CHRISTINA'S "FLOWERS OF BELIZE" SERIES (PART TWO) Brought to you by Black Orchid Management, Ltd. If you were to ask me what I like most about flowers, I will tell you, they make me happy. They are beautiful to look at. Have you ever seen someone gaze upon a beautiful flower and stay in a bad mood? NEVER! Flowers, lift our spirits, they can change our mood, they make us happy and it is the one way, that we can tell someone we love them, simply by handing them a flower. Please follow me on my journey through the Belize rain forest jungle, to explore all the different flowers there are to see. I sincerely hope you enjoy my series entitled "Flowers of Belize". The red Hibiscus flower, is one of the most popular flowers found in Belize. You will find these in almost any garden, on any street, and in a pot on most porches here in Belize. They are the most sought after flowering plant in this country. The Hibiscus flower is both huge and delicate, as if they were made from crepe paper. The Hibiscus comes in many different colors variations, and hybrids. Anything from soft pink to hot plum red, like what I have shown you below. Others are bicolored or have attractive dark veins. Hibiscus plants are divided into two main categories, 1) the tropical flowering hibiscus and the 2) hardy flowering hibiscus family. In Belize, we have the tropical hibiscus version. The tropical Hibiscus will not tolerate more than a night or two of light frost. One hard frost, below 25 degrees can kill the whole plant. These plants are native to sunny, warm, and usually humid tropical places, which is why you find them so abundantly in Belize. It will does not grow well in cooler, winter climates to the north or extreme south. The second variation, is the hardy Hibiscus, and is more adaptable to cooler climates, and can be grown and be enjoyed as far north as Minnesota and New York. Hardy Hibiscus need very little care over the winter; they are root hardy and die back to the ground each year. Hardy hibiscus grow very quickly once they break ground in late spring. We have Hibiscus flowering bushes all over the area we live, and they bloom off and on all year long. Lauren and I love looking at them, and Lauren often can't resist picking them and putting them in her hair when going to school.
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CHRISTINA'S "FLOWERS OF BELIZE" SERIES (PART ONE) Brought to you by Black Orchid Management, Ltd. If you were to ask me what I like most about flowers, I will tell you, they make me happy. They are beautiful to look at. Have you ever seen someone gaze upon a beautiful flower and stay in a bad mood? NEVER! Flowers, lift our spirits, they can change our mood, they make us happy and it is the one way, that we can tell someone we love them, simply by handing them a flower. Please follow me on my journey through the Belize rain forest jungle, to explore all the different flowers there are to see. I sincerely hope you enjoy my series entitled "Flowers of Belize". RED GINGER If you ask me, the Red Ginger flower is one of the prettiest flowers in Belize. It is used often in floral arrangement both at home and in the office. Red Ginger is just one of Belize's many tropical exotic flowers. They produce a showy red or pink flower with large, dark green, glossy leaves. These are showy plants and for this reason, many people like Red Ginger flowers in floral arrangements, anything from cemetery bouquets to extravagant hotel centerpieces. They cannot stand frosts, and for this reason - they grow abundantly in tropical regions, such as the rain forests of Belize. 20 TIPS ON - HOW TO GROW YOUR OWN RED GINGER FLOWERS AT HOME 1. Pick a location to plant your red ginger that is in partial shade. Use rich, loamy soil that is on the sandy side. 2. If growing it strictly as a potted plant, mix one part sand with three parts potting soil. 3. Improve the soil by adding compost and sand. 4. Put down a 2-inch layer of sand and a 1-inch layer of compost on the growing bed. 5. Dig it into the soil by turning it over with a shovel, digging down the depth of the spade. Rake the area smooth. 6. Red ginger grows from roots. Set the roots into shallow holes and cover with 1 to 2 inches of soil. 7. Position the roots so the growing buds are facing up. 8. To transplant potted red ginger into the ground or into a larger pot, carefully remove the plant from its current pot. 9. Place into a pre-dug hole or a pot only slightly larger than the current one. Try as much as possible not to disturb the root ball. 10. Water newly transplanted potted red ginger plants with a hand watering can. 11. Check daily and water as needed to keep the soil moist but not saturated until the plants resume active growth. 12. After that, provide them with 1 to 2 inches of rainfall per week. 13. Mulch the soil around the plants with a 2-inch layer of buckwheat hulls or other attractive mulch material. 14. Buckwheat hulls will discourage weeds and help keep the soil evenly moist. 15. Fertilize red ginger every 4 to 5 weeks by watering with a fertilizer solution specially formulated for blooming plants. 16. Fertilize each plant individually by watering with a hand watering can filled with the fertilizer solution. 17. Bring red ginger plants indoors before freezing weather arrives. 18. Dig up your plants, put you indoor plants in a container the same size as the root ball--they like to be crowded in their pots. 19. Put them in an east-or west-facing window for the winter months. 20. Provide them with extra humidity by running a humidifier in the room or by placing them on pebble-filled saucers with water. Note: Gingers are susceptible to spider mites. If your ginger plant has mites, introduce a natural predator such as lacewing or ladybugs. |
Christina
FLOWERS OF BELIZE!
Check out, my my current blog series on Flowers in Belize. COMING SOON!
I have a new blog series coming soon. Trees of Belize. IF YOU WOULD LIKE TO SPONSOR THIS SERIES WITH YOUR COMPANY'S ADVERTISEMENT, ...... Please let me know. Categories
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