Did you know that most members of the daisy family (or Compositae) have ‘composite’ flower heads? Each ‘flower’ actually consists of hundreds of tiny flowers squashed together – the inner circle containing the true flowers that contain the reproductive organs (known as the ‘disc florets’) and the outer ring of petal-like structures are actually individual flowers posing as petals (known as ‘ray florets’), these are usually sterile but occasionally you can see the tiny stamen or stigma emerging.
A sunflower is the classic example – each individual disc floret has a single ovary and after pollination, each one develops a hard seed coat with a single seed inside, which you will recognise as sunflower seeds.
This Zinnia flower clearly demonstrates a ring of tiny flowers opening, they usually open concentrically, one ring at a time to help avoid self fertilisation and spread the flowering period. Check out the Rudbeckia in the feature image too, see if you can spot the true flowers!
Take a close look at all of your daisies! sometimes you need a magnifying glass – to see this interesting and clever trick of nature.
If you want to find out more about the fascinating world of plants, come along on our botany short course this autumn! Basic botany course
The daisy family has recently been reclassified and is now known as the Asteraceae family and consists of over 1500 genera – see how many you have in your garden!
You will create your own lantern to take home with you (all materials for the willow lantern are included in the cost) Add your own battery powered or solar lights to create a unique and subtle outdoor light.
This basic course in plant propagation will look at the basics of propagating from seed and from semi-ripe and hardwood cuttings. You will learn a little botany that will help you to be more successful in rooting cuttings and understanding the different types of seeds, seed saving tips and overcoming different types of dormance in seeds.
This half day introductory course is running on Wednesday 24th October 1-4pm 20€ per person.
Come along and have a go at eco-printing techniques. You will experiment with leaves, flowers and rust combined with plant based dyes on cotton and paper samplers. You can bring your own T shirt or household lined to work on too. You will go home with some unique prints and an understanding of the materials and processes involved so that you can go away and experiment at home.
THIS COURSE IS NOW FULLY BOOKED if you are interested in doing this course on a different date please use the enquiry form below to request an extra date
This half day course will teach you some basic weaving techniques through the creation of a hanging fatball bird feeder. These make great gifts and are an attractive garden feature.
Come along and learn the art of making animal sculptures out of willow. Make a majestic stag’s head to take home.
Le Jardin Creatif 