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Every year as the brilliant colors of the summer flowers fade, I like to plant a few pansies. And I am not alone, along with mums pansies are among the most popular cool season blooms. Not only are they are easy to grow, but they provide beautiful color throughout late fall and into winter. Pansies are part of the viola family, which contains 500 species - including pansies and violets. Pansies … [Read more...]
Lamb’s Ear {InstaScience}
Have you seen those soft, velvety and silvery grey-green plants in your next-door neighbor’s garden? Those low-growing, soft textured leaves belong to the ornamental plant, known as the Lamb’s ear. The scientific name of lamb's ears plant is Stachys byzantina and is a native to Turkey, Iran and Armenia in Europe. The plant can best be described as "fuzzy" or "velvety" and the leaves are shaped … [Read more...]
Tulips {InstaScience}
Spring is in the air! Flowers are blooming and bees are buzzing! One of my favorite parts of spring are the bounty of blooms that are popping, brightening the landscape with their color. And the tulip is the queen of these spring flowers! Tulips bloom between March and May and they hold the spot of the most sought after spring flowers. These plants are part of a group of bulb flowers, … [Read more...]
Composite Flowers {InstaScience}
This purple coneflowers is known as a composite flower. In these types of flowers, what we see as one bloom is actually a composite of two different type of flowers! There are: Simple ray flowers (outside), which serve to attract pollinators. Complete disc flowers (inside) where the pollination actually occurs. Fun Fact - Sunflowers are also composite flowers! Teaching Science at … [Read more...]