What kind of flower is this?
Darby Wiggins
interested in knowing what they are. I think they are a perennial as
George Mason University is too cheap to buy annuals or to keep up with
the care of them. Its about 2 feet tall and the top 3 maybe 4" of it is
covered with delicate small white flowers that are bell shaped. The
individual flowers are rather deep and then the tips fold outward. They
have a slightly yellow center. Currently, they smell similar to
gardenias. They're in bloom now and are just wonderful! Most are white
but I did see some that were a creamy brown color....almos the color of
butternut squash on the outside.
Any ideas what this is? I think its fairly popular as again, my work
would not go out of its way to get some rare flower, or one that did not
need a lot of care.
Cheers
Darby
Cereoid+10+
traditional perennials are planted.
Although you did not describe the foliage or whether the flowers are six
parted, I would suspect you are alluding to "Lilly of the Valley"
(Convallaria majalis), a sentimental favorite. They were probably planted
there long before you were born.
http://homepages.ihug.co.nz/~rossruth/Convallaria%20majalis.jpg
http://www.dutchbulbs.com/cat/S2002/images/74161.jpg
Darby Wiggins <dwig...@gmu.edu> wrote in message
news:3E8DC85C...@gmu.edu...
gregpresley
the plants as being about 2 feet tall.
"Cereoid+10+" <cer...@prodigy.net> wrote in message
news:lRlja.452$_73...@newssvr19.news.prodigy.com...
Cereoid+10+
I really don't believe she actually took any precise measurements, if you
know what I mean.
It would be nice if she actually described the plant after looking at it up
close.
I have seen "Lilly of the Valley" planted on college campuses before.
Hyacinths would seem far less likely.
gregpresley <gpre...@iea.com> wrote in message
news:b6lnbo$6n9vi$1...@ID-153412.news.dfncis.de...
Frogleg
wrote:
>Lets wait until she replies before making any more rash decisons.
>
>I really don't believe she actually took any precise measurements, if you
>know what I mean.
>
>It would be nice if she actually described the plant after looking at it up
>close.
>
>I have seen "Lilly of the Valley" planted on college campuses before.
>
>Hyacinths would seem far less likely.
>
>
>gregpresley <gpre...@iea.com> wrote in message
>news:b6lnbo$6n9vi$1...@ID-153412.news.dfncis.de...
>> I'm not sure this is what she was referring to, Cereoid, since she
>describes
>> the plants as being about 2 feet tall.
The difference between an unmeasured two feet (with white and creamy
brown blossoms) and an actual height of 8" with white flowers seems
too great a distinction to attribute to careless observation. "Covered
with delicate white flowers" also doesn't sound like LotV, which can
be easily described and identified. In addition, LotV are not in bloom
now (150mi S. of George Mason U.)
I would suggest calling the college and asking to be put in touch with
the landscaping department.
Cereoid+10+
> the landscaping department.
Why don't you do that?
Let us know what you hear from the landscape department. Is that in the same
building as horticulture? You think George Mason University is heavy into
gardening? LOL
Frogleg <nob...@nevermind.com> wrote in message
news:3e8ecb9...@news.earthlink.net...
Frogleg
wrote:
>Frogleg <nob...@nevermind.com> wrote
>> the landscaping department.
>
>Why don't you do that?
>
>Let us know what you hear from the landscape department. Is that in the same
>building as horticulture? You think George Mason University is heavy into
>gardening? LOL
Why should I call George Mason U.? The OP is in the area -- let
him/her do it. I'm sure there are people paid to both plant things and
keep landscaping in trim. I very much doubt they are phoneless. If
there is any kind of switchboard maintained by Real People, it should
be possible to contact *someone* associated with campus maintainence.
In fact, if they have an academic (as opposed to practical) botany or
horticulture department, it might be interesting to send a few
students out on a campus plant ID field trip.
Cereoid+10+
that you don't have a clue what you are babbling about.
If you are that interested in finding out, you call them.
If you want to prove me wrong, then you make the effort.
If you aren't willing to put your money where your mouth is, you may as well
just sit down and shut up.
People who freely tell others to do what they won't do themselves are not
worth listening to.
Frogleg <nob...@nevermind.com> wrote in message
news:3e904587...@news.earthlink.net...
Frogleg
wrote:
>Do a google search for George Mason University and find out for yourself
>that you don't have a clue what you are babbling about.
>
>If you are that interested in finding out, you call them.
I don't understand your wrath. The OP said he/she was walking by
George Mason U. and saw flowers he/she'd like identified. I suggested
calling the university and getting in touch with their groundskeeping
staff. *I* don't need to have the flower identified -- I was simply
offering a suggestion that seemed quite reasonable to me. If the
poster is in the area, it doesn't seem outrageous to suggest a phone
call.
>
>If you want to prove me wrong, then you make the effort.
Oh, you're mad because I said Lily of the Valley isn't 2' tall..
http://www.wiseacre-gardens.com/plants/perennial/lilyvalley.html
http://www.veseys.com/store.cfm?cat=45
http://www.whiteflowerfarm.com/search.asp?keyword=lily+of+the+valley
http://www.magdalin.com/herbal/plants_pages/l/lily_o_t_valy.htm
http://www.theplantexpert.com/springbulbs/LilyoftheValley.html
(And I've got 'em growing and spreading all over my garden.)
>
>If you aren't willing to put your money where your mouth is, you may as well
>just sit down and shut up.
Why be so rude? I didn't say I knew what the flower was, only that it
wasn't Lily of the Valley. I disagreed with you -- is *that* the
crime?
>
>People who freely tell others to do what they won't do themselves are not
>worth listening to.
I am more than willing to accept ideas, information, sources, and
URLs that other people are kind enough to suggest. You, for example,
have provided a great deal of information which I've regarded as
informed and reliable. And have said so more than once.
Darby Wiggins
not familiar with some "gardening" terms, so bare with me.
The reason why I don't think its a particularly rare plant and assumed
(perhaps incorrectly) that it was a perennial is that my employer is not known
for being particularly interested in spending any amount of time dealing with
landscaping. I can't image that they would spend the time or money to purchase
flowers every year and plant them. They have a hard enough time keeping the
grass mowed and fairly fresh mulch down. So, I concluded that they would be
more apt to plant a bulb once and walk away without any intention of "helping"
it along.
By looking at the pictures, It does not look like it is Lily of the Valley,
but is somewhat similar. I didn't take measurements. Let me re-adjust my
estimate on the height from the ground to the very top at approx. 12-14
inches. (yeah, its a far cry from 2 feet. not great with evaluating these
kinds of things). The stem appears to be fairly thick, maybe 1/4 -1/2 " in
diameter( a bit wider than a thick asparagus)
The top 1/3 is covered with individual flowers, similar to the picture of the
LoTV. But the flowers are bigger. Each flower seems to have a small stem of
its own that comes off the main stem. I'd say its maybe 1/4 -1/2 inch in
length..longer the farther down the main stem you are and shorter as you reach
the top. The small stems grow upward and then the flower comes out of it.
The flowers are delicate looking, but are fairly sturdy when handling them.
They have a waxy feel to them. The base of the flower is in the shape of a
bell. Now, imagine a bell turned upside down. What was the top of the bell, is
now the base of the flower and is attached to a small stem. Instead of the
bell only slightly narrowing and then stopping, the round bell portion stays
the same but then as it narrows it also elongates and the "lip" of the bell
actually comes close to closing. But it doesn't The flowers have approx. five
"tips" (I can't think of a better word) that fold outward in a curl backward
underneath. (Imagine you have say, a cupcake liner and you cut the sides
halfway down, perpendicular to the base, then fold the edges outward allowing
for a curl in the folds. This is what the tips do) The center of the flower
has a slight yellow look to it.
The bloom is approx. 1/2" in height and when the "tips" are folded outward,
its maybe 1/4" a bit more in diameter, BUT this is the widest part of the
bloom. The bell portion of the base is no more than 1/8" in diameter.
The blooms are fairly evenly spaced along the main stem and since the width of
the flower is greater at its top then base, it often appears that there are
more blooms on the plant then there actually is. That extra width at the top
of the bloom adds to the appearance of a fairly densely group of blooms, but
its only an allusion.
In the picture, the blooms were too small and spaced too far apart. They also
lacked the roundness at the base of the "bell" that this plant has, but the
picture does show the elongation of the bloom but not the folding back of the
tips and their curling under.
Most of the blooms were white, though I did see a few on other plants that
were a brownish color....(not spoiled) but more of the color of butternut
squash.
If someone could provide a link to some good pictures, I might be able to find
the plant, but I've looked and can't find any that resemble this.
Please feel free to ask questions if I didn't make things clear. And we don't
have a horticulture dept. and calling landscaping would be pointless....they
have even less of an idea about plants than I do.
Darby
Tyra Trevellyn
It could be something in the squill (Scilla) genus, or perhaps Hyacinthoides
hispanica (Spanish bluebells, wood hyacinth), formerly part of that genus.....I
believe the designation was changed a while back. These normally bloom later
in spring, however, but it's worth a look at the photo link below, or do a
search for lots more photos and info. (These bulbs can produce white, pink,
or blue blooms, depending on variety.) See if this is close to what you're
seeing.
http://www.twofrog.com/scillacamp.html
Best,
Tyra
nNJ usa
Darby Wiggins
in the link, they remain upstanding. Also, the flowers in the picture are too
narrow at their base. They need to be fuller and rounder....but the length is
correct and so are the "tips" that fold outward
I'll keep looking.
Darby
Cereoid+10+
parted.
The more info we get, the less clear a picture we get of the plant.
Now we know the original info we got was completely wrong and this modified
version isn't much better. Are the flowers bell shaped or aren't they?
Darby should be the one to provide a picture of her plant not us.
Tyra Trevellyn <tyra...@aol.comnoway> wrote in message
news:20030407141728...@mb-fp.aol.com...
Darby Wiggins
talking about, but I can't be sure without seeing more.
http://www.mechellesflowersbymail.com/internet_flowers.htm
Can anyone direct me to more info?
Darby
Darby Wiggins
hence the reason I am seeking advise.
Second, I'm not trying to be difficult, I just do not know a whole lot about
plants and proper terms to use ect. I'm slowly learning and do apologize for
not being more clear on the description, but I don't know how to describe them
better. If your interested in helping educate me, great. If not, Fine. If you
want a pissing match, I'm not interested.
In my opinion, they are bell shaped but the are slightly elongated. They look an
awful lot like the link I posted recently. Unfortunately, It did not have the
name of the flower so I could not further research it.
I'm looking for sites on the web that show pictures of flowers along with their
names and I can't find any that seem to do the trick. I've tired using google
and typing in flower types, flower descriptions, flower species, ect.
Any suggestions on a comprehensive site that has pictures. I don't have a photo
or access to a scanner.
Darby
Tyra Trevellyn
>
>If you click on this link, the purple flowers on the left look like the
>one I am
>talking about, but I can't be sure without seeing more.
>
> http://www.mechellesflowersbymail.com/internet_flowers.htm
>
>Can anyone direct me to more info?
>Darby
>
Darby,
It's kinda fuzzy but looks like the common garden hyacinth, which would be in
bloom right now in northern Virginia. Do a search for Hyacinthus orientalis or
Dutch hyacinth, or simply hyacinth.....you'll find many links with photos.
Best,
Tyra
nNJ usa
Darby Wiggins
it. Thanks...I knew it had to be a common plant.
Thank you so much. I plan to purchase many bulbs this fall. Oh, they are so pretty.
Thanks Tyra!
Now, how to you pronounce it Hi-a-sin-th?
http://www.mobot.org/gardeninghelp/plantfinder/codea/A458.shtml
Darby Wiggins
Question, how long will they stay in bloom? the site doesn't say much about it
other than to remove spent blooms. Will doing that promote new bloom growth or just
give it some "rest"
Darby
Tyra Trevellyn
It's hard to predict how long the blooms will last. Much is dependent on
weather conditions, but it's still just a very few weeks. Watch how they do in
the campus plantings and you'll get a good idea of what you can expect in your
garden if you give them similar growing conditions. There's not much you can
do to extend the bloom period.....just make sure they've got enough moisture so
they can give it their best shot. There's no point in deadheading individual
blooms (unless you want to go bonkers!). When the bloom spike is spent, cut it
right down and allow the foliage to ripen in order to provide nourishment and
strength for the following year's bloom.
And yes, it's pronounced "HY-uh-sinth." And the flowers have a very strong,
distinctive, and (if you like it) delicious scent. They're available in many
shades of pink, blue, and white. I believe there's at least one soft yellow
variety, which I've used for forcing indoors.
Best,
Tyra
nNJ usa with about 6 inches of new snow........
Frogleg
wrote:
>First, I agree I should be the one to post a picture, but that is not an option,
>hence the reason I am seeking advise.
>
>Second, I'm not trying to be difficult, I just do not know a whole lot about
>plants and proper terms to use ect. I'm slowly learning and do apologize for
>not being more clear on the description, but I don't know how to describe them
>better. If your interested in helping educate me, great. If not, Fine. If you
>want a pissing match, I'm not interested.
It's hard to tell when a "discussion" is going to turn into one. :-)
Have you tried this site?
Frogleg
http://www.colby.edu/info.tech/BI211/PlantFamilyID.html
I looked at this site too briefly. It probably won't help you, but
it's interesting. :-)
Frogleg
wrote:
>First, I agree I should be the one to post a picture, but that is not an option,
>hence the reason I am seeking advise.
This looks promising.
Cereoid+10+
are tubular with recurved lobes and not at all bell-shaped and the flower
stems never reach two feet in length. Other than that your description fits
perfectly. Narf. Its difficult to imagine you could not recognize sometime
as commonplace as a Hyacinth nor could you find a picture of it. You should
have asked around campus and most people would have told you what it is.
Darby Wiggins <dwig...@gmu.edu> wrote in message
news:3E91E33B...@gmu.edu...
Darby Wiggins
much attention to them, its not surprising to me that I was not able to make the
connection between the importance of knowing if the flower was five or six
parted or is tubular ect. and I've always had tremendous difficulty estimating
time, distance, height ect. As far as it being commonplace, I'm new to flowers
and only recently began to pay any attention to them. I asked folks on campus
and they had a blank look in their eyes as if to say "how the hell would I
know?". Perhaps as time goes by and I become more versed in flower types and all
that goes into gardening, I will better be able to identify flowers.
But everyone should remember, when you find a passion, as you all have, you tend
to become so involved with it that at times it can be hard to believe that an
"outsider" doesn't know the basics like you do. I'm like that with figure
skating. Trying to explain a jump or spin to an average joe who only flips
through the channels and maybe stops on skating for a moment drives me crazy! I
wonder, "how can you not know what a scratch spin is?" <G>
Thanks for all of your help. I plan to be planing MANY of these beauties this
fall.
Darby
ande
things. So she didn't word it just right to your specifications. Give her
a break!
"Cereoid+10+" <cer...@prodigy.net> wrote in message
news:kdkka.403$zB6.36...@newssvr15.news.prodigy.com...
Darby Wiggins
I am new at this and freely own up to my sever limitations when it comes to
these things. However, I do take pride in my willingness own up to my
shortcomings and willingness to overcome them. Nice to know that we have some
folks here who are willing to assist me in the learning process! :)
I'll let you all know how my summer flower garden comes out and how bulb
planting goes in the fall! I'm awful excited at the opportunities to "play"
around with types of flowers and such. Perhaps I'll get into planing veggie
gardens....but I have such a small space, I don't think it would work.
Darby
Cereoid+10+
Not knowing the difference between five and six is not a simply a matter of
wording it right.
What she described is nothing like the flower of a hyacinth.
The problem is with observation and describing what is actually being seen
not just in wording it right. Most people are very poor observers and very
bad eye witnesses because they tend to see what they want to see and not
what is actually there.
Simply posting a picture would have saved a lot of time and pointless grief.
A google image search for "flower bulb" would have quickly produced a
picture of something as commonplace as the Hyacinth. I have no idea which
arcane key words she was using that made the search so difficult.
ande <and...@nospam.salisbury.net> wrote in message
news:3e932296$1...@vienna7.his.com...
ande
you will learn and pick up on things. Feel free to ask any questions you
may have. You can email me if you like (ask me for correct address). If
you are interested in veggies, you can grow them in small spaces, even
containers! Just remember when others tend to forget...We all started at
the beginning at some time or another.
"Darby Wiggins" <dwig...@gmu.edu> wrote in message
news:3E9325B4...@gmu.edu...
ande
make them wrong or ignorant. We are all different but created equal. Don't
give someone a hard time for not knowing and trying to learn. The crime
would be in not knowing and just assuming.
> A google image search for "flower bulb" would have quickly produced a
> picture of something as commonplace as the Hyacinth. I have no idea which
> arcane key words she was using that made the search so difficult.
What makes you think that she knew it was a bulb to start with?
"Cereoid+10+" <cer...@prodigy.net> wrote in message
news:xqGka.854$2%.577@newssvr16.news.prodigy.com...
Cereoid+10+
You're not very good at it.
You sure do assume a lot too!
We are all supposed to be considered equal in the eyes of the law, not in
the real world, and that only applies to the legal system in the US. Of
course most minorities would debate whether that is true based on their
personal experience. They don't live in a plastic bubble like you do.
ande <and...@nospam.salisbury.net> wrote in message
news:3e933...@vienna7.his.com...
Darby Wiggins
wish all your plants to die on you...Opps, did I just say that???
Darby