Although many cymbidiums start to flower in December, some bloom as early as November. Most bloom between February and May, a few in May and June, and just one or two bloom year round. Choose wisely, and you can have these exotic orchids decorating your home, patio, and garden for six months or more. Protect cymbidiums' bloom spikes from snails when they are outside. Stake the spike to avoid breakage, but allow each spray to maintain its natural arching form. Allow miniatures in hanging baskets to cascade naturally. Continue to feed the plants for bloom with a fertilizer rich in bloom ingredients until buds open. Once they bloom stop feeding the plants; keep them damp but not soggy. For longer-lasting flowers, move blooming plants into more shade and keep away from bees if they are outside. (The flowers "blush" and fade after pollination.)

Once cymbidium spikes have set buds you can force some into bloom for holiday decoration ahead of their natural schedule. Wait until the buds on the bloom spikes are full size and look fat and ready to open. Then place the plant in a warm area with bright light. The warmth plus the longer "day" will open the buds quickly. Move back into a lower-light area for longer lasting blooms.

There's one drawback to forcing--plants you force into bloom early won't perform as well next year. You'll get a few spikes but not as many. This is also a factor to consider when buying new varieties. Some may have been forced into bloom, and you won't get as many spikes the following year. Wait for the third year and they'll be loaded with blooms.

Blooms — Choosing a plant with flowers on it will give you an idea what season it blooms in and lets you know the plant is mature. Look for uniform color and shape. Splotches and streaks may be indications of a virus that you shouldn't take home.

Even if a plant is blooming when you buy it, be patient with it. The shock of going from a garden center to the typical home may cause an orchid to skip a season before it performs again. Don't get frustrated and throw it out, and don't take it personally. It's worth the wait.

Leaves — The same principles apply as when buying any plant. Look for medium-green, uniformly shaped and colored leaves with no black spots or streaks.

Insects — Greenhouse-grown plants are more susceptible to insects than home-grown ones. Don't buy infested plants — why take home trouble?

Roots — Look for white, fat roots with healthy green tips poking through the potting medium.

Potting medium — Some discount stores sell orchids planted in potting soil covered with a layer of bark. Soil will smother and eventually kill roots. So don't be fooled. Stick your finger in the mix to test it. It should be all bark and not soggy, but firm and damp or dry.

Turn to ‘M’ in Trees and Shrubs (an illustrated a-z of 8500 plants) and before any other listing you will see a two-page full color enlarged photograph of one gorgeous, creamy white Southern Magnolia flower cupped gently and safely above thick dark green glossy foliage. Beholding this picture says it all for the Magnolia and demonstrates how this one in particular boldly represents the genus.

There are many, many species and cultivars of Magnolia (hundreds). This tree (and sometimes shrub) originated both in North America and also throughout Asia. Having said that, it is obvious that there will be a species or cultivar available for your climate zone. There are both deciduous species – lose their foliage for a short time during the dormant season - and evergreen species, which as the word implies, never lose their foliage.

The magnolia genus is an ancient one. We admire the beauty of its flower but this same flower carries with it an interesting history. Its flowers are considered to be “primitive” in the flowering plant world (angiosperms). Apparently because it evolved long, long before bees, the flowers evolved to be pollinated by beetles. To ensure pollination, the flower structure remained simple, not complex. In the center of whorled, large petals stand numerous tall pollen coated anthers. Any nectar-seeking insect, such as the early beetles, accomplished the necessary pollination for this genus.

The Southern Magnolia, which is evergreen and highly fragrant, bears this voluptuous flower. The Southern Magnolia probably exemplifies the best of the evergreen magnolias. This tree is also one of the largest growing of the magnolias, growing broadly to 80 feet or more. Lucky for those of us with smaller gardens, there is a dwarf variety called 'Little Gem' that is considerably smaller and even can be espaliered on a fence or wall.

There are also deciduous species of magnolia, which are quite well represented. The Saucer Magnolia or Tulip Magnolia (M. soulangeana) comes to mind. The flowers are borne on the branches in spring first, before the foliage. There are several cultivars available offering a variety of flower colors from white to pink-purple petals to rosy pink. Another favorite among the deciduous magnolias is the Star Magnolia. Clusters of fragrant white star-shaped flowers will abundantly bloom before the foliage reemerges each spring.

Fall or spring are both good times for planting a magnolia. Remember to consider the ultimate size of the variety that you select when deciding where to place this newcomer in your garden. Magnolias need full sun. If placed into too much shade, the tree may grow to be too leggy, while lack of sun might limit the degree of flowering. Dig a hole at least twice the size of the ball of the new tree, and mix your native soil at least 50-50 with planting mix. Water regularly, but do not over-water. Once established, the water can be reduced. In the spring, feed with , which is an excellent general-purpose fertilizer.

No garden should be without this wonderful tree. Standing alone, boldly displaying its flowers or tucked in with the camellia, azalea, Chinese fringe (Loropetalum), and rhododendrons, the Magnificent Magnolia is a must-have for everyone!

To some of us, the pansy/viola is a happy, smiling face reminding us of a gardener friend from long ago. The first sign of that special flower brings a smile to our face and warmth to our heart. After all, this flower is known as the 'pixie' of the plant world. How perfect is that to have in your winter/spring gardens!

Sunset Western Garden Book tells us that botanically speaking, members of the genus Viola, which includes the pansy, viola and violets, are perennials. We just happen to treat them as annuals. The varieties that we grow are happiest in cool weather and have become known as one of our best winter bedding plants. Planting them now ensures wonderful color in your spring gardens.

There are many different cultivars of pansies and violas offering a wide range of colors and flower sizes: colors from white, yellow, apricot, violet, blue-purples, dusty rose and combinations of all of these colors! The flower sizes range from 1-4 inches.

Pansies like sun to light shade. If you plant them in deep shade, they will grow, but not reward you with as many flowers. Plant them toward the front of your flower beds along with your shrubs and other flowering bedding plants such as Iceland poppies, alyssum, lobelia, nemesia and all. You may not want to put them too close to the edge if your planter is next to your grass (scary weed whackers may chop off their heads!). But these plants love to trail and would be beautiful in raised beds, planters and window boxes!

Sometimes our pansies don't get a chance to grow up. Don't be too hard on yourself. This is not happening because you have a brown thumb. At times that six-pack coming from the grower has baby plants containing a fungal disease called Rhizoctonia which causes "damping off." In other words, the lower stem near the soil line with become constricted and dark brown. Usually, your little seedling pansy will die. That fungus thrives in wet soil. Knowing that this can be a problem, here are a few planting and care tips:

Plant the little root ball slightly high, or above soil level. This will keep the roots drier, especially after watering.

Water, but be careful to not to overwater.

Amend the soil with planting mix when planting to increase good drainage around the roots.

If you had a problem in one area of your garden with the fungus, switch and grow the pansies in another area for a year or so.

Once your pansies are getting established and blooming with smiling faces, don't forget to deadhead. Removing the finished blooms will increase the number of blooms and bloom time.

And here is the number one rule: start your morning with a stroll into your garden to gaze on all of these smiling faces. Oh sure, you can take your cup of coffee or tea along with you, too.

The rose is a symbol of love, hope, joy, passion, remembrance, and condolence. No flower has been the subject of plays, songs and poems more than the rose.

The history of the rose goes far back. The Greeks revered the red rose as having come from the blood of Adonis; the Romans used roses in their parties and thought nothing of carpeting the floor with rose petals; the Persians associated the rose with the heart; the early Christians made the rose a symbol of love in connection with the Virgin Mary and Christ's Blood.

The Victorians even talked in roses, and some of that language still survives today. A red rose, of course, signifies respect and love. A yellow rose, in Victorian times, meant a jealous suitor but today means friendship. The white rose signified innocence and purity. In the U.S., white roses are often used at weddings and have acquired the additional meaning of happiness and security. Pink roses are often used to signify appreciation or gratitude. White and red roses together signify unity. White roses fringed in red have come to mean the same thing.

The Victorians used more than just colors. Two roses bound together signified an engagement. A thornless rose signified love at first sight. A wilted rose, of course, signified rejection. There were also meanings in rosebuds, half-open buds and roses in full bloom, as well as meanings in the number of roses given; fifty roses, for instance, signified unconditional love and twenty-five roses were given as congratulations.

For Valentine's Day, rather than give any number of individual roses, why not give a rose plant? There may be no meaning in the language of roses for a whole rose plant--but in the language of gardeners, it's surely a gift of love!

1. Choose and plant camellias, azaleas and Chinese magnolias
2. Purchase clivia
3. Plant gerberas and gladioli
4. Plant lilies of the valley
5. Plant asparagus from bare-root
6. Prune kiwi vines
7. Cut back fuchsias once they begin to grow
8. In coastal zones: prune begonias, ginger, cannas, asparagus ferns, ivy and pyracantha
9. Deadhead cool-season flowers to keep them blooming
10. Propagate running bamboo in coastal zones
11. Continue to fertilize citrus trees in coastal zones
12. Continue to fertilize epiphyllums with
13. Fertilize avocado trees in coastal zones
14. Feed deciduous fruit trees
15. Fertilize roses
16. Fertilize fuchsias
17. Spread manure over the roots of bananas, ginger, cannas, asparagus, and old clumps of geranium
18. Fertilize cineraria with to promote blooms
19. Fertilize cane berries as they begin to grow
20. Keep roses and bulbs well-watered
21. Bait cymbidiums and clivia for slugs and snails
22. Control pests on citrus trees, sycamore, ash and alder trees
23. Protect cineraria from leaf miners, aphids, and slugs and snails
24. Mulch young avocado trees