FLOWERS Flowers have long been admired and used by humans to beautify their environment, but also as objects of romance, ritual, religion, medicine and as a source of food. A flower give rise to fruit and seeds. Many flowers have evolved to be attractive to animals, so as to cause them to be vectors for the transfer of pollen.

FLOWERS AND SEASONS The various climatic changes that occur in cyclic patterns are termed as 'seasons'. There are four general seasons occurring on Earth - Spring, Summer, Autumn and Winter. Flowers & Seasons are intimately bound to each other. Most of the flowers are season - specific. Though some flowers are found throughout the year, there are some not particularly affected by changing seasons

SUMMER FLOWERS Summer is the time of hot and warm weather. Floral growth is best in the summer season. The Northern hemisphere experiences summer during June, July, and August, while in the Southern hemisphere, during December - February. Summer is the season of the Midnight sun in the North pole and Ice land. The Flowers Blooming in Summer are: Alchemilla, Allium, Alstromeria, Amaranthus, Baby's Breath , Bird of Paradise, Calla lily, Campanula, Carnation, Chrysanthemum, Cockscomb, Cosmos, Dahlia, Delphinium, Dianthus, Didiscus, Euphorbia, Foxglove, Freesia, Gardenia, Genista, Ginger, Gladiolus, Hallaconia, Heather, Hydrangea, Hypericum, Iris, Kangaroo paw, Liatrus, Lilac, Casa Blanca Lily, Gloriosa Lily, Star Gazer, Lisianthus

SPRING FLOWERS Spring Time the time of growth and renewal of new plant and animal life. Spring comes at different times in the North and South Hemispheres. Spring time in the Northern hemisphere is between March - May, and between September - November in the Southern hemisphere. Most flowering plants bloom during spring time. Therefore, flowers that bloom only during spring, Spring Flowers, bloom at different times in the two hemispheres. Flowers Blooming in Spring are: Agapanthus, Amaryllis, Anemone, Apple blossom, Bird of Paradise, Brodea, Calla lily, Cherry Blossom, Corn flower, Cosmose, Dahlia, Delphinium, Delwood, Forsythia, Freesia, Gardenia, Heather, Helleborus, Hollyhock, Hyacinth,Larkspur, Casa Blanca Lily, Gloriosa Lily, Stargazer

AUTUMN FLOWERS Autumn is the season of the primary harvest. Autumn falls during September - November in the Northern hemisphere, and during September - November in the Southern hemisphere. Crops are harvested during Autumn. Beautiful leaves that change color are at their best. Flowers Blooming in Autumn are: Acashia, Allium, Alstromeria, Amaranthus, Anemone, Baby's Breath, Bittersweet, Carnation, China berry, Chrysanthemum, Cockscomb, Cosmos, Echinops, Freesia, Gerbera Daisy, Gladiolus, Hypericum, Iris, Juniper, Kangaroo paw, Kalancheo, Liatrus, Lily, Asiatic, Lily, Gloriosa, Misty Blue, Orchid, Pepper berry, Protea, Queen Ann's Lace, Quince, Rover, Roses, Rowen berry, Salvia, Solidago, Statice, Star of Bethlehem, Sunflower, Yarrow, Zinnia.

WINTER FLOWERS Winter is the season of cold weather. The season occurs during December - February in the Northern hemisphere. In the Southern hemisphere winter occurs during June - August. The Flowers Blooming in Winter are: Acashia, Alstromeria, Amaryllis, Carnation, Chrysanthemums, Cyclamen, Evergreens, Gerbera Daisy, Ginger, Helleborus, Holly berry, Lily, Asiatic Lily, Casa Blanca Lily, Narcissus, Orchid, Pansy, Pepperberry, Phlox, Protea, Queen Ann's Lace, Roses, Star of Bethlehem, Statice.  

RAFFLESIA: Rafflesia is the largest flower in the world.Rafflesia was found in the Indonesian rain forest by an Indonesian guide working for Dr. Joseph Arnold in 1818, and named after Sir Thomas Stamford Raffles, the leader of the expedition. The plant has no stems, leaves or true roots. The only part of the plant that can be seen outside the host vine is the five-petaled flower. In some species, such as Rafflesia arnoldii, the flower may be over 100 centimetres (39 in) in diameter, and weigh up to 10 kilograms (22lb). Even the smallest species, R. baletei, has 12 cm diameter flowers. The flowers look and smell like rotting flesh, hence its local names which translate to "corpse flower" or "meat flower" (but see below). The vile smell attracts insects such as flies, which transport pollen from male to female flowers. Most species have separate male and female flowers, but a few have bisexual flowers. Little is known about seed dispersal. However,tree shrews and other forest mammals apparently eat the fruits and disperse the seeds. Rafflesia is an official state flower of Indonesia, alsoSabah state in Malaysia, as well as for the Surat Thani Province, Thailand

HENRY WARD BEECHER, Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit Flowers are the sweetest things that God ever made, and forgot to put a soul into. HENRY WARD BEECHER, Proverbs from Plymouth Pulpit

Thanks SUBMITTED BY : MALLIKA HANDA CLASS III .