Flowers That Bloom During The Summer Months

Summer is most people's favourite season.  No more thick, heavy clothes, longer days and a whole lot more fun and activities too.  Your garden is probably also looking a lot more attractive now and shopping at your local or online florist is a breeze with so many options to choose from.  Whether you want to send flowers to somebody special or buy some for your own home, you won't be left wanting during these hot months!

A classic favourite of all time, the rose, is in season.  Sure they are available from your florist throughout the year but they are only really in season during the summer months.  This means that if you have roses planted in your garden, now is when you will see them burst into blooming action.  You will probably also notice a price change at your florist because seasonal flowers are usually cheaper than those imported or grown in artificial conditions.  If you are all about organic products, then now is also the time when you will be able to get your hands on some organic roses.

Lilies are also a very popular flower.  They can be grouped with other blooms or simply arranged on their own.  Calla lilies, for instance, look great even as a single stem while stargazer lily arrangements look better when there are at least five stems in a vase.  During summer both callas and stargazers are in season as well as casa blanca and gloriosa lilies.  So, take your pick!

When it comes to filler flowers, there is none more popular than baby's breath.  As luck would have it, they are in season during summer and autumn.  When the weather starts to get really chilly, that's when these little beauties will stop blooming.

For really bright summer arrangements, flowers such as amaranthus, cockscomb and birds of paradise are all in season for the duration of summer.  If your garden is stepping out and showing off some bold colours, this certainly calls for you to do the same with the kinds of bouquets you use to decorate your home.

Many people enjoy creating a bouquet that resembles more a field of wild flowers as opposed to a carefully made arrangement.  If this is you, then take advantage of the cosmos flower for this.  Available in a number of colours that are just dying to be mixed together, these flowers do indeed grow in fields and they are perfect for achieving this look in your own home.

Other well-known favourites are also in season so you really can't go wrong.  These include delphiniums, dahlias, hydrangeas and chrysanthemums.  Between these four favourites and the rest of the flowers mentioned above, you are sure to find a bouquet that is perfect for you and your home.  Of course, there are so many other blooms available depending on your location.  The best thing you can do is take a look at an online florist or two as well as your local florist and get a good idea of the summer flowers available near you.

Gloriosa Lily Flower Facts

With their fiery pink petals and truly unique upward facing petals, the gloriosa lily is a much desired flower for many occasions including weddings.  A bouquet of gloriosas bundled together is more than enough to make any bride smile as she takes a trip down the isle.  If you are considering having your florist add gloriosa lilies to a bouquet for you, you might want to learn a bit more about these flowers since it will help you provide them with the best possible conditions to maintain their fresh appearance.

The flower is native to the more tropical parts of Africa such as Zimbabwe.  It still has a relatively short history of cultivation but, these days, can be found in countries like Holland and Australia.  For the most part they are sold as stems that include both fully opened flowers and some buds.  This is so that you have a full, beautiful bouquet for a longer period of time. 

Because they are naturally found in a tropical environment, it is important to keep the environment around the vase similar to that.  You can do this by making sure that there is always enough fresh, clean water in the vase.  Top up the water as you see necessary and change the water regularly.  You will also need to add floral preserve to the water so as to ensure that the closed buds will open to display beautiful flowers just bursting with colour.  Also, because of their natural tropical home, these flowers should never be placed in any kind of fridge.  Feel free to spray them gently with water every so often to increase the humidity levels around the flowers.

If you live in an area that you believe suitable for the growth of gloriosa lilies, you are welcome to try growing them in your own garden.  Gloriosas are grown from tubers.  When you plant the tubers in your garden, it is very important that you keep the soil nicely moist.  Dry conditions are not suitable for these flowers and too much water will cause the roots to rot.  A balance is needed in order to help them thrive.  If the air is quite dry, you can create a humid environment for your gloriosa lilies by running a tube with holes next to them.  Connect the tube to a hose and allow water the water to run.  As the water reaches the holes, it will spray out in a mist and, along with the high summer temperatures, this will increase the level of humidity.

Finally, gloriosa lily plants need quite a bit of room to grow so they need to be planted at least 6 inches away from each other and any other plants.  You want to make sure that each plant has enough room to grow sufficient roots so that the plant is properly fed and hydrated.  The soil in places like Zimbabwe is extremely fertile so, in order to create the same ideal environment.

photo credit: <a href="http://www.flickr.com/photos/nf4000/5738770747">Nick Fedele</a>