Hollyhock or Alcea: What an Enchanting Beauty!

Alcea or most commonly known as Hollyhocks are ornamental plants that grow as tall as 11 feet. You may notice that the flowers look like Hibiscus or Gumamela as it is called in Philippines, although its pistil is longer than Alcea. And you are right! Alcea flowers look like Hibiscus flowers because they belong to the same family, mallow family Malvaceae.

Most varieties are biennials - they grow foliage the first year, flower the second then die. Good thing though is that they seed every year and these seeds grow wherever they fall that easily. We just got a few seedlings and seeds yesterday, planted them and hope to see them grow come early winter and blossom early spring next year.

~ Inside these round, purse-like holder are hollyhock seeds (flat coin-shaped) that seem to grow wherever they fall ~

The flowers open from the bottom to the top of the spike throughout summer. No wonder they grow as tall as 11 feet! Interesting huh! They are best planted along the fences or places where they can get natural support. They need support! A giant flower plant like this need support huh...interesting indeed!

Color variations include dark purple, red, white, pink or peach and other color combination of any of these.

Hollyhocks are now one of my favorites! But I believe I like all flowers...hmmm!

Tiger Lily: A Beauty That Never Hides

One of the many species of Tiger Lily, this  is a two-colored one. Some are plain in colors, some are with dots on the petals which give them a very enchanting look and others are combination of both - dotted and tri-colored. I can't say most beautiful flower because all flowers are beautiful.

This photograph was taken at ITBP-Dehradun campus on 15 April 2013.

I think this is a red-white version of Lilium Oxypetalum. Wiki says that this variety is native to North-West Himalayas. Then I think it really is!

Canna Lily: In Big and Bold Yellow

Canna or Canna lily, although it's not  a true lily, comes in varied colors may it be red, peach, yellow, pink or a combination of two or more colors. They are perfect for your alley, along your fences, the edges of your ponds or corners of your garden or just right at your gate.

This is my first bloom a few weeks before winter last year. I uprooted them from ITBP hospital garden. Wondering what's the color gonna be, since nobody seems to notice their flowers, I planted them in five places around the free space we have here, which I already converted to flower garden -well, portion of it because some areas are very rocky and a little difficult to dig the soil. Although not everyone gave blooms this one yield pretty much. Another one more gave quite a number of blooms near our compound wall but monkeys just couldn't get their eyes off them so they didn't last long. This year I'm hoping to see some more flowers. I have uprooted and replanted some Cannas to different places to avoid overcrowding.

A few information about Canna Lily are:

• The name Canna originated from a Celtic word for crane or reed.
• For the best foliage color and greatest number of blooms your Canna should be planted in areas where they receive full sun.
• The rhizome of Cannas is rich in starch.
• The seeds are used as beads in jewelry.
• Smoke from the burning leaves is said to be insecticidal.

So if you decide to include this beautiful bloom in your garden, here's a quick link for you to guide you more about Cannas. Good luck!

Persian Cornflower: A Shade of Pink

Persian Cornflower looks like this while facing the upside basking under the sun. This picture was taken on the same day the blue one was taken. Although I only saw and captured two of its varied colors, the other day I saw one which is purple. I went inside the house to get my camera but when I went back to the garden the monkey already had it. Bad monkey - always has an eye on these blooms! Once it blooms again, it will be an entry here. Promise!

Persian Cornflower: A Blue Crown?

Persian Cornflower is also known as Whitewash Cornflower maybe because the underside of the leaves is covered in silver hairs.

It is native to Caucasus Mountains and north-east Turkey where it grows on mountain meadows and stony slopes. Persian Cornflowers attract butterflies and bees

Like Nasturtium and Gazania, Persian Cornflower also doesn't need much water so over-watering is extremely prohibited. And to avoid over seeding, removing the dying flowers is suggested then collect the seeds, if you like, for further propagation.

Gazania in White Dominance

According to readings, Gazanias are grown for the brilliant color of their flowerheads which appear in the late spring and are often in bloom throughout the summer into autumn. They prefer a sunny position and are tolerant of dryness and poor soils. They are indeed, drought-tolerant.

It's my first time to capture its beauty. I have never known its name before.

Gazanias are of different color combination of which I don't know which one is most common. One thing is sure, though, they are beautiful. I am planting it in our own yard. Hope to see it bloom this summer till autumn.

Nasturtium: Flower Plant That Prefers Poor Soil

On 27th March 2013, Holi day (festival of colors) in India, my husband and I decided to join the officers around here celebrating the festival of colors although we don't celebrate any festivities. Preferring to roam around we clicked hundreds of blooming flowers in early spring around the campus especially the ones near the Officers' Mess. Nasturtium is one of these blooms.
According to readings, Nasturtium is easy to grow. Its leaves and flowers are edible. It blooms well exposed to the sun and like the subtitle above, it prefers to grow in poorer soil. Do not over-water and cutting off withered or dead flowers prolongs blooming.
Nasturtium comes in different colors: orange, yellow (like above), and red.

Note: We were discussing about its name while taking a photograph of it. That day was the first time we encountered this flower up close although we have seen it from afar. When we got home my husband searched the internet for its name, for definitely it has a name. And gotcha, he did found it's name and its NASTURTIUM.

Tithonia Rotundifolia: A Sun-like Orange Flower

When I took this flower using a  Sony Digital Camera 2004 model, macro mode I really didn't know its name. For a while after taking so many photographs of blooms around here my husband started an operation: "search-that-flower-name" on the internet using various ways like typing "sun-like" flower, or "orange flower". Any descriptive words that might help finding the correct name for a particular bloom.

This one, I found its name myself, just a while ago before typing this caption because this was posted as a Nameless Beautiful Flower at first. Using my husband's technique I was able to find its name. The power of internet, the interest of the unknown people out there who posted similar threads and the persistence to know did all the magic. 

Tithonia Rotundifolia, or Tithonia, since its easier to remember this way, comes in different colors like red, orange or yellow. 
Now I know its name and from now on I will never forget it.

Brahma Kamal

Uttarakhand's state flower...a cabbage like flowering plant. This photo was taken among the rocky hills and mountains on the way to Hemkund Sahib.

Lantana: Aromatic Flower Clusters of Two- or Three-Colors

Lantana is a genus of about 150 species of perennial flowering plants that are native to tropical regions of Americas and Africa although they've been introduces to various areas including Asia. As a matter of fact they are in abundance around here in Uttarakhand, India and in and around the hills of the Himalayas.

Lantana's umbels (flower clusters) are a mix of red, yellow, orange, pink, blue and white florets. According to readings, the flowers typically change as they mature which, as you can see, become a combination of tow- or three-colored flower cluster.

I have come across this flower through the film of its name, Lantana. Then we don't know what exactly the word is although my husband had the idea that it's a flower based on the name so before watching the movie we looked up on the internet and voila! we found out that it is, indeed, a flower - a colorful and beautiful flower.

Purple Dahlia



Finally I am able to make out the name of this flower. I mistook it for zinnia but through its leaves it's obvious that this flower belongs to dahlia family.

This photograph was taken in April at Ramakrishna Mission Sevashram in Kankhal, Haridwar where my husband worked for 3 months.

And as we moved along, places to places, I am certain that there are a lot of things in store for us to be shared to you, guys.

Keep visiting!