Planting the 'Golden Torch' in beds

Heliconia 'Golden Torch' planted in beds
Location : Heliconia Valley, Zone D

Heliconias belong to the Banana family-
Musaceae

 Try planting the Heliconia 'Golden Torch' in beds.  The pleasure is when they start to produce their colourful bracts.  Once established they will provide unlimited supply for daily cut flowers.  They add striking yellow colour to the landscape everyday.  It is necessary to remove or cut the aerial shoots that have flowered to encourage new shoots.  This gardening practice will result in healthy looking and clean beds.  The 'Golden Torch' have vigorous rhizomes and is easily propagated by division.  They love semi-shade or partial sun conditions.  Many birds are attracted to its inflorescences especially the sunbirds and spiderhunters.  To see how I use the Heliconia 'Golden Torch' in floral art Kambatik style , follow this link ...>>>http://dailycutflowers.blogspot.com/2009/06/hail-to-heliconias.html

Heliconias when grown in beds provide flowering shoots daily througout the year.
Location : Heliconia Valley, Zone D

Hot ferns for floral art

Floral arrangement usinf the 'Paku Kelindang' fiddlehead

 One of the most sought-after ferns for the floral arrangement is the 'Rabbit's Foot' fern (Davallia denticulata) that grows naturally and profusely at the park, often hugging to the leaf bases of the cut oil palm fronds. But many other types of ferns are also suitable candidates for the floral art.  Over the years I have experimented with many ways how the ferns can be used creatively.  In the above picture I have used the broad and thick fiddlehead of the Paku Kelindang (Blechnum orientale) as part of a Kambatik-style floral arrangement.  It is very much left to one's imagination and experimentation on the use of tropical plants for the floral arrangement.  You can checkout my blog dedicated to floral arrangements here..>>. http://dailycutflowers.blogspot.com/ . 

A lace-like fern and a fiddlehead are used as part of the Kambatik-style floral art as shown above.

 In this post I have attempted to show the the beauty of ferns for the floral art.  This is in comparison to earlier posts that emphasize the many types of ferns according to their habits - terrestrial, epiphytic and aquatic; and their uses for for traditional medicine, food and landscaping purposes.  Ferns indeed are intriguing and have one of the most beautiful plant shapes in the uncurling of the fiddlehead of the fern fronds.  It is my hope that more types of ferns will be added to the fernery at the park.  Meanwhile a walk along the trail will do to appreciate the range of ferns available for study, enjoyment and pleasure.