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Flower Garden Playing Cards

Weekend Gardener — Thu, 29 Jul 2010 17:45:43 +0000

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Flower show prepares for Royal visitors

Weekend Gardener — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:47:41 +0000

Flower show prepares for Royal visitors
More than 20,000 people will converge on Sandringham tomorrow for one of the most eagerly awaited events of Norfolk’s summer calendar: the annual flower show.

Read more on EDP24 – Eastern Daily Press

Flower Gardening in Containers – All That You Should Know!

Weekend Gardener — Wed, 28 Jul 2010 17:47:32 +0000

There are many questions that need to be addressed before you start on with your practice of flower gardening in containers. Few of those questions are as follows:

- What size of container do you have in mind? Would you prefer planting several different flowers in one large pot or you would like to use small containers for planting various flowers?

- Are you open to the idea of few hanging plants besides the stationary containers?

- Would you like to keep a provision for rearrangement in your container garden in case its looks start getting boring after a certain period of time?

- What’s purpose is your endeavor of container gardening serving?

- What type of visual appeal are you planning to give to your container garden?

- Will it be mini plants or large plants in your container garden?

Though, given the right conditions and care, almost any plant can be grown in a container, however, if you are planning to have mixed plants in your container garden, there are several important points that need consideration. For example, the strawberry plants are usually not very competent when it comes to extracting nutrients and water from the soil. Therefore, planting them with an aggressive plant can result in strawberries being deprived of all the necessary nutrients required for their growth. Thus, it will be better if a small study can be done beforehand to find out the plants that possess similar characteristics and can be planted together for equal growth opportunity.

While its feasible to grow any flower plant in a container, you will still need to provide it with necessary ingredients like water, light, soil and nutrients. You may even be required to employ a grow light (can be purchased at the local gardening store) for flowers needing full sunlight. The flowers that can survive even with indirect sunlight will fare well even near the window space. You must also be cautious that you don’t use the normal garden soil for container gardening as it will transform into compact-hard type after some time, resulting in cramped roots.

It’s better to use enhanced solutions like sterilized potting mix, soil-less potting mixtures or the prepared potting soil that can be bought at any nursery in your vicinity. In case you prefer adding some organic matter to the enhanced soil, you can use peat moss. Some specific plants like African violets and orchids demand special types of potting mixtures. All such requirements must not come as a surprise, thus, you must keep yourself updated and aware of all the needs of the plants in your container garden.

Even though you may be all geared up to create the best possible container garden right now, please remember, it’s not possible to maintain such high enthusiasm levels throughout the journey. Hence, you must carefully plan out the plants you will grow depending on your availability and effort that you will be able to spare. Plants like African violets are relatively easier to grow as compared to exotic breeds like bird of paradise that requires great attention.

Once you have figured out the plants that you will be growing in your containers, it’s time to start thinking about the designs and placements. Let your imagination take over at this point and indulge in whichever way to enhance the visual appeal of your garden. You can either consider clustering up the containers together or placing them away from each other at strategic locations. You can also think about lining them up neatly on wooden benches or adorn your bland looking stairway. Nothing looks beautiful than cute looking small containers with beautiful flowers in them giving you company while you climb the stairs. Window boxes can even be employed to brighten up the windowpanes.

Coming now to the actual planting procedure, you must start by placing some chipped wood or rocks at the containers’ base. This is a better drainage solution as compared to holes that may lead to soil loss. Now start filling up the container slowly with your soil mixture (containing organic matter) and the beneficial fertilizer. Don’t go on filling till the top as yet and stop at the level where you’d like your plants roots to settle. Place the plants root ball on the soil and start filling up rest of the container with soil up till one inch from the top. Once done, put plenty of water into the container immediately. In order to prevent the soil from drying up, you can also add dried moss or pebbles around the plants’ base.

Plants that are most optimum for growth in containers are some tender perennials and non-hardy ones like coleus, delicate bulbs, lantana and asters. Annuals are also a wonderful option for container gardens as they bloom in no time and can endure even winter conditions.

The container gardens, though relatively easy to create, need good maintenance. They require constant watering as the soil in the containers dries out swiftly as it is fast-draining and lighter in nature. Plants in the container will also require all necessary nutrients to grow naturally like their counterparts planted on the ground. If taken care of well, your container gardens can liven up your living room and keep your spirits always high.

Container Flower Gardening – Understanding The Advantages Of Container Flower Gardening

Weekend Gardener — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:46:58 +0000

In case you do not have adequate space for a decent outdoor garden, there is no need to lose sleep. More and more people are being lured by the container flower gardening process and you too, can join this trend.

Moreover, this kind of gardening is not the sole domain of the upwardly mobile city dwellers. In fact, even people having extensive outdoor gardens, wish to make elegant their interiors with the use of attractive shades and scents and most gardeners set off their open-air garden with an al fresco container garden, either to beautify the area or to thwart some charming, but undesirable, plants that tend to damage and overrun their garden associates. Now, container gardens are a means to grow plants inside your home since the external environment is not conducive to their growth.

In addition, container flower gardening gives you the benefit of keeping a fresh and vibrant flower arrangement throughout the gardening season. When a specific plant variety is in bloom, you can smugly exhibit it in its attractive container in all its glory; and once the flowers begin to fade, you can carry off the container and put back another flower holder, brimming with plants in bud.

The container flower gardening technique is just right to manage perennials that have to last their life cycle, from blossoming to fading away and repeating the process all over again. Cheerfully place them prominently shown when in season, but take them away and put them in a remote corner when they are through with their flowering season. When they revive and brighten up, they take center stage once again! In this fashion, it is possible for you to make over your garden whenever you feel like it.

Customarily, the best selection of containers to be used for container flower gardening are wooden drum, planter boxes, flowerpots, and hanging baskets.

However, there is no firm and fast rule regarding the need to tread the traditional path; you can give free rein to your imagination! In fact, gardeners have availed of plastic milk pitchers, transparent plastic bottles, or milk cartons, making perforations in them for drainage and bedecking them with wrapping paper, foil, or any other multihued object. Buckets manufactured from any material, can be utilized, as also baskets and strong fabrics such as canvas or denim (which need to be lined).

Another possibility is to line the base of cookie jars with small stones and wire net to ensure proper drainage and these can be used as containers, and you can cover the wire net with peat moss in order to create a hanging container for plants. There are people who have also employed abandoned bathtubs!

Basically you can draw on almost anything to be utilized as a planter in container gardening. However, you need to address the requirements of plants, which make this container, their dwelling place. Every container should be fitted with drainage holes.

In addition, you should find out how deep the roots of a specific plant tend to grow, as well as the manner in which they grow and select a most suitable container. For instance, the roots of a strawberry plant do not go very deep and they do not require big containers, but since their roots tend to spread out, they require a wide container.

Ensure your container can suitably handle the problem of expanding ice-covered soil in case you reside in cold clime. If you are considering planting a sizeable, heavy flower, in a container to be set outdoors, ensure the container is heavily built so that it is not turned over by a strong breeze.

Also give due consideration to the materials used and the colors displayed in a container, and what they so indicate. Now, darkly shaded containers take in considerable heat and this may result in the soil becoming parched. It is preferable that you grow plants in containers with pale colors, or else keenly observe the water needs of any plant kept in a darkly colored container.

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Blooming flower attracts thousands in Japan

Weekend Gardener — Mon, 26 Jul 2010 17:46:57 +0000

Blooming flower attracts thousands in Japan
A rare flower that has bloomed after a gap of almost 20 years has attracted thousands of visitors to a botanical garden in Tokyo.

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Pacific Beauty Mixture Calendula Seeds – Calendula officinalis – 1 Gram – Approx 150 Gardening Seeds – Flower Garden Seed

Weekend Gardener — Sun, 25 Jul 2010 17:26:48 +0000

Calendula officinalis
1 Gram: Approx 150 Seeds
Germination Rate: 84% – Purity: 99% – Country of Origin: USA
Generic Seeds: The Same High Quality Seeds Made By Mother Nature… Just in Cheaper Packaging

Product Description
The Calendula is a beautiful flower with large blooms and hearty plants. The Pacific Beauty mixture is well suited to warmer regions. The 2-4″ wide blossoms come in orange and yellow. The plant grows to about 2′ tall and is drought resistant…. More >>

Pacific Beauty Mixture Calendula Seeds – Calendula officinalis – 1 Gram – Approx 150 Gardening Seeds – Flower Garden Seed

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Setting Up Your Flower Garden – Landscaping Idea for a Beautiful Flower

Weekend Gardener — Sat, 24 Jul 2010 17:45:55 +0000

Having a beautiful garden can be extremely rewarding, though it will take some work to keep it at its best. When you first set it up you will need to do some thinking about the kinds of flowers you want to look after. You will then need to take care to maintain the levels of water, sunlight and nutrients. Here are a few simple tips for looking after your flower garden.

It goes without saying that your flowers need water to live. This can come from Mother Nature, though you may also use artificial sprinklers. Be careful not to over-water your plants as this will do more harm than good.

As well as keeping your plants watered, they will need enough light to develop properly. This means you should make sure the sun can access your garden, and you can also increase their development by using fertilizers in the earth when planting your flowers.

When choosing what to put in your flower garden, remember that different flowers will grow at different times of the year. Perennial flowers can live for as long as three years, and they go through cycles of growth where you should always insure you are deadheading the flowers that are becoming week to help the plant stay healthy overall. This simply means removing the flowers that are dying to make room for healthy new ones.

Using a mix of annuals and perennials can make your garden a lot more interesting, but providing you with an assortment of different flowers as well as making sure there is always something flowering at any one time. However, bear in mind that this will keep you busy in your garden through the whole year.

When gardening remember that many insects can do your flowers a lot of good and not just harm them. The insects help your flowers to reproduce, and will help kill off any other types of insect that want to do harm to your flowers. Using insecticides may even damage your seeds, so instead make sure your earth is well fertilized.

As well as fertilizing the soil you could also add a layer of mulch. This will keep the soil moist and will even make your garden look more attractive. By doing this you will give your seeds the best chance of growing healthily.

Once you have spent some time in your flower garden you will start to understand what works best for it. For example, there are many different fertilizers on the market. You will probably find one that works best for your garden, as well as learning natural ways to discourage weeds from growing. It may sound difficult, but many of these skills will simply come with time. You will soon learn how to keep the soil moist and healthy, and how to make your flowers live as long as they can. Once you have put all of these methods into place you will soon have a beautiful garden to enjoy all year round!

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Using Flower Garden Plants Effectively For a Garden Full of Blooms

Weekend Gardener — Fri, 23 Jul 2010 17:44:43 +0000

Flower garden plants can be used effectively to produce a stunning garden that has blooms the entire season long. The type of garden plants used should figure prominently in your garden design. Annuals, flower bulbs, ornamental grasses, perennials, biennials and climbing vines are all excellent flower garden plants. These plants will have their own growth requirements and will only grow in specific conditions. Additionally some plants may require special treatment to grow properly.

Flowering plants that last year after year are called perennials. These plants will return every year but they only produce flowers for about two to four weeks a year. You can chose perennials that bloom at different times of the year so your garden should have a mix of early, mid and late blooming perennials in order to have blooms all season. Perennials will multiply on their own, so you can plan on dividing yours and having new plants for another part of your garden every 3 years or so.

Annuals are flower garden plants that only last for one season as their whole life is contained within one season. These plants produce colorful flowers that will last the entire season. Some popular perennials are nigella, sweet alyssum, blue salvia, spider flowers, marguerite daisies, Brazilian verbena and cosmos. These flowers do produce seeds each year so they can grow again.

Biennials are similar to annuals but their life span lasts for two years. The first year they grow leaves and then it is during the second year that they produce flowers. Despite the fact that they die after two years many gardeners love biennials, as their flowers are exquisite. Verbascums, foxgloves and hollyhocks are all very popular biennials. Many times you will find biennials next to the annuals in your garden store.

Tuber and corms are also called flower bulbs and these plants hibernate underground. Each year they store energy for the following year in their bulb that is stored underground. In order to grow the next year they need to go through a cold season though some bulbs, mainly summer bulbs cannot tolerate temperatures under freezing. Tulips, crocuses, daffodils and snowdrops are all early blooming bulbs and gladioli, dahlias, begonia, calla lilies and canna lilies are summer flowering bulbs. If you live in a very cold climate and want to plant bulbs that can’t tolerate the freezing temperatures, you can dig them up in the fall and overwinter them in your cellar or a cold area, then plant them again in spring.

If you have a small yard and need to focus on vertical space then climbing vines are the flower garden plants for you. These plants are great on a trellis. Some easy growing vines that have lovely flowers are the hyacinth, sweet peas, morning glories and clematis. Ornamental grass is also a different type of flower garden plant as it is mainly used to add texture to a garden. The grass will change color throughout the year while flowering in the fall and it moves when touched by the smallest breeze.

Flower Gardening Ideas – Let Your Dreams Blossom

Weekend Gardener — Thu, 22 Jul 2010 17:44:47 +0000

Flower gardeners everywhere are on the constant lookout for fresh and modern ideas to beautify their gardens even more. Some of the common examples of flower gardening ideas that find a mention in the talks among the gardening enthusiasts are like new methods of flower arrangements to add aesthetic value to the homeâs dÃ©cor, the newest flower container that has hit the market or the new kind of organic fertilizer that can be prepared at home to achieve optimum results.

Many popular gardening ideas are often a result of unintentional experimentation by either an over-enthusiastic amateur gardener or an over-confident gardening veteran. Ideas like beneficial pairing of different flower types, a breathtaking colorful display of a specific combination of perennials and annuals, a modified flower container, a particular potting mix etc. are all a result of an accidental stumble upon them. However, a basic research and analysis effort is usually there before the stumbling happens.

It is often said that the more one shares, the more one learns. To give practical applicability to that notion, several forums have cropped up on the cyberspace for the ever-interested flower gardening enthusiasts. Here, they can indulge in constructive discussions on their own unique flower gardening ideas (though there are quite a few of them who keep their ideas to themselves) and gain from every ones expertise.

One of the most common searches regarding flower gardening ideas on the internet is about tips to take care of special types of flowers and how to fulfill their natural needs while not compromising on the environmental concerns. It is often noted that several people dig up information about other gardeners experiences in relation to how the flower was planted, where was it planted, what all minerals and nutrients were employed, how much water and sunlight was made available, whether or not the flower was complemented with another variety to enhance its growth and several other pertinent issues to learn more and more flower gardening ideas.

Another frequently discussed topic on many gardening forums is the best conditions and time of the year to plant specific flowers or consider moving them. Flower gardening experts and amateurs alike are both very particular about the climatic requirements before they plant a flower, however, it often happens that even after they followed every instruction to the letter, what turns up in their garden eventually is not what they were expecting. This can get very frustrating and hence such forums provide a great platform to learn from others experiences, both bad and good. After all why should one invent a wheel all over again!

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Flower Gardening Tips : How to Grow Common Sunflower (Helianthus Annuus)

Weekend Gardener — Wed, 21 Jul 2010 17:45:53 +0000

The common sunflower, or helianthus annuus, is a plant that can get blooms in the late fall. Let sunflower plants do to seed when they die with instructions from a sustainable gardener in this free video on gardening and plant care. Expert: Yolanda Vanveen Contact: www.vanveenbulbs.com Bio: Yolanda Vanveen is sustainable gardener who lives in Kalama, Wash. Filmmaker: Daron Stetner