Christmas cactus naturally flowers this time of year

By LYNN WEAVER

There are over 1,000 varieties of lilac with single and double petals. They are commonly used in perfumes and soaps. The white and pink are popular besides the lavender, blue and purple.Solidago has over 100 varieties, for example Crown Of Rays, Golden Wings and Straight Plants. These varieties come from Solidago Altissima, Solidago Canadensis, Solidago Nemoralis and Solidago Simplex, among others.When repotting does seem necessary, use a well draining potting soil which includes some organic matter.When you are making larger potted flower arrangements, an aesthetically pleasing plant is a great base for your design. However, you might not want to combine a spiky cactus with soft blooming roses. If you are using only flowers, you will need a piece of arranging foam to provide a structure for the piece. Green foam can be purchased at most craft stores, and it can be cut to fit any shape you need. Before you start sticking in your stems, you might sketch out an idea of the final product. If the arrangement is to be large, pick a few large flowers to act as focal points rather than picking a multitude of tiny blooms. Too many small flowers distract the eye and make the arrangement seem busy rather than soothing.Statice is often used as fillers in flower arrangements. They are multi-branched of tiny flowers. The flower texture is paper-like.One of the popular spring flowers is sweet peas. Sweet Peas consist of 3 to 4 flowers on a stem. Their varieties are like Restormel, Lizbeth and Limelight.A daffodil consists of two parts. The petals and the cup. They come in green, red, yellow, white, pink, orange and others. There are 13 varieties known and examples are like Trumpet, Tazetta, Poeticus and Split-Cupped.Florists provide customers with a variety of arrangements made specifically for certain occasions and events. However, if you are on a budget, flower arrangements can be fairly pricey. Professional florists charge exorbitant amounts for their expertise, and the flowers themselves can be extremely expensive. Making your own arrangements can be a fun and creative alternative to ordering pieces from a florist. By purchasing flowers individually, you can choose the exact colors and scents you need to say exactly what you want to communicate.Let's start with spring flowers...

Lynn Weaver is a Master Gardener volunteer with K-State Research and Extension in Shawnee County. For information about the Extension Master Gardener program, call 232-0062, ext. 28.

Author: LYNN WEAVER Capital-Journal