Asian Tulips | Beautiful Flower For Your Life !

• Icy Blue New Guinea Impatiens
• Miniature Licorice Plant
• Oyster Plant
• Purple Oxalis

Each summer Rich and Luann travel to Ball Seed Days in Chicago to choose the latest and best plants to offer our customers.  This year they have discovered several new annuals to be the highlight of your containers and annual displays this coming season.

This great combination features the new Icy Blue New Guinea Impatiens. Enormous light periwinkle blossoms set above compact dark green foliage will glow in a shady setting.  These flowers especially stand out against the rich dark purple foliage of Purple Oxalis.   Oyster plant is a unifying element with spiky lavender variegated leaves in colors that range from almost white to bright purple.  Finally, set off the entire collection with the draping delicate silver foliage of Miniature Licorice Plant.

White asparagus is very popular in Europe, where it is also known as spargle, which is the German name for asparagus. As most asparagus in Germany is white, they usually call the green one grüner Spargel. Beside Germany, it is also widely appreciated in Netherlands, France and Belgium. Germany is a big producer of asparagus and they call it the Royal Vegetable.

During the ’60s it was commercially grown in California, but now it can be found in cans or as a pricey, fresh import during a few short months when it is harvested, from late April to early June.
California growers stop producing the white asparagus because it is highly labor-intensive crop so producers from Taiwan took over the industry due to their much lower labor costs.

White asparagus is also called the king of darkness because it grows underground and sometimes it is even referred to as white gold. It is special for how it is produced. It is cultivated by depriving the plants light. The plant is covered with dirt while growing to keep it in the dark. That way the plant cannot produce chlorophyll so the stalks don’t get their green color and remain white. This process of growing white asparagus is called etiolation.

So what effect does this process of production have on its flavor? Well, the white asparagus is slightly bitter, but tender, fibreless, soft and more delicate than the green one.

White asparagus requires more concern when it comes to preparation and storage. The chefs suggest storing it with the tips up in 3 inches of water with a little sugar, for three days maximum.
When preparing the spears for cooking, you can use the potato peeler to peel of the woody pulp and hard skin. Around 30% of the spear would be peeled but it can be used for making a soup.

I had a busy morning preparing a nice lunch for my Mom as a little pre-holiday treat. After the meal was on the stove and simmering, I jumped into the shower. Jasmine is my constant companion, and she usually sits in front of the shower door and waits for me–as she did this morning. Hubby came up to say good-bye before leaving to pick up my Mom. Jasmine scattered away into the bedroom and returned after he departed (normal Jasmine behavior).

I dried off, coiffed and primped, and went into the bedroom to get dressed. And then I saw it. The great Yellow Trail. All around the bed. It was like Jasmine took some paint and dripped a Jackson Pollock-like stream all around the footboard of my bed. I took a closer look under the bed and then found that she did a complete circuit around the footboard. UGH! It wasn’t as if she hadn’t gone out an hour or so earlier. It wasn’t as if we don’t do the same thing every single day (with the exception of Hubby coming up to see me–not an every day occurrence, but still in the range of “normal”). I have no idea what scared the pee out of her or if she was protesting in some way. All I know is that I’m glad I had a jumbo-sized bottle of Nature’s Miracle and lots of towels.

Bad dog. Of course, I couldn’t admonish her because I didn’t catch her in the act. And even if I had…I’ve had her squat right in front of me for no reason at all.

Someone once told me that a puppy mill rescue may never be totally housetrained. I still haven’t been able to get her to signal me when she goes out. My strategy has been to take her out regularly and consistently. Some times that just doesn’t work.

After a 2 hr delay in that great aiport they call Heathrow… O and my backpack still sitting on the tarmack in london, i have finally arrived in Amsterdam.

I walked out from Centraal Station and “Whoa” it hit me…. Im here, a 14 year dream came true finally and i was in the  Netherlands. After i worked out how to cross the road without being run over by Trams, bikes or people. I got to the canal. My mind was numb and for the first time I was speechless.

So my first thing was to find my hostel. After asking a very nice police officer for directions i headed to Damrak straat and looked for the Grasshopper (coffeeshop) hehe dont get the wrong idea…… its what the police told me to turn left at, then it was a right at the Buda coffeeshop.
Centraal Station & Canal boats
I be honest there are everywhere.

After i made my way to the “White Tulip Hostel” which i dont recommend staying at. I checked in and headed out after locking up all i had to my name (untill they find my backpack) in the lockers in my 10 bed dorm…. 5 euro deposit the best thing i could pay for.

First stop was to phone the folks tell them im safe and ive arrived.

I wanted to see everything due to only having two days before my mates arrived and the partying began, so i grabbed a map and worked out where i was. When i looked at the map all that i thought was i will just walk and see where i end up…..

Waking around Amsterdam i believe was the best thing i could have done. I found the major attractions so easy to find without the confusion of the map. Side streets after side streets, canals after canals. Everytime i thought i was lost i some how found a building or shop i had seen before and was able to find my way back.

As you can see in the photos Amsterdam is an amazing city, busting with history, culture and great food. And this is just my first day.

When those sassy plants burst into voluptuous full bloom tossing their luxurious, ruffled heads about like some glitzy Vegas show girls, all the while dripping a perfume that‘s rich, heady and delicious – well, who can resist them?

With embarrassingly little work on my part, these horticultural extravaganzas – which resist drought, munching deer, and insect attacks – are luxurious additions to my sunny perennial beds and borders.

But while I love those flamboyant, big-flowered hussies, it’s the simple, demure ones which inspire a true gardener’s obsession on my part.

From that first perfect plump bud to the aristocratic full blown blossoms in mid- to late April, the shade-loving Paeonia japonica (Japanese peony) is the peony which has captivated and held me under her spell for years.

So it wasn’t surprising that when I finally decided to expand my shade gardens this fall, some of the very first plants I ordered were Japanese peonies.

Native to certain islands in northern Japan, P. japonica is noted for her compact size — usually only about 18 inches tall and as wide — and beautiful green foliage, a wonderful textural addition to a shady border.

The single 3-inch, pristine white flowers, whose silky petals boast a faint crinkled edge, fade to a center cluster of yellow stamens.

Although the Japanese peony is not very vigorous and her graceful flowers are rather fleeting, she does reward my efforts by packing all her horticultural punch into one short but glorious burst of bloom.

And if that wasn’t rewarding enough, as an added bonus, after the flowers fade, the pods split open to reveal gorgeous metallic-blue seeds inside magenta pouches.

While most herbaceous peonies prefer an open, sunny place in the garden, this one, whose natural habitat is the woody mountains of Japan, is happiest when planted in light shade.

P. japonica is fully hardy to USDA Zone 5 but can be damaged by high winds and is, therefore, best planted beneath deciduous trees or close to shrubs. Plant it so that the dormant buds are at ground level, but for extra winter protection, I like to cover the buds with mulch.

Perfect siting is crucial, for, once planted, P. japonica prefers being left alone. If you are patient, you can increase your collection by dividing the plant every three or four seasons.

However, for people like me, who need somewhat instant gratification in their gardens, I find that lifting and dividing to increase stock not only aggravates the plants, but the long time it takes for them to recover truly irritates me as well.

So, if you want to expand your collection as I just did, my suggestion is to order new plants rather than disturb the established woodland divas.

Betty Earl, author of “In Search of Great Plants: The Insider’s Guide to the Best Plants in the Midwest,” writes a regular column for Chicagoland Gardening Magazine and The Kankakee Journal and numerous articles for Small Gardens Magazine, American Nurseryman, Nature’s Garden, and Midwest Living Magazine, as well as other national magazines. She is a garden scout for Better Homes and Gardens and a regional representative for The Garden Conservancy.

Editor’s note: For more Monitor gardening, see our main gardening page and our RSS feed.

You may also want to visit Gardening With the Monitor on Flickr. Take part in the discussions and get answers to your gardening questions. If you join the group (it’s free), you can upload your garden photos and enter our next contest.

The Greek woodland nymph Echo, unable to verbalize her love for Narcissus, waited longingly for her beloved to recognize and embrace her devotion. As Narcissus admired his beauty in the water, Echo waited, wasting away until she became nothing but an echo in the distant mountains. The other woodland nymphs demanded retribution for her unrequitted love and sought the counsel of Zeus who agreed with their plight and reduced Narcissus to a spring-blooming ephemeral white flower.

The flower would be his namesake, Narcissus, also known as the daffodil or jonquil. It is said that the flower, in its downward tilt, is reminiscent of Narcissus as he sat gazing into the pond.
Others say the name derives from the Greek word narke, meaning to benumb, for its narcotic properties. Although it is native to southern Europe and northern Africa, it has the uncanny ability to adapt to most climates and quickly naturalize.

While all parts of the plant are poisonous, the bulb is the most toxic. It contains lycorine, an alkaloid known for its ability to induce vomiting and gastrointestinal cramping. The American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (ASPCA) includes it among its list of plants toxic to cats and dogs. Symptoms of poisoning in animals include diarrhea, vomiting, salivation and, in extreme cases, convulsions and cardiac arrhythmias.

Toxicity is not limited to animals, however. In the majority of documented cases, narcissus bulbs were mistaken for onions. In May 2009, a group of children from Gorseland Primary School in Suffolk, England, harvested onions from their school garden that were to be added to a recipe for a cooking class. A narcissus bulb found its way into the soup and wasn’t discovered until several of the children began vomiting while others complained of stomach cramps. Twelve children were taken to hospital and released later that day.

Throughout Greek mythology, narcissus was synonomous with death and loss. The American Cancer Society, as well as cancer organizations across the globe, have adopted its image for “Daffodil Days,” transforming it into a symbol of hope.

To plant indoors, pot the Jasmine plant into a small or medium planter, and full with a combination of soil and fertilizer, or for better effect, a pot containing moss, bark and vermiculite; these will help to keep moisture in the soil. In order to encourage the jasmine to climb, put in a piace of lattice or trellis, and attach the jasmine to this.

The indoor jasmine should be placed in the sunlight for at least four to five hours s day, and during the summer season, the jasmine should be placed into a southern window from dawn until dusk. During the summer, indoor jasmine plants should be kept at around seventy to eighty degrees farenheit.  Indoor jasmines can sometimes become unhappy if they are moved from a suddenly shady spot into one which is sunny; leaves may become yellow and even drop, so it may be a good idea to move the jasmine slowly from shade to sunshine.

An indoor jasmine can grow very well on the sill of south or east facing window, so long as they are given plenty of water. Water indoor jasmines as often as the soil dries out, and make sure that the jasmine does not suffer drought conditions, as this can easily kill a tropical plant such as the jasmine. Test the soil at least once a day, and if it does not feel moist, add water; bearing this in mind, it is important not to overwater the jasmine.

Indoor jasmines should also have fertilizer, using a combination of nitrogen, potassium and phosphorous. Fertilizers with a greater phosphorous content should be used on plants when they are being encouraged to flower. Fertilizer should only be used when the plant is healthy; at other times, feed once or twice a month. Ensure that the fertilizer does not contain too much nitrogen.

Indoor jasmines should be re-potted when the soil dries out quickly after watering. Pots should be larger by around 2 to 3 inches larger than the older one. When re-potting, if the jasmine has developed a tight root ball, the roots should be cut down along the sides, in order to encourage new roots to grow. After re-potting, it is not normally necessary to fertilize for around a year. Indoor jasmines can also be planted outside during the summer; they prefer spots with occasional shade, and a mild amount of sun. Jasmines which have been left outside in the summer should be brought back in once the fall begins, and provided with warmth and water to encourage it to continue growing even while indoors.

Could you possibly have an Anthurium plant that has a red spathe or flower bract? A spathe is a modified leaf that looks like a flower The long-lasting, showy flower bracts come in shades of red, rose, pink, white and some other colors with a protruding pale yellow, tail-like flower spadix.  See here.  The name Anthurium comes from antho- + Greek oura a tail.
The white spathe plant that is generally referred to as the Peace Lily is a Spathyphylum.  See here.  The Latin name Spathyphylum comes from the Greek -spathe- meaning bract and phyllon meaning leaf because the flowers are leaf like in shape.

Scientists and herbalists understood the need for systematic, reliable plant and animal identification and classification. This is so everyone is sure to know exactly the kind of plant or animal you are talking about. Over 300 years ago a scientist by the name of Linneaeus created a system of writing the names of plants and animals in Latin. All scientist around the world have pretty much accepted these Latin names because common names can change depending on where you live. For example, there is a darling plant we grow in the garden that has a common name of Snapdragon because if you were to gently squeeze the flower it has what looks like a mouth. If you were to live in Iran, I was told you would not call it a snapdragon but would call it a monkey mouth.The Latin name for snapdragon is Antirrhinum majus. Thus when scientists in the US and scientists in Iran talk about the Antirrhinum, they know exactly the plant they are talking about. The Latin name Antirrhinum comes from the Greek antirrhinon, from anti- like (from anti against, equivalent to) + rhin-, rhis nose and used in Latin.   See here.

Does this mean one should start learning Latin? It might be fun. And it is a fun challenge to learn the proper name for each plant you have. Go on- impress your friends. Let them know if you have an Anthurium or a Spathyphylum.

Performances will be at 4 p.m. Thursday, November 19; at 8 p.m. Friday, November 20; at 2 p.m. and 8 p.m. Saturday, November 21; and at 2 p.m. Sunday, November 22. All performances will take place in the Redbud Theater Complex, located on the northwest side of historic Hubbard Hall on TWU’s Denton campus. Tickets are $10 for adults and $5 for students and seniors. To reserve tickets online or for more information, visit www.twu.edu/drama/ or call the TWU box office at 940-898-2020.

Steven Young, TWU’s new assistant professor of drama, will make his TWU directorial debut with the classic Athenian tragedy Oedipus The King by Sophocles. With Paul Roche’s translation, Young hopes to offer up something other than an intellectual analysis of the play and produce a visceral production that will allow the audience to experience the story in a new way.

One of the three Theban plays, Oedipus The King tells the story of the doomed King of Thebes (Dave Trosko of Flower Mound) and his quest to save his plagued city. In order to save his people, Oedipus must bring the murderer of the former King of Thebes to justice. As he begins to unravel the mystery surrounding the killer’s identity, Oedipus is forced to confront the secrets of his own past that will lead to his eventual ruin.

The cast features Jennie Patton of Livonia, Mich., as Jocasta; Gerald Young of Denton as Creon; Erica Cole of Denton as Tieresias; Elizabeth Lambert of Trenton as the Priest; Taylor Reed of Seattle, Wash., as the Messenger; Zane Harris of Denton as the Shepherd; and Becki McDonald of Plano as the Chorus Leader. The chorus includes Brittany Fowler of Decatur; Joanna Wesson of Rowlett; and Candace Moon, Kristin Brasher and Alex Rodriguez, all of Denton. Katelyn Stone and Aiden Gawne will also be featured as Oedipus’ children.

Melissa Watt choreographs the production. Mallory Bryant-Gawne of Denton is the set designer. Rhonda Gorman, TWU assistant professor of drama, designed costumes and Rene Sarradett of Fort Worth designed the makeup. Nick Clowers of Lake Dallas and James Gregory design sound and lights, respectively. Libby Carswell of Farmers Branch will serve as stage manager, assisted by Kayla Moore and Katrina Sam, both of Denton.

I like to collect Impatiens, both Yellow Jewelweed (Impatiens pallida) and Spotted Touch-Me-Not (Impatiens capensis), but it can be trying. I carry a 12” x 20” x 5” pan into a nice big patch of plants and knock the tops of the plants into the pan.  Seeds fly everywhere but a goodly amount fly into the pan, many ricocheting off my face.  In a big patch of them, there are usually several holes that I can stumble into and, if I’m lucky, I won’t spill too many seeds.

After the seeds are collected, I place them on a window screen to dry out.  At this stage of the process I should hire a cat to watch over them. The mice found my seeds this year, stole all of them and stored them around in different caches in my cars and trailers.  The neat part of this was that they cleaned them very well and when I started to find the caches, they were filled with only the good, pure seeds. Unfortunately, they did not separate the two species of Impatiens so I could not sell them.  Oh well; there is always next year.

The Impatiens are called Jewelweeds and also Touch-Me-Nots.  They are called Touch-Me-Nots because when the seed is ripe the pod will blow apart and throw the seed many feet away.  Kids love triggering this and can be entertained for long periods of time with a patch of Jewelweed.  If you have ever seen a Jewelweed plant in bloom with dew hanging on it, the reason it is called Jewelweed is obvious. Taking cue from the mice, I have eaten Jewelweed seed and have found it to be rather tasty, reminiscent of sunflower seed.   The next time you find some Jewelweed, rub the seed coat off and a beautiful turquoise blue inside will be revealed.  That in itself makes it worth growing them.

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