Thursday, January 28, 2016

MY FAVOURITE GARDEN FLOWERS

I suppose when it comes to "V" we could say the V stands for VERY beautiful because nearly all flowers are just that.

To my mind immediately came violets, violas, veronica and verbena.

VIOLAS to me are like miniature pansies with their happy little faces.  It is a genus of flowering plant and grown in gardens for their ornamental flowers.  In horticulture the term "Pansy" is normally used for the multi-coloured, large-flowered cultivars which are raised annually or biannually from seed and used extensively for bedding.  The term "viola" is normally reserved for the small-flowered annuals or perennials.


Violets (viola) are a genus of spring flowering plants in the family Violaceae.  There are around 400-500 species of violets and they are native northern hemisphere and are also distributed in Hawaii, Australasia and the Andes in South America.  (There is a very miniature viola or violet that came in a pot from my mother's place pre-1985 and each year it will be found growing in various pots in the garden.  As the hot weather comes on it dies off completely but year after year it appears again.  A lovely reminder of my mum).


Verbena is a genus in the family Verbenaceae which contains about 250 species of annual and perennial herbaceous or semi-woody flowering plants.  The majority of the species are native to the Americas and Europe.  They come in many delightful colours.


Veronica is a genus in the foxglove family and contains 250 species of annuals and perennials, which are most diverse in the northern temperate zones, with fewer species in tropical mountains and southern Australia.  They have a spreading or creeping habit and their leaves tend to be small, oval to lance-shaped.  A few species have solitary flowers but more often upright spikes bearing many flowers develop in spring and summer.


I have grown violas and violets but never verbena or veronica but I am sure many people have.  What a pity, with our water restrictions, very few bedding plants are now seen in the gardens in Perth suburbs.

Valerian and viburnum are two plants I've heard of but know very little about and then I went and forgot VINCA.  I believe they are also known as periwinkle and we do have a creeper growing in one of our garden beds which has blue flowers and which Phil always calls periwinkle.


The vinca I used to grow was a small bush with mainly light to dark pink flowers.  It would seed down each year and then disappear completely.  I tried growing some of the modern vincas but never had any success with them.  They didn't seem nearly as hardy as those of old.


I was amazed to find so many flowers beginning with the letter V.  Which is your favourite and do you know any I may have missed?


13 comments:

  1. Oh Mimsie .... Such lovely photos. I had a bit of a weep when I saw those violets. I tried to buy some for my Mum when she was dying. She LOVED violets as do I. They wanted $50 for a small bunch of violets. Needless to say I didn't buy them but I did manage to pick some from a garden nearby where we were staying. I saw them in the garden and knocked on the door and asked if I could have a few. The owner, very kindly agreed. I think you have the V's covered. I can't think of any more but I'm sure there will be many.

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    1. I am so pleased to know you were able to obtain some violets for your mum and I am sure she really appreciated them.
      I can't take credit for the photos as I find them free through Google. What would we do without it?
      Thank you for popping in and I do appreciated your comments.

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  2. My favourite violas are the little Johnny-Jump-ups, I used to have them in pots on a sunny porch and in beds with bright dwarf french marigolds, fronted by white alyssum. In Melbourne of course where the soil and climate is far better for flowers. I'd forgotten about vinca too.

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    1. I think you are finding garden conditions the same as we do in Perth, very harsh especially for dainty plants. Those on the eastern seaboard are more fortunate in being able to grow a greater variety of flowering plants.
      The vinca of old were very hardy and would seed down but the modern ones were a complete failure when I tried growing them.

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  3. Hari OM
    Great choices... though that last piccie is of Impatiens ("bizzy-lizzies"), not Vinca (which the blue one above definitely is). My mother always managed Vinca/periwinkle but they never got beyond sprouting with me! YAM xx

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    1. Sorry Yam but in this instance I have to disagree with you. The last photo definitely is Vinca (as we know it here) but is indeed very similar to Impatiens walleriena. The vinca leaves are slightly different, darker and perhaps a little hardier. I did re-check.
      Strangely enough we never called vincas periwinkles so that surprised me. The periwinkle in our garden came from who knows where and keeps on each year. It is more a creeper than a solid plant.
      I do remember Impatiens being called bizzy-lizzies when I was a child but have not seen any grown here for many years. xx

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    2. Hari OM
      Thanks Mimsie - happy to be corrected and it made me look a bit closer!... have never seen this variety before and the casual glance fooled me!!! Yxx

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    3. Yam you are just like me. If someone can show me I was wrong I am always happy to concede that sometimes I can be wrong. There is a likeness between the two plants but the vinca leaves are definitely mo leathery.

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  4. Mimsie, Johnny Jump-Ups (as we call them) in your first photo...I ADORE them...such a HAPPY flower and buy several packages of seed each Spring. Of course, really any Viola is beautiful!!...:)JP

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    1. Hi JP and thanks for dropping in.
      I've not heard the term Johnny Jump-Ups but then different countries have different 'nick names' for things. I love the name though as it does suit the flower.
      I still regret seeing very few annuals being grown in Perth and surrounds these days and apparently our water restrictions are going to be even worse here this year. Not something to look forward as they are strict enough as it is.

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  5. I love the violas and violets and the periwinkles especially bring back memories for me.

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    1. They are all so beautiful and it's impossible to choose between them for a favourite.

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  6. What about Vanilla Orchids? While there are over 100 species in the Vanilla genus, the Vanilla Orchid is what is most commonly used in vanilla production. While they are a handful to care for and blooms only last a short while, their beauty is well worth the work! Besides, if you have enough skill, you could harvest your own vanilla!

    Raymond Quinn @ River Oaks Plant House

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