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Showing posts from September, 2024

Blooming Blurbs: Part 5 by Grace Willis

 There's always something new blooming in The Gardens! Sacred Datura ( Datura wrightii) These stunning white flowers can be found in our Fragrance and Entrance Gardens. You may notice that these blooms resemble those from the angel’s trumpet tree from Blooming Blurbs Part Two . This is because both the Datura and Brugmansia genera come from the Solanaceae family. In fact, all members of the Brugmansia genus were placed under the Datura genus until 1973, when three key differences were identified. Brugmansia flowers tend to be pendulous (hang down), be white, peach, or yellow and have smooth fruits.  Datura  flowers, on the other hand, are upright, white, or soft purple, and their fruits are spiky and rough to the touch.  Both are poisonous, so look but don’t touch. This plant can bloom all the way from April to October when given the proper care and conditions.  Care information : Datura wrightii is considered to be a perennial in zones 5-11 and an annual in other zones. In order

Blooming Blubs: Part 4 by Grace Willis

 Check out what's currently blooming at The Gardens! Hardy W ater Li ly ( Nymphaea x)   These water lilies can be found protruding from our pond in the Children’s Garden. We don’t have a record of which cultivar they are since they were planted so long ago, but they are gorgeous, nonetheless. Their petals a re a vibrant white with 4 light pink sepals . The center of the flower consists of 40- 6 0 bright yellow stamens, all circled around one small pistil in the very middle attached to the ovary . To grow waterlilies, a tuber is planted at a 45-degree angle , roots generally facing down and buds that will become shoots generally facing up. The crown and buds should remain above the soil line, while the roots must be buried. This pot is then submerged in the water at a depth 10 to 15 inches deeper than the tallest pad or crown . New shoot growth then forms from the tuber in the soil below and stretches its way up until it reaches the surface . Though you can ’ t see it