Care of the new plant

• When selecting flowers, look for flowers with upright, firm petals and buds beginning to open. Yellow, spotted or drooping leaves are signs of age.
• When using woody stems and branches (such as quince, forsythia or lilac), cut the stem with sharp pruning shears. Place in warm water containing fresh flower food to promote flower opening.

Care after flowering
Calceolarias are annual plants grown from seeds. After flowering is completed, plants gradually decline and cannot be rebloomed successfully. Excessive heat or drying at any time makes them collapse quickly.

• Flowering period - Blooms for 1 to 2 weeks over Easter.
• Size - The flowers are 6 to 8 inches long with a 4 to 5 inch spread, the leaves are up to 6 inches long.
• How to grow - Keep in cool sunny location.
• Features - Easter lilies produce sweet fragrant trumpet like blooms.
• Soil and water- Keep soil moist but not soggy. Let soil dry between waterings.
• Temperature - 65 to 68 degrees F.
• Tips - No fertilizer is needed while Easter Lilies are in flower. Never place lilies in a draft or where it is exposed to heat or dry air from appliances, fireplaces or heating ducts.

Care of the new plant

• Keep the plant moist, but be careful not to overwater. Check moisture daily and be sure the pot never stands in water. Root rots can be easily brought on by overwatering.
• Place the plant in a bright location, but avoid full sun.
• Keep the plant in a cool place and avoid drafts.
• When a new flower opens, carefully remove the yellow anthers. This will prevent pollen from smudging the petals.
• Cut off flowers as soon as they have collapsed.

Care after flowering
Outdoors
When all blossoms have faded, reduce watering so that the plant will gradually dry off. Cut off the stem a few inches above the soil after the top dries.

In May after danger of frost is past, plant the bulb in a protected place outdoors at a depth of 4 to 6 inches. Often the bulb will produce a few flowers again in late summer or early fall.

Easter lilies are not normally hardy in the Midwest but may persist in the garden for several years if placed in a protected spot and covered with a mulch.

Indoors
The forcing procedures seriously weaken the lily bulb. It is not practical to repot them and bring them indoors to try forcing them the following winter.

Cultural Practices:
The geraniums have trouble surviving the summer heat. They need shade in summer, and care should be taken to keep their roots cool by using mulch and making sure that if they are in a pot, the pot stays in the shade. Fall is a good time to plant geraniums in Canada Vancouver, so that they grow slowly until the main blooming time in spring. In colder climates, plant them after the last frost date. Sow at 70 to 85°F (21 to 29°C). Plant 8-10 week transplants 1 foot apart (30 cm). Remove the spent flowers to promote new buds.

Blooming Habits:
White, orange, pink, red or purple flowers.

• Colors - Cherry, pink, salmon, scarlet, white, red, lilac and mix.
• Flowering period - Mid June to the end of October.
• Height - Grows 12" to 15" tall (30 - 38 cm).
• How to grow - Plant in full sun.
• Features - Full vibrant flowers. Grown from cuttings not seed.
• Soil - Rich, moist, well drained soil, high in organic matter.
• Spacing - Plant 12" apart (30 cm).
• Tips - Moderate frost tolerance. Pinch buds to promote bushiness.
• Uses - Use in beds, borders or pots.
  

Care of Flowering Potted Plants
Daffodil
(Dutch Master, King Alfred, Unsurpassable, Standard Value, Brent, Bonallen, Carlton, Dellen, Early Sensation, Golden Anniversary, Jedna, Kerenza, Mando, Tamara, Veryan)

Daffodils are easy to grow and require little maintenance. They come in many different shapes and colours that, with careful selection of varieties, can bloom for four months a year. The scientific name of the daffodil derives from the Greek god Narcissus, who looked into a pool, saw his reflection and fell in love with himself.

Because there are so many types of narcissus they have been divided into 13 groups, the nine most popular groups are listed below. Each narcissus is assigned to a group by having more or less the same floral characteristics. Some cultivars lend themselves to naturalising, while others are excellent grown in containers on the patio or planted in borders. By carefully selecting different cultivars, you can find narcissi to be in bloom from December to late April, depending on the climate of the garden. In addition, there is even a little-known narcissus that flowers during autumn.

Cultural Practices:

• Site and soil preferences - Hybrid daffodils, the ones most commonly planted, will grow almost anywhere, although they do prefer well-drained soils with a sunny or light shade environment. The species types are more specific in their requirements. Many come from mountainous regions and need excellent drainage.
• Planting bulbs - Narcissus should be planted from August to November, the earlier the better, at a depth three times the height of the bulb in beds, borders and large containers. In lawns they are best planted slightly deeper, at a depth of 15cm (6in). If your soil is heavy and poorly drained, mix a handful of grit into the base of the planting hole. This will increase drainage, thus reducing the likelihood of fungal diseases. To create a really good display in a container, plant bulbs at different depths to increase the number of bulbs that can be fitted into the space.
• Planting associations - Narcissi look good planted in borders or in naturalised drifts at the base of deciduous trees. They look their best when planted in drifts of eight or more bulbs, which appears more natural. They also work well in containers with most other spring-flowering plants. Try them with tulips, crocuses , pansies, forget-me-nots, polyanthus or wallflowers. The smaller types of narcissus can look excellent in hanging baskets . Distribute them evenly throughout the basket as you position plants, such as polyanthus, heather, crocus or ivy.
• Deadheading - When narcissi flower-heads have faded, it is best to remove them. Otherwise the plant will divert energy from building up the bulb, which is necessary for next year's display, and put it into seed production. This job takes a little time if you have a large number of bulbs, but you will be rewarded by your efforts.
• Care after flowering - After the blooms have faded, the remaining leaves can look unsightly as they yellow. It is important to resist the temptation of removing this foliage early. It contains valuable nutrients that will be used for next year's crop of flowers. Leave the leaves for at least six weeks after flowering - longer if possible - before removing them.
  
• Propagation - Divide overcrowded clumps in late summer, and plant offsets elsewhere in the garden.The species types can be propagated with fresh seed collected during summer and sown in late summer or autumn in pots outdoors. It will take several years for the plants to reach flowering size, but will be well worth the wait.

Blooming Habits:
White, orange, pink, red or purple flowers.

• Colors - Yellow.
• Flowering period - Spring.
• Height - Grows to 18" tall (46 cm) depending on variety.
• How to grow - Plant in full sun or place in bright light indoors.
• Features - Beautiful flowering bulbs may be planted outdoors when danger of frost is past.
• Soil and water- Moderately moist soil.
• Temperature - Home temperature 55-65 degrees F (13-18 C).
• Tips - Excessive warmth will shorten the life of flowers and may cause buds to shrivel and turn brown, preventing them from opening. For fall planting in outside garden, allow to dry off when the leaves die down, remove bulbs from the pots, store in a cool dry place, then plant in the fall.

History:
For centuries, camellias have been popular in Japan and China, as can be seen on many of their works of art. Gardeners in Britain first grew these new plants in the early 18th century and by 1850, the camellia had become a prized ornamental shrub. Victorians loved the formality of the blooms and the elegant nature of the evergreen foliage. But, after the Victorian era, interest in camellias waned. Only in the 1950s did they become fashionable again, helped by the introduction of new varieties and species.

Care of the new plant

• Camellias need shelter if they are to thrive. An area in dappled shade under trees is ideal, but they will tolerate a more open position if shaded for part of the day. A west-facing aspect is perfect as strong early morning sun on frosted flower buds can cause them to thaw too quickly and drop off. In very exposed gardens, camellias are best fan-trained on a west-facing wall.
• Generally, they prefer neutral or acid soil, although camellias will tolerate slightly limey soil, if it is well drained and fertile. Prepare the soil before planting by adding leaf compost and manure.
• Container cultivation is the answer for gardeners with chalky soils, since a bag of ericaceous compost will satisfy their needs for acidic growing conditions.
• Although they will flower without regular pruning, camellias can outgrow their allotted space unless kept in check. This is best done after flowering but before new growth begins.
• Deadheading should be done as the petals fade in order to tidy up the plant and prevent energy being wasted on setting seed. C. x williamsii varieties usually drop their flowers as they fade and do not require deadheading.

Problem of Flowering

• Camellias can suffer from scale insects, which look like tiny brown limpets clinging on to the stems and underside of the leaves. In addition to sucking the sap, they secrete honeydew on the leaf surface that becomes colonised by black sooty mould. Protect from aphids by washing them off or use a chemical spray.
• Yellow leaves are a common problem with camellias and usually indicate nutrient deficiency. The solution is to apply a balanced liquid fertiliser in spring and autumn.
• A type of virus sometimes causes yellow mottling or almost white leaves. This usually occurs on just a few branches and so can be cut out. Annually applied mulch of compost or manure around the root area is beneficial, especially in sandy soils. Avoid spent-mushroom compost as it contains lime.
• Camellias, whether in the ground or container, need careful watering in the summer months. A dry spell in summer is the most common cause of winter bud drop.