Home and Garden

Nature always fascinates me! Whatever time of the year, whether it is spring time, summer, autumn or winter season, I always see and appreciate the beauty of nature. I just can’t wait until the next spring time where I will see again the blooming flowers around especially in our garden. The leaves of the herbs and trees like apples, walnuts, cherries, berries will start to grow again and will soon bear fruits. I simply love it since we have some strawberries and a cherry tree in our garden. These fruits are full of multivitamins and they are always fresh since I can pick them up from our garden.

This snapshot was taken last summer 2010. We used to go walking this way especially during weekend. The hills and the valleys around, the trees and the wild flowers are simply refreshing.

The beauty of nature is simply amazing. Now that we still have winter season, I also enjoy watching the white surroundings around. I remember somebody asked me how I survive in this very called winter in Europe. I simply told him that I am already used to it and I love this season too since I am very fascinated with snow.

The beautiful winter season. This was taken sometime in February 2009 in our place. Winter is the coldest season of the year. This is the time when the nights are long and the days are shorter.

This winter season was the worst that I experience in Europe. It started so early this season. It was always snowing so hard especially last December 2010. That was also the reason why a lot of flights and trains were cancelled in Europe. Thousands of accidents also happened on the roads and motorways.

Although, I love winter, I can’t wait until the next spring and summer time come where I can experience another beauty of nature.

Begonia is one of the flowers that I love. Anyway, I love all flowers from wild ones to garden flowers. When I see any flower that blooms, it always fascinates me.

Begonia is a perennial flower that belongs to flowering plant family Begoniaceae. It is said that this genus name was given by Charles Plumier, a French patron of botany, in honor of Michel Bégon.

Because of their sometimes showy flowers of white, pink, scarlet or yellow color and often attractively marked leaves, many species and innumerable hybrids and cultivars are cultivated. With over 1,500 species, Begonia is one of the ten largest angiosperm genera.

beautiful Begonia taken in a garden center. The one we had last year was already gone due to winter. We don’t have a place for it inside our house. We will be buying again some this spring time.

Nature lovers who are traveling in Europe in 2011 will find garden and plant shows to visit all year long throughout Europe.

1) International Violet Meeting, Toulouse, France

Toulouse is known as the world capital of violets. The “pink city” is hosting the International Violet Meeting on February 5 and February 6. Botanists, scientists and violet growers from all over the world will come to the city to share their knowledge. People who have no professional connection to the world of violets will still get a lot from this show. There will be exhibitions and other attractions centered around flowers. Admission to the show is free. If you don’t want to stop there, you should pair the International Violet Meeting with a trip to Paris. Simply book a cheap hotel in Paris (central) and a sightseeing tour of Paris and you’ll feel like you’ve seen natural and man-made beauty in your visit to France.

2) Holland Flowers Festival, Zwaagdijk-Oost, The Netherlands

Flower lovers can see many more types of flowers if they travel to the Netherlands for the Holland Flower Festival from February 23 to February 27. The show’s venue will be filled with hundreds of kinds of tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, narcissi, irises and crocuses. Early bird tickets and group discounts are available for this show

3) Wicklow Gardens Festival, County Wicklow, Ireland

Travelers who want to see gardens in Ireland have a great opportunity to do so during the Wicklow Gardens Festival from April to September. The gardens that can be visited during the festival are not usually open to the public. Ireland’s Heritage Properties are also on display during the festival. Houses and gardens all over County Wicklow can be visited during the festival. Visitors can see Mount Usher Gardens in Ashford and then travel north to see the Powerscourt House and Gardens in Enniskerry. Travelers who go west from Enniskerry will come to Russborough House and its gardens.

4) Malvern Autumn Garden & Country Show, Malvern, Worcestershire, England

This show in September marks the end of the gardening year and the approach of autumn. Representatives from more than 100 nurseries will have displays here.

5) Floralies Internationales, Geneva, Switzerland

There are still garden and plant shows to visit in Europe as winter approaches. The Floralies Internationales from November 14 to November 23 is held inside the Palexpo Exhibition Centre. The temperatures outside will be between 30 and 40 degrees Fahrenheit but the floral arrangements by exhibitors from all over the world will make it seem like spring inside the Exhibition Centre.

Nature lovers will likely find a plant or garden show to visit in most European countries no matter what time of year they travel to Europe.

Autumn is a wonderful time of the year. You can see colourful surroundings everywhere in Europe and other continents that experience Fall season.

the wild grapes in our garden

colourful trees around!

Autumn is a wonderful time of the year. You can see colourful surroundings everywhere in Europe and other continents that experience Fall season.

the wild grapes in our garden

colourful trees around!

Eco friendly travel, also known as ecotourism, is becoming a popular way to see the world. Eco friendly travel allows those on holiday to not only see a beautiful part of the world but also do so in a way that is green and good for the environment. Here are two of the most fantastic places in Europe to spend an eco holiday!

1) COPENHAGEN, DENMARK

Denmark is Scandinavia’s smallest country but it is making a huge splash environmentally. Copenhagen has been dubbed as one of the most eco friendly cities in all of Europe. This place gets 9% of its electricity from wind power and as a whole around 60% of the country’s waste is recycled.

You will find that nearly all of Copenhagen is outlined by bike trails. There is almost nowhere to go that a bike can’t take you. There is estimated to be a bike for every one of Copenhagen’s 1.9 million citizens and there are a few thousand rental bikes for tourists. The bikes can easily be rented during the day and returned to any rack at night for a nominal fee.

While staying in Denmark you can spend your time at one of the many inexpensive bed and breakfasts, usually in the form of a small eco friendly company, which are often located on working farms. You can also spend your time camping in one of several national parks or preserves that dot the land.

2) THE CAMPING PODS OF GREAT LANGDALE, WASDALE AND LOW WRAY, ENGLAND

So you want to be close to nature without getting rained on while you sleep, right? Well the National Trust has made that quite the possibility with the introduction of eco friendly camping pods. These small wooden pods have practically no ecological footprint and have been placed along some of the most beautiful walking trails and scenic areas of the national trust. The average pod sleeps a small family of 2 adults and 1 children and newer family pods sleep up to 2 adults and 3 children.

These pods allow visitors to be closer to nature without having to put up a tent or worry about rain. They are a warm, safe way to enjoy nature from a very close perspective.

Photo by: Denmark, Alanwoo

Tourists can’t miss the wonder of the floral beauty when touring European countries. In the British Isles, there are fields of purple heather, the heady scent of lavender topped off each fall by golden flowers of gorse.

Travel eastward to Spain where the flower of the pomegranate is the official flower there. Spain’s national flower is the Andalusian red carnation, a symbol of love and romance. Blue bells, gazania, Valencia Rose and lantana are also native to this country.

The flowers of France fall into two categories, the national flower which is the French Emblem of the iris and the official flower, the lily.

Onward To Eastern Europe

The further eastward a tourist travels in Europe, the more climate affects the types of flowers native to Eastern European countries like Poland where crocuses, pink amarylis and Alanya bloom under Polish skies. As winter ends in Hungary, tiny white snowdrops poke their heads from under the blankets of snow.

Flowers of Middle Europe

No one who has ever witnessed the grand display of tulips in the Netherlands ever forgets the sight of thousands upon thousands of this country’s native flower in an array of colors that make the rainbow blush. The bright red poppy is the national flower of Belgium, but this is a country where azaleas, freesias and begonias are also considered part of the floral decor. Italy, the country of romance, crowns the rose its own national native flower.

Although Italians also love violets, the Pasque flower and white lilies. It may be amazing that 6,000 floral species grow in Greece. Among these are anemone or Grecian windflowers, narcissus, primroses and peonies. Dogwood flowers, also called the Judas tree thrives in abundance in Greece.

Further east in Switzerland native flowers include stock and flannel flowers which are similar to daisies. In Austria, eidelweiss, a tiny delicate white flower grows wild on the Alps and was made famous in song. Forget-me-nots can be found in Germany and create a lovely carpet of blue with tinges of gold at the rims of each floret.

Photo by: RB

Spanning an area of 612,021 square km, the Himalaya Mountain Range is home to an incredibly diverse ecology with flora and fauna that has survived in some of the harshest conditions. Walking the Himalayas, you may come across five of these stunning wild flowers which you’ll find growing along the mountain tracks and valleys:

CYANANTHUS INCANUS

This lovely flower is a member of the Bell flower family that grows in the Himalayas. This short plant stands no more than 10cm tall and has small leaves. Greek for “blue flowers ”, these flowers reveal the bright blue-violet petals that they were named for in August and September. The flowers are 2.5cm in diameter and are funnel or bell-shaped.

GENTIANA SINO-ORNATA

The Showy Chinese Gentian is found throughout the Himalayas. Low growing, the Sino-ornata forms a trailing mat of grass-like foliage over rocky soil with large upright trumpet shaped blossoms. Known for producing incredible shades of blue flowers in late summer and early fall, the Sino-ornata has also been used medicinally in teas and remedies.

PALASH TREE

The Palash, or Butea monosperma, is a flowering tree found in the lower altitudes of the Uttarakhand. It is said that the Palash tree is a form of Agnidev, the God of Fire. As punishment for disturbing Lord Shiva and herself, the goddess Parvati changed him into a tree. The Palash blossoms are about 2.5cm long, and are a vibrant red-orange. The blossoms are used to prepare a traditional colour powder for Holi, a spring festival.

BURAN

Burans, or rhododendron, also blooms in early spring along the valleys of the Uttarakhand. These hardy blossoms spread their colour at an altitude above 2,450m making a striking sight against the snow and blue sky panorama. Medicinally, the Buran is believed to have anti-inflammatory properties.

MARSH MARIGOLDS

Marsh Marigolds, or Caltha palustris, cover the Valley of Flowers. A “U” shaped valley formed by glaciers, the floor of the valley has become covered in flowers and plants that have learned to survive in the harsh conditions. The Marsh Marigold, a cousin to the buttercup, can grow up to 80cm with small yellow flowers 2-5cm in diameter. All parts of the plant are poisonous and excessive handling can cause contact dermatitis or skin rashes.

Photo by: Himalaya, Redlinx

1) Fauna and Flora

With the simple addition of adding fauna and flora to your garden, you can completely change the look of your garden into something spectacular. Going for a lush look? If you have a shady garden to begin with, adding some ferns or ornamental grasses is a wonderful way to beautify your garden. With just the right colors of flowers in full bloom you can have an eye catching array of flora. Keep in mind leaves of plants can always add a bit of zeal to a listless garden depending on type when flowers are not in bloom.

2) Sculpture

Adding a piece of sculpture here and there in your garden is a great way to accent a plain area into something more. Garden gnomes aside, there are many stone masons who craft beautiful and long lasting images, they can range from modern and contemporary garden ornament pieces to more traditional and Neo-classical designs of varying sizes.

3) Water Features

Water fountains, either simple or elaborate can bring lusciousness to your garden. In conjunction with fauna in a secluded part of garden you can have a peaceful area that is calming to look at. Even the simple feature of adding a bird bath can give many moments of enjoyment by watching birds flock to it to bathe.

4) Tiered gardens

Bringing levels to your garden adds a complexity and can draw the eye to many different focal points. Planter and gardening boxes can be hung or arranged strategically throughout and is perfect if you would like to have more mobility in designing the grounds.

5) Inspired Moments from Traveling

If you’re an avid traveler or had a grand experience visiting part of the world, why not have your garden reflect the sights of what you’ve seen? Perhaps bring a bit of a specific culture into your backyard as a means to remember fond moments in your travels? Gerniums reminiscent of Italy, a Buda from Asia, even if you haven’t traveled there, you can capture the feelings and images that are very familiar of that part of the world.

Photo by: RB

I threw some seeds of flowers in our garden last May. One of the seeds that is growing now are having pink flowers. Here is an image of this flower below. Any idea what is the name of this flower? Your information is greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance.