Home and Garden

This flower was named after the German botanist Traugott Gerber. When I was still young our neighbor had these flowers and we call it daisy. Gerbera is also commonly known as African Daisy, Transvaal Daisy, and Barberton Daisy.

Gerbera is very popular and widely used as a decorative garden plant or as cut flowers. The domesticated cultivars are mostly a result of a cross between Gerbera jamesonii and another South African species Gerbera viridifolia. The cross is known as Gerbera hybrida. Thousands of cultivars exist. They vary greatly in shape and size. Colours include white, yellow, orange, red, and pink. The centre of the flower is sometimes black. Often the same flower can have petals of several different colours.

Sprawled across England are some of the world’s most spectacular designer gardens. From the centuries old to the modern to the otherworldly, these gardens are guaranteed to thrill seasoned gardeners to the average traveler alike.

If you are planning to visit Europe especially England, don’t miss the chance to go to any of these gardens.

LEVENS HALL

Levens Hall has the finest, and oldest, topiary in England. This award-winning garden has winding paths which are flanked by yew, box hedges, and flowers such as tulips. The trees are all cut into fantastic, painstakingly maintained shapes. On the estate are also an ornamental vegetable garden, a tea shop, a historic house open for viewing and worth a visit on its own, and a park dating back to medieval days that is home to black deer and a rare breed of horned goat. While the topiary garden is formal and clean cut, the park is undeniably about the beauty of pure nature and provides a pleasant contrast.

THE LOST GARDENS OF HELIGAN

Decades old and sadly forgotten after the Second World War, it was only in the last part of the 20th century that Heligan made its revival into the sprawling botanical gardens there today. Its 200 acres are divided into four parts; The Northern Gardens, the Jungle, the Wilder Estate, and Horsemoor Hide & Wildlife Project.

The Northern Gardens are the original gardens restored to their former glory and contain fruit, historic flowers, garden accessories, and a grotto hidden amongst the ferns. The Jungle section follows a raised boardwalk among ponds and tropical plants. Hidden in Wilder Estate are flocks of horn sheep, tranquil lakes, and sculptures hidden in the plant life. There is also a restaurant on the estate, meaning the Lost Gardens of Heligan is easily made into a day-long excursion.

SISSINGHURST CASTLE GARDEN

Well loved in the UK is Sissinghurst Castle Garden. Watched over by the National Trust, the garden is divided into enclosed sections or “rooms”. The famous White room has all white flowers year round and in the distance you can see Sissinghurst Tower. Other areas include a rose, cottage, and herb garden in addition to the Orchard, the Lime Walk, and the Nuttery. Wandering through each cosy, enclosed room is a romantic, intimate experience.

This list was gathered by the book experts from Lovereading.co.uk.

As I went to our garden to breath some fresh air this morning, I heard some sounds. I was trying to look around where it came from. I was even afraid because I heard a loud sound from bees. There, they go! I saw them sipping the flowers from the wild grape vines.

The cosmos flower below has also a visitor who is trying to sip the minerals in its flower. Hopefully next month, I can see again the blooms from the cosmos flowers in our garden.

This was taken from our garden last summer 2010.

Cosmos is a genus, with the same common name of Cosmos, of about 20–26 species of annual and perennial plants in the family Asteraceae. Cosmos are herbaceous perennial plants growing 0.3–2 m tall. The leaves are simple, pinnate, or bipinnate, and arranged in opposite pairs. The flowers are produced in a capitulum with a ring of broad ray florets and a center of disc florets; flower color is very variable between the different species. The genus includes several ornamental plants popular in gardens.

I love walking around in our little town in Bavaria, Germany. Here you can find the beauty of nature like hills, valleys, mountains and the wild beautiful flowers around. I am just curious about the native flowers in this country. Thanks to the Garden experts from Love Reading for compiling this.

1) Matricaria recutita

Also called the German Chamomile, this flower is distinguished by its large yellow center which protrudes from the stem, pointing the flowers white petals downward. Blooming in the early stages of summer, this flower has an aromatic fragrance and has been used in many herbal remedies similar to other types of chamomile. Open soil is required for the flowers seeds to live.

2) Centaurea cyanus

This is the national flower of Germany and is commonly known as the cornflower or the knapweed. The top part of the plant has tons of stems that produce many flowers. The flowers are striking because of their vivid azure color. It is the national flower thanks to the tale of Queen Louise of Prussia, who fled Berlin pursued by Napoleon’s forces. The tale has her hiding her children in a field of cornflowers and keeping them quiet by weaving them wreaths made from the flowers.

3) Anchusa officinalis

Commonly called the common alkanet or the common bugloss, it can grow as an annual that re-seeds itself or as a biennial flower. The flowers are small, radial and symmetrical with 5 sapphire blue colored petals and a white or yellow center.

4) Cynoglossum officinale

More commonly known as the gypsy flower or hound’s tongue, these flowers are about a third of an inch across and feature five petals fused at the base. The colors of the flowers can range from a dull red to purple resembling the look of faded jeans. The name hound’s tongue comes from the belief that it could ward off attacks by hounds if a leaf were to be worn in one’s shoe. It has also been called rats and mice due to its smell.

5) Myosotis Sylvatica

Better known to most folks as “forget me nots”, myosotis sylvatica are herbaceous perennials, but can be biennials depending on growing conditions. A smaller, bushier plant, the flowers of this plant bloom in bunches of beautiful, sky-blue colored petals with yellowish edges. They are easily cared for and grow in rich, most soil in shade. “Forget me nots” can also have their beds reseeded which results in thicker, denser flower growths in later years.

I am currently busy in our garden. I have not put all our garden accessories yet due to a little construction in our garden. If the terrace in our garden is done, I would love to have a lifestyle swing seat in there. I can imagine myself relaxing or swinging on it especially during summer season. Ahh..there are just a lot of things to do in summer time like this.

One of my favorite flowers in our garden are currently blooming now. Thanks to the rain for the past days until today. It makes the plants and the flowers happy. The farmers in our area might be smiling at the moment. They finally have the rain that they are asking for their fields. The only person that is not happy is hubby because he cannot work outside for our garage and terrace.

The lilies you see below are only some of the flowers that I planted in our garden. I am happy seeing them blooming right now.

Lilium is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs. Most species are native to the temperate northern hemisphere. They comprise a genus of about 110 species in the lily family (Liliaceae).

If you have a green thumb, gardening can be a good profession anywhere in the world. Gardeners work at places where lawns, gardens, and trees need professional care. Depending on the country and season, gardeners and groundskeepers are responsible for garden furniture care, preserving the condition of the soil, and planting, watering, and pruning flowers, shrubs and trees. Often, gardeners are called upon for their creative flair, whether it’s adding garden accessories, decorative garden lighting fixtures, or simply designing a new layout which increases its visual appeal.

tulips from our garden last spring 2011

Many community residents are frustrated in trying to keep their lawns in good condition due to health issues or difficulties relating to age. After obtaining a relevant work visa (if applicable) start with offering your services to senior citizens in and people who are getting ready to go on vacation. Also, check with local lawn services. Once you have built a good reputation and a small clientele, offer your services to businesses and institutions that have gardens around their buildings, such as:

1) Housing Developments

Depending on the economic growth of the country you live in, housing developments that exist often employ gardeners to and maintenance of grass, trees, shrubs, plants, and flowers.

2) Resorts and Hotels

In any country you go to, there are always resorts and hotels. These establishments usually have massive grounds which employ gardeners and landscapers to maintain the appearance, health, and condition of grass, flowers and trees.

3) Apartment Complexes

Villas and apartments hire gardeners and groundskeepers to provide care for grass, trees, shrubs, plants, and flowers.

4) Schools and Colleges

Again, there Schools and colleges use gardeners to cut, fertilize and water their lawns.

5) Churches, Temples, Mosques, Monuments and Cemeteries

These places hire gardeners to take care of lawns and gardens. Often they can involve landscaping and manicuring gardens and flower displays and arrangements.

If you enjoy the outdoors, you can easily turn a gardening hobby into a profession. It is easy to start a gardening business, whether you want to work full-time or just a few hours a week.

If you love flowers just like me, for sure you also love visiting flower markets. Here are some of the most interesting flower markets to visit in Europe.

1) Columbia Road Flower Market in London

Columbia Road is a world famous flower market in London. It is open just one day a week, on Sunday mornings and early afternoons. The narrow Victorian street becomes a bustling market of traders, with the shops selling homewares, garden candles and unique, quirky handmade welcome mats. Visitors will want to meander from cart to cart and seek the best deals, before deciding upon final purchases. Be sure to bring a camera along, to capture the dazzling beauty of the fresh flowers that line the street.

flowers from our garden.

2) Flower Market on the Seine in Paris

The oldest flower market in Paris is located in the shadow of Notre Dame and Saint Chappelle, the famous stained glass chapel. The market lines both sides of the narrow street, and offers a profuse selection of cut flowers, greenery, and potted plants. The ornamental plants hang from baskets and are a blaze of colors and textured foliage. There is no lack of flowers and plant material that can be used to enhance a patio, balcony, or side garden. Cut flowers can be taken back to a place of lodging and enjoyed for the duration of the stay in Paris.

3) Neuenheimer Marketplatz in Heidelberg, Germany

This flower market is nestled in Neuenheim, just across the river from Heidelberg. The market is only open twice a week, on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Visitors will want to be at the market soon after it opens at 7 a.m., to get the best selection of flowers. Cameras and picture taking is encouraged, as growers display their wares with beaming pride.

tulips and daffodils

4) The Floating Flower Market in Amsterdam

Amsterdam is home to the only floating flower market in the world! It ranks amongst the top must see markets in all of Europe. The floating flower market is located on the Singel Canal and stalls are located in houseboats along the canal. Known for the wide variety of bulbs, the floating market offers tulips and a plethora of other bulbs. The market ships all over the world, allowing visitors to enjoy the beauty all year round.

Our backyard also looks like a flower market. My friend who visited us last month told me that our garden is like a flower shop because you can see a lot of flowers around, flower pots and garden decors are scattered everywhere. I am glad that the single garden door we ordered last time was already delivered last Tuesday. I am hoping for our garden terrace to be finished soon.

This is my birth flower. That is also the reason I bought some last year for our garden. I am glad to know that they are back again in our yard. Poppy are flowering plants which belongs to poppy family. There are a lot of kinds of poppy flowers. I will see what are exactly the ones in our garden.

a kind of poppy flower.

Begonia is the common name and the generic name of all genus that belongs to flowering plant family Begoniaceae. It is a perennial plant which means that it can live for over two years. But with the very cold winter in Germany, all the begonias in our garden were gone last time. That was the reason why I did not bought some last year.

a beautiful yellow Begonia. I took this image in a garden center.

If you want to experience beautiful nature like never before then you might want to shy away from a timeshare vacation. Timeshare vacations are usually packed full of luxurious amenities and can potentially leave you with nothing but manmade structures to enjoy. So if you are interested in the beauty of nature and other organic scenery you will probably not enjoy your timeshare too much.

Especially if you happen to have purchased a timeshare and are now an owner of a timeshare unit. While timeshare ownership makes perfect sense for some people, it is not the best vacation option for everyone. For those who have no problem accommodating the financial costs of ownership, a timeshare can mean absolute paradise. But if you are not prepared for fee increases and unpredictable special assessments then ownership may not work out so well for you. And with the current economic state you will most likely be unable to easily sell timeshare weeks.

The beautiful beach of Menton in France during my latest vacation. It is such a beauty of nature! I love this place.

And if you are already stuck in a timeshare that you want to get out of then you should see what a timeshare relief company can do for you. Services like those found at Transfer America can provide timeshare exit solutions with a written guarantee so that you can rest easy knowing you are no longer responsible for your financial timeshare obligations. If you need to cancel your timeshare contract then you need to give Transfer America a call today.