Estelle Darcy Flowershop

Carnations come in 3 different types: large-flowered carnations, spray carnations, and dwarf flowered carnations. Large-flowered carnations can grow to over 20 inches high with one large bloom per stem. These are also referred to as the florist’s carnation. Spray and dwarf carnations have smaller blooms but have multiple blooms per stem. These carnations grow to 12 inches and are more commonly found in gardens.

The Calla Lily is associated with faith and purity. For this reason, religious figures like the Virgin Mary are often depicted holding a bouquet of calla lilies. Calla lilies are also often associated with sympathy and rebirth, making them a popular flower at sympathy occasions.

Also known as the golden poppy, this bright red, orange, or yellow native plant is the state flower of California. It is either an annual or a perennial depending on the climate — annual in colder areas and perennial in warmer regions. The California poppy is a sun worshipper that opens its petals in the sun and closes them on cloudy days and at night.

Buttercups are amazingly diverse wildflowers popping up in temperate Asia, Europe, and North America. They can be perennial, biennial, or annual; and herbaceous, terrestrial, or aquatic; and can be upright or creeping. They have reflective cells in their petals that make them shine the usual yellow color, but they can also be white, pink, or red.

Cheerful black-eyed Susans are one of North America’s favorite perennial wildflowers that are frequently seen in fields and meadows. They are a popular addition to a sunny garden since they are hardy, they can tolerate drought and a variety of soils, and they can reseed and come back year after year. Black-eyed Susans are perfect for a beginner gardener.

One of the hallmarks of late spring are the vivid azaleas that bloom in yards, along trails, and in woodlands. These familiar shrubs are either evergreen or deciduous and display a profusion of white, pink, red, orange, yellow, or purple flowers that cover the bushes.

Most of these beautiful perennials are native to Eurasia, with only two from North America — the New York and New England asters. Their one-inch flowers are starbursts of closely packed, narrow petals in intense blue, purple, lilac, pink, or white.

Alstroemerias are more often called either Peruvian Lilies or Lilies of the Incas and are native to South America. Peruvian Lilies come in a variety of warm colors like pink and orange and are symbolic of friendship, wealth and devotion.