Monday, May 23, 2011

Such a beautiful Iris "Creative Stitches"

"Creative Stitches"   

Saturday, May 21, 2011

More Irises

                                                           

Edith Wolford, one of my all time favorites, so elegant and classy!

Old fashioned Blue Irises, they have  such a amazing fragrance.

Monday, May 16, 2011

First Irises of 2011


Despite all of the rain and the now 40 degree weather, My Irises have finally started to bloom. I am so glad they made it through the  long winter and and the very wet spring!

Thursday, May 12, 2011

Allium

From the family of onions, the allium flower was incorrectly grouped with the lily family. This was a mistake, of botanical proportions! Botanists recently have transferred this beautiful plant to its rightful family and thus reunited the allium flower with its previously, estranged, family grouping.
Allium flowers are beautiful specimens and have been the favorite of many magnificent artists, such as Rembrandt and Baker, who immortalized alliums in spectacular works of art.
Many growers of alliums also cultivate this member of the onion-genus for its beautiful flower blossoms. The flowers form an unmistakable and unique round-area, at the very top of the bloom, in which is known as the umbel region, of the flower.


Prized for its beauty and non-onion aroma fragrance, the allium flower is used in many perfumes and cosmetics products throughout the world. The ancient native Indians of Peru use this flower for medicinal as well as religious purposes and it was seen as one of the most import plant species of the Mayan culture. 
Allium flower species are considered great gardening plants with flowers that are produced in the summer and fall in most regions.
The allium plant is seen by many individuals as a great pharmaceutically-important plant organism. This may be from the vitamin content that naturally is a part of the allium flower's biogenic makeup, or could be that when reacting with certain tissues of the body, defends against some infections and diseases. 

With more research on the allium flower it is undoubtedly going to yield more surprises in the medical community and hopefully more relief for those that suffer from skin rashes and psoriasis. The allium comes in a variety of colors, with white being the most predominant, and blue and yellow, along with purple varieties, which are beautiful to see in full bloom during the hot summer months. Many of the varieties of allium flower, such as the ‘Purple Sensation’ are one of the most popular and have even been given the prestigious ‘European Gardening Award of Garden Merit’. This means that this plant is not only royalty, yet is strong and can grow under a variety of temperate conditions. 
Many gardeners feel that the ‘flower’ is the only commercial crop available from the entire plant, and consider the plant a nuisance otherwise. Dogs and cats need to steer clear of the allium flower, as death by poisoning, is a common occurrence for dogs and cats that ingest enough of this powerful, and native plant.