Florist Supplies Guide

Think of your marriage as a beautiful and dazzling flower garden. In an acre of astounding floral beauty, you and your husband have planted azaleas, roses, chrysanthemums, daisies, carnations, violets, geraniums, and several more varieties of your favorite flowers.

Since this flower garden is very valuable to both of you, you nurture your flowers with the greatest of love, and you both toil with the duties and responsibilities given to you from when you first started the garden. You both work so very hard to make sure each flower is tended with the utmost care. This flowerbed is the most picturesque site to behold. Your friends and family all wish they had your flower garden.

People from all over town peak into your backyard to enjoy the beauty and aroma of your garden. One day while you are out shopping, a jealous stranger trespasses onto your property and digs up several plots of roses and azaleas, roots and all, and plants them in his own backyard.

This wicked act completely devastates the both of you and each blames the other for the attack to the flower garden. You began to scream and call each other names. You tell your husband to replant more flowers since it was his fault. He tells you to do the replanting because it is your fault. Weeks go by and neither you nor your husband have talked to each other since the flower garden attack.

One day, you cannot stand the dreadful silence around the house any longer, and you tell your husband that it really wasn’t his fault. You kiss and make up, and decide to replant the flowers together. So the next day, you and your husband replant more flower seeds in the barren spots where the flowers were taken.

Everyday the two of you work with the soil so the flowers will come up just as beautiful as before. You water and feed the sprouts and even talk to them because you love them so much. But now you’re both worried that more flowers will be taken or destroyed. The problem is you just don’t feel like taking the time to protect your flowerbed - its just too much trouble out of your daily schedule to do anything about it, besides you really don’t think it will happen again.

Days pass, and you forget the tragic episode.

Again, everyday without fail you and your husband give your flowers the tender loving care they so much need. You water, feed, and even talk to your breathtaking vegetation. You highly prize each and every flower and it shows in the intricate beauty and delicate care of each different variety.

After planting, caring, and tending your garden for several years, the same stranger becomes even more envious and trespasses again, this time bringing his three dogs with him. The dogs run wildly through your backyard and right into your flower garden, trampling all the dazzling plants to the ground.

Both of you are overcome with sadness and despair; your flower garden was your life! You built it up to be the most stunning specimen of a flower garden of its kind. You thought you had it well protected, after all, it was in your own backyard.

Your flower garden is what brought you peace and tranquility. You planted it with superior seeds, and cared for it every single day with great tenderness and love, and now it is destroyed! All destroyed! Your life is destroyed!

What did this husband and wife forget to do for their flower garden? What was the most important thing they could have done to protect their garden?
What about a fence? They didn’t have a fence around it.

What would you do? Would you replant the beautiful flower garden that you built up and nurtured? What would be a wise thing to do for your flower garden? Build a tall fence around it so the enemies cannot trample in and take what they want?

It is the same way with marriage. What would you do? Would you let satan enter in and destroy the love and trust that you and your spouse worked so hard at building up through the years? Would you let strangers trespass and take what doesn’t belong to them? What is the most important thing you can do for your marriage? Protect it! Build your marriage upon the rock so the enemies cannot come in and destroy it?

“Therefore everyone who hears these words of mine and puts them into practice is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. The rain came down, the streams rose, and the winds blew and beat up against that house; yet it did not fall, because it had its foundation on the rock.” Matthew 7:24-25

Angie Lewis is the author of two marriage books.
“Journey on the Roads Less Traveled”, a book about love, life, addiction, and marriage.

“Love The Man Your Married. This book tackles areas in marriage that couples need to know and understand and apply for a successful marriage. This book is a most reliable resource for married couples, from infidelity issues to complete forgiveness.

For more information on these books visit Angie’s website and signup for the free monthly newsletter while you’re there! http://www.heavenministries.com

As you may have observed from your gardening experiences plants can be fussy things. The right location, amount of sunlight and 101 other factors influence your plant’s growing ability. One factor which is very beneficial in understanding before putting that new plant into the earth is soil pH.

What is Soil pH?
Let’s get all scientific for a moment and learn what pH is. In chemistry pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline a solution is. Okay chemistry lesson over. Basically soil pH is a measure of how acidic or alkaline your soil is. Soil pH is measured on a scale of 1 to 14. If your soil has a pH value of less than 7 then you have acidic soil. On the other hand if your soil has a pH value of greater than 7 then you have alkaline soil. A pH value of 7 is neutral, meaning you have neither acidic or alkaline soil.

The Effect of Soil pH on Plants
Knowing the pH value of your soil before planting is very important as it has a direct influence on the health of the plant. Each plant has its own recommended soil pH value range. The reason for this is that soil pH effects the availability of nutrients within the soil and plants have different nutrient needs. For example the nutrient nitrogen, a very important plant nutrient, is readily available in soil when the pH value is above 5.5. Similarily the nutrient phosphorous is available when the pH value is between 6 and 7. If a plant is placed into the wrong kind of soil it will be lacking in nutrients that it needs which will promote disease. In general the best pH value range for soil is approximately 6 or 7 as this is the range in which most nutrients can be readily available.

Finding Out pH of Soil
Finding out the pH of soil is usually a trivial matter and the kits to do so should be available at most good garden centres. Usually a pH testing kit will include a small container / test tube, testing solution and a color chart. A sample of soil is taken from your garden, placed into the container / test tube and a few drops of testing solution are added. The container is then shaken and left for a certain period of time. The color of the sample in the container is then compared against the color chart to determine the pH value of the soil. Note that if you want to determine the soil pH of an large area it may be a good idea to take soil samples from many different locations, combine the samples and then perform the test on the combined sample.

A quick way to find out the pH of an area is to look to see if there are any house hydrangeas (Hydrangea macrophylla) already growing in the area. If so observe the color of its flowers. A soil pH of 6 or below will produce blue flowers while a soil pH of 6.8 or higher will produce pink flowers.

How to Make Soil More Alkaline (Increase pH)
If your soil is acidic or slightly acidic you can take steps to make it more alkaline to accommodate the plants you want to put there. You can make your soil more alkaline (increase its pH value) by adding a form of lime. Lime is a compound of calcium or calcium and magnesium. It is usually applied in the form of ground agricultural limestone, burnt lime or hydrated lime (slaked lime). The smaller the limestone particles then the quicker your soil will become more alkaline. For this reason hydrated lime will offer the quickest performance because it is slightly soluble in water so it can permeate the soil quicker and reduce acidity faster.

Increasing the pH of your soil is not an overnight process and it is best to allow 2-3 months to allow the lime to neutralize the acidity of the soil acidity.

How to Make Soil More Acidic (Decrease pH)
Some ornamental plants and fruit plants like blueberries require an acidic soil. To make your soil more acidic (decrease its pH value) you can use either aluminium sulphate or sulphur. Aluminium sulphate is the quickest acting as it will increase the acidity as soon as it disolves into the soil. The downsides are though that its effects can be short term and it is possible to over-apply it.

The more recommended but slower way to increase your soil pH is to use sulphur. Sulphur converts to sulphuric acid with the help of bacteria in the soil but this takes time depending on factors like the presence of bacteria, texture of the soil and moisture levels. This could take months if conditions are not ideal.

Conclusion
Remember to always take into account soil pH when deciding what to plant in your soil. If you do not know what the pH of your soil is then test your soil and if needs be take steps mentioned earlier to change the pH value over time. Best of luck!

Visit the home and gardening forums at GardenStew.com or start your free home and garden blog.

Original article location: Soil pH and its Effect on Your Garden

As the curtain of winter lifts, tulips are one of the first flowers to take the spring stage. As the last drifts of snow seep into the soil, these bright signs of spring dance in the sunlight. However, you don’t have to wait for spring to grow tulips. Whether it lies in a bed, under a shrub, in the crevices of a rock garden or in a container, a tulip bulb is an underground flower factory just waiting to “spring up” from whatever soil it occupies.

The whole purpose of a tulip bulb is to flower. In fact, in the center of each bulb, tiny leaves cradle a baby bud. The white, onion-like bulb that surrounds the bud stores all the nutrients that the bud needs to sprout and grow. The only real help the tulip needs to grow is a generous drink of water and some soil to keep it moist.

Selecting Cultivars

When selecting bulbs, a simple rule of thumb is that the bigger the bulb, the bigger the flower. Choose plump bulbs that are firm and heavy for their size. Although the tunic (outer papery skin) need not be intact, avoid bulbs that are withered, overly dry, scarred, and have traces of mold, soft spots, or other blemishes. However, more difficult than selecting bulbs is first choosing from the over 100 varieties of tulips which are divided into 15 divisions. Careful selection from different divisions can help you plan a tulip garden that begins in early spring and dances on through the end of May!

1. Single Early

Short-stemmed tulips (usually about 8-inches high) that flower in late March and early April.

2. Double Early

A profusion of petals on 12 to 15 inch stems makes an attractive display when these bulbs are forced indoors. Although they usually bloom from early to mid-April, they are more delicate than some other cultivars and need protection from cold and inclement weather.

3. Triumph

A standard since 1923 when they were named by Dutch breeder, N. Zandbergen, these tulips take the throne at the end of April as they tower to 18 inches high.

4. Darwin Hybrids

One of the tallest garden tulips (usually over 2-feet tall) these red and yellow beauties are perfect for naturalizing and are those you generally see returning in established gardens May after May.

5. Single Late

Originally known as Cottage tulips, these hybrids inter-mingled and successfully merged with Darwin hybrids. Like the Darwins, they grow well over 2-feet tall and bloom in May.

6. Lily-Flowered

Another May-flowering tulip, this group was originally grouped with Cottage tulips but was reclassified in 1958. On stems that grow from 1 ? to 2-feet tall, long, shapely flowers have pointed petals that most closely resemble native Turkish tulips and boast the first scented tulip, the Ballerina, in their troupe.

7. Fringed

A short (12 to 18 inches) but showy group of tulips that brightens the May garden with ruffles that either mirror or add a contrasting color to the rest of the bloom.

8. Viridiflora

May blooms with a flash of green streaked through their petals, this group of tulips varies from one to two-feet tall.

9. Rembrandt

Once highly prized by gardeners, today these tulips are nearly obsolete. Although streaked with beautiful breaks and stripes of artistic color, it was discovered that this palette was created by a virus that could spread to other tulip cultivars. Although some suppliers still offer the Rembrandt, these tulips are no longer commercially grown and advertised types are generally no relation to the true Rembrandt cultivars.

10. Parrot

A riot of petals that curl in all directions, these blooms look like they could use some preening. However, they aren’t named for their resemblance to feathers, but rather for the bud that resembles a parrot’s beak. A few of these May-blooming cultivars are scented. They generally grow from 16 to 24 inches tall.

11. Double Late (Peony Flowered)

Although less resistant to poor weather, peony flowered cultivars are another excellent choice for container tulip growing. From mid to late May, these tall (1 ? to 2-feet) blooms bear a profusion of petals in close resemblance to their namesake.

12. Kaufmanniana

If you have difficulty in pronouncing the name of this group, you can also call its cultivars ‘water lily tulips’. Opening flat under the mid-March sun, the foliage of these flowers is characterized by deep purple or brown blotches. Shorter than some other cultivars, the Kaufmanniana is only 6 to 12 inches high.

13. Fosteriana

Greigii crossed with Kaufmanniana “fostered” this division. From 8 to 18 inches tall, these tulips add drama to the April garden with foliage that ranges from grey-green to glossy green.

14. Greigii

Another short (8 to 12 inches) addition to the early spring garden (late March to early April), striking wavy edged foliage provides a perfect backdrop for an eruption of upright blooms that stand amidst a frame of flared-out petals.

15. Species

The last and the least? This group is truly the dwarf (4 to 12 inches) of the tulip family. However, they’re easy to naturalize and their cheery blooms repeat year after year anytime from March to May, some varieties even seeding themselves freely! They are definite proof that good things come in small packages!

Planting the tulip Bulbs

Although grown in Holland since the late 16th Century, tulips are native to the mountains of Turkey. There, the winters are cold, the spring rains are plentiful and they have cold winters, plenty of water in the spring, and the rest of the year is well hot! Tulips need the warmth of summer sun to ripen next year’s flower buds. However, they need the cold of winter to rest for their lively emergence in spring.

Generally, unplanted bulbs are difficult to keep over winter. Once evening temperatures dip to 50F, it’s time to put them in the ground. Fall is also the best time to nourish your tulips. Before you begin planting bulbs, work nutrient rich compost through your soil. Although bulbs will grow in nearly any type of soil, the richer your soil is, the bigger your bulb lift will be next summer. Good drainage is another crucial factor in keeping bulbs healthy.

Plant bulbs two to three times their height. For compact displays, plant them closely together, but not touching. The root side of a bulb is the more rounded side; the pointed side is the part that will open and sprout foliage and flower.

Container Tulip Tips

Choose container size according to the height of your cultivar and the density of your bulb planting. Plant bulbs the same as you would garden grown-tulips, making sure there is at least ? inch of soil below the planting.

Plant tulips for indoor forcing in September and October. Place pots in a cool garden spot (outdoors) and cover them with an inch of clean soil. When top growth is about ? -inch to 1-inch, transfer them indoors to a darkened area with a maximum temperature of 60F. Let the stems lengthen for about three weeks and return them to a lighted area with a slightly higher temperature.

Use fresh soil-based potting mixtures only. Peat based mixtures may burn the roots of your bulbs and soil less mixtures dry too quickly.

If putting containers outdoors, protect them from severe frosts particularly when combined with penetrating winds. Store them in a cool area like your garage or wrap with sacking or straw and cover them with plastic bags until the weather is more tulip-friendly.

It is essential to keep tulip containers sufficiently watered. Unlike garden grown plants, those in containers cannot seek for water deeper within their environment. Dry pots result in stunted and shriveled flower heads.

Tulip Care

When tulips are done flowering, either snip the stem or deadhead the bloom. However, let the leaves die naturally. This is the time the bulb absorbs the nutrients it needs for next year’s growth. When the foliage becomes discolored, remove it to prevent “tulip fire”, which can poison your soil. This is also a good time to lift any tulip bulbs that you want to remove from your garden.

Lifting bulbs isn’t any more complex than digging them out of the ground or dumping them out of the pot. Usually each bloom produces one good-sized bulb and two smaller offshoots that can be discarded. Allow lifted bulbs to dry naturally. Then store them somewhere cool in an airy container (net produce bags and burlap bags work well) to provide good circulation until next planting time.

Tulip Problems

When tulips produce foliage but no flowers, the most probable cause is damage caused by slugs or snails. Although liquid slug killers are available from most garden centers, most of them are toxic to beneficial organisms and insects in your garden as well as your pets and your family. The easiest way to deter slugs from invading your tulips is to create a barrier of lava rock or diatomaceous earth around your tulips. Both have sharp edges that kill invading pests by cutting into their skin and causing them to dry up. Another effective way to control slugs is with beer traps. Partially filled cans buried up to the lip will attract and drown slugs.

Linda is an enthusiastic gardener, researcher and author of?
http://www.gardening-guides.com?
at this site you find a lot of flower gardening related information

Many people are living a life of sadness, despair, fear and anger, as if they were living in a basement with a very low ceiling. A cold, damp ceiling of dense concrete, keeping them down. There are no windows in this place, no sunshine coming in, no birds singing, no nightingales, no voices of children playing, no affection, no tenderness. Instead there are tons of misery, illness, sadness, anger, depression, fatigue, anxiety, doubt and low self-esteem.

How can you leave these gloomy quarters? How do you go back to the gentle sunlight? All you need to do is take a few steps up the staircase, and there you are: on the first floor, where there’s lots of light, love, abundance, joy, well-being and plenty of sunshine - even if it’s raining outside. All of this is just one floor away! One floor up, in fact.

Why is it so hard to leave the basement, to wake up from this nightmare, and to reach that place where you long to be, when it is just a few steps away? Because “they” have told you that this murky basement you’re living in is all there is, and you have taken their word for it. Who are “they” ? They are your parents, your teachers, people around you, TV shows you watch, newspapers you read, and so on.

You think this sad life in the basement is reality, and that love and excitement is the stuff that dreams are made of. My dear, you are living an illusion! You are living a huge misunderstanding, for it is exactly the other way around. It is the darkness that is the dream (a nightmare in fact), and Love and Light that is real.

Unfortunately, “they” never told you that real life is happening just a few steps up. They never told you that you are living in a nightmare. Why didn’t they tell you? Are they that sadistic? Didn’t they want you to be happy and healthy and abundant? Oh yes, they did! So why didn’t they tell you? Because they simply don’t know themselves! They too believe, and have believed for their whole life, that the lies they are living are the truth, that the nightmare is real. And so they couldn’t have told you anything else than the lies they themselves take for truth.

This handover of misunderstandings and lies has been going on for a very long time, generation after generation. Do you really want to stay under that ceiling, cramped and swamped in darkness and misery? Do you want your children to fall for these lies, “living” a “life” of discontent, heaviness and chronic disease? Or do you want to live one step beyond, a few steps up, being showered with love and feeling the sunshine on your face?

How do you get there? It’s right there!
You will have to stretch yourself a little bit to get there. You will have to take a serious look at your belief system and carefully examine the core beliefs that all of your thoughts are built upon. Then you will need to decide whether you will continue believing the lies they told you, or whether you will abandon those limiting ideas, make up your own mind, and take a shot at living in joy and excitement.

Stretch yourself, step out of your comfort zone. You will have to quit some bad habits and leave behind some of the people you used to hang out with. You can no longer dwell in negative energy vibrations once you have made up your mind that you want to live on a positive vibe.

How can you go one floor up and step back into the light? There are several things you can do! Take a walk in nature, listen to some uplifting music, read an inspiring book, attend workshops to develop your talents, discover your inner truth and your true nature in moments of silence, take your dreams serious and do whatever you can to realize them. Nurture your passions: sing, dance, paint, draw, make love with your loved one, connect with your guardian angel, look into the eyes of a child, play with your pets, make friends with the Universe, have a conversation with God (and with the neighbors), follow your own path, lift your vibration with therapies like Bach Flower Therapy, and so on. In a nutshell : surround yourself with people, objects and activities that have a high energy vibration and that makes your energy flow in your body. There is so much to enjoy!

There is so much you can do to uplift your energy vibration, that there is absolutely no excuse to stay underground. Unless you consciously choose to be loyal to those who tell you there is no fun in life, that this misery is just the way life is, that you have to accept it, and that the basement is the only room in the house. You have a choice to make: or you make it your priority to uplift your energy, or you stay where you are. It’s totally up to you! You have the freedom to choose. Since everybody can go upstairs, since access is denied to nobody, there really is no excuse not to go there

You should do every day things that make you feel happy. It won’t happen by itself. Make a list of what makes you feel smiling and what uplifts your energy, and start doing at least some of these things every day! You can, nobody withholds you!

Consider this: the effort needed to go up that staircase is no bigger than the effort needed to stay under that low ceiling, carrying a heavy load on your shoulders. The effort is the same but the results are vastly different! Staying where you are is wallowing in misery and pain. Going upstairs is telling the world you really believe you and everybody else deserve a life filled with light and enthusiasm! Your life is waiting for you! Go up there and get it! Don’t wait for it to happen by itself. Stand up, move your body, take action and do what makes you feel better!

Why not go up? The difference is enthusiasm!

Written by Ineke Van Lint, psychologist. Live your life your way, full of joy, abundance and enthusiasm! Decide to be happy and go for it! Follow your dreams. Two free e-courses on www.theenthusiasm.com

Choosing a Florist
Start the process of choosing a florist by looking online for example works, attending bridal shows and by asking friends and family for referrals. If the flowers at a recent wedding were particularly exquisite, ask the bride which florist she used. Once a list of several has been formed, make an appointment with each to sit down and talk about options and to view photos of past arrangements and weddings. The first appointment will usually take an hour or so.

Before keeping that appointment, assemble some items that will help the florist to help you. First, work out a general budget for your wedding flowers. Ask yourself questions like:
How many bridesmaids and groomsmen will there be?
Who outside the bridal party will receive flowers to wear?
Will the florist decorate the pew ends or the altar in the church?
Will flowers be required for the wedding cake?
Will the florist decorate the reception site, including the head table and other tables?

In addition to budget information, your florist will need you to bring such helpful items as photos or magazine clippings of flower arrangements you like, a photo of your wedding dress so she can match the style of the flowers with it and a fabric swatch from your bridesmaids’ dresses for color comparison.

Cost
The cost of wedding flowers can vary widely depending on several factors. Exotic out-of-season flowers will, of course, cost far more than locally-grown and easily obtained in-season flowers. Upscale, cutting-edge floral designers will most likely be more expensive than a more traditional florist. Bouquets rich in certain flowers and light on greenery will certainly make a dent in your pocketbook. Though the conveniences of having a florist decorate the church and reception site can be more costly, it is usually worth the amount of stress it will relieve and provides beautiful end results!

The average cost of wedding flowers lies somewhere in the $800 to $6,000 range for most medium size weddings. Some brides avoid some of this cost by arranging the flowers themselves, but this can be a stressful and tricky operation. If considering this option, remember that the flowers will have to be prepared either the day before or the day of the wedding and will need to be refrigerated. Someone will have to transport them to and distribute them at the church. Is the added responsibility worth the money saved? Only the bride herself can answer that question.

Bouquets & Such
Color saturation is the watchword for today’s bridal bouquets, according to local florists. They say that blue is still a very trendy color for flowers, especially when paired with purple or a periwinkle color. Subdued colors such as taupe tinged with pink are edging their way into bouquets everywhere, too. These colors go well with the taupe and pewter dresses worn by today’s bridesmaids.

As for bouquet shapes, they say that ’simple elegance’ are the first words out of every bride’s mouth. Many brides today seek out a pav? arrangement, which is a tight cluster of blossoms. Such bouquets might consist of a single type of flower in the same or related colors or it might include several different varieties of flowers. These arrangements have very few, if any, greens, which can make them costly. This is a very balanced, geometric look made popular in recent years.

On the opposite end of the spectrum, the European hand-tied bouquet retains its favor with brides everywhere. This arrangement has a fresh, natural appeal and can include a diverse selection of flowers. Most often, these bouquets have a casual simplicity that many brides find particularly appealing.

What flowers do brides choose to include in their bouquets? Romantic roses, as always, top the list. Brides also choose fresh lavender, sages and other herbs. Berries, Lisianthus (also known as the false rose) and hydrangeas make regular appearances, too. Silk flowers remain popular, especially top-of-the-line silks, that can hardly be differentiated from fresh. Some brides even include delicate silk fruits in their bouquets.

To set off the simple look of today’s flower arrangements, whether formal or natural, florists employ different styles of rich-looking ribbon. Satin ribbon might wrap around a bouquet’s stems to hide them and to ensure unstained, unpricked hands. Wide satin ribbon in silk gives a lush simplicity when tied in a simple bow. Sheer ribbons add a fairy-tale feel to a tight cluster of elegant blooms. Ribbon colors range from deep cocoas to pearly white.

Today’s boutonni?res also have a new look, pared down and simple, often with a satin ribbon to accompany them. And like the pav? bouquets, boutonni?res often forego the greenery to achieve a single-minded elegance.

Floral Decor
That elegant simplicity has changed the way churches are decorated for weddings, too. A lot of brides are doing more at the reception than they used to. The church look is simpler the (decorating) money is spent at the reception. That means receptions have blossomed. There, topiaries and wheat sheaves decorate tables with elegance. Again, pav? clusters of single or several flowers adorn tables like jewels.

Preserving the Flowers
With all the effort, time and money that go into the wedding flowers, one final detail that is often overlooked is preserving them. For centuries brides have discarded or left their bouquets to dry and shrivel away. Now brides can keep their bouquets with the latest technologies in flower preservation. The process of flower preservation is incredibly involved and time consuming if done correctly. Floral preservationists know how to handle each flower to provide you with the most “life like” look possible. Keep in mind plans must be made in advance if floral preservation is desired. Consult a floral preservationist at least two months prior to the wedding to arrange to have the flowers shipped, delivered, or picked up immediately after the wedding while they are still fresh. Preserved flowers are attractive accents for any home. Special display pieces can be made using the flowers and other wedding keepsakes. Just as the wedding gown, photographs and other sentimental memorabilia can be a reminder; bridal flowers too can bring a lifetime of enjoyment!

Rebecca Sherman is an editor at ModernWeddingPlanner.com
Planning a Wedding? Our Free Wedding Planner and Wedding Planning Guide has sections to track guest information, RSVP’s, budgets, shower and wedding gifts and More! Plus export your data to Excel.

Once the J. W. Milam and Roy Bryant trial in Sumner, Mississippi ended for the murder of Emmett Till, less than a month later in the nearby small cotton town of Glendora, a black service station attendant and father of four children was killed by a friend of Milam’s.

Elmer Kimball murdered Clinton Melton and then nineteen days later, Melton’s young wife was killed, only a week before Kimball’s murder trial opened.

Fourteen-year-old Till of Chicago was visiting relatives in the Mississippi Delta at the end of August when he was kidnapped, tortured and killed after he was accused of whistling at a white store clerk.

Then in December, Clinton Melton was murdered only four miles from where Emmett Till’s body was dumped into the Tallahatchie River six months earlier. Kimball, Milam’s friend, had lived in Glendora for a short time, managing a local cotton gin, and had an account at the gas station where Melton worked.

On the day of the murder, Kimball, 35, was driving a car borrowed from his friend, J.W. Milam, one of the two men accused and acquitted of killing Till, when he drove to the gas station and asked for a fill-up. Melton’s daughter, Deloris Melton Gresham, was a toddler when her parents were killed, but she later was told what occurred at the service station:

“When Kimball drove up to the station, my father’s boss told my father to go out and fill up his car. But when he was done filling the car, Kimball went into a rage and said he only wanted a dollar’s worth of gas, and that he was going to go home and get his gun to shoot him. The gas station owner tried to talk him down, but couldn’t. He told him my father was a good negro and that he did not deserve to be hurt. He really pleaded with Kimball.”

As soon as Kimball left, his boss told him that he had better leave, fast. But his car was out of gas and he had to fill it first. Kimball came right back and began shooting at my father. Another man was in his car with him, and yelled for him not to shoot. He jumped out of the car and ran into the station to hide. On arrest, Kimball claimed Melton shot at him first. McGarrh [the white owner of the gas station] denied this, adding that Melton did not have a gun at any time during the quarrel. A bullet hole was found in the windshield of Melton’s parked car.

An angry Southern newspaper publisher, Hodding Carter, reacted to the murder of one of “Mississippi’s own,” comparing it to the Till case in a Delta-Times editorial:

[Melton] was no out-of-state smart alec. He was home-grown and “highly respected.”…. There was no question of an insult to Southern womanhood. There was only an argument about gasoline. There was no pressure by the NAACP, “credited” with the outcome of the Till trial…. So another “not guilty” verdict was written at Sumner this week. And it served to cement the opinion of the world that no matter how strong the evidence, nor how flagrant is the apparent crime, a white man cannot be convicted in Mississippi for killing a negro.

LITTLE ATTENTION was given to the death of Gresham’s mother that occurred on or around December 21, 1955, approximately nineteen days after Clinton Melton was killed on December 3. Officially, her mother’s death was blamed on faulty driving. “Later, a relative told me that was not true, that everyone knew she was run off the road,” Gresham said.

Gresham, a toddler at the time, recalled being trapped inside her mother’s car as it sank to the bottom of a murky bayou near Glendora. A relative driving by saved her life and that of her baby brother. But Beulah Melton drowned.

“My mother was a pretty woman, known for being bright and outspoken,” Gresham said. “People who knew her have told me we are very much alike - both in looks and in personality.”

Beulah Melton had been picking up information on her husband’s death and would have been a “problem” for Kimball at the trial, Gresham said.

From news accounts and the talk around Glendora, there was no provocation of her father’s killing. It was outright murder, according to white witnesses, including the white service station owner. The Melton family was well known in Glendora. Clinton Melton had lived there all his life and, “for once, white people spoke out against the killing of a negro. The local Lions Club adopted a resolution branding the murder ‘an outrage’ [and pledging to donate $400 to the family],” Myrlie Evers, the wife of slain civil rights leader Medgar Evers, later wrote.

Melton’s widow told Medgar Evers she feared justice would not be done if the NAACP interested itself in the case, and asked him not to become involved. “Her wishes were respected.”

In a later investigation after her death, Medgar Evers discovered the club had given the widow only twenty-six dollars and that a local white minister had given her sixty dollars of his own.

Relatives took in Delores Melton Gresham and her siblings, and Gresham continued to live in Glendora with her grandmother. “My grandfather was so upset, he left Glendora and never came back.”

Unlike some earlier Mississippi white on black murders, Kimball was charged for the murder and although not convicted, spent some time in jail:

Kimball Loses Bid for Freedom on Bond

Sumner, Miss. (AP) -December 28, 1955 - Elmer Kimball today lost his bid for freedom on bond while awaiting grand jury action on a charge of murdering a Negro man.

Three justices of the peace held a preliminary hearing for the white gin operator and refused bond. Officers returned Kimball to jail to await action of the grand jury which meets next March. The hearing was held in the little courthouse where the sensational Emmett Till trial was held. Bond usually is refused in cases where a person is accused of a crime which carries a possible death sentence upon conviction.

Kimball is charged with murder in the shotgun slaying of Clinton Melton, Negro service station attendant at nearby Glendora and father of four children. The accused man testified he fired in self-defense after someone shot at him three times. Kimball said he didn’t know who fired until he returned the fire and killed Melton.

Lee McGarrh, Melton’s employer, testified that Kimball fired without provocation, and Melton was unarmed. He said Kimball became angry at the Negro during an argument over gasoline for Kimball’s car. McGarrh said Kimball declared he was going home for his gun and [sic] kill Melton.
***

ONE WIRE SERVICE sent a staff member to cover the Kimball trial, and the only Mississippi newspaper that sent a staffer was Carter’s Greenville Delta Democrat-Times. Reporter David Halberstam remained in Mississippi after the Milam-Bryant trial and wrote as a freelancer.

This time cameras were barred, not only from the courtroom but also from the entire courthouse property, and no press table was set up. The sentiment [for conviction] was particularly strong in the Glendora community where Kimball shot Melton and where both the deceased and the defendant were well known, according to Halberstam: “Elsewhere in Talahatchie County, of course, it tended to become the usual matter of a white man and a black man.”

Defining “Good” and “Bad”

Halberstam assessed the environment before the trial got started:

“A friend of mine divides the white population of Mississippi into two categories. The first and largest contains the good people of Mississippi, as they are affectionately called by editorial writers, politi?cians, and themselves. The other group is a smaller but in many ways more conspicuous faction called the peckerwoods.

“The good people will generally agree that the peckerwoods are troublemakers, and indeed several good people have told me they joined the Citizens Councils because otherwise the peckerwoods would take over the situation entirely. It is the good people who will tell you that their town has enjoyed racial harmony for many years, while it is the peckerwoods who may confide that they know how to keep the niggers in their place; it is the good people who say and mean, “We love our nigras,” and it is the peckerwoods who say and mean, “If any big buck gets in my way it’ll be too damn bad.”

“But while the good people would not act with the rashness of and are not governed by the hatred of the peckerwood, they are reluctant to apply society’s normal remedies to the peckerwood. Thus it is the peckerwoods who kill Negroes and the good people who acquit the peckerwoods…”

DESPITE HIS PLEAS of self-defense, Kimball was denied bond in two preliminary hearings. The biggest problem at the trial facing District Attorney Roy Johnson and County Attorney Hamilton Caldwell, according to Halberstam, was swearing in fair and impartial jurors [from] a group “sworn by birthright to pro?tecting the interest and life of the white.”

The state had produced three witnesses.

First was McGarrh, “a stern little man who was a member of one of Glendora’s most respected families.” McGarrh, Halberstam wrote, stuck to the same story he had told at the earlier hearings.

“He said he saw Kimball shoot the unarmed Melton. He went unshaken under cross examina?tion. The only weakness in his story is that although Kimball had given prior warning of his intention Mc?Garrh stayed inside the station with his shot gun.’

The next witness was John Henry Wilson, “a Negro in whom Kimball said he had a great deal of confidence. Wilson did not witness the shooting, but he dam?aged the self defense theory. He was standing outside the station when Kimball returned with a gun. He asked Kimball what he was going to do.

“I’m going to kill that nigger,” Kimball said.
“Please, sir, don’t shoot that boy. He ain’t done nothing to you,” Wil?son said.
“Get back or I’ll kill you too,” said Kimball. Wilson ran to the back of the station.”

The last witness for the state, George Woodson, testified that he was staning about ten feet away from the scene and saw Kimball walk around the side of the station with a gun, and that he did not see any gun in Melton’s hand.

“The defense lacked eye witnesses and thus tried to shake the testimony of the state’s witnesses. Its witnesses came up with only minor points,” according to Halberstam.

“But more significant than their testimony were their positionsa sheriff, a deputy sheriff, and a chief of police.”

Apparently Kimball did the most damage to himself when he got on the stand, as Halberstam told it:

“[He] got up there before those twelve Mississippians and told them a story about his relations with Melton that flatly contradicts all the Mississippi mores. Kimball said he went inside and told McGarrh that Clinton was getting pretty nasty and asked him to total up his account and he’d be back and settle up; when he returned a few minutes later someone started firing at him, hit him, and he went back to his car and got his shot gun.

“Kimball’s story would be hard for any jury to believe, because they would know. “[You] cannot provoke a Negro attendant to talk like that no matter how much you irritate him, particularly a trusted Negro such as Clinton Melton.”

“The jury also knew that “no white peckerwood gin manager, the best friend of J. W. Milam, would let a Negro talk like that without doing a little whupping right there on the spot.”

AFTER FOUR AND one-half hours, the jurors walked in and announced their decision to acquit:

Sumner, Miss. (AP) - Elmer Otis Kimball was acquitted of murder late yesterday in the shotgun slaying of a 33-year-old Negro. “I wasn’t sure justice would be done,” said the 35-year-old white Glendora cotton gin operator, “but I should have known.” A 12-man, all-white jury, made up mostly of farmers, deliberated more than four hours before freeing Kimball.

Two witnesses testified they saw Kimball blast Clinton Melton three times with a shotgun December 3 at a Glendora service station. Witnesses said the shooting was an aftermath of an argument between Kimball and Melton over gasoline to be put into Kimball’s car. Kimball testified that Melton cursed him during the argument. Defense Atty. J. W. Kellum said Kimball fired the fatal shots in self-defense. Kimball said three shots were fired at him before he opened fire, one wounding him in the shoulder. He showed a scar and brought in a doctor who verified the gunshot wound.

But neither Lee McGarrh, white owner of the service station, not George Woodson, Negro, who said he witnessed the slaying, said they saw or heard Melton fire. No weapon was found on Melton’s body or in his car. The trial took place in the same courtroom where half-brothers J.W. Milam and Roy Bryant were found innocent six months ago of the murder of 14-year-old Emmett Till, Chicago Negro. Kellum was one of five defense attorneys in the Till case.

****

Times were now more dangerous for Mississippi’s African Americans. One white Glendora resident, asked by a reporter for his opinion of both the Till and Melton murders told him “There’s open season on the Negroes now. They’ve got no protection, and any peckerwood who wants can go out and shoot himself one.”

Clinton and Beulah Melton’s daughter never moved from the Delta. She keeps a picture of her mother who looks like she could be her twin. While she has never owned a picture of her father, Gresham said she would have liked to know him better and continues to question what happened to her mother on that frightening day.

Yet her story had a happy note. In 2003, Keith Beauchamp, a New York filmmaker, discovered a copy of an old newsreel showing the story of Clinton Melton’s murder. Beauchamp incorporated the reel into a documentary on Emmett Till, and made sure that Gresham had a copy for her family. The following year, the documentary was shown on a Chicago television station, resulting quite by chance in one of Gresham’s brothers discovering his sister. A family reunion took place that summer.

“It was joyous,” Delores Gresham said. “We talk to each other on the phone several times a week, and I’m meeting other relatives through my brother.”

(An excerpt from “Where Rebels Roost, Mississippi Civil Rights Revisited,” by Susan Klopfer. Copyright 2005 Susan Klopfer.)

Susan Orr-Klopfer, journalist and author, writes on civil rights in Mississippi. Her newest books, “Where Rebels Roost: Mississippi Civil Rights Revisited” and “The Emmett Till Book” are now in print and are carried in most online bookstores including Amazon and Barnes & Noble. “Where Rebels Roost” focuses on the Delta, Emmett Till, Fannie Lou Hamer, Aaron Henry, Amzie Moore and many other civil rights foot soldiers. Both books emphasize unsolved murders of Delta blacks from mid 1950s on. Orr-Klopfer is an award-winning journalist and former acquisitions and development editor for Prentice-Hall. Her computer book, “Abort, Retry, Fail!” was an alternate selection by the Book of-the-Month Club.

To start this chapter we have a response from the journalist Hippie and friend who uses the name Eternum1 on the web. He was a part of the founding of web logs as these journalists went to the hot spots of the world and kept in touch with each other. I think he sees where I am going with this book.

Dear Robert:

I agree with Sartre in that each being has complete freedom if he will only believe it and I agree with Camus on how the absurd man becomes a rebel. Sartre had de Beauvoir to keep him honest in his musings because most left wing sympathizers had yet to recognize women as the barometer of society’s evolution. As a result Sartre was more of an anarchist in his existential writings while Camus remained a sympathizer to Marxist rebellion, he didn’t quite link Engels statement “judge a society by the position of its women” to the rebellion of his time.

I understand your link to Abby Hoffman and Jerry Rubin btw I followed up on Rubin’s “student is nigger” with my own catchy title ‘the lumpenproletariat and the revolutionary youth movement’… I know its a real page turner judging by the title…. but it was re-printed in all the new left magazines of the day and translated into French, German and Italian….. it was an analysis of why white middle class youth was dropping out into a sub-proletarian mode of existence… i.e. the hippy movement….. I explained in more human terms than Rubin… how white middle class and bourgeois children linked the limits on their freedom to racial minorities and the poor, which kind of shook up the socialists of the day who thought labor unions were the radical institutions still….. the idea that lumpys or otherwise d?class? citizens were the future great unwashed disturbed them more than the capitalists it appeared.

I agree that true freedom is the ability to accept or reject all things or as Sartre says psychologically in each one of us this amounts to trying to take the causes and motives as things. We try to confer permanence upon them. “We attempt to hide from ourselves that their nature and their weight depend each moment on the meaning which I give to them”; I find this statement very important, but not original since a similar thing was said by Nietzsche a hundred of years before, because it allows a different view of the things in the world. It reveals the potential of the thoughts. When everything depends on the meanings we give, then, we should think positively and we should give the meanings that we want, however unusual they are, not the ones we are expected to give and this would bring us closer to reaching our purposes.

How often have we seen our motives and causes co-opted and their meanings distorted into what you refer to hole (ass) istic babble. Too often. As we discussed in Babble on Babylon the separation of beings continues without the need for foreign tongues, our own language is used against us.

To the point where words like patriotism, love, freedom all become things not qualities…. but things we attach to like clothing labels.

Sartre makes an attempt to describe what freedom exactly is in Part 4, chapter 1 of his book Being and Nothingness. However, he says, he finds it difficult since describing something is looking for its essence. And “freedom has no essence” “Freedom makes itself an act, and we ordinarily attain it across the act which it organizes with the causes, motives and ends which the act implies”. That is to say that freedom is revealed by the act, we can experience the freedom only through act. It is not possible to describe freedom that is valid both for me and for the Other, thus no essence of freedom may be concluded. The freedom in one individual is different from the freedom of any other individual; there is nothing in common which can be named essence. Freedom is beyond essence since it is “the foundation of all essences”.

So that is why I say freedom is an individual act but the combined acts of freedom compose rebellion and that is how rebels become existent not that each finds a particular idealology but each exercises his freedom not to attach to the system or its ideaology. We know that Communism was never practiced by those who called us comrades… ‘from each according to his ability and to each according to his need’ … possibly because the true anarchistic nature of freedom needs people sophisticated enough to implement socialist ideas.

Sartre often speaks of “bad faith” when we surrender our freedom to become soldiers for a cause…. to profess to “love anything” more than our responsibility to freedom is acting in “bad faith”. And when you hand that freedom to a President or his Generals or to the mob of religiosity you give up responsibility for your actions to others and thereby lose true freedom.

I don’t think an existentialist would ever say “we choose to be free” however. Because we are free at every moment. Freedom is not a choice made once and then forgotten. Freedom is not an ideal. Freedom exists within every being at every moment. Freedom on the individual level needs no defending against others unless others try to impose their will. There is no “land of the free” there are only individuals surrendering their freedom every day to causes and idealologys.

Sartre’s version of a radical transformation of society is the paradigm shift in thinking we have discussed in the past. It is the belief that we can be what we choose to be. This requires effort for most of us believe what we are told we cannot do while few tell us what we are able to accomplish.

If Sartre was President he would tell each citizen what they need to do to prevent terrorism and it wouldn’t be surrendering your freedom or responsibility to others and continue grazing passively in the food courts of the nations shopping malls. Nothing is a complicated as the elites would have us believe and the fact that they deny each citizen the right to be fully involved in making a safer world gives the lie to their role of defenders of freedom.

Really if freedom was a project wouldn’t we want everyone working on it? But the co-opted version of freedom is not a project… it’s a banner meant to take away ones options and choices like a valium induces passivity and a payment plan induces obedience.

Dear Et

I recall that lumpenproletariat thing. I liked it and the word. I agree about Simone de Beauvoir and there is another Simone that was important - Weil. Yep - I agree about Sartre and was impressed when he turned down the Nobel Prize. I used to call myself a French Atheistical Existentialist.

You apparently see where I am headed as I draw the Goths and Beatniks into this (tie it back to Cathars and Cynics long ago too). As the movie Braveheart ends the life of Wallace and the Keltic Creed that held the world in Brotherhood for millennia says - FREEDOM and NO FEAR - which you see all over the place. These symbols and the one for Peace are powerful legacies and archetypes. We need to show people some cultural through-lines and help the Goths be understood. - Robert

The same issue of what a Goth really is can be made in comparisons to Flower Children and the people who really study what might be the core principles. The Goths I have known seem more able to defend their approach to life than the normal average or everyday person. But I seem to know the upper echelon of them perhaps. I find few are doing it just for the attention which certainly was not as true with the Flower Children. At the same time one can find a wide variety of perspectives and wonder if there is any true Goth culture at all. Certainly the journalists and social commentators who were all the rage after Columbine’s Massacre did not clue in to some truly important things. Those kids were under psychiatric medication and there are other extreme issues they faced. But I will make a little analysis of what I think might be going on with them and a host of other Church-burnings and the like.

In my time in the Caribbean I met people who knew some things about the ‘Lodges’ as well as Rastafarians or the followers of Bob Marley. There is something similar to the Peace, Love and Brotherhood message in these approaches and there are myths that make one smile. One of the things I intuit is operating has to do with the ‘Rastie’ symbol and flag of ‘Irie’ and I could be wrong but Eire seems to be there as a spiritual part or connection to the Kelts and the ancient Brotherhoods be they Olmec or Phoenician. Many black people there know that they were there long before the Spanish heathens and Empire-Builders came to wreck havoc and enslave them or perform an outright genocide on the likes of the Taino in Cuba. Their aversion to Babylon is a metaphor for all that is wrong with the materialistic Empires that control so many people. This continues in the black community to the present and many are they who abuse this knowledge and act as criminals. Who can really blame them? I deal with these things in depth in my historical books.

The stele I found at Chichen Itza had many ancient Masonic symbols including the old T-square which is the symbol of the Egyptian builder-god Ptah. It may have been put there by Rosicrucians and there was one member of their inner sanctum watching over it. The Goths who did the deed at Columbine were heard speaking about Plato and Aristotle and the day they chose to do it was the birthday of Adolf Hitler. The extent to which certain people know about these things or write about them has been hard to tell. I know authors like Marshall McLuhan knew about the influence of secret societies and yet he did not disclose what he knew. It can still be difficult for truth tellers. We must tell some of the root story of these Mystery Schools within what I call the ‘octopus’. Hitler was a student of them too.

There are at least a thousand different stories that would fill the equivalent of the thirteen volumes the CORPUS HERMETICUM entails. Stories abound with re-written history and co-opting the people who told the truth by creating fictions about them or eliminating facts like who tried to assassinate James ‘The Righteous’ leader of the Essenes and probable brother of Jesus. This tale is mentioned in the Bible without saying who tried to assassinate him. Thus the reader is led to think it was an uprising of common people who distrusted James rather than the fact that Paul was diametrically opposed to the teaching of James; who as Michael Baigent says was much closer to Jesus than Paul ever was, even if James was not the actual brother of Jesus. The Roman scribes and lies are so complete as to make it exceedingly difficult to even guess what the nature of truth was. Unless one actually gets first hand experiential knowledge by means of such things as ‘direct cognition’ with such dimensional knowledge as the akashic or spirits might allow. That is what is known to me, alone; a simple sole and single searcher for truth - imagine how many other stories of even greater import there might be. It is hard to write about one without running into another but let me try to tie Aristotle and the life of Hermes in with Jesus and the enigmatic ‘Emerald Tablet’ so that you can see some different perspectives from academics. At the end of this story is a personal tale of soul-grabbing that makes the idea of the L?vi to Crowley to Hubbard and Miscavige soul entity continuance seem more possible. By the way, it is highly unlikely that Jesus did not visit Alexandria to see her great Lighthouse and Library during the long time he studied before his short period of missionary work that may have only been a couple of years at most.

After the Council of Nicaea in 325 A.D. which can be called the birth of Christianity or more properly ‘Churchianity’, the Gnostics were attacked four times over more than one hundred years. The agents of empire-builders like Constantine or Caliph Omar, did not want people to know the truth of the prophet Jesus, who spoke about all men being ‘the children of God’ in equal terms. They wished to be the Divine interpreters for whatever it is that we call God. In fact, they wished to be the sole interpreters if that were possible, but they knew they might have to share some of this power with others who also had armies and legions of willing ’sword or cannon fodder’ that would follow like sheep in the proverbial ‘flock’. The scribes were busily re-writing the apocryphal Bible or Septuagint and Targum Onklos with due regard to the Torah and Hebrew Bible. Part of the agreed upon purpose was to remove the story of the wise Miriam, whose counsel in her day (with Moses) was the most sought after in her land. This was once in the Bible under the name Jasher, but when the Council of Carthage removed women from the priesthood in 397 A.D. they allowed such heresy no more.

Enoch was another book of the Bible which told of psychic and spiritual realities ‘within’ and ‘without’, that mirror and elucidate the sayings of Jesus. Mary Magdalene, a priestess with the Essenes and part of the ‘Therapeutae’ who were a watered down version of the ‘Great White Brotherhood of Master Craftsmen’ from a couple of millenia before, was probably the wife of Jesus. Such truths would have rendered the ‘Bible Narrative’ incredible and without power to wield a ’sharp sword’ of fear over the souls of all men. For if Jesus was not ‘the only begotten Son of God’ as the Jews and original Celtic Catholic Church say; then the concept of easy ‘Salvation’ (and its special dispensations that Martin Luther railed against) would be unable to generate the money-making and power creating outcome that has been with us these past 1500 or more years.

Karma or the original ‘law of Retribution’ would require right living on a daily basis and people would have to live in the true path of Jesus, and never be able to EXPECT a simple ‘absolution of sin’ through such things as confessionals. The great stories of ‘Eternal n Damnation’, ‘The Resurrection’ and ‘Hell’ would have little theological or philosophic support. The Pope has said there is no Heaven or Hell in the months leading up to the millennium and as part of damage control or spin-doctoring but is there any proactive course of change and when will the dogma and doctrine of Paul’s ‘Epistles to Timothy’ that say ‘man is the head of woman’ etc., be expunged in all their vile prejudice against women? St. Augustine’s portrayal of Genesis and the ‘original sin’ with women as the harbingers of that which disconnected us from God are damnable destructive influences to this very day.

Let me illustrate the academic conundrums and obfuscated idiocies attendant with Hermes and Jesus. Aristotle was able to keep his hermetic or alchemic inclinations sufficiently shrouded and thus lived a long life from the time his father taught him as physician to Alexander’s father King Phillip of Macedon. (384-322 B.C.) He was motivated and guided by ‘The Emerald Tablet’ and the work of Hermes Trismegistus. According to the ‘Encyclopedia of Occultism and Parapsychology’:

“Emerald Table: The (of Hermes)
Believed to be the earliest statement of the principles of spiritual alchemy, ascribed to Hermes Trismegistus, after whom alchemy has been named the ‘Hermetic Art’. Hermes Trismegistus is a shadowy figure, possibly mythical. The old alchemists believed him to have been an Egyptian living about the time of Moses; others have claimed him as a personification of Thoth, the Egyptian God of learning. There is a legend that the Emerald Table (also known as the Smaragdine Table) was discovered by Alexander the Great in the tomb of Hermes in a cave near Hebron.

The earliest printed version in Latin dates from an alchemical work of 1541, but a Commentary on it was known three centuries earlier, and the Table might well be ancient. The original was believed to have been inscribed on emerald (smaragdine) in Phoenician letters, later translated into Greek and Latin.” (1)

Author of Diverse Druids, Columnist for The ES Press Magazine, Guest writer at World-Mysteries.com

When shopping for rose petals you first need to decide whether you would like to use fresh, freeze dried or silk. What you plan on using rose petals for will help you decide on which type is more appropriate for your wedding needs.

• For Outdoor use: Fresh or Freeze dried are more appropriate as they are a natural, biodegradable product.
• For Indoor use: Freeze Dried or Silk rose petals are more appropriate. Fresh petals can stain or be slippery. You don’t want to slip when you walk down that aisle!
• Flower Girl use: any type will do, since they do not need a large amount and the rose petals will not be closely examined by your guests. However, keep in mind that indoor use of fresh rose petals even in small amounts can be slippery!
• Table Decoration: freeze dried petals are the real thing only preserved at the peak of their freshness. They look more realistic, but also are more costly. Silk petals can give the look of rose petals at a fraction of the cost.
• Tossing at Church or after the Ceremony: again, if it is outdoors use fresh or freeze dried, as they are degradable. Indoors, silk would be appropriate.

Now that you know where you plan on using your rose petals, lets discuss the three different types, as you can use more than one type in several areas.

• Fresh Rose Petals: the most expensive of the three types, not only because they are fresh but because the roses will have to be de-petaled at the time just before use. They are all natural and biodegradable which is a good thing! However, because they are bio-degradable, they will degrade fast - sometimes so fast they often do not look good by the time they are used. Must be obtained the day needed, sometimes just before use. Another disadvantage is that fresh rose petals can stain and be slippery.
• Freeze Dried Rose Petals: not as expensive as fresh but more expensive than silk, freeze dried gives brides a long lasting alternative to fresh with the look and feel of fresh petals (after all they are real petals!). Freeze dried petals can be ordered and received several weeks before the wedding, avoiding the last minute stress for the bride. Freeze dried petals are preserved at the peak of their freshness for excellent quality when they time comes to use them.
• Silk Rose Petals: often the least expensive of the three options, silk rose petals are wonderful for indoor use. They work well when large quantities are needed for indoor pathways or table decorations. If you plan on purchasing silk rose petals try and ask for a sample first from the retailer if you can’t see them in person. There are many websites out there which offer cheap silk petals - but if they are cheap, they more than likely will look cheap, feel thin, be all the same size or even be almost transparent. Don’t waste your money on poor quality silk rose petals. Quality silk rose should vary in size - after all real rose petals vary in size too! Quality rose petals should not be transparent, but should be made of a microfiber peach silk, giving them the texture and the weight of real rose petals.

Now that you have decided where and what type of petals you will be using, you need to know how much you need! Here are our recommendations:

For Silk Rose Petals

• Tossing: 100 petals per 6 to 8 guests
• Table Decoration: 100 petals per 1 to 2 tables with centerpiece
• Aisle: 100 petals will cover: 1 square foot (dense), 2 square feet (moderate coverage) or 5 square feet (light coverage, like a scattering of petals)
• Flower Girl: 100 to 200 petals depending on how she tosses them and how long the aisle is.

For Real or Freeze Dried Rose Petals Quantities can vary but on average there are 25-35 petals per cup (like a measuring cup) of real or freeze dried rose petals. SInce real and freeze dried rose petals can vary in size, the actual petals per cup can vary.

• Tossing: 1/3 to 1/2 cup per guest
• Table Decoration: 2 to 4 cups per table with centerpiece (depends on how dense you want it to be)
• Aisle: 8 cups per square foot (dense), 4 cups per square foot (moderate coverage), 2 cups per square foot (light coverage), 1 cup per square foot (scattered look)
• Flower Girl: 4 to 8 cups

How to Use Freeze Dried Petals

Using freeze dried petals at your wedding does take some minor prep work to make them useable. The easiest way to soften them is to place them in the bathroom while taking a shower. While they do not become as soft as a fresh petal (so don’t expect that) they do soften and become more pliable. The longer the petals are exposed to moisture, the softer they will get. If the outside air humidity is normal to humid, this process can take a few days to achieve the softening. If the outside air (the air in your home) is dry then the petals can dry out again if you attempt to soften them too long before your wedding. Softening petals by exposure to moist air will also brighten darker colored petals.

We recommend shipping your petals with 2 to 4 weeks before your event for the best quality. Don’t purchase freeze dried petals months ahead of time just “because”. Many colors will fade over time, especially when exposed to light and humidity

Erica Tevis is the owner of Two Hearts Wedding Favors http://www.twoheartsfavors.com which carries over 50 different colors of silk rose petals. Vist them on the web and check out their large supply of wedding favors, themed favors, invitations, and wedding accessories.

The protea family (Proteaceae) includes a wide range of ground covers, trees and shrubs that often make superb garden plants. While some of the species are frost-tender, they are in all other respects remarkably resilient plants that often thrive in situations where others would rapidly succumb. Poor soils and hot dry positions that scarcely seem capable of supporting life are often ideal for Proteaceae. If any plants could be said to thrive on neglect the proteas can.

Proteas (the term is often used collectively as well as for the genus itself) are a variable group. Indeed, the family was named after Proteus, a Greek god capable of changing his shape at will. It includes some 60 genera and 1400 species of Southern Hemisphere plants, the bulk of which are native to southern Africa and Australia with the remainder coming from South America and many of the Pacific islands, including two species (Knightia excelsa and Toronia toru) from New Zealand.

There is an enormous variety of foliage among the proteas. It is almost always evergreen, but may be needle-like, as with many grevilleas; long, narrow and serrated like that of Dryandra formosa; or rounded and leathery like the leaves of Protea cynaroides. Some genera, particularly Leucadendron, include species with brightly coloured foliage, the intensity of which varies with the season. Leucadendron stems retain their colour for weeks when cut and are an important part of the cut flower industry.

Protea flowers are composed of clusters of narrow tubes that are often curved. These ’spider’ flowers are seen at their simplest in the two native species and some of the grevilleas. In many cases what appears to be the flower is actually a bract of brightly coloured leaves surrounding the true flowers. The most impressive example of this is the dinner plate-sized flower head of Protea cynaroides. The flowering season also varies; many proteas and grevilleas flower in winter, while leucospermums tend to flower in summer. With careful selection it is possible to plants in flower all year round.

The flowers often contain large quantities of nectar that many birds relish. Some species have very sticky flowers that will trap visiting insects, especially bees an this slightly sinister side of the flower appears to serve no particular purpose.

The South African and Australian Proteaceae tend to be at their best in warm, dry conditions and often thrive in coastal areas. Inland, unseasonable early and late frosts often kill all but the hardiest specimens. The South American genera tend to be hardier and prefer somewhat damper conditions. Embothrium in particular, can withstand hard frosts and is grown over most of the country. But where winter temperatures regularly drop to -6?C or lower, most proteas require frost protection.

Cultivation

Other than a suitable climate, the key to success with proteas is establishing the right soil conditions. The protea family is mainly adapted to mineral based soils that drain very quickly and which often have low nutrient levels. These soils tend to be moderately acid and are often especially low in phosphates.

Good drainage is absolutely essential. Rich loams and heavy clays do not make good protea soils. If you have a heavy soil do not try to improve it by adding sand or shingle as this will often make the problem worse; the soil binds with the sand and shingle and sets like concrete. Instead add more humus. Proteas would not appreciate the rapid burst of nutrients from a rich compost so the humus used should be fairly low in nutrients. Natural leaf mould and rotted pine needles work well. To avoid these materials compacting down into a poor draining thatch, incorporate about 50% fine shingle grit by volume and combine the mix with the existing soil.

Most proteaceous plants come from areas with low rainfall or where the rains are strictly seasonal. Many are coastal plants although most of the South African genera include alpine or sub-alpine species. Knightia from New Zealand and Embothrium from Chile are exceptions; they usually occur away from the coast, in areas where rainfall is quite high and not seasonal. Nevertheless, they still demand excellent drainage.

Although proteas are remarkably resilient and not difficult to grow there seems to be some common myths regarding their cultivation. Like most myths these have some basis in fact, but they can be misleading.

Myth 1: feeding proteas will kill them.

That’s not strictly true. Proteas need nutrients just like any other plant, but their are a little more exacting than some. It’s not fertiliser that does the damage but high phosphate levels and intense bursts of nutrients that lead to overly rapid growth. Avoid most general garden fertilisers, fresh animal manures and anything with added superphosphate. Because proteas will tolerate poor soils, it is often easier not to feed them rather than risk damage, but you’ll certainly get better results if you apply a slow release, low phosphate fertiliser in late winter and mid summer. This will keep the plants growing slowly but steadily; any bolting into growth tends to weaken them.

Myth 2: proteas only grow near the coast.

Not true. Many proteaceous plants come from inland areas. They will tolerate salt breezes but there is no general preference for coastal conditions.

Myth 3: proteas like wind.

That’s also not entirely true. Proteaceous plants do not tolerate wet foliage or high humidity for long periods and in areas prone to these conditions extra ventilation will help reduce the incidence of fungal diseases. However, most proteas have brittle branches that snap or split in strong winds so there’s no reason to presume that they prefer windy locations.

Myth 4: proteas need a hot sunny position.

Yes, most Proteaceae prefer full sun or something near to it. But that doesn’t necessarily mean the hottest, most baked position you can find. Although they will survive severe conditions once established, extreme heat and drought will cause damage, especially to young plants. Shade from the hottest sun will prolong the flower display and, provided the drainage is good, occasional deep watering is also recommended.

Myth 5: proteas are short-lived.

Some are and some aren’t. Old plants are normally removed long before the end of their natural lives because they tend to become rather woody and untidy. You can generally reckon on a useful lifetime of at least 8 years for Leucadendron and Leucospermum, and around 12 years for Protea. However, large species, such as Grevillea robusta and Banksia integrifolia, may continue to be effective garden plants for several decades.

Planting

Most proteaceous plants are sold in containers and are ready to plant right away. However, the best planting time depends on your climate. Autumn or winter is best in mild areas as this is when moisture requirements are at their lowest, while spring is the preferred time if regular frosts are expected as this allows the young plants to get well established before having to endure winter conditions.

Start by digging a hole at least twice the size of the plant’s container, this large volume of loose soil will encourage good root development.. Additional drainage material can be added to the hole if necessary, otherwise planting is just a matter of removing the plant from its container, loosening any spiralling roots before placing in the hole, then refilling the hole and firming the plant into position. Large specimens will require staking to prevent wind damage.

Cut flower use

Many proteaceous plants make excellent long-lasting cut flowers. Leucadendrons in particular are widely planted solely for the purpose of providing material for floral decorations. Protea, Leucospermum, Banksia and Serruria flowers can all be used to make impressive large arrangements while the less dramatic blooms of Grevillea and Isopogon are better suited to more dainty work.

Some flowers, particularly goblet-shaped Protea flowers dry well although they do tend to disintegrate rather suddenly after a few months. Other genera such as Banksia and Leucadendron produce seed heads or cones that can be used in dried arrangements.

Pruning

Most proteaceous plants need occasional trimming and tidying. This may be to improve their growth habit or to remove old flowers or seed heads that have become dry and unsightly.

How far to cut back is the usual question. This varies with the genera, although as a rule only light pruning is recommended as there is a general reluctance among proteas to reshoot from bare wood. Of the common genera Banksia and Grevillea will withstand hard trimming, as will Leucadendron, Telopea and Mimetes, but pruning of Dryandra, Leucospermum, Serruria, Paranomus and most Protea species should be restricted to a light annual trimming.

The best time to prune is usually immediately after flowering unless you want to leave a few seed heads to mature for use as dried decorations. In areas where there is the possibility of frost damage, it is advisable to leave pruning autumn and winter-flowering plants until spring.

Container Growing

Some proteaceae can make good container plants, but you will have to be careful with your choice of potting mixes and fertilisers. Potting mixes need to be very free draining and often benefit from added coarse material such as shingle chips or pumice. Bark based mixes seem to work well but some growers feel they produce too much ethylene, which may harm the plants in the long run. Many commercial growers use soil based mixes and they generally prefer relatively poor and gritty volcanic soils.

Even plants with low nutrient demands will eventually exhaust their potting mix, so you will have to apply fertiliser occasionally. Use mild liquid fertilisers or special low-phosphate slow release pellets. Provided you are cautious the plants should respond well.

Propagation

Proteas can be frustratingly difficult plants to propagate. Fresh seed often germinates well only for the seedlings to collapse after a few weeks. This is usually due to a fungal disease that blackens the foliage and eventually kills the young seedlings. Regular fungicide applications are important. Prick out the young seedlings into a coarse, free draining, unfertilised potting mix once they have their first true leaves.

Cultivars and selected forms must be propagated vegetatively. The usual method is firm semi-ripe cuttings in late summer and autumn. The success rate varies markedly; some cultivars, such as Leucadendron ‘Safari Sunset’, strike quite easily while many others may be virtually impossible without professional equipment.

Pests and Diseases

Grown under the right conditions proteaceous plants are relatively free of pests and diseases, or rather they’re not attacked by anything out of the ordinary. The most widespread problems are leaf roller caterpillars and scale insects, which can eventually lead to sooty mould.

When growing proteas from seed you will doubtless lose some to the fungal disease mentioned above. This disease, which appears to be a type of damping off, can sometimes also attack more mature plants. It appears to be far worse in excessively wet conditions or after long periods of high humidity. Good ventilation and avoidance of overcrowding are effective preventatives and regular spraying with fungicides may control the problem.

Common genera

Many of these plants are not widely available at garden centres, although specialist growers would consider them to be just the most common genera and are likely to stock others as well. All of the species and genera covered here are evergreen unless otherwise stated.

Aulax

This is a South African genus of small to medium sized shrubs. This genus and Leucadendron are the only dioecious (separate male and female plants) members of the Proteaceae. Seed of all three species, Aulax cancellata, Aulax pallasia and Aulax umbellata, is available but only Aulax cancellata is commonly planted. It grows to 1.5-2m ? 1m and has fine needle-like leaves. In spring, female plants produce red edged yellow flowers that develop into red seed cones. The catkin-like male flowers are yellow, as are those of Aulax pallasia and Aulax umbellata, the female flowers of which are not very showy. Aulax pallasia grows to about 3 m and Aulax umbellata about 1.5m. All are hardy to about -5?C and are usually raised from seed.

Banksia

An Australian genus of about 60 species, ranging in size from ground covers to medium-sized trees. The flowering season is primarily from late winter to late spring and most species have cylindrical cone-like flower heads composed of densely packed filamentous styles radiating from a central core. Creamy yellow to light golden-yellow is the predominant colour range, although a few species, such as Banksia ericifolia and Banksia praemorsa, have golden-orange flowers and those of Banksia coccinea are red. Most species have narrow serrated leaves that are mid to deep green above and silvery grey on the undersides but Banksia ericifolia has fine needle-like leaves. Leaf size varies from very small up to the 50cm long leaves of Banksia grandis. Hardiness varies with the species, some are quite frost tender but some will tolerate -10?C.

Relatively few are seen in nurseries but the seed of most species can be obtained from Australia. Banksia ericifolia and Banksia integrifolia are the most widely grown and are also the hardiest of the common species, both withstanding -10?C once well established. There are hardly any cultivars or selected forms of Banksia in cultivation. Species may be raised from seed and most will also strike quite freely from semi-ripe cuttings.

Dryandra

An Australian genus of around 60 species of shrubs ranging in height from about 1-4 m. Most have narrow, mid to deep green leaves that are often very long and narrow with sharply toothed edges. The rounded flower heads, which appear from mid winter, are usually light to bright yellow. The most common species is Dryandra formosa, which grows to about 3m and is hardy to around -5?C once established (most of the other species are less hardy). Dryandras are superb long-lasting cut flowers and some will also dry well. They will grow on extremely poor soil and generally react badly to most fertilisers. Raise from seed or semi-ripe cuttings, which are often difficult to strike.

Embothrium

The Chilean Fire Bush (Embothrium coccineum) is a small tree around 5m ? 2.5m. It has 100mm long, leathery, bright green leaves that may become somewhat sparse on older plants. In mid to late spring the tree turns vivid orange-red as the honeysuckle-like tubular flowers open -?the flowering season is brief but spectacular. Two forms are grown: ‘Longifolium’ and ‘Lanceolatum’; ‘Longifolium’ is the more common cultivar. It is a vigorous upright plant that is quite drought tolerant and hardy to about -10?C. ‘Lanceolatum’ is a stockier grower with narrow leaves. It demands more moisture but withstands harder frosts, up to -15?C with some protection. However, in very cold winters it may lose up to two thirds of its foliage. Overall Embothrium requires more moisture than most Proteaceae but good drainage is still important. It may be grown from seed but is usually propagated by semi-ripe cuttings.

Grevillea

With some 250 species, this is the largest of the Australian proteaceous genera. Most of the common garden species and cultivars are ground covers to medium-sized shrubs (up to 3m) with needle-like foliage. However, some species are far larger. The silky oak (Grevillea robusta), which is often seen in mild area, can grow to 20m and in common with most of the larger species it has large pinnate leaves. Grevillea banksii has similar foliage but only grows to about 3.5m ? 3m.

The more densely foliaged plants, especially Grevillea juniperina and Grevillea rosmarinifolia, are often used as hedging plants. These plants grow to at least 1.5m high.

Grevillea flowers are often describe as ’spider flowers’. This refers to the styles of some species, which tend to radiate from the centre like a spider’s legs. Some species have ‘toothbrush’ flowers; the styles are all on one side like the bristles of a toothbrush. The best known example of this type of flower is the common red-flowered cultivar ‘Robin Hood’.

Many Grevillea cultivars are?cultivated and they generally adapt well to?garden conditions. Among the more popular are ‘Jenkinsii’ (a heavy flowering form of the red-flowered Grevillea rosmarinifolia), ‘Robyn Gordon’ (orange-red to red toothbrush flowers) ?gaudichaudii (deep red), ‘Austraflora Canterbury Gold’ (light golden yellow) and many of the Poorinda cultivars. Grevilleas are among the more widely available proteaceous plants and most nurseries stock a good selection.

The species and hybrids vary enormously in hardiness. Some will stand little or no frost but others, such as Grevillea rosmarinifolia, will tolerate frosts of -10?C or lower; all prefer full sun with good drainage. The species are easily raised from seed and most hybrids strike quite freely from semi-ripe cuttings taken in late summer or autumn.

Hakea

This Australian genus includes about 130 species, few of which are widely cultivated. The most common is probably Hakea laurina, the Pincushion Hakea. When not in flower, this species could easily be mistaken for a small eucalyptus. It has bluish-green narrow, oblong to sickle-shaped leaves and reddish-brown bark. It grows to about 6m ? 4m and mature trees have a slightly weeping habit. The name pincushion refers to the flowers, which are spherical, with numerous radiating styles. They appear in late autumn and early winter, opening cream and turning to orange and red as they age. This shrub is hardy to about -5?C once well established and is easily grown in most well-drained soils.

Of the other species, the most common are Hakea salicifolia, Hakea prostrata and Hakea sericea. They are hardy to about -8?C or slightly lower and are easily grown in most soils. Hakea salicifolia has narrow, willow-like leaves, spidery, white flowers that are produced in spring. It grows up to 5m high and will tolerate poor drainage. Hakea prostrata and Hakea sericea have fine needle-like leaves and white or pale pink flowers in winter and early spring. It grows to about 3m ? 2m. All member of this genus are usually raised from seed but some can be grown from cuttings. A few, such as H. franciscana, are weak growers that often perform better when grafted onto more vigorous stocks, such as Hakea salicifolia.

Isopogon

Drumsticks, which refers to the shape of the flower stems and unopened buds, is a name often used for Isopogon anemonifolius but it can also be applied to the genus as a whole. It is an Australian genus of 34 species of small to medium sized shrubs, most of which grow from 1-2m high and about as wide. They have a preference for poor but well-drained soil and will quickly collapse if over-watered or overfed. Most species have narrow lanceolate leaves about 75mm long and some, such as the common Isopogon anemonifolius, have finely cut foliage reminiscent of Marguerite daisy or Anemone leaves.

The flower heads, which open in spring and early summer, are composed of a central cone from which radiate numerous styles. Some species have short stiff styles but in others they are long and filamentous. The flower colours are mainly white, yellow or pink. The two most widely grown species, Isopogon anemonifolius and Isopogon anethifolius are hardy to about -5?C, but many species, such as Isopogon cuneatus and the temptingly beautiful pink and yellow-flowered Isopogon latifolius, are damaged at temperatures below -2?C. Isopogon species are usually raised from seed.

Knightia

The Rewa Rewa or New Zealand Honeysuckle (Knightia excelsa) is the best known of the two?New Zealand?proteaceous species. In the wild it can grow to be a tall narrow tree up to 25m high and it is one of the few proteaceous plants to have been harvested for its timber, which is very attractively marked. In gardens it is more restrained and seldom exceeds 8m ? 3.5m. Rewa rewa has semi-glossy, deep green to bronze-green, narrow, lanceolate to oblong leaves that are very tough and leathery. In summer it produces tubular honeysuckle-like flowers that develop from buds covered in a reddish brown tomentum. As the flowers open the tomentum covered sepals and the petals curl back to form a congested mass in the centre of the flower head. The flowers, which can smell unpleasant, are followed by conspicuous brown, velvety seed pods. Rewa Rewa is easily grown in moist well-drained soil in sun or partial shade and is hardy to about -5?C or slightly lower once established. It may be grown in any coastal area if protected when young. New Zealand honeysuckle is usually raised from seed and garden centres often stock ready-grown plants.

Leucadendron

Species of this genus are the most widely grown of the South African Proteaceae and many are valued for the long-lasting qualities of their flower bracts once cut. Most are medium-sized shrubs around 1-2.5m high. However, one of the best known species, the silver tree (Leucadendron argenteum), can grow to 10m high and the less widely grown Leucadendron eucalyptifolium may reach 5m.

Many species and cultivars are grown, but probably the most widely planted is ‘Safari Sunset’. It is a hybrid between Leucadendron laureolum and Leucadendron salignum and is fairly typical of the genus. It has narrow, lanceolate leaves that are up to 100mm long. Some species, such as L. argenteum, have tomentose foliage but ‘Safari Sunset’ does not. The upward-facing foliage densely covers the narrow, upright branches and develops deep red tints at the flowering tips. Deep red leaf bracts enclose the flower cones. As the insignificant flowers near maturity, the bracts become intensely coloured. ‘Safari Sunset’ has red bracts but others develop cream, yellow, pink or orange tones. ‘Wilson’s Wonder’ (yellow and orange-red), ‘Maui Sunset’ (cream, yellow and red) and ‘Rewa Gold’ (yellow) are among the most spectacular. Leucadendrons generally develop their best colours from mid to late winter but ‘Jester’ a pink, cream and green variegated sport of ‘Safari Sunset’ is brightly coloured throughout the year.

The species and hybrids vary considerably in hardiness but most will tolerate frosts of at least -3?C provided they have good drainage and the humidity is not excessive. ‘Safari Sunset’ is hardy to about -8?C and most of the numerous Leucadendron salignum and Leucadendron laureolum hybrids are nearly as hardy. In the North Island leucadendrons generally thrive in all but the coldest central areas and they can be grown with varying degrees of success in all coastal areas of the South Island.

Leucadendrons can be tricky to propagate. Reasonably firm cuttings taken in early autumn are usually the easiest to strike but gardeners without specialised propagating facilities may experience problems and although seed germinates well, it is inclined to damp off. Garden centres often stock a good range of plants.

Leucospermum

A South African genus of about 50 species, most of which are medium to large shrubs that grow to about 1.5-3m high. Some, such as Leucospermum reflexum, have strongly upright growth habits but most, including the commonly cultivated species, Leucospermum cordifolium, are dense and bushy. Both of these species have tomentose greyish-green leaves that are usually broadly oval shaped, often with small red-tipped lobes. The leaves of Leucospermum reflexum are narrower and greyer than those of Leucospermum cordifolium. Leucospermum reflexum can grow to 3m ? 3m but Leucospermum cordifolium is usually around 1.5m ? 1.5m.

The flowers are variously described as Catherine wheels, pincushions and sky rockets, all of which refer to the numerous radiating styles. These are often incurved, creating a cupped effect. The flower heads of Leucospermum cordifolium are quite globular while those of Leucospermum reflexum have drooping styles at the base of the flower. The flowers usually appear in late spring and continue for about two months. They are attractive when fresh but often become unsightly once they die off.

Most garden leucospermums are cultivars of Leucospermum cordifolium and are hardy to occasional frosts of about -5?C, but they resent wet or humid winter conditions, which can often lead to tip die back. Good drainage is also very important. Cuttings taken in early autumn are the most likely to strike but without proper equipment they may prove difficult and seed often germinates well only to be killed by fungal diseases. Gritty well-drained soil, regular fungicide use and just enough water to keep the seedlings standing up are the keys to success. The orange-flowered ‘Harry Chittick’ is the plant most commonly stocked by nurseries and it is one that performs very well.

Mimetes

This South African genus includes 11 species, only one of which is widely grown. Mimetes cucullatus has 40mm long oblong leaves with small lobes at the tips, that densely cover the branches like upward facing scales. The small white flowers are enclosed within leaf bracts that change colour to a bright red as the flower buds mature. Mimetes may flower throughout the year but is usually at its best in late spring when the new growth appears, as this is also red. Mimetes cucullatus grows to about 1.5m ? 1.5m and is hardy to around -3?C. It prefers moist, well-drained soil and is not very drought tolerant. This species is usually raised from seed.

Paranomus

The most common species of this 18-species genus, Paranomus reflexus, is an undemanding 1.5m ? 1.8m bush with bright yellow bottle-brush-like flower heads in winter and spring. The foliage is anemone-like and very finely cut; the flower stems have small diamond shaped leaves just below the flower heads. It is easily grown in any well-drained soil in full sun. Although the plant is hardy to about -5?C, the flowers are damaged by frosts over -2?C. It is usually raised from seed.

Persoonia

An Australian genus of around 75 species of shrubs, mostly under 2 m tall and some quite small. Known as geebungs, by far the best-known species is the Pine-leaf Geebung (Persoonia pinifolia), an eastern Australian native that is one of the larger species, capable of reaching 3 m tall. It has a weeping habit, fine needle-like leaves and small yellow flowers. Most geebungs will tolerate about 2 to 5?C of frost.

Protea

Protea is a genus of about 80 species that is confined to southern Africa and concentrated around the Cape of Good Hope. The species range in size from less than 50cm high to over 4m. Most commonly grown proteas are small to medium sized shrubs in the 1-2.5m high range.

The best known species is Protea neriifolia. It has narrow leaves up to 150mm long that are covered with a fine tomentum when young. In autumn, winter and spring, upright, 125mm long ? 75mm wide goblet-shaped flowers are carried at the tips of the branches. They are composed of a woolly central cone surrounded by overlapping, upward-facing, petal-like, deep reddish-pink bracts tipped with a fringe of black hairs. Many forms with varying colours of bract and tip hairs are grown. Several other species, such as Protea magnifica and Protea laurifolia, have similar flowers.

The central cone, often with many incurving styles, is common to all Protea species but the arrangement of the bracts varies. Many have them arranged in a stellate or star-shaped fashion. The King Protea (Protea cynaroides) is the best known of this type. Its flowers can be up to 300mm in diameter. The flowers of the king protea face upwards but others, such as greenish-yellow-flowered Protea sulphurea, have downward facing flowers.

The foliage is also variable. It may be needle-like, as in Protea nana, lanceolate, oblong or rounded. It can be silvery grey, glaucous or bright green depending on the species and it may or may not be tomentose.

Likewise, hardiness varies considerably. Most species will tolerate at least -3?C with good drainage and low humidity but many are considerably tougher. Protea neriifolia will withstand -5?C and Protea grandiceps will often survive -10?C when well established. Proteas do well over most of the North Island and many species can be grown as far south as Christchurch with a little winter protection.

Protea species are often raised from seed, which germinates well, but the seedlings may be difficult to keep alive. Hybrids and cultivars must be propagated vegetatively. The usual method is firm semi-ripe cuttings taken in late summer and autumn. Specialist growers stock many species and cultivars while garden centres seldom have anything other than the most common plants.

Serruria

Blushing Bride (Serruria florida) is very popular with florists because its Nigella-like papery white bracts are very delicate and last well as cut flowers. The bracts, which are surrounded with finely cut lacy leaves, are produced freely in winter and spring. Blushing Bride can be difficult to grow, because not only is it frost tender (it tolerates only occasional exposure to -2?C), it must also have full sun and absolutely perfect drainage. It is one of a genus of 44 species from South Africa, of which the only other species commonly grown is Serruria rosea. It is a densely foliaged 70cm ? 90cm bush with small pink bracts and is slightly hardier and definitely easier to grow than Serruria florida. Serruria species should be raised from seed.

Stenocarpus

The Queensland Firewheel Tree (Stenocarpus sinuata) is a large tree (12m ? 8m) that produces a magnificent display of orange to red flowers in summer. It has large, glossy, dark green leaves that are deeply lobed. The flowers are tubular and are carried in flattened clusters that radiate spoke-like from a central hub, hence the name firewheel tree. It is hardy to about -4?C once well established but is very tender when young and does best in moist well-drained soil in full sun. Stenocarpus salignus is a species with long, narrow leaves and cream flowers. It is smaller and hardier than Stenocarpus sinuata. Stenocarpus is usually raised from seed.

Telopea

Natives of Australia, the waratah genus includes just four species. The New South Wales waratah (Telopea speciosissima), which is the one most commonly grown has oblong, finely serrated leaves that are up to 125mm long with small notches or lobes at the tips. It develops into a large shrub or small tree up to 5m ? 5m. The flowers, which are produced in spring and carried at the tips of the branches, are impressively large, bright red, and composed of numerous incurving styles surrounded by red foliage bracts. Several cultivars, such as the semi-dwarf ‘Forest Fire’ (2m ? 2m) are reasonably commonly available. The ‘Victorian Waratah’ (Telopea oreades) is a similar plant with slightly lighter coloured leaves and flowers. Both of these species and the cultivars are hardy to around -8?C.

Waratahs prefer moist well-drained soil in full sun and once established they require little care. But many die during the initial establishment period. This is possibly due to essential mycorrhiza failing to establish. These minute fungi form a symbiotic relationship with the plants’ roots and are vital in the uptake of nutrients. It has been suggested that taking soil from around an established waratah and putting it around new plants may help lessen these establishment difficulties. Waratahs may be raised from seed or semi-ripe cuttings but they are difficult to raise. Some success has been achieved with tissue culture and this is how some of the new cultivars are produced.

Toronia

The sole species in this genus is the lesser known of?the two?New Zealand?proteaceous species. Formerly listed as Persoonia toru, it is now known as Toronia toru. A small bushy tree that can grow to about 9m ? 5m, it is usually far smaller in gardens. The narrow, lanceolate olive green to bronze leaves are about 100mm long but may grow to over 150mm on mature trees in sheltered sites. The buff coloured starry flowers, which appear in late winter and early spring, are carried in racemes and develop from golden brown felted buds. It is easily grown in any moist well-drained soil in full sun or partial shade and is hardy to about -8?C once established. Toronia toru is a relatively unspectacular plant but its flowers are pleasantly honey-scented and it is interesting because it is one of our more unusual natives. This species may be grown from cuttings, but as they are usually difficult to strike, seed is the preferred method.

I am a garden book author and horticultural photographer based in Christchurch, New Zealand. I run a stock photo library called Country, Farm and Garden (http://www.cfgphoto.com). This article may be re-published provided this information is published with it and is clearly visible.

Although plants and herbs have been used for millennia as medicines for physical ailments, it is well known that they also have properties which can heal emotional and mental disturbances and disease. And plants are not the only vital energies that can be utilised; minerals and crystals can also be the basis of remedies, as can intentional thought. These remedies involve a very subtle form of energy healing, and come from the very essence or vibration of the plant or other base -there are no active ingredients as found in herbal products or in allopathic medicine, it contains no chemical ingredient that can be ‘proved’ by science - it is the very life force contained in the substance.

These vibrational essences are usually contained in a liquid, almost always water, with an alcoholic preservative like brandy added. Essences are not the same as the essential oils that are used in aromatherapy - they have neither perfume nor flavour. They contain only the energetic properties of their original mother substance.

In contemporary times, the English physician Dr. Edward Bach has been the best-known essence maker of the modern world. Born in 1886 in Birmingham UK, he completed his university studies in 1912 and became a consultant pathologist, bacteriologist and homeopath. After a health crisis in 1917, when doctors gave him three months to live, he threw himself into his work researching and testing his flower remedies on himself and others. As the months went by, he found himself growing stronger which instilled in him the belief that mental states have a direct and powerful effect on physical health. After studying homeopathy in depth, he abandoned his lucrative Harley Street practice and devoted himself to his ‘new’ system of medicine - the Bach Flower Remedies. Over the next five years he developed the series of 38 remedies and, a year later, he died after concluding this life’s work.

Dr Bach devised a system of seven major emotional groups into which people could be classified. These are:

Fear

Loneliness

Insufficient interest in present circumstances

Over-care for the welfare of others

Over-sensitivity to influences and ideas

Uncertainty

Despondency or despair

38 negative states of mind are categorised into these groups and a plant-based remedy was created to treat each of these emotional states.

It is now believed that Dr Bach probably resurrected the old formulas used as far back as Paracelsus’ times (15th century). We know that Aboriginals have used them for centuries. Flowers in honey have also been found in the ancient tombs of Egypt.

Since Dr Bach however, many others all over the world have produced vibrational remedies with delightful results, and dealing with issues that become more relevant in the modern age. They have been produced not only from plant flowers, but trees, roots, minerals, animals, place and healing energies - the sky appears to be the limit. Even the much maligned Japanese Knotweed has been used to make a remedy for helping promote group awareness and experience! We now know from Dr Masaru Emoto’s ground breaking work that water can hold and preserve the intent or message imprinted into it. This is the vibration contained in these remedies or essences.

Thankfully, there is now a myriad energy healing systems being used all over the world. These include Reiki, Chios, Quantum-Touch, my own Crystalistix Energy Healing and a host of others too many to mention. They all work on the premise that physical ill health is the outer manifestation of inner subtle life-energy imbalance, and utilise life force balancing skills to redress this disruption. When life energy is flowing smoothly and suffusing the whole body with its nourishment, the physical symptoms that trouble us usually melt away and are healed, as there is now no need for them to alert us to issues that must be addressed.* All dis-ease corresponds to an underlying emotional / mental negativity that has been allowed to penetrate the physical body through the “hole” in our protective energy system. A skilled energy healer can use many methods of detecting where such imbalance lies, and will enlist the help of many tools, including vibrational essences.

For the sceptics amongst you - I recommend you try it!

* ‘Healing’ does not necessarily mean ‘cure’. Healing is the process which has the intent of returning you to whole-ness, which is your natural state of being. Healing takes place at a very deep level and may happen somewhere - in mind, body or spirit - often far away from where the physical symptom manifests. At the end of the day, we all heal ourselves - it comes from within, not without. A healer’s job is to enable you to promote your own self healing, as far as nature will allow. There are some conditions that subconsciously are not ready to be healed - for whatever reason.

Occasionally the fear of being whole after a long period of illness can be daunting, and one must be ready to take that step and adjust thinking & emotions accordingly. Those who need to be healed but are not ready, because changing appears to them to be a more difficult task than not changing (for various reasons), are often not prescribed vibrational remedies until they realise that change is inevitable. The same applies to those for whom a (usually chronic) problem has turned into a ‘dear friend’ and who so rely on it to attract attention or caring response from others that, although they may air their tribulation often, they are not really interested in finding a solution.

Most people who are receptive to the idea of vibrational essences really want to improve their lives, and will benefit greatly from them.

Be brave - wellness is always a better option than disease!

Helen Thompson, MICHT, IIHHT is a multi-therapist and healer based in Coventry in the UK. After many years’ experience in healing, she now offers reiki, reflexology, Indian head massage, Crystalistix Energy Healing, meditation tuition, stress management and ongoing workshops & reiki attunements. She invites you to visit her website and forum at http://www.healingholistix.com, and welcomes comments and correspondence from interested parties!