Area?

purpleclover — Tue, 26 Feb 2013 19:45:46 -0800

Cherry and plum trees are blooming in the Bay Area right now. Where are some amazing places to see them? I am interested in both volume and variety of trees. Can you recommend gardens or historic sites or public plantings with particularly interesting varieties? Or a place that's OMG pink with petals right now?

I know about the Cherry Blossom Festival, and I'm looking for a more botanical than cultural experience.

Ideally, I'm looking for places to go this weekend. I'm on the Peninsula, but am willing to travel.

Bonus points for a working farm with a real orchard that's fun to visit with a little kid.

It's gardening catalog season and I need help!

DrGail — Wed, 13 Feb 2013 12:50:58 -0800

I'm looking for suggestions for a flowering groundcover for my garage-side garden to fill in the spaces between the dwarf reblooming lilacs and Widow's Tears already growing there. The current groundcover is Snow in Summer which has pretty flowers and foliage, but is oh-my-god too invasive and fast growing. I feel like I'm constantly ripping chunks of it out so it doesn't climb up the lilacs or spill over onto the lawn. I'd like to put in something that is either white or some shade of purple, doesn't require much maintenance, but is far better behaved than the Snow in Summer. We live in USDA zone 5 and the garden in question gets afternoon sun. (I know nothing about the Ph or the type of soil; I'm hoping that it will be apparent to the cognoscenti from my location and the other plants that are thriving in the same garden.)

I'm looking for a copy of "Two Faces of Floral Design"

BuddhaInABucket — Fri, 01 Feb 2013 21:09:46 -0800

I would really like a copy of this book, but I cannot find it for sale in the USA, either new or used. Help?

Flower Power!

Hydrofiend — Wed, 23 Jan 2013 13:03:18 -0800

It's winter! And I need spring, summer, fall....heck, any other season than winter! I want to spend some time with flowers. I am looking for places, specifically in the NYC metro area where I can sit with a group of flowers: maybe an indoor garden/nursery, or a flower show....or some crazy field that has flowers growing in the dead of winter (I know!) I do not want to buy flowers and watch them die in my apartment. Do you know of anywhere that I can sit and commune with flowers? Thanks!

Can you identify this plant?

New England Cultist — Sun, 30 Dec 2012 15:03:56 -0800

Can you identify this plant? I recently moved into a new place with a very large garden. The grounds are weeded over somewhat, and I'm making a concerted effort to de-weed everything and pull out things that are encroaching where they shouldn't be.

This plant grows at the back of the house, from underneath the back porch steps. I have no idea what it is. If it's a weed it's coming out.

PHOTOS

What does an elm look like?

Rustic Etruscan — Fri, 28 Dec 2012 22:38:00 -0800

I can't identify trees, bushes, shrubs, or flowers. How can I learn to do so on sight? I've been reading a lot of fiction lately. The writers keep mentioning elms, oaks, birches, and the like. I never know what to picture. Dictionary definitions don't help. Google is no replacement for real knowledge.

I know that some birches have white bark that peels off easily, but I never noticed their leaves. Do willows have catkins? I don't know. What distinguishes a cypress from a cedar? And so on.

It would be cool to have a clearer picture of these writers' worlds. It would also be cool to be able to look at a tree or a flower and name it. I would better appreciate the outdoors.

What books, web sites, and other reference materials could I use to learn this skill?

thank you gifts for dummies

logic vs love — Wed, 12 Dec 2012 14:44:20 -0800

What would be an appropriate thank you gift for my florist friend who really went above and beyond in helping with my wedding? A friend of mine who has her own floral design business offered to do the flowers for my wedding free of charge. Throughout the whole wedding planning process, she was super helpful and calming and reassuring. A week or so before the wedding, she also volunteered to be the Day Of Coordinator.

The wedding was last weekend, and I pretty much have no idea how it could have happened without her. The flowers (and there were a lot!) were absolutely perfect. She got to the venue early, took control of everything without letting me worry about a single detail, stayed late to help with clean up, and was basically awesome.

I paid for the cost of flowers and reimbursed her for travel costs, and I plan on writing business reviews on various wedding websites, but I'd really like to do something else for her.

What would be a good budget for this? We've been friends for a while, but not especially close friends. I can think of a few things she would like (a marble pastry board, books, knitting supplies?), but I also know that she and her husband have been unemployed for a few years and money is tight, so I'm wondering whether giving her cash would be either a nice gesture or just tacky? Is there anything that would be particularly useful to a floral designer trying to grow her business?

Thanks for any input. I'm generally a pretty crappy gift giver and I don't know what the etiquette is in situations like this.

which bouquet to bring?

jennstra — Wed, 28 Nov 2012 11:08:10 -0800

Asking for a friend. A coworkers wife has been diagnosed stage IV brain cancer. They are East Indian. We would like to bring flowers to their home. Does anyone know if certain flowers have special meaning culturally and / or are there flowers to avoid? Thank you.

Scented Bearded Irises!

small_ruminant — Thu, 24 May 2012 12:04:18 -0800

Which purple or purple-ish bearded irises smell good? I am about to order a handful of bearded irises from a catalog and very few catalogs mention scent unless it's weird (like the grape one).

When I wander around my work neighborhood smelling the irises, I notice that some have a light sweet scent and some seem to have none at all. I would like a little scent to my irises.

I am not interested in tracking down the owners of the irises I've run across, and when I've asked the few who happened to be easily accessible, none of them had any idea which irises they had in their own yards.

Does anyone here have suggestions for me?

Something stanks and I want some

ottereroticist — Wed, 16 May 2012 14:35:29 -0800

Help me find a perfume that smells like these flowers. These rhododendron/azaleas are blooming right now in Portland. They are typically yellow, orange, or white, with a potent fragrance that is skunky-sweet, like sex or armpits or pot. It makes my head swim and my knees weak and reminds me of being in love.

Do you know a perfume that smells like these flowers?

Five year old green thumb

gwenlister — Wed, 09 May 2012 04:41:58 -0800

I'm trying to get my five year old step son interested in gardening. We made a special flower bed for him and I to grow plants in together and he is really excited to grow "rainbow blossoms" in it. Help me make this as rewarding for him as possible! I love gardening and I would love to be able to share this interest with my son. He already seems interested, he literally whooped and clapped his hands when I pointed out the flower bed that is now "his" flower bed. Since I told him it was his bed he has been talking about it alot, checking it for weeds, and basically just getting really excited. He is very clear he wants "rainbow blossoms" (aka. flowers in all different colours) so his father and I are going to head to the garden center in a couple weeks and let him help pick out flowers to grow in his garden.

(note: we live in zone 5)

So my questions are:
1. what sorts of flowers do you think will be the most exciting for him to grow but also relatively hardy and low effort? (I was thinking maybe wave petunias since they get so big and lush, maybe some pansies because they are all different colours?)
2. Are there any activities we could do to help him be and stay interested in it? He is fairly interested in science type things, so I was thinking of maybe germinating a runner bean or something with him in a glass jar so that he can see what a plant looks like as it is growing?
3. I'd like a few high-drama, super exciting flowers for him to grow so that he can feel really accomplished and excited. I was thinking of having him plant some sunflowers, but I've never grown them before. I was also thinking of sneaking a bulb for a Dahlia or Glad in there without him knowing so that he gets this huge amazing flower...

any other ideas? suggestions?

A rose by any other name..

rich — Tue, 08 May 2012 12:15:56 -0800

Are there differences in the energy needed for a plant to produce a certain color flower than a different plant producing a different color? So, does it take more energy for a plant to produce a red flower versus a white one? I know by varying the pH of the soil will change hydrangia colors.. so what are the components; energy, minerals, etc) that are key to a plant producing its flower colors? Does it take more resources for a plant to produce a color more than a different plant producing a different color?

This could be a red rose versus a yellow rose, or actually different plants, like a red rose versus a white peony... are there any correlations?

Should I send my condolences in hard-form?

kthxbi — Fri, 27 Apr 2012 10:10:35 -0800

My cousin's wife just lost her baby at 4 months along. This is her second miscarriage (one full-term pregnancy in between, daughter is now 1.5 y/o). I would like to send a card or have flowers delivered, but is it appropriate? My (large) family spreads news like a wild fire. Cousin's mom called my mom, who immediately called me. I don't know if this is one of those situations where cards/flowers are appropriate, or if we're all just supposed to sit around silently and never bring it up (seems harsh to me, but basically what happened after first miscarriage).

I guess the one thing holding me back is that cousin didn't personally tell me - I heard it from my mom who heard it from his mom.

I live on the other side of the country. Cousin and I are around the same age and grew up playing together often, but I wouldn't say we're overly close.

Why don't African violets propagate "true"?

fiercecupcake — Thu, 19 Apr 2012 18:15:22 -0800

Why do African violets not propagate "true," in regards to color patterns? I love African violets and have grown them for years. They're the only plant I seem to be able to keep alive. I have recently had success rooting both the suckers from established violets and the crowns cut off of old, leggy ones.

What I don't really understand is why, if I take the sucker or crown off a plant, when the newly rooted one flowers it will have a different color pattern. For example: I took a pretty large sucker off my geneva violet (purple flowers with white edges) and now that sucker's flowering, and they're white with purple edges.

I have found many, many websites about propagating violets, and about all I can understand from these is that yes, this is the way it works. But why? Are suckers chimeras? I've never gotten a leaf cutting to root, but do THOSE propagate true? Seeds would, right, if they ever made seeds?

Assume that I have very, very little knowledge of plants (I kill everything else!), and only a little of genetics. Pea plants and dominant/recessive, yes; cat coat colors, not really. What I need is an explanation for someone who knows nothing about gardening but loves her violets.

Need short Australia-friendly tree that will earn its keep

lollusc — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 18:42:03 -0800

I need recommendations for small trees, or bushes or shrubs or something, that absolutely won't grow taller than two metres high, can handle dry conditions (Australian summers) and temperatures between -5 and +40 Celsius. Ideally they should either have pretty flowers or produce something edible (but not citrus, I have enough of those already). Needs to be available in Canberra. The electric company is making me rip out two trees in my garden because they are too close to powerlines. I want to replace them with something that won't be a problem. The overhead supply is pretty low, so I think I can only get away with 2m max.

Also, do I need to wait for spring to plant the replacements?

Help me pick the perfect plant

Katemonkey — Thu, 05 Apr 2012 17:37:00 -0800

I need a fairly cheap, hard to kill, awfully pretty plant that comes in a 6-pack or more of bedding plants. And would be happy in a small pot. I'm running a workshop at my local hackspace for building wooden planters out of scrap wood, and I need a good bedding plant for people to take home in their planter.

The planter itself is probably going to be around the size of a coffee mug - maybe three inches square at the most. I'm supplying the wood, and the gravel for drainage, and the dirt, but I also want people to go home with a nice plant.

Unfortunately, I'm not sure what a good plant would be. I was thinking pansies or petunias, because you can get bulk bedding trays of them, but I've never really had luck with them, and I'd hate for people to go home with a plant that doesn't really last.

I then thought maybe strawberries, but strawberries always want to grow up and out, so that tiny planter isn't going to do so good.

Sutera works really well in small containers (as proven by my hanging basket), but that really isn't a cheap option.

So, any suggestions? I might still go for pansies, because I can get a bunch in the B&Q value range for under a fiver, but if there's something better, that would be awesome.

Pretty Plant Related Engagement Rings

Sentus — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 13:10:17 -0800

Looking for ideas for a nature inspired engagement ring. Hey there,

come closer, closssser.

Can you keep a secret? I am about to propose my girlfriend and looking for cool, unique, "nature inspired" ring ideas.

We are both pretty hippie minimalists in heart. with trees, flowers and plants being a big hobby and passion.

Looking for something simple, with a leaf maybe, or anything else plant/earthy/nature related that you might recommend.

Thanks a bunch in advance!

Where is the nearest florist to Reading train station?

dougrayrankin — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 12:21:48 -0800

Are there any good florists in Reading (near the railway station)? I appreciate this sort of thing is available on the web, but I find that Google Maps results cannot really be trusted (after being sent to Costa's regional distribution warehouse in South London after searching for somewhere to get a coffee). Also, searching for businesses on Google tends to get you results for whoever paid the most money - and most of them tend to be directories with no real information in them.

What I'm looking for is for someone to say "Yep, this place exists, I pass it on the way to work and it's five minutes' walk from the railways station.

See, I'm meeting my girlfriend on Sunday who is a skiing holiday with all of her female friends at the moment. I'd like to surprise her with a nice bouquet of flowers when she gets off the train, but I'm not familiar with Reading, so I don't want to leave this to chance.

What's this plant with yellow blossoms?

exogenous — Sun, 01 Apr 2012 17:18:11 -0800

What's this shrub-like plant with yellow blooms? It's deciduous and has been in bloom here in Washington DC for about two weeks. The plant seems happy to be supported with ties against the fence - left on its own it would flop over. We bought it at the plant sale at the Franciscan Monastery a few years ago, but have lost track of any label it might have had.

How can we measure sun and plant a garden in our urban patio?

two lights above the sea — Sat, 31 Mar 2012 11:04:43 -0800

What's the best way to determine how much sun our back patio gets? And what's the best way to plant an urban garden on a concrete back patio? Our concrete back patio is about 8'x16'. It's closed in on three sides by two- and three-story houses. Fortunately, I think, the one side that is open is the south-facing side, but UNfortunately, there is a 6' high fence and a dead tree. How can we best determine whether we get enough sun for a garden, vegetable or flower? We can't put anything expensive out to measure for fear that it might get stolen, but we're open to all ideas.

We'd like to have room for seating, so a huge set up wouldn't be right for us. We're considering a pallet garden or two, like so. Could we put herbs in there instead of flowers? What about tomatoes or cucumbers, what are the best planters for them?

Any and all advice about urban gardening (on concrete, no soil!) is welcome. Thanks in advance.