Our days are getting warmer signaling the coming of summer and it is time to get our gardens in shape. There is a lot of work ahead for me as we had the coldest winter on record here in Florida this year. As a result, most of my flower gardens died and I just finished cleaning up all the dead plants, shrubs and some trees. Of course this is an extra expense that I don’t need but it has to be done. I need to buy lots of new plants and shrubs for my gardens but will be careful to stay on budget.

What I plan to do to save some money is to shop around for bargains at our local garden places and also change the landscape of the gardens and plant less than what I had last year. I am grateful that my rose garden survived the cold weather and the roses are coming back so no need to make changes there. For the rest of the gardens, here is what I will do and you can do this too and save some money.

Buy lots of Ground Cover Plants

Last year, I had many different species of small flowers planted in various areas of the gardens. This year, I will buy lots of ground cover of the same flower and plant them to cover large areas. Buying the same plant will save me some money as opposed to buying different species that are all different prices. Annuals are bountiful now and add gorgeous color to any garden so I will get a bunch of these keeping in mind that one Petunia plant can cover up to four feet of ground in the garden. The best thing about Petunias is that they require very little care.

Buy Flowering Gardening Herbs

Plant flowering gardening herbs mixed with other flowers. I will buy rosemary plants for my gardens and benefit from its beautiful flower and also use it in the kitchen for cooking. Definitely a way to save some money! Rosemary plants are very fragrant and have pretty violet blue flowers. Since Rosemary comes as a trailing plant, I can use it as a ground cover in some of the bare areas of my garden. There is an upright version of Rosemary but it grows up to 4 feet tall so be sure to plant it away from the smaller plants in your garden. Basil is another flowering herb that can be planted in your garden in between your other flowers.

Buy small Flowering Shrubs or Trees

On one of my gardens, I will buy a small flowering tree or an evergreen shrub and planted in the center of that garden. I will then buy a contrasting color ground cover to fill in the rest of the bare area around the shrub. Don’t do this in your garden in front of your home as it may diminish the view from your windows. This one garden I have is on the side of the house and away from the front windows. This will save me some money as I will spend approximately $20.00 for the shrub and maybe $15.00 for ground cover. Buying a variety of all different types of plants to cover that garden will cost much more than this. The possibilities are endless on how you can have a gorgeous garden and stay within budget to save money. So go ahead and experiment with some of these ideas and more importantly, have fun working on your garden.

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

Flower Gardening Tips : How to Grow Delphinium - YouTube
Town of Leesburg : Flower and Garden Festival
Supporting the British Countryside
Add Drama to Your Garden with the New Midnight Mystique Black ...
High Desert Flower Gardening? - Yahoo! Answers
2011 Rollouts Hit the Garden - WSJ.com

Technorati Tags: Flowering Herbs, Gardening Money Savings, Ground Cover, Petunias, Roses, shrubs, trees

Chrysanthemums which are often called mums are truly a winner for your fall and winter garden and after trying to spell and pronounce that name, I much rather call them mums. This hardy plant in the Asteraceae family will add lots of color to the somewhat bare garden when all the annuals have withered.

There are approximately thirty species of Chrysanthemums which is native to Asia and northeastern Europe. The history of this plant says that it was cultivated in China as a flowering herb as far back as the 15th century. However, its name is actually Greek and comes from combining the Greek word chrysos which means gold and the word anthemon meaning flower.

In China, the leaves were steamed or boiled and used in teas and as greens in Chinese cuisines. In addition, Chrysanthemums was used as Chinese medicine as an aid in healing from influenza and acne. Tea made of Chrysanthemum is very popular and used as a relaxant.

Although you can plant Chrysanthemums in your outdoor garden, it is most recognized as a pot or container plant that most gardeners use to accentuate an entrance way or patio with its beautiful fall colors. These are also a favorite of florists for flower arrangements because of the longevity of the blooms. Its daisy-like flowers comes in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.

 

Chrysanthemums are a great choice for a landscaping plant in your garden adding gorgeous color before the cold winter months arrive but you must plant them at least six weeks before heavy frost starts in order to allow the plant to establish in the soil. Don’t forget to remove the tips of new growth on your plants. This will give you bushy plants and more blooms.

 

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!

Flower Gardening - YouTube
Working on white flower gardening | Flickr - Photo Sharing!
Flower gardening for beginners on Squidoo
Where To Buy Your Flower Seeds
AOL.com Video - How to Create Flower Arrangements
Flower stalk | Define Flower stalk at Dictionary.com

Technorati Tags: Annual Plants, Chinese medicine, Chrysanthemums, container plants, daisy plants, Fall Gardening, Flowering Herbs, healing plants, mums, outdoor gardening