Tag Archives: Vegetation

Azalea

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Azalea

Pretty, showy azaleas.

  • ‘Azaleas’ are also known as the ‘Royalty of the Garden’, and are shrubs that bloom in from autumn to spring, depending on the variety.
  • Azaleas are either deciduous or evergreen, depending on the species, and generally like to grow under the shade of trees.
  • Azaleas are from the family ‘Ericaceae’, which is the family of heaths or heathers, and belong to the genus ‘Rhododendron’, which are a group of woody plants.
  • Azaleas grow up to 2.5 meters (8.2 feet) tall, although some only grow to half that height.
  • Azalea nectar and leaves are highly poisonous, and in the past, have been seen as a death threat if the flowers have been given in a black vase.White, Azalea, Group, Flower, Pretty, Ten Random Facts, Australia
  • Places in Japan, Korea and the United States have festivals to celebrate azaleas.
  • Azaleas are mostly native to North America, and eastern parts of Asia, and the American species are generally deciduous, while the Asian species are generally evergreen.
  • Azalea flowers come in white, pink, mauve, purple, red, orange and yellow in colour, and the single varieties generally have 5 petals, but doubles can have up to 30.
  • Azaleas are popular garden plants, although many people do not know how to grow them properly, as they require specific growing conditions, which include the need for acidic soil.
  • Over 10,000 different cultivars of azaleas have been recorded and the plant and flowers are very similar to rhododendrons in appearance, so it is often difficult to tell them apart.
Bibliography:
Azalea, 2007, Azalea Society of America, <http://azaleas.org/azaleas.html>
Azalea, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Azalea>

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Strawberry

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Strawberry

Sweet, juicy, mouth-watering strawberries.

  • Strawberries are also called ‘garden strawberries’ and are from the family Rosaceae, which is the family of roses, and are not proper berries.
  • There are more than 20 species of Fragaria, or strawberries as they are known, with Fragaria × ananassa being the most commonly grown hybrid.
  • Strawberries are typically sweet, heart shaped red, juicy fruits, and generally grow on a 15 cm (6 inches) high plant that spread out on the ground to about 50–100 cm (20 – 40 inches).
  • Strawberries can be made into jam, juice, milkshakes or made into cakes or desserts, or eaten with or added to ice cream, yoghurt, chocolate, pancakes and so on.
  • Strawberries have approximately 200 small yellow achenes, that look like seeds and are actually the ‘fruit’ of the strawberry, on the outside of the flesh, which contain a seed inside each.

Strawberry, punnet, group, bunch, red, many, bowl, whole, picked, supermarket, Aldi, Ten Random Facts

  • Cultivated strawberries are generally sweeter than the wild species, with the garden type becoming very popular due to its sweetness, and they should be eaten within two or three days from purchasing or picking, as they can easily become bruised, mouldy or decayed.
  • Strawberries only ripen on the plant, and are green or white if not ripe, although some varieties of strawberries are white when ripe.
  • In 2011, USA, was by far the world’s top producer of strawberries, producing over one quarter of the total world production of 4,200,000 tonnes (4,600,000 tons) with Spain ranking second.
  • Some people are allergic to strawberries with reactions similar to hay fever, hives and possibly breathing problems and can cause anaphylaxis, although some of the white strawberry cultivars may not cause a reaction.
  • Strawberries are a good source of antioxidants and are very high in vitamin C, with one serve providing close to your daily recommended intake.
Bibliography: Strawberry, 2011, Fresh for Kids, <http://www.freshforkids.com.au/fruit_pages/strawberry/strawberry.html>
Strawberry, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Strawberry>

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Keukenhof

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Keukenhof

Keukenhof is breathtaking.

  • Keukenhof is also known as the ‘Garden of Europe’, and the word ‘Keukenhof’ can be translated to ‘kitchen garden’ in Dutch, in reference to the herbs that used to be gathered in the area for the castle kitchen.
  • Keukenhof is the largest flower garden on Earth, with approximately seven million bulbs covering an area of 32 hectares (79 acres).
  • Keukenhof is located in Lisse, in the Netherlands in an area known as ‘Duin- en Bollenstreek’ which translates to ‘Dune and Bulb Region’, known for its floral industry.
  • Keukenhof is only ever open to the public for  8 weeks in a year from mid-March to mid-May, with the flower-viewing peak in mid-April.
  • Keukenhof was originally a place for hunting in the 1400s, and the Mayor of Lisse organised the first Keukenhof exhibit in 1949.
Keukenhof, garden, flower, tulip, Holland, Ten Random Facts, Flickr
Keukenhof
Image courtesy of Bertknot/Flickr
  •  The Keukenhof gardens are directly opposite a building known as ‘Keukenhof Castle’, which was built in 1642.
  • Keukenhof was designed in the 1800s, by the landscaper Jan David Zocher and his son, for the Baron and Baroness van Pallandt the owners of the property and the castle at the time, all of which is now owned by a charitable foundation.
  • Keukenhof has competitions for the best flowers grown by exhibitors, with awards like tulip awards and rose awards.
  • Many visitors to Keukenhof search for large rows of a certain flower, which can be see in some of the surrounding areas, which they do not find in the garden, but instead find patterns and pictures created with flower bulbs.
  • The flowers and bulbs featured in Keukenhof can be bought, with much of the garden dug up and replanted yearly.
Bibliography:
Garrison L, Keukenhof Gardens – Dutch Spring Gardens near Amsterdam, 2013, About.com, <http://cruises.about.com/cs/europe/a/keukenhof.htm>
Keukenhof, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Keukenhof>
History of Keukenhof, 2013, Keukenhof Holland, <http://www.keukenhof.nl/en/5/history-of-keukenhof.html>

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Greater Periwinkle

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Greater Periwinkle

Greater periwinkles are greater than lesser periwinkles.

  • Greater periwinkles are also known as ‘big leaf periwinkles’, ‘large periwinkles’, ‘blue periwinkles’ and ‘blue buttons’.
  • The scientific name of greater periwinkles is ‘Vinca major’ and is from a family of six species of Vinca.
  • Greater periwinkles are native to Europe and North Africa and are from the family ‘Apocynaceae’, which is typically known as the dogbone family.
  • Greater periwinkles grow up to 50-70 cm (1.6 – 2 .3 feet) in height and spread 2-5 metres (6.6 – 16.4 feet) wide.
  • Greater periwinkles are ground vines with dark green coloured leaves that are glossy and sit in pairs opposite each other, with flowers that can bloom all year round, but generally in spring and summer.

Greater Periwinkle, Purple Flower, Multiple, Two, Bush, Violet, Lavendar, Colour, Austalia, Flower, Vegetation, Ten Random Facts

  • The flowers of greater periwinkles can be white or blue in colour but are typically coloured in purple shades and are 3-5 cm(1.2 – 2 inches) in diameter.
  • Greater periwinkles are an invasive weed in parts of Australia, New Zealand and United States, due to the ease of propagation from waste plant material.
  • Greater periwinkles are often mistaken for lesser periwinkles (Vinca minor) due to their similarities, although the flower and leaf sizes are larger in the greater, which also has tiny hairs on the leaves, that the lesser doesn’t.
  • The stems of greater periwinkles can be used for basket weaving and the plant is also used medicinally, although it is poisonous if large portions are consumed.
  • Greater periwinkles are happy to grow in shady areas and send down roots from their runners, making them easy to grow from cuttings.
Bibliography:
Vinca Major, 2013, Plants for a Future, <http://www.pfaf.org/user/plant.aspx?latinname=Vinca+major>
Vinca Major, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vinca_major>

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Diosma

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Diosma

Teensy little diosma flowers.

  • Diosma is a woody shrub that is used to decorate gardens and can be also used as lovely filler in flower arrangements.
  • The scientific name of diosma is ‘Coleonema pulchellum’, which comes from the Greek words ‘koleos’ and ‘nema’ meaning ‘sheath’ and ‘thread’ respectively and the Latin word ‘pulchellum’ means ‘pretty’.
  • Diosma is also known as ‘confetti bush’, ‘breath of heaven’ and ‘buchu’ and was once named ‘Coleonema pulchrum’.
  • Diosma blooms in late autumn to spring, with small flowers 7-8 mm (0.275 – 0.3 inch) that have five petals, and are pink, white, mauve and red in colour.
  • Diosma is native to South Africa and likes to grow in warm areas.

Diosma, Focus, Pink, Windy, flower, Vegetation, Ten Random Facts, Australia

  • Once a diosma bush has finished flowering, they develop small capsules that contain, small black seeds.
  • Diosma is from the family Rutaceae, which is the family of rue and citrus.
  • Diosma grow from 0.5 to 2 meters (2 to 6.5 feet) in height.
  • Diosma has small, needle shaped leaves that are typically green in colour.
  • Insects including butterflies and bees come for the nectar of diosma, while ants transport the black seeds which can grow into new plants.
Bibliography:
Diosma, 2013, Burke’s Backyard, <http://www.burkesbackyard.com.au/factsheets/Flowering-Plants-and-Shrubs/Diosma/1682>
Coleonema Pulchellum, 2004, Plantz Africa, <http://www.plantzafrica.com/plantcd/coleonpulchell.htm>

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Celery

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Celery

Green, long celery sticks.

  • Celery is from the family Apiaceae, which is the family of carrots and parsley, and its scientific name is Apium graveolens.
  • Celery is a crunchy and crisp vegetable that can be green, yellow green, white or reddish purple in colour, and can be eaten raw or cooked.
  • Celery is a biennial plant that grows up to one metre (3.3 feet) tall and generally has green, leafy tops, and is said to help keep one’s mouth and teeth clean.
  • There are three main types of celery – leafy celery, that has lots of leaves that are used and small stalks that are not generally eaten; stalk celery, where the stalks are mainly used and the leafy parts are generally not eaten; and root celery, known as celeriac, that is mostly grown for its edible roots.
  • Celery has white or cream coloured flowers that produce small edible seeds.

 Celery, Stick, Long, Leafy, Green, Vegetation, Australia, Ten Random Facts

  • Celery was first named in 1664, ‘celery’ coming from the French word ‘céleri’, which originally came from the Greek word meaning parsley, ‘selinon’.
  • Celery leaves and seeds are often used as herbs or spices while the stalks and leaves can be used as a vegetable in salads or main dishes.
  • Celery seeds can lower a rat’s blood pressure, and women should not consume large amounts of the seeds if they are pregnant.
  • All parts of celery, most notably the seeds, can cause an anaphylactic reaction in those people who are allergic to the vegetable,  that cannot be removed by cooking, and is not uncommon in some parts of Europe, where it is mandatory to label products that have or may contain celery.
  • Celery contains significant portions of vitamin A and folate, and is high in vitamin K, with one serve containing approximately 2/5 of the recommended daily intake.
Bibliography:
Celery, 2011, Fresh for Kids, <http://www.freshforkids.com.au/veg_pages/celery/celery.html>
Celery, 2013, Wikipedia, <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Celery>

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