Tag: Floral Friday Fotos

Phriday Phlowers – Torenia/Wishbone Flower

On By TimelessladyIn Phriday Phlowers4 Comments

Torenia are one of my favorite flowers to grow in the summertime. They are low-growing and perfect for the front of a border or in pots. They don’t appreciate constant sunlight but are a good choice for half-sun, half-shade areas. Torenia flowers come in many varieties and colors, but the common thread for each flower is the wishbone inside. One of my favorite uses for Tornenia is flower pressing, and they are a staple in many of my pressed flower design cards.

Torenia holds onto its vibrant color for years when pressed. You can see the wishbone in a few of the flowers above. I use porous paper for pressing. This was an old, discarded college catalog I bought for 25 cents at the local library.

A few more examples of the color of Torenia available in many garden nurseries.

Will I ever change my mind about growing a few Torenia flowers every summer? Never!

Adding this post to Floral Friday Fotos link-up.

Phlowers – Rose of Sharon Topiary

On By TimelessladyIn Phlowers21 Comments

Years ago, a blogging friend sent me seeds from her Rose of Sharon. I nurtured one sprout for years and now it stands in our backyard garden border as a Rose of Sharon topiary.

Growing bushes that normally sprawl in many directions as a topiary saves the garden bed beneath the branches for annuals and perennials. In the vicinity of the Rose of Sharon grow vinca, violets, iris, gladiolus, and two Knockout rose bushes; all have enough room and sunlight to thrive.

The color of the flowers is a lovely lavender accented with a band of red in the inner recesses of the petals. The stamen is interesting, and I have seen bees and hummingbirds dip into the center. One of the pests that can attack these flowers is Japanese beetles, but so far this year, the beetles have not appeared.

I love the way the petals glow when the sunlight illuminates them from above. I used this flower as my blog’s August header. Today’s photographs are part of Skywatch Friday and Floral Friday Fotos.

PS Another wonderful aspect of this plant is its ability to self-seed. On either side of the tree, and a bit further down the border, I have identified seedlings that are a year or two old and growing well. When it is time, I will bring them to topiary size too in the coming years.

Phlowers – Final Bow and Wow

On By TimelessladyIn PhlowersLeave a comment

These beautiful petals, and spring-like fragrance they emitted in their final days, were a pleasant surprise this week. They began their display in my home, a bit disappointing being a little shorter than expected. They finished off their flowering with a bang, wowing me with streaks of pinkish red and wide open bloom. The flowers above are yellow tulips.

When I look at the unfurled petals my first impulse is to grab my watercolors and brushes. Perhaps I will do just that this week if I find the time. The tulips are bordered by spider plantlets rooting in green glass. The chartreuse leaves behind the flowers are a newly acquired philodendron called, ‘Golden Goddess.’

The tulips are part of Cee’s Flower of the Day, Floral Friday, and Floral Fotos.