In The Garden

Are you planting a hedge and don’t know what to choose? Most people when deciding to plant a hedge, do so for the simple reason of privacy, but if you want to add greenery and colour at the same time you can have both.

Arundina graminifolia commonly called the Bamboo orchid is native to Asia and the Pacific Islands. 

Spathoglottis are terrestrial orchids commonly referred to as Ground orchids because they grow in soil.

Renanthera orchids are native to eastern Asia, south China and the Pacific Islands. 

Oncidium orchids are native to the Caribbean, South and Central America and Florida. 

Dendrobium orchids originate from South-east Asia and the South Pacific including India, Australia and Fiji. 

Vanda orchids are native to tropical South Asia and grow well in warm climates.

Phalaenopsis orchids are native to South East Asia; they are beautiful and exotic and are commonly known as phal.

Cattleya are natives of South and Central America and the Caribbean.  There are approximately 60 natural species of this genus. 

From Chinese and Japanese manuscripts we learn that they were growing Orchids, ie, Dendrobiums, Cymbidiums and other native species approximately 3,000 years ago. 

Orchids belong to the Orchidaceae family and the name orchid derives from the Greek word ‘orchis’ which means ‘testicle’ ‒ a term that describes the roots of the orchids.

Zingiberaceae Purpurata commonly called Ginger Lily or Hawaiian Ginger originated in Malaysia and South East Asia  and was brought to Hawaii in the mid-1930s.

We are well into the rainy season and with the heavy rainfall we are getting at the moment, the grass on the lawn may well be showing signs of distress. 

Gladiolus (plural Gladioli) commonly called Sword Lily comes from the Latin word gladius which means sword, referring to the shape of the leaves. 

Canna commonly called Canna Lily comes from the Cannaceae family originating in South America.

Turk’s Cap commonly called Sleeping Hibiscus or Pepper Hisbiscus originated from Central America and Texas and is a member of the Malvaceae family.

Russelia equisetiformis commonly called Firecracker or Coral Plant comes from the Scrophulariaceae family.

Corallita commonly called Mexican creeper originates from Mexico and belongs to the Polygonaceae family – ie, the buckwheat family.

Bauhinia purpurea is commonly called the Orchid tree or Butterfly tree.  Here in Guyana and the Caribbean it is also known as Poor man orchid.

Petrea, commonly called Purple wreath or Sandpaper vine comes from the Verbenaceae family and originated from Mexico and Central America.

Hymenocallis littoralis commonly called Beach Spider Lilies are popular decorative plants with long curved leaves and spider-like lilies which are very fragrant.

Easter is all around, just look at the lovely flowers in bloom and you can tell it is that time of the year!

Citrus limon, or lemon, as it is better known, originated from South-east Asia, like all the other members of the citrus family −  oranges, tangerines, grapefruits and limes.

The Annual Flower Show will be held on Saturday March 23 and Sunday March 24 at the Umana Yana, Kingston from 10 am to 6 pm on each day.

The lime, citrus aurantifolia originated from South-east Asia and was quickly spread throughout Africa, the Mediterranean and Europe by the early traders and explorers. 

Rhoeo spathacea commonly called Moses-in-the-cradle originated from the tropical areas of Central America. 

Codiaeum commonly called crotons belong to the  Euphorbiaceae family and originated in Asia, mainly Malaysia, Indonesia, India and Sri Lanka.

I am happy to know that many of you grow bougainvilleas and were interested in the last article.

African violets whose botanical name is Saintpaulia came originally from the hills of Tanzania in East Africa.

Eggplant or aubergine, commonly called boulanger or baigan in this part of the world, originated in India and eastern Asia thousands of years ago, and is now widely grown in the tropics.

With the holiday season over, we are left with some extra pounds and lots of fat to burn.