Gardening Tips and Ideas for Beginners

 Flower Gardening  No Responses »
Jun 122010
 

It seems that more and more people are looking into gardening and seeing it in a new light. Years ago gardening was viewed as a difficult chore that had to be done in order to have a decent looking yard or to add focus and beauty to a home. Some people also believed that gardening only appealed to older folks. Today people from all walks of life including children, young adults, adults and older folks see gardening as a rewarding hobby that is refreshing and invigorating.

If you’ve never gardened before and want to start, don’t be afraid and get started. It is not meant to be difficult and as a matter of fact, it can be lots of fun. There are lots of gardening books and magazines with a wealth of information to guide you along or better yet, ask mom or grandma for advice. Most likely they will tell you how much they enjoy gardening and that it is not a hindrance to start growing your own plants outdoor or indoors. And what a joy it will be when you get to see your flower garden blossom and looking beautiful.

As a starting point, decide what it is that you want to grow in your garden. Don’t make it complicated; you can start with just a bed of colorful flowers initially. Once this is done, look around and maybe plan for an exotic country garden full of wild flowers and shrubs, all different kinds of little trees and shrubs or just go for a backyard full of containers planted with grown plants. This is not difficult to do because you can find lots of information on how you can start doing them. You can also visit your local gardening places and the experts for assistance and ask lots of questions.

Next you need to get the basic tools that you need to start gardening. For starters you will need a trowel, spade, rake, lawn mower and of course plants of your choice to grow. Remember that the kinds of plants to grow will depend on what type of garden you want, the availability of those plants, and the climate where you live. Keep in mind that there are plants that grow only for one season like annuals and there are others that can be cultivated to grow year after year like perennials. Before you buy the plants, make sure you have a basic plan on the space you have available where you want to start your garden. If you have a small space, buy some colorful annuals and perennials as a starting point.

While shopping for your desired plants, be sure to get some potting soil. Before digging any holes, simply place the plants in the area designated for the garden and see how they look. Move them around until you are satisfied with the look of your garden. Follow the planting instructions that are included with all your plants, dig the holes in the ground and plant. As you can see, gardening is not difficult at all and the satisfaction you will get from caring for your garden and watching your plants grow and flower into gorgeous blooms is priceless.


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

Flower Gardening: Planning Your Space | MSU Alumni Association
Holland Bulb Farms Launches iMyGarden iPhone Garden Design App
Flower power #flower #gardening | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Browse subject: Flower gardening | The Online Books Page
Tips for growing a cut flower garden
NCDOT Wildflower Program


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Hollyhocks – an old time favorite for your Flower Garden

 Flower Gardening  No Responses »
Feb 282010
 

Growing up, I remember that my mother always had hollyhocks planted all over our flower garden. Mom would tell us stories of how my grandmother made sure that she had hollyhocks planted as well and considered them a must have flowering plant for any garden. Everyone that I talk to about hollyhocks tells me that somehow they inherited some hollyhocks seeds from their grandmothers. It seems that hollyhock seeds do get passed on from generation to generation mainly because they are beautiful but also because they are easy to grow.

It has been said that hollyhocks go back to ancient Roman and Greek times and these existed in lots of their gardens. Some say that they were planted amongst lilies and roses and hollyhocks were also depicted in ancient art work. The Romans used hollyhocks in many culinary recipes and the ancient Greeks used it as a sacrifice to Apollo in many celebrations and also for medicinal purposes. In Greece, the roots of hollyhocks were used to treat indigestion, toothache, inflammation and even earaches.

Hollyhocks are also found in many cottage gardens and the reason might be that these types of gardens don’t really have any design to speak of. In a cottage garden, flowers are usually planted together and all over the place so that it looks like the flowers grow wild. So in country cottage gardens, anything goes and it is okay to just plant flowers any way you like. Cottage gardens are informal where you may have a path that leads to the flower garden and nothing more. But one thing is for sure, you will see hollyhocks planted there because these require very little care.

Hollyhocks come in many colors but the most popular ones are pink, red, rose and white. Most of the bloom from July to September and can grow up to 6 feet tall so be sure to plant them in an area in your garden where these will not crowd your other perennials. Ideal places to plant hollyhocks are fences and walls where these can create a backdrop for other smaller flowers. Hollyhocks tolerate drought conditions and do well in full sun.

When you plant the seeds, Hollyhocks will only bear leaves for the first year. It is recommended that you add some compost to the soil when the leaves die and mulch around the plant to protect them during the winter months. Don’t worry, hollyhocks do well in zones 3-9 and are very hardy so these will come back in the spring. And because these are perennials, you will have them for years to come. If you don’t have any seeds and would like to have hollyhocks in your garden, check out Breck’s as they have some plants that come already established in 3 inch pots. You can then start saving the seeds and adding more hollyhocks to your flower garden every year.


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

MyEnchantingSilkGarden.com Promotes Lasting Floral Beauty ...
Town of Leesburg : Flower and Garden Festival
Flower Gardening : How to Grow Cosmos Flowers - YouTube
"Search Results - "" Flower gardening."" | Brown University Library"
Climbing Vines | Reference.com Answers
Twitter / @edsalvato/Flower-gardening


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Iris – a Beautiful Flower for your Garden

 Flower Gardening  5 Responses »
Sep 172008
 

There are hundreds of species of Irises today and the time to plant the bulbs is now in the autumn. It has been said that Irises go back to before the 11th century and the name is derived from the Greek word ‘rainbow’ referring to the wide variety of flower colors that are among the many species of Irises.

This beautiful flower is extensively grown as ornamental plants and the most commonly found garden iris is the bearded German Iris. Other types of hybrids have come along which are crosses between tall and dwarf varieties.

 

The bearded irises are easy to cultivate and propagate and are popular in many gardens. The reason is that these grow in any type of garden soil and a little peat moss. Dwarf irises are early bloomers meaning that these bloom in full from March to May.

It is important to mention that Iris plants have rhizomes (a horizontal stem of a plant that is usually found above or underground) that sit at the top of the soil surface. These rhizomes are used in perfume even today and in medicine during ancient times. I also found out that dried rhizomes are given whole to babies to help in the teething process, and Magellan Gin uses iris root and flower for flavor and color.

There is so much history about this beautiful flower that it is much too much to mention here. For example, the iris has been associated with France as Louis VII adopted it as a symbol in the 12th century. The iris is almost the universal symbol of scouting and one of the symbols adopted by the sorority Kappa Gamma.

In addition to the above, the iris is the symbol of Brussels since historically Saint Gaugericus Island was carpeted in them and the iris is now featured on the flag of the Brussels Capital Region. The iris is also the state flower of Tennessee and featured by many other states.

As you can see, there is enough history about irises to write a book, but the one thing we all agree on is that irises are absolutely beautiful flowers. Here are a few of my favorites.

Iris ‘Jennifer Rebecca’ – Botanical name is Iris x germanica Jennifer Rebecca

This is re-blooming tall bearded iris that re-blooms heavily again in the autumn. It was introduced by Zurbrigg in 1985 and it sets its first and heaviest flush of flowers in late spring. Jennifer Rebecca is known to be a dependable and generous bloomer and has ruffled, fragrant pink tone flowers in the spring and lavender in the fall. It tolerates heat and humidity and grows well in zones 3-10

Iris Louisiana ‘Bold Pretender – Botanical name is the same

Here is a Native American water plant that some gardeners love to plant in ponds and alongside streams. It loves wet, soggy soils that most other perennials like to avoid. The flowers begin in early to midsummer and are two tone red blooms. It has been said that there is no such thing as a true red iris but this variety comes close.  Bold Pretender was bred by Morgan in 1983 and has become a favorite for many gardeners. Plant them in very moist soil, grows well in zones 3-9.

Iris ‘Best Bet’ – Botanical name is iris x germanica Best Bet

Here is another iris that will bloom twice. The first and heaviest bloom is in late spring and then early summer. This gorgeous iris with its light and dark blue combination of colors makes it a highly prized cut flower for arrangements. The plant reaches about 3 feet tall and up to 24 inches wide, and grows well in zones 3-8

Iris x Germanica Immortality – Botanical name is the same

Another beautiful re-bloomer that blooms first in early summer and then again in late summer. This iris was introduced in 1982 and has been the winner of several awards for its unique beauty. It has pure white petals and lemony color beards. Immortality grows just 29 inches tall and spreads about 18 inches wide which is ideal to mix with other taller irises in your garden. It likes full sun and grows well in zones 3-8.

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!

Remaking Flower Beds From the Ground Up - NYTimes.com
Twitter / Flower Gardens: Flower Gardening http://t. ...
AOL.com Video - Wisteria Gardening Tips
Flower Gardening Tips : How to Grow English Daisy (Bellis Perennis ...
Flower Gardening: News & Videos about Flower Gardening - CNN ...
Home & Garden: Spring Blooming Calendar (washingtonpost.com)


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Autumn Blooming Bulbs for your Flower Garden

 Flower Gardening  No Responses »
Sep 142008
 

Autumn is a beautiful time of the year when trees begin to change colors in shades of yellow, orange and red. It is also a time when most gardens look dull and gray as most of the colorful annuals plants are gone. But it does not have to be this way.

Did you know that you can have a thriving flower garden in the autumn? Yes, you can! There are lots of autumn blooming bulbs that you can plant now and these will bloom next fall. Plant them this year and as other flowers begin to disappear in your garden, next year beautiful blooms will appear in the fall season.

Start visiting your local nursery or shop online for autumn blooming bulbs and get busy in your garden. Next year, you will be glad you planted your bulbs when you see the flowers come up. To help you get started, here is a short list of some autumn blooming bulbs that you can plant now.

Autumn Crocus ‘The Giant’ – Botanical name is Colchicum Speciosum ‘The Giant’

Rose color flowers streaked with white will appear from this bulb. See the picture below. This is a very easy plant to grow. Just set the bulbs in well drained, moist soil in a sunny area of your garden. The Giant is pest resistant and grows well in zones 5-8. It blooms from early fall to mid fall.

Colchicum Cilicicum – Botanical name is the same

A native of Turkey, if you like Colchicums this is one of the most reliable to plant in your garden. It blooms freely with about 15 flowers per bulb. The flowers are about 2 inches and the shade is a dark rosy-purple. When the flowers die, large 1 foot strap-shaped leaves will appear. Colchicum likes full sun, well drained soil, and grows well in zones 4-9. Blooms early fall to mid fall.

Autumn Crocus ‘Waterlily’ – Botanical name is Colchicum Waterlily

Somehow, the blossoms of this colchicum resemble floating waterlilies. Large, 4 to 5 inch lavender-pink double flowers appear on leafless stems in mid-autumn. It is easy to grow, just plant the bulb in well drained soil. Colchicum likes full sun, it is pest resistant and grows well in zones 5-8. Blooms early fall to mid fall.

Hardy Cyclamen Neapolitanun – Botanical name is Cyclamen Neapolitanum

Wow! This Cyclamen is hardy to -20 degrees Fahrenheit. It offers masses of lilac flowers with rich dark ‘eyes’. The petals curve upward above variegated, heart-shaped foliage. You can plant this bulb under trees, shrubs or pots as it likes the shade. Blooms early fall to mid fall and grows well in zones 5-9.

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!

How To Get Your Flower Cutting Garden Up and Running
Flower Gardening - YouTube
Washingtonpost.com: Live Online
Flower Gardening - University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
Flower gardening is inn! ficwnr
Fall Flower Gardening - Yahoo! Voices - voices.yahoo.com


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