Caring for a Plant

For this class we are going to do something a bit different. I want you to select a plant, any plant. It can be a magical plant from the Harry Potter series or just your ordinary plant.

Part One

I would like a complete physical description of your plant, written as well as a picture of it. (25)

Part two

How do you care for this plant? What climates and conditions does it prefer? (20)

Part three (journal)

I would like you to write a three day journal on the care of your plant. Any changes the plant might have, what you do as you take care of it. What's your special touch you use in order to ensure your plants longevity. (55)

Possible points for this lesson 100.

Please be creative in your answers. The more you put into this assignment, the better grade you will get. Have fun and don't forget to site your sources!

Part One


It has spectacular, large, well-formed, bicolor blooms against leathery, deep green leaves and a vigorous, upright, bushy growth habit. This rose is large, full, borne mostly solitary, exhibition bloom form. It has twenty-six to forty petals and has yellow blend, pink edge blooms. Its average diameter is 5”. It blooms in flushes throughout the season.

Part two

How do you care for this plant? What climates and conditions does it prefer? (10)
It requires winter protection if temperatures drop below freezing. For spring clipping, remove old canes and dead or diseased wood and cut back canes that cross. In warmer climates, cut back the remaining canes by about one-third. In colder areas, you'll probably find you'll have to prune a little more than that. You must spray it though or it will get blackspot.

Part three (journal)

Day 1-6:00 a.m.
I am in the greenhouse right now. Just planted some roses I bought yesterday at Target’s greenhouse. They are called Love N’ Peace. They have a yellow blend with pink edged blooms. They are absolutely gorgeous. I watered them today and will water them again in three or four days, probley three since today is Tuesday and Friday seems a good day for a watering. Most people would think only having to water something twice a week is easy, but when there are so many days of not watering a plant, one tends to forget when to. Well I guess I will update my little rose journal tomorrow.
Day 2-6:30 a.m.
Slept in a bit later today. Wasn’t that much later, but I best not get in the habit of it. Well anyways, today I decided to try a method I have heard of recently. I had classic music played throughout the greenhouse, still is playing and will be for until I leave. It seems a weird method, but I have heard from people that it works. I have also heard talking to the plants work, but I think that seems a bit sillier. I would feel like a dork talking to the roses, though who knows, I may try it. The roses seem healthy, so that’s good, but it seems the plants facing west aren’t doing as well as the ones facing east. I don’t know why this is, but I will look into it.
Day 3- 6:00 a.m.
Woke up on time today. Turns out that six hours of sun early in the morning is better than six hours in the afternoon, which would explain the roses in the east looking better. Oh I tried talking to the roses today and I felt so silly, but of course I continued on. I am just glad none of my friends decided to wake up early and visit me. Oh and Chipmunk seems to have discovered how to get in the greenhouse. I had a hole in one corner and she got in. Silly kitty that cat is. Well I blocked of the hole. I don’t want Chipmunk ruining any of my plants. Almost forgot, I have figured out that I need to spray the roses to prevent them from getting blackspot. I wouldn’t want my plants to get ill, so I best get to work on that. I shall write more tomorrow.

Part One
This particular plant is called the tarda tulip. It's a different type of tulip. It grows up to 2-7 spear shaped, curved, vivid green leaves along its
short stem. The flowers are star shaped with 4 to 6 with yellow, white edged petals.



Part two
They need to be planted on a site with suitable soil. Tulips grow best in a well-drained, medium sandy loam soil that has been enriched with compost, leaf mold or manure. Tulipa tarda are much more wind resistant. The best time to plant tulips is in mid-October, although a week or two on either side of this date is okay. It does depend somewhat on the fall weather. Cover them in the winter, tulips aren't fond of cool weather.


Part three (journal)

Day 1
I just brought the most gorgeous flowers from the White Rose the other day. I forgot to plant them, when I came home I just dropped it onto the
with it still not in int. Not good for breathing circulation. Owning a garden has always beenone of my things to do. So I can now check it off my list.
First time, planter -- I felt so odd, clad in old clothes, with gloves and straw hat with sunglasses as I dug my knees deeper into the soil of the earth. I could just feel the sun trying to burn a hole through me..but it was the best weather to plant my Tarda Tulips. I wasn't sure how many to start out with. The man at the flower shop told me that four would be good, but insisted on twelve. I wished I hadn't opened my big mouth. I wanted to run inside back into the coolness of my home. I had a water bottle next to me, but I was sure all the water inside it would be gone in an hour's time. The hard part was digging the holes for the Tarda Tulips. You wouldn't believe the kind of things that live in the ground. I nearly wet my pants when I saw a particulary fat worm wiggle itself out of my newly dug hole. Then there was also a bettle that I found, but I had my brother come and squash it. He's very good at bug squashing, it's why I keep him around! When I was finished diging the holes, I stepped back and admired my work. The sun was nearly set, so I hurried in planting my Tarda Tulips. As I reached the last of the twelve, patting the soil around it's stem, the night had just begun to creep in. I watered them finally happy with all the effort I put into all this. I was indeed proud of myself. Now, only the seasons would show just how much care I put into my work.


Day 2
Morning sprang upon me and I dressed once again in my garden clothes. The sun was already out and shining down upon my tulips. They were just
buds, not even mature and I could hardly wait for spring when they would be in full bloom. I sat down on the dirt, for a few minutes not caring of
the unholy things that live beneath it. Now, do not call me crazy because I'm not. I had read in a Garden Magazine in Lowes about how Flowers,
if you talk to them they grow quickly. Something about the air we breath out (Carbon Dioxide) they feed off that to make us Oxygen. The more they get the more they grow. So I sat there, laying in the dirt, talking a bunch of nonsense to twelve flowers. I even spoke to them one on one. Okay... I felt a little stupid doing this. My brother nearly sent me on a one way trip to the asylum. But the day my floweres are in full swing, showing off their yellow white edged petals, is the day I saw I have a green thumb. If I do become successful in this, then I plan to plant alot more flowers in my small front yard garden!


Day 3
Rain was poring down from the sky and I was glad, my Tarda Tulips needed some water. I was getting quite tired of all the watering, I needed a break. I think all that bending took a toll on my back. Yet when the rain stopped, I was eager to go outside and see how well my flowers were holding up. One of the plants moved. I swear I thought they were tring to talk to me, either that or I was going nutters. Instead, it wasn't anything of the sort. It was worse. A small rabbit was nibbling on my plant. There were hundreds of other yards with dozen more plants. This rabbit just had to pick mine! I took off my hat and started to chase it. It wasn't fast, seeing as it could only hop. I grabbed it around it's middle and glared at it, hoping to somehow scare him off, so he would not come back. Okay, I did debate on setting him on the middle of the street, but I'm not Cruella Deville now. I placed the plant eating rabbit next to my neighbors yard and watched maniacally as the rabbit started eating up it's plants. I stopped and flew back into my house just as my neighbors came outside to take a look at their garden, Boy were they in for a shock. It was such a nice garden too.


Possible points for this lesson 40.

Please be creative in your answers. The more you put into this assignment, the better grade you will get. Have fun and don't forget to site your sources!

http://www.backyardgardener.com/plantname/pd_7828.html
http://www.tulipworld.com/tulip.aspcontentloc=/product/productcard.asp%3Fproductid%3D835

Part One

I would like a complete physical description of your plant, written as well as a picture of it. (15)

Aconite
This plant looks much like an ordinary flower. With its bowny green stem green leaf beneath the flower head. And o flower head with many different petals the middle part containing all the pollen. With its bright yellow petals there to attract bees and other things. On this one it shows that the stem as bent itself around so that the flower head can get more sunlight. This flower is also called monkshood because of the shape of the flowers somewhat resemble a monks cowl. It is more know as wolfsbane.


<a href="http://photobucket.com" target="_blank"><img src="https://2img.net/h/i189.photobucket.com/albums/z163/SmexiiPolly/aconite.jpg" border="0" alt="Photo Sharing and Video Hosting at Photobucket"></a>



Part two

How do you care for this plant? What climates and conditions does it prefer? (10)

The Aconite is to be stored at room temperature between 15 and 30°C (59 and 86°F) unless otherwise specified. The raw herb, tinctures or infusions should be stored in airtight, dry, and light resistant containers.
This plant prefers the weather to be dry but not to hot. It does not like rain.


Part three (journal)

I would like you to write a three day journal on the care of your plant. Any changes the plant might have, what you do as you take care of it. What's your special touch you use in order to ensure your plants longevity. (15)

Plant Diary
Day One
9am
I am currently in the greenhouse with my new plant. The Aconite more formally know as the wolfsbane plant or monkshood. My father warned me that the plant is extremely poisonous and even if I just brush my hand against it, it could have an immediate effect. So for this safety precaution I have put my dragon hide gloves on. I have placed my plant in the specific places it needs and it is now at a temperature of 23 °C. The flower head is still closed and there has yet to be any progress with it so I shall leave the Aconite for now.

9pm
I have now left my Aconite for 12 hours and I have returned just to check up on it. The flower head appears to have opened slightly a bit more. I am planning on leaving a small hole in the top of the container over night so that more oxygen may enter and allow the flower head to open.

Day Two
9am
My plan worked the flower head has now opened much more I think another night with the small hole may do the trick. Though now I must be extra careful not to breath in its fumes as It may have side effects such as dizzy ness, stomach pains, numbness of the body and so many other things. The stem of the plant has now turned from greeny brown to greeny yellow. This is a very good sign because the final colour of the root should be yellowish white.
I have now placed the Aconite in the container without the small hole because that is the conditions the plant prefers.

9pm
Upon returning to check up on the Aconite I have found that a large collect of small bugs have gathered around it. This is also a good sign because it shows that the flower is now becoming much more attractive.
I have just placed her into the container with the hole with some difficulty as do not want the bugs to crawl through the hole and start nibbling on the edge of her. So that they would not start eating I had to quickly create a bug repellent solution which I placed around the edge of the container and I also cast a spell so that if any bugs go near the top of the container they will be thrown backwards.


Day Three
9am
I am most pleased with what I did last night and the bugs managed not to get into the jar but because of the spell not enough oxygen was able to pass through so that the flower head has only opened slightly. I am not to disappointed with this because if it was left in the container without a hole then the opening of the flower head would move ever so slowly. I also found over 50 bugs lying around near the container showing that she is getting more attractive and her sent stronger I too could spell it when I walked in and her colour has become much more bright yellow.
I have now just placed her back into the container without a hole.


9pm
The most wonderful thing has happened the stem of the Aconite has turned white showing that she has matured very quickly. I have just added a pink of salt into her soil and sprayed some all over her body to make her less toxic. I also think that it is time to take her from her small container and put her into a larger one which I will do tomorrow as tonight I shall place her into the container with a hole one last time in hope that her flower head will open fully.