Lavender season in my balcony

Here in Japan is very common to have people traveling north to Hokkaido for the summer holidays, and one of the popular things to do there is visit the lavender farms in the area. I was lucky and had a chance to visit on my first year in Japan. Growing lavender is a big deal in Hokkaido. From what saw they treat the season in a similar way to how they treat sakura season. They have festivals, special lavender food, lavender designs and many products related. It is very fun place to be. Before my visit, I had never seen any lavender farms, so it was a great surprise to see all the never ending fields of purple and walk among the trails. It was an amazing experience.

my lavender

So, after my visit to the lavender farms that year, of course I had to have some lavender growing in the garden. I got a plant last autumn and took care of it hoping for some summer blooms. It grew a bit during the winter and even more in spring. Finally it started blooming in May, a bit earlier that I expected, but no complains, It was probably just another effect of the vacation drought of spring.

Now after blooming nicely all June, it seems to be starting to stop, so I decided to cut away the flowers that are left and let it grow for the next year.

See you next year

It was very fun to grow lavender, I had never had a chance to do it before. Even though is a very small plant the scent it produced was very strong, specially in the mornings when I the light wind made it come into the room from the balcony. Hopefully it will give a great display again next season, but for now I say good bye, is time to rest.

The calla lilies are blooming

This year I have a lot of calla lilies growing in the garden, and they all seem to be growing very well. I have my old and reliable batch of pink callas that started from a single plant, and now also a bunch of assorted different colored ones.

Now I have a lot of colors for the calla lily

Seeing so many flowers is great, because I wasn't expecting many calla flowers this summer. I had a small hiccup early this year when the bulbs I stored indoors started sprouting in mid winter. I took them out to sleep once again, but I thought that they will lose their strength and give very few flowers when the season came.

The pink ones are blooming nicely

Also, I wasn't expecting many flowers from the new plants. When I got those they were just a batch of unhealthy looking and very small bulbs. I had no idea what colors or types they were, just that they were different. My plan was to grow them for a year and to let them gain strength, then on the next season I would see what colors I got and plan accordingly.

This yellow calla lily was a nice surprise

So, I am very happy to see many nice callas blooming. The pinks are doing well, and from the new ones I got three different colors so far, but there are other 3 plants that I think will bloom too.

I usually let flowers be at the garden and not cut them from the plant, but occasionally I like taking a couple blooms in the house just to enjoy having them inside too. The calla lilies are great for that because they make amazing cut flowers. They last long, look very good and the plant recovers very well from plucking some blooms.

Calla lilies make great cut flowers

I think they look great on a bottle of wine, what do you think?

Happy blooming day!

It has been a rainy week here in my little garden in japan, but this weekend we finally got some sun and the flowers are really grateful. Almost all of the plants are flowering, the only one left is the calla lily and the dahlia, but I am sure they will have a couple blooms soon.

Happy blooming day!

The osteospermum hasn't stopped blooming at all

The anemones finally recovered completely from the drought and are showing a very nice display. The chocolate cosmos, which I had already tossed away until I noticed new growth from the roots, resurged and have kept on growing.

The dill is flowering like crazy

The kalanchoe is all out too

Even some of the herbs are flowering, the thyme, the dill and rosemary have little flowers and the lavender is starting to form flower buds.

The mini rose is blooming already and the red rose will be very soon

The geraniums look great

As the summer approaches some of the annuals are starting slow down and start to fade. I will probably have to do a renewal of some of the flower boxes next month, but for now they all get to give a last bloom.

summer will be here soon

Enjoy many other bloggers showing their blooms at blooming day from May Dreams Gardens!

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My visit to the Hong Kong Flower market

On my little trip to Hong Kong this Christmas one of the places I visited was the Hong Kong flower market, a very colorful and lively place. It is a small market covering only two blocks, but it has a lot to see and enjoy.

The Hong Kong Flower Market

I felt it very contrasting to what I find here in Japan. Here you can sense an order even when it might not be as obvious, but in hong kong it was all chaotic. People walking here and there, men pushing trolleys and yelling to people to get out of the way, customers arguing to lower the price, sellers loudly advertising their products, a hundred scents from flowers and food. It remind me so much of Mexico, It was exactly like what you can see at the markets there, just with Chinese. Of course I felt right at home.

Very similar to the flower and garden markets in Mexico

They have a very nice variety of plants and flowers

They had some exotic plants, and some very nice deals. In one place they were selling a bunch of beautiful orchids for 10 HKD each, that is like 1.2 US dollars or 0.8 British pounds. They also have some rare flowers that I am not sure what they are. Too bad It is not possible for me to bring plants back to my little garden in Japan.

A bunch of pitcher plants ready for sale

What is the name of these?

One interesting thing I noted was, how all the selling were directed to "lucky plants". They have so many superstitions and they affect many of the aspects of their life, and as it was to be expected, the same goes for plants. For example, most of the plants and the cutting flowers they sell have a very specific meaning. They have get money plants, get health, to celebrate a new house, for the new year and many others.

Beautiful cutting flowers

More potted plants ready to go to a new home

If you are ever in Hong Kong and you like plants I recommend you to go. They have a huge variety of flowers and plants for sale or just for admiring. It's truly a fun walk.

Hong Kong Flower Market

Flower Market Road, Mong Kok. Opens from 7am to 7pm.

How to get there

• MTR Prince Edward Station Exit B1.
  Walk east along Prince Edward Road West.


• MTR Mong Kok East Station Exit C.
  Walk to Sai Yee Street via the footbridge and follow the signs.

Visit the Hong Kong Flower Market

On a different subject, the Carnival will be this January 15th 17th! Sorry I changed the date, I didn't want to clash with a fellow blogger meme.

Be ready with a post about what do you plan on doing at your garden this next year, Maybe about one particular plant you want to have, a renovation you will do, a special patch you will grow, a new gardening technique you will give a try, or any other project you have prepared for this new year.

How to grow tulips

This will be the first time i grow tulips ever. And, since i want my tulips to have successful bloom on my garden next spring, I did a lot of research on the how to take care of them, there is a lot of care and consideration that must be done. 

I wanted to share all I have learned, I hope everyone can find this helpful.

Tulips

Tulips are one of the most well known bulbs. They are one of the main cutting spring flowers, available in many shapes, sizes and colors. Because of their beauty they have been a prominent feature in many gardens around the world and have been coveted by gardeners for centuries.

Tulips Description

Tulips are perennials bulbous plant from the genus Tulipa, they grow a few leafs at the base and a long stem with a flower at the end. They can be as small as 10 cm or reach a height as much as 70 cm.

They have fleshy, elongated, waxy coated, light to medium green leafs. Their flowers are colorful and attractive cup shaped with six petals.
Tulips are natives of Central Asia in mountainous areas with temperate climates where they have a period of cool dormancy through the winter.

How to grow tulips

Tulips are classified as perennials, but because of the specific requirements of their native weather, tulips are not the easiest plants to grow as such. They do best in climates with long cool springs and early summers, but are often grown as spring blooming annual plantings in warmer areas of the world. They are typically planted from early September to November and bloom from early Spring through late May.

Is best to pick the healthiest bulbs to guaranty a nice bloom, the best bulbs usually are have a thick fresh glossy body with a smooth surface.

Growing tulips as Annuals

Tulips gather energy in their bulb thought their growing season for the next season bloom. Because of this reason store bought tulip bulbs will most times bloom nicely even if they don’t have the best growing conditions, this means tulips can be treated as an annual plant.

Annual tulips can be planted in a planter or directly into the ground. When planting tulips as annuals they must be planted in autumn from mid September to November, when the temperature varies around 15~20°C. It's best to plant them at least 15 cm deep, but they can stand as little as 5 cm. Also, they need space to grow roots, so they must have at least 5 cm of separation between each bulb. Sandy soil with good drainage and rich in organic matter is best.

Water lightly during the first months when they are growing roots and almost none during their dormancy period on the coolest months. Resume watering once the weather starts to warm again.

Their flowers bloom in spring from March to May depending on their type. If the bulbs are to be discarded it can be done once the flower starts to wither. If it will be saved for another season is best to behead after flowering, but allow the remaining leafs to die off naturally. Once all the leafs have dried the bulb can be dug out and stored on a cool and dry place until the next planting season.

Growing tulips as perennials

While having a tulip bulb bloom one year is relatively easy, having one thriving through the years is a more difficult task. Their native growing conditions must be replicated, otherwise the bulbs will slowly degrade and eventually die.

Having the bulb at an adequate depth is essential, so planting directly into the ground is recommended. The bulb must be set at least at 15 cm depth or three times its height. Also the separation between each bulb must be around 15 to 20 cm. The bulbs must be planted in autumn when the average soil temperature is around 15°C. Sandy soil rich in organic matter is best. Good drainage is essential.

Unless the seeds are wanted is best to behead after flowering, this allows the bulb to concentrate on its own recovery and development for next year's bloom and not use energy in the seeds.

If the weather becomes too hot in summer is best to dig the bulbs once all the leafs have dried and store them in a cool and dry place until the next planting season. If the weather is appropriate tulips will continue to bloom continuously over the years without any need to dig them out, but once every few years is recommended to take them out and separate any new bulb formations to avoid overcrowding.

More Tips for growing tulips

• Bigger bulbs will have the biggest blooms, and the smallest bulbs might not flower at all.


• Tulips have a very steady height of growth, so if tulips are planted with a difference of depth around 1~2 cm in the ground it will be noticeable when they bloom, this can be used to create interesting arrangements for their display.


• The tulip bulbs usually have a flat side which helps to determine the direction the leafs will grow, this can also be used to plan ahead the arrangement of the tulip's display.


• Tulips are lovely with other spring bloomers and with each other. They work well with other bulbs as companions, provided that this other bulbs are smaller and with less space requirements than the tulips.


• For cutting tulips, only the tulips that are closed but that have color on top above their stems will open, those that are showing no color or are all green will not open when disconnected from the ground.

Diseases

Tulips are very a resistant plant, however they are several diseases can affect them.

• Blight causes brown flecks in the leaves, and often turns the plant gray after a few weeks.


• Gray bulb rot can develop if the bulb is given to much water for too long.


• Aphids can attack them, but they can be easily contained.


• Crown rot is a rare kind of rot that causes the bulb and flower to die under the ground.


• Botrytis tulipae is a major fungal disease affecting tulips, it causes cell death leading to rotten plants.


• Tulip breaking virus causes a irregular color with spots and stripes on flowers, also, it results in smaller plants.

Classification of Tulips

Tulips have several types of classification.

They are classified based on their blooming time.
Early Flowering Tulips, blooming in March and early April.
Mid season Flowering Tulips blooming in April and early May.
Late Flowering Tulips blooming in May

They also can be classified based on their flower type or their height. Single, Double, Lily-flower, Fringed, Dwarf, Tall, Medium, etc.

Tulips in Yokohama

Tulip trivia

• They are often associated with Holland, their main cultivating country.


• Tulips will continue growing after being cut.


• They have been able to influence the economy of a whole country at one point (tulip mania).


• Their name is derived from the Ottoman Turkish word "tülbend" which in turn comes from Persian language "dulband" meaning turban.


• Tulips are considered a symbol of the Ottoman Empire in Europe.


• There are over 3,000 different registered varieties of cultivated Tulips.


• Tulip bulbs are replacement for onions when cooking.

Here is the information in pdf how to grow tulips feel free to share it

My calla lily

Ok, this time I would like to start introducing my plants. First my Calla Lily.

My calla lily also known as Zantedeschia

This flower was the first plant I got here in japan.

Back then I had been wanting to get some plant for my apartment but I couldn’t decide what to get. One day I was walking to the supermarket to do some grocery shopping and I saw old man selling plants out of the back of a van. I saw this beautiful purple calla lily, but unfortunately couldn’t decide to get it back then. Of course, later when I was back at home I regretted and wanted to buy it.
So for weeks I tried to go on that same road again to try to catch the man selling plants, I did find him once but no calla lily.

Finally after a month of looking I found the van and a calla lily, this time a pink one, I almost didn’t buy it because I was looking for a purple one but I manage to overcome my pickiness and bought it.

Back then I had no idea what kind of flower it was. I didn’t know the name or anything about it. I tried to do the best I could to raise it but I have to say it was mostly luck.

It flourished very nicely and got full of flowers. But then it started to get some yellow leafs and also my roommate didn’t like it because it attracted a couple fruit flies. So I had to move it outside, I also change it to a slightly bigger pot. There it continue to bloom until late September and then in autumn started to fade away. Back then I didn’t know anything about this plant all I know is that it kind of look like a bulb plant.

So I took a risk and dug them out and here is where the lucky part begins. I dug them around October which was too early for that, also I broke the bulb apart too much because I didn't have a clue and it hadn't grow big enough. And then I put them back in the soil and continue to water them all winter. Now I feel so lucky because none of the bulbs got rotten and this year they all grew into very healthy plants and bloom fully.

Some calla lily cuttings from this season

Even with more luck this spring I saw some Zantedeschias at my favorite garden center and learn their name, and after, thanks to google I learned finally how to take care of my calla lily properly.

Update! I submitted this post to How to find great plants, by Appalachianfeet