Carnivorous plants of the Philippines

from Makulay

Aside from flowers, birds, orchids and butterflies, Makulay florist has always been interested in gardening. And in this article, makulay will discuss the awesome plants that eat moving, kicking and flying entities—the carnivorous plants of the Philippines.These are rather rare but during garden shows, the rare is always showcased. So watch out for that garden shows especially the ones hosted by the Philippine orchid society.

Planting Some of these especially the venus fly trap is challenging but nothing is impossible for the truly fascinated.

Introducing the venus fly trap. Its prey is not limited to flies, sometimes small frogs and lizards get trapped too.  If not for its size, man would been included in its diet. Have this potted in your garden and visitors will never realize you own other plants. But place a sign “do not feed the Plant” or else everybody will try to feed every  leaf trap and your venus fly trap will literally choke to death.

The pitcher plant. There are so many species. If you have a pet frog or mouse which loves to hide in holes, keep them away from your pitcher plant. This plant will melt slowly anyone that falls unintentionally or deliberately in its stomach. Again have a sign that says “do not feed the plant”. Foolish people might introduce table food to the pitfall trap. The plant is not used to salt and spices. Only natural healthy live food.

Rafflesia. IS NOT A CARNIVORE but we like to mention it here because of its peculiarity. A rare, parasitic, rootless and leafless plant, Rafflesia arnoldii has the largest known flower in the world.. Have not seen any in garden shows yet. It has no roots or leaves and most of the time lives unobserved inside the woody stems and roots of its host. Rafflesia arnoldii only becomes visible when its plump buds emerge through the bark of its host and develop into the large, fleshy flowers which are pollinated by carrion-flies. The flowers emit a foul smell, something like a dead pig or cat. It smells as is to attract insects that pollinate it. If it have been a carnivore, it would be the stuff nightmares are made of.  With its size, it could ingest a whole rabbit.

The Alice  Sundew.  Innocent-looking and pretty, their delicate leaves sparkling with the promise of sweet nectar, but the foolish insect curious enough to give Alice the slightest touch will suddenly find itself stuck and caught in a living nightmare. Giving truth to the saying “Looks are deceiving”.

The Philippine Butterwort (Pinguicula spp). These plants are rather pretty and unassuming. Classic characteristic of a serial killer. Like the sundew, insects are drawn into fatality

Other countries have their own killer plants, almost all are beautiful. At this premise, beauty is used for survival. These plants are extraordinary. People love the extraordinary. We are drawn to beautiful., that is why people love Makulay.

Aside from roses, flowers commonly found in Philippine flower shops

from Makulay

Filipinos should know there are a lot of flowers out there and roses are not the only pillar by which flower shops derived their income. Makulay flower shop has some interesting substitute for roses, even surpassing them in beauty. Get to know these flowers.

First, Makulay‘s favorite the Gerberas. Like the roses are available in pink, white, yellow, tangerine, red, and anything hues in between. The gerbera stands for spontaneity, activity, cheerfulness, strength and togetherness. Like roses, two toned color is not rare in gerberas. It is a very special flower that deserves a prominent place on every retail floor and in every living room.

Next is carnations. Everybody love carnations. Carnations are of 3 types Large flowered, Spray (Mini Carnations), Dwarf flowered. Unlike roses and gerberas, you can easily find the color purple in carnations. Carnation flowers last a long time after they are cut. Carnations has become symbolic of mothers love and of mothers day.

Another favorite is the Lisianthus or paper roses. Lisianthus flowers make people ooh and ahh. Some varieties of this annual look like a blue rose. It’s such an elegant flower that is native to america. And lisianthus is one of the best cut flowers — it will last in the vase for 2 to 3 weeks.

The gladiolas lists fourth. A classic cut flower, gladiolus produces tall flower spikes adorned with large, showy flowers. The deep red variety is common in Manila and so is the white and pink.  Unfortunately, these are relegated to the sympathy memorial arrangements. We wonder why.

The crysanthemuns. They are prolific and so cost less. These are native in Asia. There are countless varieties of mums. Cultivated varieties are showier than their wild relatives. These plants come in a wide variety of floral colors, including not only gold but also white, off-white, yellow, bronze, red, burgundy, pink, lavender and purple. Mum plants can grow to be 2-3 feet high, depending on the cultivar and growing conditions. Chrysanthemums also come in many flower forms; that is, they are often grouped by the shape and arrangement of their petals. The most popular flower form is the “decorative,” which is so packed with long, broad petals that you can hardly see the center.

Stargazers. These lilies are aromatic. Has a sweet rustic scent that 3 to 4 pieces is enough to freshen a room. Sold per stem. Each stem may hold four or more buds that eventually opens while in the vase. A very showy flower with scarce leaves

Find these flowers in spectacular arrangement. Visit this Manila florist.

How to Plant Strawberry Seeds

Step 1
Choose a growing location that receives at least six hours of direct sun every day. Prepare the area in early spring when the soil is warm, yet is not overly wet. Add compost to the soil and work it well with the garden spade to incorporate the compost completely into the soil.

Step 2
Sprinkle 1 pound of fertilizer for every 100 square feet of growing area onto the soil. Work the fertilizer into the soil about 8 inches deep with the spade.

Step 3
Select the kind of strawberries you want to grow. Spring-bearing strawberry plants produce berries for several weeks in June. Everbearing strawberry plants produce berries three times a year–in spring, summer and autumn. Day neutral strawberry plants produce berries throughout the entire growing season. Everbearing strawberries and day neutral strawberries are best suited for gardens where space is limited.

Step 4
Prepare planting rows. Space spring-bearing strawberries 18 to 30 inches apart in rows that are between 3 and 4 feet apart. Space everbearing and day neutral strawberries 12 inches apart in rows that are 2 feet apart.

Step 5
Dig holes for the strawberry plants so that the roots have adequate room on all sides and the soil will be just above the root tops. Place the plants in the holes and pat the soil around them so that the crowns are slightly above the soil level.

Step 6
Water the strawberry plants generously after planting. Mulch around the plants with straw to help prevent weeds and keep the soil moist.

Buy flowers, gifts  and strawberries and send them to the Philippines at Makulay

The New Black Trend

Now everybody wants black. The color black is not anymore solely associated with death and darkness, it is the new sophisticate. Everyone is attracted to the rare black, a deviation from the colors that surround us. From vegetables, to animals, we find black beautiful. Here are a collection of rare black heirlooms and deviants. Over 2700 years ago the Incans had already started building their empire in Peru. Archeologists now believe that corn and llamas were basis of the Incans surge to power. Although thousands of forms of corn exist in the Peruvian Andes some forms have a very noble and well known history. The so called Kulli or Kculli Strains of purple or black corn are ancient and have been used perhaps for thousands of years. Kulli corn is almost jet black to the eye, it is so rich in anthocyanins that when cobs and kernels are soaked in water, (like they have been since antiquity by the Peruvians), they turn the water a deep purple. This drink is famous in Peru and is called Chicha (it’s flavored with other yummy ingredients too!). The flowers commonly called black roses are actually a very dark shade of red, purple, or maroon. The color of a rose may be deepened by placing a dark rose in a vase of water mixed with black ink. Other black roses may be blackened by other methods such as burning. The black iris. Iris chrysographes, commonly known as the Black Iris, is a plant species that belongs to the genus Iris. It is native to S China and Myanmar (Burma), growing in meadows, streamsides, hillsides and forest margins. Other irises with black flowers include Iris nigricans (the national flower of Jordan), Iris petrana, Iris atrofusca, Iris atropurpurea, Iris susiana, and some varieties of Iris germanica. Want a truly unusual flower? Look no further than Bat Flower (Tacca Chantrieri). Give it some space to spread its wings. Those dark, exotic flowers grow up to 12 inches (30 cm) across, and feature “whiskers” that reach 24 inches (60 cm) long. Native to the rainforest in Yunnan Province, China, this tropical perennial is suited to average indoor temperatures. However, it doesn’t like dry air at all, which can make it difficult to please in many homes. Orchids are a very popular flower probably because of its exotic look. Even more unique is the black orchid, whose name Bulbophyllum. This orchid including accompanies many species in this class, which vary greatly in appearance. The name comes from Bulbophyllum both Latin and Greek. The “smell” Latin, like a light bulb and Greek “phyllon” means sheet describes its shape. This exotic plant is the largest genus of the orchid family Orchidaceae, or also as one of the largest in the plant kingdom. With about 1,805 species, the doctrine of the black orchid is no small feat. Black tomatoes. The ‘Indigo Rose’ is a new, strangely-colored variety of tomato. The fruit is jet black on the outside and juicy purple-red on the inside. These colors might not sound very appealing, but black tomatoes are supposed to be very tasty, and most importantly, rich in antioxidants. Indigo Rose is a cross-breed between red and purple tomatoes, and is the latest ‘superfood’ to hit the market. You wish. Sorry but no true black lion in the wild or in captivity yet. The above is photoshoped. But a black lion like a black horse would have been gorgeous. For other blacks, visit makulay.

Send Gifts to the Philippines

enter MAKULAY here

Makulay is an online florists and gift shop in the Philippines. It has wide selection to choose from, and you can easily get confused as to what gift or flower to send your loved ones in the Philippines.

First, the good,

Makulay gift shop has the best chocolates. Most complete grocery store and  extensive food menu. You can customize your chocolate box by adding to your cart only the flavors you crave about. This is good when you don’t like your chocolates tinted with cayenne or hot pepper or ginger and so on. You can also customize gift baskets. Fruits are available in pieces so that your gift baskets can include more and be varied. These are great to start your basket. Given the immensity of gifts available, the possibilities are endless. You can for example add a perfume with the fruits and groceries. Or you can create a baby basket by including only baby needs in the basket. Or a basket for Him, for Mom, for Tito etc..

The bad,

Makulay also delivers chowking, Greenwich, pizzahut, Jollibee. Problem is, more often than not, these are delivered already cold.

The beautiful

Flowers are the best in makulay. This florist have stunning pieces for every occasion. Originality and creativity are the hallmarks. But you must be patient enough to go through the extensive list. The best arrangement are not necessarily found up front. The flower shop combines both local and imported materials in their designs. Always checkout the roses both local and imported.

You can visit makulay at http://www.makulay.com http://www.sendgiftstothePhilippines.net

Useful link:
http://www.sendgiftstoPhilippines.com