Flowers of Red Violet in Dramatic DisplayWritten by Hans Dekker
Flowers of Red Violet in Dramatic Display Although many flowers are red-violet, several types of Japanese Iris exhibit color in a most spectacular fashion. Japanese Iris (I.ensata) are last of Iris to bloom and usually bloom about a month after Bearded and Siberian Iris have finished. Japanese Iris are a beardless iris that bear largest flowers of all. Spikes that reach up to three feet tall carry blooms in unique shapes, colors (including most brilliant red-violets), and striking patterns that measure as much as one foot in diameter. Broad foliage with a raised mid-rib makes a vertically interesting backdrop for other plants when Japanese Iris has finished blooming. The Japanese Iris is native to much of eastern Asia and has been cultivated in Japan for over 200 years. Single blooming varieties have three standards and three falls, doubles have six falls and peony-type blossoms are downward sloping with nine or more falls. Cultivars with red-violet flowers include “Royal Banner”, “Velvety Queen”, and spectacular, dark red-violet “Laughing Lion”.
| | Types Of Vines For Landscaping Your HomeWritten by Paul Curran
For covering walls of houses, boulders, stone walls, etc., ivies are, of course, used more than other vines. Boston ivy is quickest growing. Japanese bittersweet [Euonymus radicans) is a good vine for walls, too; evergreen, it grows well on north sides of buildings as well as on exposed locations. Winter-creeper, in both large and small-leaved varieties, is a hardy vine for wall planting. Other vines that can cling without aid to concrete, brick and stone include Chinese trumpetcreeper, English ivy, Lowe ivy and Virginia creeper, sometimes called woodbine or American ivy. Virginia creeper is ivy that twines around trees and covers ground in woodlands, and while it makes a good building cover, it does become heavy and require thinning out as it grows older. Virginia creeper is also effective for providing shade. (Other shade-producing vines are grape, Dutchman's pipe and silver vine.) Many vines which are not self-supporting can be trellis-trained, and can add color and beauty to a house. Among more showy varieties are wisteria, with its clusters of white to purple blos soms; clematis, which has a large flower appearing from early summer until fall; and trumpetcreep-er, with its tropical-looking clusters of big scarlet and orange flowers during late summer.
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