Types of Flowers
A-E    F-H    I-M    N-Q    R-Z

Name		Facts
	Alpinia	Named after Prospero Alpinio, a doctor-botanist of the 1500s. Also known as Pink Ginger or Shell Ginger. Care Tips: The prawn-like flower will open in warmth. Colors: Clear pink or red Family: Related to the ginger used in cooking
	Amaryllis	Pronounced AMMA-rillis, Amaryllis is sometimes called Hippeastrum, which means "knight star". Description: Amaryllis have large flamboyant starry trumpets which spring from huge papery bulbs. Thick smooth leafless stems, often more than half a metre tall, are topped by four or five of these outsize blooms, making an impressive display. Color: Pure white, pillarbox red, candy pink, peach. There are also striped varieties and ones with frilled or colored edges to the petals. Availability: The main season is September to April. Care Tips: The flowers are often so large the stems cannot support them. Insert a thin stick inside the hollow stem for support. Buy Amaryllis when still in bud so you can transport them without damaging the flowers. The meaty stalk of an Amaryllis sucks up a lot of water, which means the flowers have a water supply within the stalk. This means you can use the Amaryllis as a dry decoration for a limited period. A few stems with fully blown flowers can be placed on a dinner table, or hung upside down above the table, without becoming instantly limp.
	Carnation	Dianthus, its botanical name, meaning divine flower. Carnation was the flesh-pink color Elizabethan portrait painters used as a background wash. Description: The carnation is available as a standard carnation - one large flower per stem, or a spray carnation with lots of smaller flowers. Color: Available in a huge range of colors, almost all except blue. A mauve carnation with a blue tinge has been developed by Florigene in Australia. But they look best in hot Latin shades of red, pink and orange. Availability: All year round. Care Tips: Carnations can last up to three weeks but should be kept away from ripening fruit and vegetables because of ethylene gas.
	Chrysanthemum	Comes from the Greek "krus anthemon" meaning gold flower. However nowadays they come in all colors. Color: All colors including bronze, lime green and brick red, except blue (which are artificially dyed for special events). Availability: All year round Family: Relatives include chamomile, tansy, marguerite and matricaria.
	Dahlia	Pronounced DAhl-lee-a Description: The native forms are quite simple and daisy-like, but breeding has resulted in some wonderful flower forms, including complete globes full of petals (pompoms), spiky and spidery forms (cactuses), and ones with curled tubes of petals like sea anemones. Availability: Main season June - October. Care Tips: Dahlias are thirsty flowers, so check water levels regularly and remove leaves to reduce transpiration.
	Freesia	Named after Dr Friedrich Heinrich Theodor Freese, a German physician. Freesias are among the most popular and widely grown cut flowers in the world.   Availability: Although available all year their peak period is spring. Color: Wide range including yellows, red, pinks and white. Care Tips: Buy them with at least one flower open on the stem. Make sure they have plenty of water and never let the stem ends dry out. Pinch out the topmost buds and remove the old flowerheads to encourage new ones to open. Keep away from fruit, vegetables, and excess heat, as they are very sensitive to the ethylene gas produced.
	Gladiolus	From the Latin "gladius", meaning "sword", relating to their leaf shape. Color: white and soft pastels, pinks, oranges, peach, yellow, red and purple. Availability: May to October. Care Tips: Remove faded flowers to encourage others to open. Snipping off the top two or three green buds straightens the stem and helps flowers open below. Gladioli like a lot of water, and will suffer seriously if not given enough water.
	Hyacinth	The word hyacinth comes from the Greek Hyakinthos, a handsome young man who in Greek mythology was loved by the sun god Apollo. One day they were practising throwing the discus but the jealous god of the West Wind, who was also in love with Hyakinthos, blew the discus back and it fatally wounded him. From his blood grew a flower which the god Apollo named after him. Color: Usually white, pink, peach and blue. More unusual colours to look for include dark wine purples , rosy reds, navy, egg-yolk yellows and soft oranges. Availability: November to April Family: Hyacinthus orientalis belongs to the Liliaceae family and so grows from a bulb.
	Iris	Iris means "rainbow" in Greek. Garden irises come in a broad spectrum of colors, but cut flower irises are mostly blue, white and yellow like the summer sky. Color: Navy, blue, white, yellow and combinations; also browns and lilacs. Family: Irises belong to the family of Iridaceae, which also includes freesia. Interestingly most of our lovely spring flowers are related to each other, and grow from bulbs or other forms of underground rhizomes (root stocks)! They store their hidden beauty under the earth through the cold months and reveal it suddenly and brilliantly once the new season's warmth appears. Care Tips: Select flowers in bud with color showing. Keep cool to extend their life.
	Lilac	Mostly known to florists by its genus name Syringa (pronounced sir-IN-ga)., Lilac is a well known shrub in English cottage gardens. The cut flower is far more glamorous than the shrub with long branches laden with flowers. The flowers are very labour intensive to grow but the final result is well worth it. Color: Available in white, mauve, violet or pink. The purple-flowered varieties, which have the stronger scent are only available in spring for a very short season of perhaps six weeks. Availability: October to May
	Lily	Lilium candidum was the most significant flower symbol for Christians and suggested purity. As a symbol of purity associated with virgins it became known as the Madonna Lily. Colour: Some forms (Lilium longiflorum, L. candidum, oriental lilies) are highly perfumed but white only; others (asiatic lilies) are highly coloured but scent-free Availability: All year. Care Tips: Remove the pollen stamens by pinching them together and pulling them up out of the flower. This prolongs the flower's life as well. Use tape to remove pollen, not water which will fix the stain.
	Lily of the Valley	Botanically known as Convallaria. Little white bells arranged up a short delicate stem. Color: White. Availability: Mainly April and May. Care Tips: Must not be left out of water too long. Keep cool and shaded.
	Narcissus	All daffodils are narcissi, but not all narcissi are daffodils!. The flower is named after Narcissus in Greek legend ."Narcissus" comes from the Greek for "numbness" referring to the narcotic properties of the plant. Color: Over 25,000 varieties in shades of yellow, white, orange and peachy pink. Availability: Seasonal availability October to April. The Isles of Scilly start the season off in October with the tiny tazetta types. It finishes in April with large trumpet daffodils from Scotland. Care Tips: Daffodils and narcissi have sap which is toxic to other flowers. Display separately, leave in water on their own for at least 12 hours before mixing with other flowers and do not recut the stems. Or use specially formulated cut flower food for mixing daffodils with other flowers . If kept cool they will last about 1 week.
	Orchids	From the Greek "orchis" meaning testicle, because of the shape of the bulbous roots. Color: Everything except blue - there are even black and green orchids. Care Tips: Orchids can last 2 or 3 weeks cut and over a month on the plant. They like regular misting. Some, like Phalaenopsis adapt to central heating better than others.
	Rose	Botanical name Rosa Color: Available in every color except blue and true black. Availability: All year round and probably the best known and best-loved flower in the world. Care Tips: Limp roses can be revived by standing up to their necks in lukewarm water in a cool room. Do not bash the stems as this prevents them taking up water effectively. Don't remove thorns unless for a hand-held posy, as these can cause wounds where bacteria can enter. They have a vase life of around a week but can last even longer.
	Snapdragon	The Snapdragon's botanical name is Antirrhinum, from the Greek anti (like) and rhin (a nose), referring to the snout like shape of the flower. Color: A large range of colors including white, red, pink, orange, yellow and bi-colors. Availability: Most of the year with peak seasons between April - June and August - October. Care tips: Snapdragons are sensitive to ethylene gas, and should be kept away from mature fruit and vegetables, dying flowers and excess heat. To promote the flowering of the buds, and to avoid stem curvature the top 2-3" (5-8cm) can be removed, though many people feel this spoils the look of the flower. Wilted flower heads should be removed to promote the opening of upper buds.
	Sunflower	The botanical name is Helianthus. The Greek word "helios" means sun and "anthos" means flower. Color: Most sunflowers are bright yellow with dark brown centres, but varieties are appearing now which have tan, orange, maroon or striped petals, and green-yellow centres. Some are even without the central disc, but are fully covered in petals instead.
	Tulip	From the Turkish for turban, after its rounded form. Botanical name Tulipa. Colors: Everything except blue and true black. Availability: November to May  Care Tips: Tulips continue to grow in water and will curve towards the light. Make allowances for this when putting them in a vase or wrap the stems tightly in newspaper and stand them in water directly beneath a light for a few hours. Tulips have a vase life of just over a week, and buy flowers in bud but with color showing.
	Zinnia	Cheerful, fun-looking flowers, almost like a lollipop on a stick. The straight stems are topped by a pom-pom of bright candy colors. Color: Virtually every color except blue. Availability: May to October Care Tips: Inserting a small length of wire through the top of the flowers and down the stem will correct any kink that forms.

Flower Bulb Catalog