Introduced 20 years ago in 1994. this beautiful and graceful tulip was an accidental mutation from its parent, Hans Anrud. Zurel appears strong and sturdy, but with its bi-colored petals of white and blueberry, this beautiful tulip transforms into a living artpiece...
During the 19th century, wealthy British patrons deployed plant hunters to the farthest reaches to discover new and exotic plants for their greenhouses. In 1845, Thomas Lobb, working for the famous Veitch nursery, discovered, exotic, brilliantly colored rhododendrons...
The Swan is a beautiful fringed tulip with pure white, crystalline-edged petals. With its delicate, lacy petals, The Swan’s blooms resemble the elegant wings of a swan, hence its botanical name, Swan Wings. Introduced in 1959, this beautiful tulip has been a...
Gazanias are common ground cover plants in Mediterranean climates, including the areas around my home in Southern California. En masse, you would hardly notice the nuanced differences in each bloom, but when you lie down on the ground and look closely, you’ll notice...
The common name for this flower, wind flower, is derived from the Greek word “ánemos,” which means wind. The wind flower, or anemone, has a history in Greek and Roman mythology. Aphrodite was in love with Adonis, and she kept him by her side past the curfew allowed by...
This small flower would go unnoticed in the garden by nearly everyone who sees it. Smaller than a child’s thumbnail, these flowers appear on the “string of beads” vine, a member of the Senecio genus. I was attracted to this flower not because of its beauty, but...
An unusual form of the cosmos daisy, this flower truly does look like sea shells. The tubular flower petals are a pastel shade of pink, deepening to a richer shade inside. The contrasting yellow center draws you in only after you have carefully studied the complex...
The name of this tulip variety is “Rococo” but, to me, it is the maestro. If ever there was a tulip that defined the “parrot tulip” classification, this would be it. With its wings outstretched, I can almost imagine the flower in this image taking flight. The multiple...
This petunia variety is called, “Pretty Much Picasso,” because of it bold shapes and colors. Native to South America, the petunia derived its name from the French word, “petun,” meaning “tobacco,” a plant to which it is related. This cultivated variety...
The flower in this image is a Peruvian daffodil, and it has an amazing flower structure. Looking through fall flower and bulb catalogs, my wife was fascinated with their whimsical nature, so she ordered a package of bulbs. The bulbs were planted in our back yard where...
The aster represents love, delicacy and patience, and the subject in this image embodies those qualities. Blushed with a tinged of amethyst, this stunning white flower is the definition of elegance. Considered sacred to Roman and Greek deities, asters were so sacred...
These flowers, from the genus Tricyrtis, are called toad lilies because their flowers are used to attract small frogs in the Asian tropics. These small lilies look like tiny orchids, all lined up and down their bright green stems. The purple spotted flowers bloom well...
These South African natives are one of the oldest flowers known to man. Throughout Throughout history, calla lilies have been a popular symbol in religion and art. The flower in this image cascaded out of the vase. With its velvety purple coloring and contrasting...
This cosmos daisy is called “Picotee” in the flower trade because of its pink edging. My wife selected these seeds as an experiment for our new hobby greenhouse. We planted a flat and the seeds took off. After planting the liners in the garden, our back yard was...
The scientific name for the osteospermum daisy is derived from the Greek “osteon” (bone) and Latin “spermum” (seed). These African daisies are wildly popular in the gardens of my neighborhood in Southern California because of their drought tolerance and continual...
The botanical name for this flower is Salpiglossis, derived from the Greek for “trumpet” (salpinx) and “tongue” (glossa). These flowers looked like stained glass in the garden, but when you look at them in the vase, they assume the role of a...
Dating to 1914, Insulinde has been the subject of art and conversation ever since. Insulinde is a true “broken tulip” with purple petals splashed with white. Broken tulips caused the collapse of the Dutch economy during Tulipmania in the 1600s, when a single bulb...
Proteas seem otherworldly in some ways. Named after the Greek mythological sea god Proteus, who herded seals for Poseidon and could assume many different shapes at will, when represented against a black background, they seem almost like exotic sea creatures. According...
The tulip originated centuries ago in Persia and Turkey, where it played a significant role in the art and culture of the time. The Turks of the Ottoman Empire were the first to cultivate and hybridize tulips. Persian poets sang its praises, and their artists drew and...
One of the most interesting varieties of gerbera daisies, these fringed African natives make a statement in the vase. With its bright orange color and well-defined eye, this flower seems to have a personality of its own, always active and alert. After I first saw this...
Estella Rijnveld is a dramatic parrot tulip which was introduced in 1954. With its brilliant splashes of red, white and green, Estella Rijnveld evokes a whirling intensity and sense of movement. “Like raspberry-ripple ice-cream,” says Anna Pavord in The Tulip, and...
This native from Africa, Europe and west Asia is called the Star of Bethlehem because it grows abundantly throughout the Holy Land. The botanical name, “Ornithagalum,” is derived from the Greek words for bird, ornis and milk, gala. The bulb of this plant was valued in...
These tiny hibiscus-like flowers grow on bushes in South Africa. The Cape mallow symbolizes sweetness and delicate beauty, and I think this flower has a simplicity and ethereal quality; it seems to be lighted from within. Because the flowers of the Cape mallow are so...
Bridesmaid 1900 is an exotic tulip that has been handed down by bulb collectors since 1900. With its long, slender lipstick-red petals and splashes of white, Bridesmaid is reminiscent of the “broken tulips” that caused the collapse of the Dutch economy during...
This elegant tulip bears opulent blends of luscious shades that make an undeniable statement. Its aureolin-yellow petals are blushed with rosy-red and outlined in shades of peridot green. This tulip was introduced into cultivation 31 years ago and now graces the...
Gerbera daisies symbolize innocence, purity and cheerfulness. Discovered in 1884 near Barberton, South Africa, by Scotsman Robert Jameson, this flower’s common name draws from German naturalist Traugott Gerber. Breeding programs that began in England in 1890 enhanced...
