Round up for T

T

Round Up for T:
Trifolium pratense and Trifolium repens from Shilpa

Shilpa's entry for this round are white and purple/pink clovers. Clovers are native to Europe and introduced in the US as a pasture crop. They can be found throughout the US in warm weather. Clovers have three oval leaflets with V shaped markings on them. The ball-shaped flower head is made up with many small flowers, and is very attractive to bees. Some flowers are edible and used in salads and to make tea.

The pink or the purple clover is Trifolium pratense and is considered nutritious food for livestock. The flowers and leaves are slightly bigger than the white clover.
The white clovers are called Trifolium repens. The flowers look like a little white ball and once a bee or other pollinating insect has visited it, the petals droop and reveal the red center indicating that it does not have to be visited again.


Tulips from Sree

Medium: Oil on Canvas

The national flower of Holland is a favorite of many flower lovers for the sheer variety in color and uniformity of shape. They are bulbous plants and belong to the species Liliaceae. Some have petals which are striped and feathered.

Thyme from Gini

Medium: Photography

Gini's entry is Thyme - an herb that doesn’t need a lot of water. The flowers of thyme are white and as tiny and delicate as the leaves. Thyme leaves are very fragrant and goes well with veggies, rice, seafood and meat.

Tulip from Priya

Medium: Photography

Tulips and Holland are inseperable. But Tulips trace their name to the Turkey where they were thought to resemble turbans. Tulip Festivals take place in Holland, England and North America during Spring.

Tango and Twist with T

The letter is T.
The deadline is June 13, 2007.
The email address is flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com.

Do you alliterate? Do you write strong headlines? If you have an idea for a title for U, write to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com and let us know!

Round up for Q

Q

Entries for the round of Q are:

Quaker Ladies from Shilpa

Medium:Photography
Quaker Ladies are wildflowers better known by their other common name, Bluets. Houstonia caerulea is the scientific name. The tiny plant appears in clusters and usually grows in woodlands, fields and on roadsides. The flowers are tiny, less than half an inch wide, four-petaled with a yellow center, and are pale blue. They are easily noticeable because they bloom profusely close to each other, making an attractive carpet on the ground.

Quince from Mythreyee

Medium: Colored Pencil and Sketch Pens
Quince is a Chinese ornamental shrub (Chaenomeles speciosa) having spiny branches, sharply serrate leaves, and red or white flowers.

Queen's Wreath from Priya

Medium: Watercolor on paper
Queen's Wreath is a climber that goes by the name Bluebird Vine or Sandpaper Vine. During blooming times the whole creeper is covered with drooping clusters of flowers in blue, violet and white combinations. The leaves of this plant have the texture of sandpaper. This plant is native to Mexico.

RoundUp for P

P

We are down to the 16th letter in the Alphabet! Its wonderful to have a huge bouquet of flowers for this round of the flowerfestival. We have two paintings and numerous photographs of a variety of flowers. Here they are!

Plumeria from Bee


Medium - Photography

Bee sends in her first entry for the Flower Fest with plumeria which she says is fragrant and gorgeous. This picture taken at the Singapore Botanical Garden.

Primula from Mythreyee


Medium - Photography
Primula is a genus of 400-500 species of low-growing herbs in the family Primulaceae. They include primrose, auricula, cowslip and oxslip. Many species are grown for their ornamental flowers. They are native to the temperate Northern Hemisphere, south into high altitude tropical mountains in Ethiopia, Indonesia and New Guinea, and are also found in temperate southern South America.

Perennial primulas bloom mostly during the spring; their flowers can be purple, yellow, red, pink, or white. Generally, they prefer filtered sunlight. Many species are adapted to high alpine climates.

Both the common name and scientific name refer to it being the first (prime) "rose" to open in spring. Primroses are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including Large Yellow Underwing, Lesser Broad-bordered Yellow Underwing, Setaceous Hebrew Character and Silver-ground Carpet.

Some species of Primula are commonly known as polyanthus. (Source: Wikipedia)

Pansy from Priya

Medium - Watercolor

Pansies withstand all seasons even the harshest of winters in the Southern part of US. They bloom in a lot of colors - red, yellow, lavender, blue, violet, yellow, pink, white etc.
They are named after the French word pensee which means thought. And that is because they look like they are in deep thought. (Source: Wikipedia, Pansies are edible and used in salads. Some breeds have a delicate fragrance too.



Poppy from Sree



Medium- Oil on Canvas Board

Poppy or Papaversomniferum, known for the notorious Opium is found is a variety of colors, red and white being the most common. Seeds also called KhusKhus are used in cooking.

Polyanthus and Periwinkle from Mythili



Medium - Photography

The Polyanthus is a member of the primula family and flower from early winter to late spring. They come in so many colors and combinations.



Medium - Photography

Vinca Major or the Periwinkle, cute little bundle of joy in violet is a very common flowering shrub.

Phlox from Shilpa



Medium - Photography

Phlox subulata is a low growing plant with tiny needle like leaves that stay green throughout the year. In spring, during the bloom period, the flowers take over and form a spectacular colorful carpet. It spreads wild if allowed space, thus earning the name creeping phlox. The plant comes in a few different colors and when planted next to each other it makes an attractive sight. They are native to the eastern United States.

PurpleWreath and Plumeria from Anita



Medium - Photography

The beautiful Purple Wreath is amongst the first spring blooms in Delhi. The twisting bark of this deciduous creeper has an interesting texture. The leaves are very rough and sandpaper-like. In Delhi it blooms between March and April. The whole creeper gets covered with lilac-purple bunches of flowers. The blue-purple flowers fall off as the sun rises, but the lilac bracts give a burst of lasting colour.



Medium - Photography

The second entry is the Plumeria or Frangipani which is commonly called the temple tree.


Plumeria from Pooja



Medium - Photography

Plumerias are so commonly seen at Kauai that they might be considered as the Stateflower!


PowderPuff and Plumeria from Prashanth



Medium - Photography

The first entry by Prashanth is the cute PowderPuff, aptly named so!



Medium - Photography

And again, what seems to be the favourite in this round of the FlowerFest is
"Plumeria acutifolia" from the "Apocynaceae" family. aka Temple tree.

Pansy , Poinsettia and Petunia from Sigma



Medium - Photography

Grown in pots, troughs, or as mass plantings, pansies have never gone out of fashion. These lightly scented flowers are available in a huge range of colors. The dark centers in some flowers are thought to resemble little faces. They grow only six to ten inches high and can spread up to ten to twelve inches across. They grow well in sun or semi-shade, and can tolerate cool weather.





Medium - Photography

The poinsettia's species name pulcherrima means "most beautiful"! Euphorbia pulcherrima is named after Dr. J.R. Poinsett, and was introduced to gardeners in the early 19th century. The species is a tall, rangy shrub that grows to a height of 10 ft. It has large, dark green, oval leaves that are "toothed" on the sides and pointed at the tips. They emerge from smooth green erect stems. Flowers are borne at the stem tips in winter. The actual flowers are quite small (they are the yellow structures at the center of the brilliantly colored "bracts") The bracts are actually modified leaves - in the species there usually are 8 to 10 bracts that are 4-7 in long.



Medium - Photography

Petunias are one of the best summer flowering annuals for massed display. They are available in every color except orange. Bloom throughout the summer and into autumn if faded flowers are removed regularly. Plants quickly grow to a height of 10-16 inches. The basic petunia flower is funnel shape, but hybridizers have created many variations including singles and doubles with petals that have wavy or fringed margins. Many patterns are available in stripes, speckles and borders in an extensive color palette that includes purple, mauve, lavender, pink, red, white and yellow. Leaves and stems are sticky to the touch and have a distinctive odor.


Prairie Coneflower from Manisha



Medium - Photography

Also known as the Mexican Hat, the prairie coneflower is a wildflower found almost all over the US. It is a perennial, native to the US, that grows to about 3 feet in height. It is often cultivated along the roadsides as it is drought tolerant and easy to grow. So it wasn't a surprise when I found it on one of my walks last fall. It blooms in summer and lingering blooms can be found through early fall in the foothills. The Great Plains Indians brewed a tea from the leaves and flowers of this plant. They used a decoction of leaves and stems to treat poison ivy and rattlesnake bites and took an infusion of the plant tops to treat headaches and stomach aches.

Tags:Flower Fest , Flower Fest Round Up

Round up for O

O

It’s round-up time! Here are the entries for O.

Oleander from Sree

Medium: Oil on canvas
Sree sends us Oleander. Oleander is an evergreen shrub, it grows into a small tree and blossoms (clusters or bunches at the end of each branch or shoot) can be various shades of pink, white, cream etc. They have a mild fragrance. The flower is from the genus Nerium.

Orchids from Pooja

Medium: Photography
Pooja, a new participant at Flower Fest, has two pictures of Orchids to share with us. Here’s what she has to say about the flowers, “I think this particular variety is referred to as dendrodium orchids or popularly known as "Singapore" orchids. They are often used in Zen arrangements, but more commonly are used as bouquets for graduation days in United States (maybe at other places too, I have most commonly seen them at graduation ceremonies in US). Many times each stem-tip is individually packaged in a small test-tube shaped container which contains the necessary water and nutrients for the flower. Most likely this is done because the flower and the plant itself is very sensitive to the amount of water given to it.”

Oxalis from Priya

Medium: Watercolor on paper
Priya's entry this time is Oxalis. Oxalis belongs to the Wood Sorrel family. These white, pink or yellow flowers have clover shaped leaves. The flowers are around 2 cms and bloom from June to September. It grows abundantly in the California Redwood Forests. It is a native of South America. These are showy plants and will look good as potted plants.

Oxalis Stricta from Shilpa

Medium: Photography
Shilpa also has Oxalis. Oxalis stricta have tiny yellow flowers that occur in spring and are described as an invasive yard weed. The leaves of the plant are divided into three heart shaped leaflets which close at night and reopen in the morning. The leaves are edible and taste sour as they contain oxalic acid. It is fine when eaten in small quantities but can be harmful when ingested in large quantities. It has a number of common names of which the popular names are Yellow Wood Sorrel and Sour Grass.

Oxeye Daisy from Mythreyee

Medium: Photography
Mythreyee's entry is from the Daisy family.The Oxeye Daisy is a typical meadow flower, growing in a variety of plant communities such as dry fields, meadows, but also under scrubs, open-canopy forests and waste places. It thrives in a wide range of conditions and prefers heavy and damp soils. It was introduced in parts of North America, Australia and New Zealand, where it is now a common weed displacing native plant species in some areas. It is difficult to control or eradicate, since a new plant can regenerate from rhizome fragments.


I hope you have enjoyed this round-up. If you have entries you would like to send in for O, please do so and we will update the post. We will be moving on to the next letter P soon and hope to see many more contributors. Please refer to the Guidelines mentioned here if you are interested in participating.

Tags:Flower Fest , Flower Fest Round Up

Round up for M

Magnolia

M

Medium: Watercolor on paper
Participant: Priya
Magnolia is named after Magnol, a French botanist. It is a resident of America, South East Asia, China, Australia, South America and West Indies. There are many hybrid varieties and this painting is of Saucer Magnolia. During Spring it is a common sight to see a magnolia tree in full bloom with these pinkish white flowers. When you spot a magnolia tree with buds that are about to open, you can be sure that Spring is very near. The flowers bloom on bare branches even before the leaves have sprouted.

Marsh Marigold

Medium : Photography
Participant: Mythreyee
Marsh Marigold is wildflower is common in swampy areas and along stream banks. They emerge from shallow water or grow on small mounds holding the plant just above the water. During their dormant period the soil must not be allowed to dry at all. Marsh Marigolds are a welcome sight in early spring but seem to disappear as fast as they emerged. They transplant well but going into the spring muck to dig them up can not be described as easy. Adding Marsh Marigolds to a water garden is well worth the effort.

May Flower

Medium: Digital Photography
Participant: Bachodi
The beautiful May flower, better known in the Indian subcontinent as the gul mohar.

Melampodium

Medium : Oil on Canvas board
Participant: Sree
Melampodium looks very similar to the common sunflower and belongs to the species - Melampodium paludosum. It does not require any special care except for abundant sunlight. Small button like flowers come in yellow and sometimes white and the plants are bushy rarely growing higher than a meter. It is also called blackfoot. The flowers dry up to release small seeds which fall off and grow into new plants prolifically.

Mimosa Pudica

Medium: Digital Photography
Participant: Prashanth M
Mimosa pudica, a weed and a touch-me-not.

Morina longifolia

Medium: Digital Photography
Participant:Anita
Morina longifolia is an Himalayan wildflower with thistle like foliage, pink and white flowers, in whorls, borne on two-three feet tall spikes. Flowers (in the Valley of Flowers) between June and September.

Morning Glory

Medium: Digital Photography
Participant: Shilpa
Morning Glory is a fast growing trailing plant with heart shaped leaves and trumpet shaped flowers. They are native to tropical America and belong to the genus Ipomoea. They are popular in gardens and are grown to cover fences and compound walls. The twining vines can be troublesome if left unchecked, but the flowers are always a delight when in bloom.

You can find a digital art entry of this flower on Flower Fest under their genus name Ipomoea.

Mountain Harebell

Medium: Digital Photography
Participant: Manisha
Mountain harebells, from the genus Campanula are typically found in the montane and subalpine zones. Mountain harebells have bell-shaped blue-violet flowers that are about an inch in length. These are also known as bluebells of Scotland.

Muscari Armeniacum

Medium: Digital Photography
Participant: Shilpa
Muscari Armeniacum is one of the early spring flowers from the Hyacinthcea family. The green spikes shoot up from the ground and produce clusters of bright blue flowers which look like bells. The pretty flowers have a lovely fragrance and attract bees.

That's half the alphabet done! Woo hoo!

We're moving on to N, so is you have a late entry for M, send it to flowerfestival[at]gmail[dot]com as soon as possible!

A request to all participants, please include a short description of your flower when you submit your entry. Tell us where you found the flower, what caught your eye about this flower or an interesting incident relating to the flower you are submitting.

Tags:Flower Fest , Flower Fest Round Up , Round Up M