I do like snapdragons.
I only grew snapdragons once.
They were bright and colorful and were in flower a long time.
Silly, pretentious people want to call them “antirrhinums”
Quote:Antirrhinum - Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Antirrhinum
Antirrhinum is a genus of plants commonly known as dragon flowers, snapdragons and dog flower because of the flowers' fancied resemblance to the face of a dragon that opens and closes its mouth when laterally squeezed. They are native to rocky areas of Europe, the United States, Canada, and. . .
To me, snapdragons they are and remain.
Looking at the description there should grow fine here, excellent! I want to grow tulips too, of course, being a transplanted Dutchman! They will also do fine. A front lawn sloping to the north, perfect!
Planning to grow birch and maple on the nature strip (nature strip is like 10 metres wide!) and my three crab apples closer to the house. So—blossoms, fruit and striking yellow/red leaf colors in the fall!
I have something like a rockery here with red and pink roses blooming in great profusion. All to be ripped out to make way for apple trees! Some pine trees to be lopped.
Vege and herb patch, polytunnel or greenhouse, plenty of room for all!
Does anybody have a favorite flower/decorative tree etc they like to grow?
Any species birch or maple give the best fall leaf color display? Most vivid color etc?
I need to grow some gerberas. Gerberas were Mum’s favorite flower. Younger sis and I were talking to the funeral director planning the funeral with texts/calls to other sis and nieces etc. One niece came up with the incredible idea that the flowers on Mum’s coffin should be gerberas. That was done.
I don’t greatly care for gerberas myself, especially the original ones with just one ring of petals but this is not about me.
Younger sis should have retrieved Dad’s ashes from Centennial Park and when ready I will get sis to send me a small jar each of their ashes.
I envisage a ring of what is wrongly called Imperial Bamboo or some other tough perennial to form a windbreak then some gerberas and other daisies—Annie loved daisies or so she said—I guess she never grew flowers but knew of daisies? (Apartment living.) Some rosemary or more likely some sprigs of rosemary in a jar for Mum’s birthday and date of death with the flowers hopefully in bloom (what flowers in November??) Mum and Dad’s ashes to be scattered into the bed of daisies, rosemary and gerberas.
To most it will just be a flower bed—no need to talk to them about death.
Dunno what flower would represent Dad best. Possibly a small tree? A weeping {whatever?} Nah, keep the memories happy. A small tree tho be good, will think about it.
LOL, Dad did not like painting, no sirree! Time came to paint the downpipes. Out rushed Mum—too late! Dad painting the downpipes did not hold a sheet of cardboard between pipe and the bricks of the wall—paint all over the bricks. Mum not happy, LOL!
Mum’s birthday is coming up. Have a nice vase can take a single rose, a candle all ready to be lit. DON’T have a photo of Mum—all in temporary storage! Drat!
So, anybody have an idea for a small tree, flowering or not, be good as a symbol or remembrance of a man who valued family and home above all?
He was so homesick: in WWII, doing forced labor in the BMW factory near Berlin he got so homesick he left the camp and—minus papers, passport, train ticket and money—left to go home. Of course, he was rounded up and got sent to a punishment camp for a week—his boss in the BMW plant liked Holland and Dutch people. Mid 1943 he got permission—and money, ticket, papers etc etc—returned to Holland and married Mum before it was back to the BMW plant.
Hmmm—I have the wedding photo, will use that for my little memorial!
Hah, Dad returned to Holland fat as butter, having been fed by the Yanks since the liberation of the Magdeburg camp where he was stationed then. Came home to rake-thin wife—were it not for operation Chowhound—look it up—Mum and thousands of other Dutch people may have starved!
Voedsel! Vrede! Vrijheid!
(the third word has the “lange ei” and the “korte ei” which bedevil Dutch school kids learning the write the language
)
Mum had some magic words for Dad: I have a house!
Tens of thousands of people looking for a home to rent—Mum found one!
1957, Dad by himself in Melbourne, looking for work. Homesick—came home early one day—to find a cleaner ransacking his suitcase! Dad went home next bus or train.
So a tree looking like it is homesick
Anyone know of one?