Flowers constitute an essential part of a plant, the most visible, and many people admire them. Flowers serve as a decorative element of the plant and used for animal feed and to make perfumes. Fruits play an essential role in plant reproduction. Also, flowers are usually associated with ornamental and colorful decoration in the garden.
Additionally, they remain linked with the pure beauty of nature. However, it is less evident that flowers are of primary economic importance, related to their interest in agriculture. Indeed, the presence of flowers is a fundamental condition for good production yields, and thus for adequate human nutrition.
Everyone likes flowers. Their charm and scent have gained them a significant part in our lives. We cannot survive without flowers. For many reasons, they play an essential role in plant reproduction, and they satisfy our food needs as well as other necessary substances.
You can learn the following:
* What Flower Means?
* The Functions Of Flowers
* Different Structures
* Planting Flowers
* Flower Nutrition
* Flower Properties
What Flower Mean?
A flower is an aerial part of a plant that can take on different shapes, structures, scents, and colors to attract pollinating animals. It carries the sexual organs of the plant that can allow it to reproduce.
The peduncle, or flower scape, carries the receptacle that usually contains the ovaries that can turn into fruit-bearing seeds.
A flower may have both male and female organs in its corolla. The stamens (male organs) contain the famous pollen surrounding the pistil, which includes the female organs and ova.
Flowers are the reproductive organs of plants. While some plants, such as strawberries, spread asexually, many plants have reproductive organs. This results in a wide variety of flowers, some with both male and female organs, others with only one of the two types. For fertilization to take place properly, some flowers require the appearance of insects or animals, others the presence of wind.
The Functions Of Flowers
One of the most critical functions of flowers is pollination. The pollen of the flower comes from the stamen and contains the gamete, the male reproductive organ. Once pollination has taken place, the male pollen is transferred to the female structures called the pistil and stigma.
Some plants have flowers with stigma and pollen. This allows them to pollinate themselves. Others, on the other hand, have only pistils, or even stamens. Pollen can pass from flower to flower through insects such as bees, and through the air. Generally, brightly colored and highly fragrant flowers depend on insects for pollination. Their appearance also attracts them.
Flowers constitute the most attractive part of the plant, without which we would only see green leaves. When birds and insects come near the flower, they extract their nectar. In this way, they pollinate the plants, moving sperm from the male stamens to the female pistils.
Different Structures
Many plants can self-pollinate. However, most develop a type of cross-pollination by developing transfer from one plant to another to increase genetic diversity and enhance the chances of survival of seedlings. It also allows for natural hybridization.
This pollination, when it is not carried out by wind or water, is carried out by insects and animals. The flowers involved in the latter method can be recognized by their size, bright colors, or sweet fragrance, which attract pollinators. The shape of the flower can also be dedicated to a particular pollinator, such as certain cacti pollinated by bats or certain plants with tubular flowers that attract butterflies.
With an enormous diversity of shapes, colors, scents, and sizes, the flowers all have the same structure, however, allowing them to host the sexual organs and thus produce seeds to perpetuate the species.
Planting Flowers
Planting flowers in the garden is not a simple action intended solely to produce a decorative effect. The addition of borders or colored spots can undoubtedly delight the gardener’s senses, but that is not the only reason.
Some flowers can repel insects and parasites, naturally keeping them away from the plants that are attacked. They, therefore, act as natural insecticides and avoid the use of chemical pesticides that are so harmful to health. Other flowers attract certain parasites and can be attacked! Some of these plants can poison undesired insects before they reach the vegetables.
Finally, a small square left fallow and sown with honey plants can attract pollinating insects, which can ensure better fruiting of all the crops.
Flower Nutrients
To grow and to develop, a plant needs water, light, and nutrients.
Plants produce their organic matter from water and carbon dioxide (CO2) by exploiting solar energy: this is the phenomenon of photosynthesis. It extracts from the soil the mineral elements and necessary water for its growth.
The plant also draws essential elements in smaller quantities (calcium, magnesium, sulfur, etc.) and trace elements in minimal amounts (iron, manganese, zinc, copper, boron, molybdenum, etc.). The primary nutrients needed by the plant are nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. They are part of the so-called significant elements (which the plant needs in large quantities).
Excellent humidity is required. Without water, there is no life and the plant wilts. But too much water can suffocate the roots. Light is an essential factor for plant growth and survival. Some plants need a lot of light (geraniums), while others prefer shade (impatiens). The temperature must be sufficient.
Flower Properties
Flowers symbolize passion, love, beauty, and also offer therapeutic, cosmetic, household properties and also stand out beautifully in the kitchen.
For cosmetics: We mention roses, lilacs, lavender, jasmine, and many others. They are known for their pleasant perfume, to make perfect moisturizers, anti-wrinkle creams, lotions, essential oils.
For household use: Lavender and eucalyptus are the chosen ones, bring a fresh scent, and purify the air.
lavender : It is used as water to serve as an aftershave or to perfume the house to keep parasites away.
Nasturtium : It can be cooked to add a hint of spice to dishes and can be accompanied by potatoes.
For the skin: Rosewater moisturizes the skin and heals it.
Colorful, the flower brightens up gardens, especially in spring and summer, but its period is more or less short-lived. However, some flowering plants also bloom during autumn and even winter: enough to have a beautiful flowering in your garden all year round! Also, the flowers attract insects that forage and pollinate the plants for reproduction. The most generous of them are honey-bearing, allowing bees to make their honey from them.