Thursday, June 24, 2010

name that flower...

I wandered through Minter Gardens with a friend last weekend.  A shower had just passed through...and the blooms looked lovely decked out in droplets of rain.  The rose garden was smelling heavenly...and we enjoyed reading the labels that identified each variety.  I especially thought the 'singin' in the rain floribunda' was appropriately named!  But throughout the rest of the garden...the plants came with no name.  We pooled our limited plant wisdom...and were able to identify many of the plants...but some remained nameless.  Though I am not that good at remembering names...I still like to be properly introduced.  I'd love to see the plants wearing their name tags.  It would make for more of a learning experience.

But...until that happens...does anyone happen to know the name of plant in the centre of the bottom row above?  The leaves looked rather like those of a rhodo.

 Or what do you think this flower might be called?
 
And did you know that each one of these gerbera daisies comes with their own name.  We toured the daisy greenhouses last weekend...and enjoyed reading the names of each variety.  We asked the grower if he knew all their names...of course he did! 

I rather liked these formal looking white and black ones....and I think they may have been called tuxedo daisies.

I am very happy to see the hydrangeas are about ready for cutting.  Hydrangea bouquets are my summertime favorites. Whatever is blooming in your garden today...enjoy (whether you know what they are called...or not)! 



16 comments:

  1. Is it "mountain laurel"? I think I see that distinctive shaped flower. Those daisies are truly the most elegant daisies I've ever seen.

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  2. http://national-flowers.info/wp-content/uploads/2010/02/Mountain_Laurel1.jpg

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  3. Gorgeous photos and lovely memories of a beautiful garden. Now that Vee has furnished a possible name I'm going to try to find it at a nursery - and a heliotrope too!

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  4. We have our answer...mountain laurel it is! Thanks, Vee. And now I know why it looked totally foreign to me...it is native to the eastern USA and is a part of the blueberry family. Interesting!

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  5. i am SOOO glad to see an answer to that question - we have that bush and have never known what it is! thanks :)

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  6. I wouldn't even have guessed that it's a mountain laurel. I have Texas Mountain Laurel which has grown into trees. In spring it has lilac-colored flowers that smell heavenly and is loved by bees.

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  7. Judy I totally agree with you about plants needing labels in a public gardens! It drives me crazy not to have a name of a tree or flower, and I love know the specific name of a particular variety. My favorite gift idea is to find a plant with the same name as the person I am gifting, or a name that is a nod to their hobby or interest.

    Minter is such a delight! Take me back there any time!

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  9. I'm afraid I didn't know the first was a Mountain Laurel, but the spikey fellow is an Eryngium. What cultivar it is only an expert would know.
    I have grown similar in patch here in England. That picture may be of the cultivar 'Amethyst' or 'Opal'.
    Not sure.
    Cheers.....Bernard.

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  10. What drives me nuts is when I plant something and lose the name tag and then don't even know what is in my own garden. There are so many wonderful varieties and who could have possibly thought of them all but God himself.

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  11. It's amazing how fast bloggers come up with the answer! Love it. I like that spiky one! So I wonder is Minter Gardens is on our itinerary?

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  12. Just came across your blog and your pictures are beautiful! Your lucky to be able to tour such beautiful gardens! :)

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  13. A "tuxedo daisy"...how perfect. I just knew you would capture the flowers in your own beautiful and creative way. The daisy picture was breathtaking. Can you imagine a wedding with all those colors used in the flowers? Thank you for taking us with you through these gardens.

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  14. I enjoyed looking at your flower photos, Judy. They are all beautiful. I see no one knows what the feathery purple flower is as yet...that one is most unusual!

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  15. Don't quiz me on flowers...I love taking photos of flowers, but the rest I leave up to others...I know dandelion, tulips, daffodils, petunias...rhodos...
    You have a great eye for detail my friend.

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