CHRISTINA'S "FLOWERS OF BELIZE" SERIES (PART SIX) 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". BELIZE HELICONIA FLOWER This is one of the most colorful, bizarre and beautiful flowers of Belize. The intense colors, are a source of attraction for the hummingbirds, pollinating the flowers. You can see them scattered all over Belize's tropical rainforests. Heliconia, is also popularly known as the lobster-claw, wild plantain or false bird of paradise. It is a beautiful flower with multi-color bracts (actually specially modified leaves), are shaped like an inverted bird's beak and are 3 to 4 inches long. Each has a green outline surrounding a broad band of yellow, which surrounds a central patch of bring red or orange. The true flowers, each of which remains open only one day, are small and insignificant in appearance and boren inside the boat-like bract. Heliconias are native to tropical Central America and the Pacific Ocean islands of west to Indonesia. Costa Rica (a neighboring country to Belize) boasts of over 35 native species of Heliconia, one of the most commonly grown flowers for this country. Heliconias belong to their own plant family, but are closely related to the bird of paradise and the banana. During the rainy season, a 5-foot tall flower stem emerges from these clustered leaves. There are two types of Heliconias. One that droops downward and one that stands erect. The stand erect Heliconias, consist of 8 to 15 overlapping bracts. The droop down Heliconias depends on the type of hummingbird that does the pollination for the species. The pollinator of choice is the hermit hummingbird with a curved beak. Each bract is filled with water, forming a moat around the ovary that protects the seeds as they develop. Even if rain doesn’t fall, the plant will pump water into the bract to maintain the water level at the appropriate depth. Heliconias are seldom offered as plants for sale in a garden center, but are more common used as cut flowers when designers want a brash and bold look. The Heliconias are used in floral arrangements, most often in hotel lobbies or areas which require a large floral statement or presence. Facts About Heliconia 1. Heliconia is named after Mount Helicon, the nine goddesses of the arts and sciences in Greek mythology. 2. The Heliconia's bracts are so large and colorful, that they almost hide the flowers altogether. This keeps the flower's sweet nectar from other birds so that only specialized birds can get to it. 3. Heliconia has oblong leaves growing opposite one another on nonwoody stems, often forming large clumps with age. 4. Heliconias are grown as landscape plants. 5. There are some species of Heliconia which have upright facing flowers. 6. Some Heliconia flowers droop down from the main stem and are called hanging Heliconia.
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CHRISTINA'S "FLOWERS OF BELIZE" SERIES (PART FIVE) 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 else 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". POINSETTA'S Commonly known as Poinsettia, this flowering plant is a native to Mexico and Central America and is found in the wild in the deciduous tropical forest down the entire pacific coast of Chiapas and Guatemala. This plant was introduced in the US in 1828 by Joel Roberts Poinsetta, the first United States Minister to Mexico. It is also called the Ataturk flower. It is a shrub reaching 0.6 to 4m height and bears dark green dentate leaves of 7-16 cm long. The flowers are mostly red with sometimes orange, pale green, pink, white or marbled colors. There are now over 100 cultivated varieties of Poinsettias known at present. The red spotted plant is very popular in America and Europe during Christmas time and is also gaining popularity in the Australian markets. The flowers are available during the month of January to March. The flower has been rumored to have toxic components . However it can be mildly irritating to the skin and can cause nausea and diarrhea if eaten. The plant is sensitive to ethylene and should be kept away from fruits, exhausts and cigarette smoke. The plant needs to be watered well and should never be frozen for preservation. GRADUATION DAY At the Island Academy, San Pedro - Belize It was graduation day at the Island Academy. I won an award and this made me feel very happy. To the left, is me with my teacher, Ms. Emily. I just love her. She will not be teaching next year at the Island Academy, and this makes me very sad. In fact, I actually cried - when I learned this. Ms. Emily misses her family in the States and will be going home this summer. Today was a very special day for me. All the parents gathered under the canopy, as we walked down the isle (hand-in-hand) with our classmates and took our seats. We sang the Island Academy song to our parents, a little song that humors the funny side of daily life at our school. The various teachers stood up and each spoke for a few minutes, as they told us - what they appreciated about their students and their class. This touched all of us, especially when Teacher Sue started to cry, at the thought of parting. The whole audience then had a tear in the corner of their eye as well. Lady Bowen handed out awards (Dolphin Dollar Awards) to those who excelled in helping others. I was blessed to receive a Dolphin Dollar Award. In closing, Lady Bowen expressed her gratitude to all the teachers, for their dedication to the program in making the school a success. Lady Bowen then cranked up the music (everyone clapped), as we danced our way down the isle and out of the canopy - to honor "the last day of school". After the ceremony, mom took Ms. Daisy (our nanny), my sister, brother and I - to Victoria House, for a very special lunch. We had the molten chocolate cake for dessert - which I must say, is absolutely out of this world. We wanted to thank you Lady Bowen, for making this school year possible. We are very appreciative of all that you do. CHRISTINA'S "FLOWERS OF BELIZE" SERIES (PART FOUR) 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". BELIZE FRAGRANCE - THE PLUMERIA FLOWER The Plumeria, is commonly called Frangipani, and includes 7-8 different species of flowering plants. It is a native flower to the country of Belize. The Plumiera flower, is named in honor of a French botanist Charles Plumier, who traveled to America and named many species of plants and animals. Moreover, the name “Frangipani” comes from Marquis Frangipani who invented a perfume for gloves and the scent of the flower has the resemblance to ‘Frangipani perfume’. There are 5 petals on each flower, arranged in a spiraling circle. They usually grow on branches with very few leaves and are marked by an extreme fragrance. The flower is available in white, yellow and pink color from the month of December to April. The Plumeria or Frangipani (as it is called) are distinctive flowers which are generally sold as individual flowers by most vendors. These flowers are beautiful when they are placed on top of water and float. You do not refrigerate these flowers and care should be taken to immediately place them in water. In addition to this, the Plumeria or Frangipani cuttings should be allowed to dry before planting them in the soil, because they are susceptible to rot in moist soil. THE PLUMERIA FLOWER, IS TYPICALLY THE FLOWER YOU WILL SEE IN SOMEONE'S HAIR. We love these flowers, as they represent the true beauty of the tropical rain forests of Belize. CHRISTINA'S "FLOWERS OF BELIZE" SERIES (PART THREE) 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". BOUGAINVILLEA - FLOWERING VINE OF BELIZE Well, this is another one of my favorite flowers, or should I say flowering vine? You are going to soon find out, that I cannot decide which flower is the prettiest, or the best. They are all like gift wrapping bows that decorate our country from head to toe. The Bougainvillea is a vining plant that grows up to 40 feet tall. The plant can be pruned to be grown as a tree or shrub, or can be trained to vine up a trellis,, or a wall. The stems of the bougainvillea are covered in sharp thorns, and care should be trimmed when pruning. The Bougainvillea is named after a French admiral in the French navy who discovered this tropical flower in 1768. It can be found in the tropical and subtropical parts of Belize, it climbs upwards and even over other plants. Although it mostly like an evergreen, this tropical flower can actually shed its leaves and survive if there is a dry season. You can find bougainvilleas in a wide variety of colors: pink, magenta, purple, red, orange, white or yellow. The bougainvillea--is also known as the "paper flower plant", I think because the peddle are paper thin. The bouganvillea is also a flowering perennial plant. The colorful, showy part of the bougainvillea is not actually the flower. These are colorful "bracts" which surround the true flowers. The bougainvillea flowers are short tubes that often open up to reveal tiny plain white flowers. Because the bracts are so colorful, many people never even notice that there are tiny flowers in the center. The bougainvillea requires very little water. If it rains in your area once or twice a month, you will not need to supplement with additional hand watering. In arid locations, bougainvilleas need water weekly or bi-weekly through the spring and summer. During the fall, bougainvilleas need water only if there is no rain for a month. Bougainvilleas go dormant during the winter, and require no water at all during this time. Over-watering bougainvillea halts the production of flowers and may eventually kill the plant. Bougainvillea prefers soil that drains quickly and cannot tolerate sitting in wet soil. The bougainvillea's root system is delicate and rots when it is exposed to prolonged wetness. The plant grows best in loamy or sandy soil. If you have clay or rich, water-retaining soil, mix it with gardening sand or perlite at a ratio of 1:1 to provide proper drainage. Propagation Bougainvillea is a strong, prolific grower and grows easily from cuttings. Cuttings can be green or woody growth. To grow a new bougainvillea from a cutting, place a cutting that is at least 6 inches long into moist (not wet) soil. To hasten growth, use rooting hormone powder on the cut end of the cutting before planting it in soil. We absolutely love Bougainvilleas in any courtyard setting where you want a climbing, flowering vine. MY FAMILY WITH BELIZE BOUGAINVILLEAS Trent Christina Lauren McKennzie Colby
Today is a special day. Daddy and I are going to explore Belize by air, land, sea and by automobile. To start our day, we will board a boat and head for the west side of the island - to take pictures. The west side of Ambergris Caye is absolutely beautiful, I have never been over here before. From there, we boarded an aircraft and circled the island. It was so much fun, trying to locate all the things I remember from the air. I got to see Grand Caribe, where nana & papa stayed last time they were down. I saw Grand Oasis, where daddy is having a house built for us. Also, got to see many islands off into the ocean. After circling the island, we headed for the mainland of Belize. A taxi will be waiting for us when we arrive. Spanish is our taxi driver's name, his wife is a sweetheart. From here, we will go to Chon Saan for lunch. Daddy wants me to try something new for lunch. We will be trying some Chinese dishes, I have never had before. I even got fried ice-cream! This was a perfect day, and I enjoyed it very much. I was all excited to tell mom about what we got to see, do and eat. I also want to thank Dave Mitchel for allowing me to ride in his airplane. He treats us very nice, and I am very appreciative. 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. 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. Our adventure for today, takes us Parasailing with Ms. Emily (our teacher). We all met at the dock at 2:00 p.m., and we then boarded the boat. My sister Lauren came along for the ride. Four of us went up at a time, so we each got a turn going up in the air. We had a great time today, and then mom took Lauren and I out for ice cream afterwards. Today, we decided to go kayaking. This is where you get into a small boat, looks something like a sliced banana to me. You sit in it and then try and paddle around in the water. They are very light, so move very easily along the waters surface. All your really pushing, is your own weight. We had great fun doing this, and especially when doing it all together as a family. I enjoy days like this, because it means getting out into the open air, enjoying the sunshine, the Caribbean ocean and spending some time together. |
Christina
FLOWERS OF BELIZE!
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