Gardening | Best Flower Gardening

It is not too early to Start your Fall Garden

Flower Gardening, Gardening, Perennials, Soil No Responses »

Aug 042008

The fall season is approaching fast and this may be a good time to start thinking about your fall gardening. There are lots of things that you can do now that will save you time later in the season. For example, you can start replacing those summer annual plants in window boxes and containers with some fall plants.

If you do get rid of the annual plants, don’t throw away the soil. That soil is still good so just toss it in a flower bed, border or even perennial plants. For your fall plants, be sure to use fresh soil and do follow the instructions given when you purchase your plants. If you want to still keep your annuals for a while, you can get an additional container and fill it up with fall plants. This way, you will have beautiful fall flowers while the annuals are slowly dying out.

Another idea is to keep the container with annuals and as they die out, replace them with fall plants in the same container so that by the time your annuals are all gone, you will have constant color around your garden. Or, if you want to leave things as they are, start a new container with fall plants and keep it in a separate location until you are ready to place it in your desired location.

No idea what you want to do about your fall plants? Start by thinking about the colors and styles you want. Go to your local nursery or any garden center and start looking at the various choices they offer. Do speak with a salesperson and discuss where you want to place the fall plants, the colors that you have in mind, and ask for more suggestions.

Months go by quickly so don’t delay and get going with your fall gardening ideas. Whatever you decide, the time to start is now so that by the time to cooler weather gets here, you will have beautiful fall color around your garden.

To your lovely fall garden,
Diana

Here are some other flower gardening sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Best Flower Gardening!

14 winter-prep tips for your lawn and garden - MSN Real Estate
Browse subject: Flower gardening | The Online Books Page
Do Real Gardeners Hire Help? -- Weekend Gardener - WSJ.com
Embrace the Chill: Plant Bulbs - WSJ.com
flower owl | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Restored gardens bloom on Alcatraz Island - USATODAY.com

Your Gardening Tasks are easy when you have the Right Tools

Flower Gardening, Gardening No Responses »

Aug 022008

Every gardener needs gardening tools. These can range from simple pruning shears to very large gardening equipment depending on the size of your garden. For the purpose of this article, we will just discuss simple every day garden hand tools that you will need to keep your garden looking beautiful all the time.

The first thing that needs to be done is to determine what tools you need to accomplish your simple gardening tasks. If you are starting from scratch in creating your garden, you need to get a tiller to tilt and turn the soil in preparation for your plantings. Tillers come in different sizes and price range so if you have a small garden, get a small and reasonably priced one.

Take your time and carefully choose the gardening tools you need. Believe me you could save some money buy doing this. It is important for you to select not only the garden tools that you need, but also the tools that you feel comfortable using. Feeling comfortable using your tools should help you get your gardening jobs done quickly and with lots of enjoyment.

Here are some of the garden tools that I bought when I started gardening and still use to the day. Your gardening needs may be different than mine, but hopefully, these will give you ideas and help you determine what tools you need.
• Gardening gloves – this should be the first item on your list.
• Tiller – before you plant anything, you need to turn the soil.
• Hoe – use it for weeding and cultivating the surface of the soil to allow penetration of nutrients and water.
• Watering can – select watering can that has a detachable spray head which is perfect for watering young seedlings or small plants.
• Shovel – useful for large digging projects such as planting shrubs and trees.
• Rake – useful for leveling the soil after it has been turned and prior to planting.
• Garden shears – are used for pruning, shaping and removing foliage or branches from your plants.
• Tanged hand fork – use it for digging out difficult weeds.
• Trowel – very useful when planting small beds and you need to dig small holes in the soil.

It does not matter if your garden is large or small you still need some gardening tools. Always remove the soil from your digging tools after you are done using it. Once again, you don’t have to spend a fortune buying garden tools. Just figure out what tasks you want to do around your garden and buy the tools needed. If in doubt, visit your local Home Depot, Lowes, Sears, or any other store that carries gardening supplies and tell them what you want done and they will tell you what you need.

To your gardening success,
Diana

Here are some other flower gardening sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Best Flower Gardening!

Twitter / Kevin Rozanski: Flower Gardening Tips http ...
A bouquet for L.A. - latimes.com
Blanket-flower encyclopedia topics | Reference.com
Chrysanthemum encyclopedia topics | Reference.com
Twitter / Gardening Resource: Flower Gardening 101 - The ...
Washingtonpost.com: Live Online

Don’t Neglect your Garden

Gardening, Soil Nutrients No Responses »

Jul 292008

Garden care should be every gardener’s top priority. If you want your garden to thrive, you must take care of it by providing adequate water, food and protection from weeds, pests and diseases. For starters, you can start by making sure that the soil is good and rich in nutrients and that your garden has a layer of mulch.

You can check your garden to see if it has enough water by taking a handful of soil from around the base of the plant and squeezing it in your hand. If the soil in your hands forms a ball, your soil is moist and adequate. If the soil runs out of your hand, you need to water your garden.

If you see that the leaves in your plants are turning yellow or have brown spots on them, it means that there is some kind of disease creeping in and you need to spray your plants right away. I use fungicide and it works well. Be sure to read the instructions carefully and mixing the correct amount as too much fungicide may damage your plants.

To keep your garden healthy and beautiful all the time, give your plants some food. Make sure that you get the appropriate plant food according to the plants you now have. For example, if you have roses, buy food for roses. Or if you have a mix of roses and other plants, get a plant food that is good for all your flowering plants.

One important item that we all hate to do but it is necessary is pulling out weeds. Lots of weeds in your garden can damage your plants because it will choke your plants and prevents adequate water and food to get to the roots. As you see weeds coming up, spray them or pull them out of your garden. I use Roundup as a weed killer, but be careful not to spray too close to the plants as it will kill them.

I hope this information will motivate you to go and check your garden. Check the soil to be sure it is moist, check for diseases on the plant leaves, and see if weeding needs to be done.

To your gardening success,
Diana

Here are some other flower gardening sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Best Flower Gardening!

ALL THAT GLISTENS IS GLASS - USATODAY.com
Climbing hydrangea | Define Climbing hydrangea at Dictionary.com
Tips on Flower Gardening - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com
Public Gardens of Western Connecticut - NYTimes.com
This is what flower gardening looks like | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Wild Flower Gardening Video Showcase

Add Beauty to your Garden with Flowering Trees

Gardening, Landscape No Responses »

Jul 262008

Flowering trees somehow tells us that the winter season is over and warm sunny days are here to stay. Can you just picture your yard or garden with several trees full of fragrant flowers? It is just absolutely beautiful! And, the best part is that you plant them once and these come back to bloom every year with delightful flowers.

You can plant flowering trees among some perennials, on the corners of your flower garden to accent your landscape, around shrubs, or just plant some in your back yard. No matter where you plant them, these flowering trees will add beauty for years to come.

Some gardeners believe that crepe myrtle is the queen of all flowering trees and here in the south where I live, that seems to be the case. I have crepe myrtle trees planted in the back yard, against fences, on the side of the pond, and in a corner of my flower garden. We just love crepe myrtle here in the south because they bloom from June to November and these are maintenance free.

There are many varieties of flowering trees in the market today but we all have our favorites. Magnolia is also a favorite of mine and is another very popular one here in the south. Did you know that Magnolia Rustica Rubra was introduced over 100 years ago? Yes, and it is known for its long blooming period that lasts for several weeks.

It was introduced in the 19th century at Boskoop, Holland. What makes this Magnolia spectacular is that in early spring, very large red buds arise before the foliage, followed by huge goblet shaped blooms in pink that usually lighten up to white near the petal tips and then the foliage starts around these huge blooms. Gorgeous! This awesome Magnolia tree grows from 10 to 25 feet tall and about 10 to 15 feet wide. It grows well in zones 4-9.

Another favorite flowering tree is Dogwood. A gentleman by the name of Bob Timberlake developed a specimen of Dogwood called ‘Cornus Eternal Dogwood’ and it is known for its long flowering period. It has large 6-inch double blooms of pure white flowers all surrounded by a ruffled green center. This one type of Dogwood somehow continues to bloom for two weeks beyond all others. It grows from 18 to 25 feet tall and up to 18 feet wide, likes full sun, and thrives in zones 6-9.

And, let us not forget the ‘Cornus Radiant Rose’ flowering tree. If you are not familiar with Radiant Rose, get ready because you will fall in love with this one. This tree has rosy red flowers that hold their color beautifully even in intense heat and humidity. The blooms are 4 inch petaled shaped and are a rosy red color set off against large deep green leaves which begin early summer and continues until August in most climates. Expect this tree to grow 10 feet tall in the first five years, about 20 feet high when it matures, and 30 feet wide. It grows well in zones 4-9 and it is recommended that you space these at least 20 feet apart.

I really hope that the information above will entice you to plant some flowering trees in your garden or landscape. These trees are perfect for a front yard specimen, backyard or even on the side of your home. Where ever you plant them, these will add beauty to your home and garden for many years to come.

Enjoy your flowering trees,
Diana

Here are some other flower gardening sites that I found for you to browse. Thanks for visiting Best Flower Gardening!

AOL.com Video - Lucia Lavender Blush Lobelia
Supporting the British Countryside
Flower Gardening - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Flower garden ideas for my front yard area? - Yahoo! Answers
Maine Flowers Bloom in Trio of Gardens - ABC News
Flowers: News & Videos about Flowers - CNN.com

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