Roses, marigolds, and impatiens are lovely, but they're overused in flower gardens. It may be time to broaden your horizons by adding some uncommon garden plants.
Unlike many other rare objects sought by enthusiasts, adding unique blooming plants to your garden collection does not need a large pocketbook. Many exotic flowers are not only affordable, but they're also as simple to cultivate as grandma's zinnias.
Here are some unusual flower beds that are less common and have an unusual appearance to add to your landscape.
Bat flower
Although the bat flower (Tacca chantieri) is native to the jungle, it may grow in a container garden on your patio. This spectacular tropical plant, which gets its name from its resemblance to a winged creature, may grow as tall as 3 feet from a single tuber, so give it a big flowerpot to realize its full potential. You'll probably have to replant it every year if it's in a smaller container.
Keep the plant in filtered light and in soil that is damp but not wet. As much as it despises the cold, this plant thrives in humid environments. It's time to move the plant inside if you find yourself grabbing for a sweatshirt.
Snail Vine
Even novice flower gardeners will succeed with the snail vine, also known as the corkscrew vine since it is simple to seed and develop (vigna caracalla). It's a fragrant, pale, and delicate flower with spiraling petals that resemble a snail shell.
Plant the seeds in a sunny position in normal soil, and the fragrant and delicate pink blossoms should develop in six weeks or less. Your vine will become happier and more vigorous as the summer progresses, rising to a height of 25 feet if you let it.
Glorybower
Glorybowers (also known as bag flowers and bleeding hearts) is a half-hardy shrub that may grow up to 12 feet tall in the ground when winter temperatures do not drop below 10 degrees Fahrenheit (zone 7). The slow-growing plant adapts well to container cultivation in cooler climates.
Keep the plant wet and give it at least a half-day of light, whether it's in the ground or in a container. If you like vining plants, seek the bleeding heart vine, Clerodendron thomsoniae.
Guinea Hen Flowers
The Fritillaria genus has a number of intriguing and odd species, but none more so than the checkered Fritillaria meleagris. Although these blooms, which are native to Europe's grassy meadows, have been there since the 16th century, they haven't gained the same popularity as other spring bulbs.
When fertilized, the flowers' drooping blossoms straighten up and become erect. Flowers of the Guinea hen are hardy in zones 3 to 8. Plant these tiny blooms towards the front of the border to appreciate their pattern up close, or push the bulbs inside.
Hoya
The hoya plant, also known as a wax plant, is an epiphytic plant that lives in a tree limb or bark fissure as a non-parasitic companion. It's a fragrant and beautifully lovely low-maintenance tropical flower.
Hoya plants grow in ball-shaped clusters and may be grown as a vine to reach a height of 2 to 4 feet. Give your hoya a well-draining soil mix, such as orchid potting soil, and spray it often. Hoyas are like a shady place where the temperature never drops below 40 degrees Fahrenheit.
Gold Finger
Hummingbirds are attracted to flowers with brilliant tubular shapes, such as the gold finger (Juanulloa aurantiaca). It's a tropical plant that can bloom all year in frost-free climates as long as it gets enough light. Gold fingers will fall into dormancy and shed leaves if there isn't enough light. The plant will grow to be 4 feet by 4 feet in size, so you may grow it as a tiny vine or train it as a shrub.
Lady's Slipper
It's easy to understand why plant collectors all around the globe are enamored with the lady's slipper. Plants that look like orchids but are entirely hardy, especially in zones 4 and 5, flourish in gloomy settings. Gardeners must, however, exercise caution when introducing endangered Cypripedium to their gardens, purchasing only those grown by nurseries rather than those obtained from the wild.
These forest plants need moisture, dappled shade, and an undisturbed environment. Chemical fertilizers may cause plant mortality, therefore humus from decomposing stuff in the soil is all the fertilizer lady's shoes ever needs.
Red Button Ginger
Red button ginger (Costus woodsonii), like many tropical plants, thrives in shaded sunshine. The plants may reach a height of 4 feet in the ground and roughly half that in a container. The striking red cones sometimes produce unusual yellow blossoms, which are delicious if you can stand to harvest them.
Despite the fact that red button ginger is a tropical plant, it will recover from minor frosts. After a strong winter, it may even regrow from the roots. Its vivid red-orange waxy flowers give a splash of color to any container or yard plant.
Sensitive Plant
Because of how it reacts to being handled, the sensitive plant (also known as the modest plant but formally known as Mimosa pudica) never ceases to enchant children and adults alike. "Seismonastic motions" is the technical term for these plants' amazing responsiveness to touch, and the drooping of this plant when you brush it with your finger isn't subtle. People used to believe the Mimosa pudica had animal-like nerves and muscles.
The delicate plant is a container-friendly 1 foot tall, but in many other regions of the nation, it is considered an invasive weed. As a result, you shouldn't plant it in a garden where it may expand and encroach on native plant areas. The plant will produce little pink blooms as it grows. Sunlight and temperatures of 60 to 65 degrees Fahrenheit or above are ideal for sensitive plants.
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