The Meanings of Flower

Posts Tagged ‘garden’

Article by Dennis Carey and Tony Avent, Plant Delights Nursery Inc.

Everyone has their own idea of what the perfect garden is as and people need to be willing to think outside the box to look for ways to create a garden that is unique and mirrors their personalities; otherwise how boring gardens would be.

 

A beautiful garden speaks volumes about the person or people who planted it. The perfect garden can be one of many things from a small garden planted with container plants, or vegetable plants planted out in a huge garden producing food for eating or storage, it can be a herb garden, or a garden full of flowers and  perennial plants.

 

Gardens using flowers as their primary element are obviously called flower gardens, having said that, garden shrubs, trees, and other components are present as well, but the focus is on flowers, and these need extra attention from their creators.

 

The colour, aroma, height and leafage are all attributes of the plants and if sown from a simple packet of garden seeds, take heed to the fact that different plants bloom in different seasons, and should be grown is such a way so as to make the flower gardens look colourful throughout the year.

 

The herb garden is becoming very popular as many plants are not only used for cooking but medicinal purposes, such as Aloevera, which in ancient times, was used by nuns and monks to heal pain using extracts of this and other plants. Aloevera is still widely used today for skin treatments. Other plants used for cooking that fall into this variety are rosemary, parsley, sage, thyme, mint, bay, and basil, also now more commonly used in cooking is the unique flavour of lavender plants. 

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A well planted garden can be bountiful offering up fruit such as strawberry, raspberry, blackberry apple, and pear, or vegetables in either raised beds or elevated containers, peas, beans, potatoes and carrots are very easily grown in compact areas and raised beds, and tomatoes, radish and lettuce are perfect as container plants.

 

Your preference may be tulips, daffodils and spring garden bulbs which will give a constant display of blooms also fill the rest of the flower garden space with annuals that bloom throughout the growing season, and as your garden matures it will be filled with blossoms form spring to autumn.

 

Guard your garden with plants that take care of other plants which become natural attractions, repellents and companion plants, for example lemon balm is attractive to bees that gather pollen, and is a companion for your tomato plant, as it helps increase the growth and flavour of the fruit.

 

Marigolds if planted throughout the flower and vegetable beds will ward off many types of insects and slugs, lavender attracts butterflies and also does double duty as a repellent against mice, moths and dangerous ticks.

 

A spokesman for Blooming Direct a horticultural business based on the floral island of Jersey said, “this time of the year we sell a great deal of bedding plants, and hanging basket plants, all our plants come in plug plant format, thus giving the gardener a real head start to the perfect blooms this summer.  Our website offers an online boutique style garden centre, we are confident you will find what you are looking for, but if not, we will do our hardest to source them if that is what you the customer wants”.

 

For further information visit:  www.bloomingdirect.com or you can visit their Facebook page to discover many exciting offers.

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Pest control for perennials to be dangerous? Let’s see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from Pest control for perennials experts.

The information about Pest control for perennials presented here will do one of two things: either it will reinforce what you know about Pest control for perennials or it will teach you something new. Both are good outcomes.

Perennials are a great choice for any garden, with their great variety of colors, shapes and sizes. Perennials also have another important advantage over other types of flowers. That is, unlike annuals, which must be replanted year after year, perennials, by their very nature, are able to regenerate from year to year. This means you are free to plant once and enjoy many seasons of beautiful blooms.

While the actual longevity of perennials varies from variety to variety, some types, such as peonies, have been known to last for decades once planted.

This longevity, however, can come at a price, and one of those disadvantages is that perennials need more care when it comes to maintenance, weeding and pest control. Unlike the annual garden, which is dug up and restarted each year, perennials remain in the ground over the winter, and this can make them more prone to common garden pests than other types of plants.

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One of the best defenses against pests in the perennial garden is a healthy and vigorous selection of plants. The healthier the plants in the garden the better they will be at fighting off common pests and garden infections. Plants that are well cared for and vigorous will be much less susceptible to damage by insects and other pests.

The vigilance of the gardener is another great tool in preventing pest infestations from getting out of control. A good gardener is constantly on the lookout for early signs of problems, such as holes in the leaves, marks or wounds on the stems, and other signs of pest problems.

Having a good guide to common garden pests and diseases is a good idea as well, since it can sometimes be difficult for the untrained eye to tell exactly what the problem is. Diagnosing the problem is the best way to cure it quickly, before it can spread.

Gardeners have a choice when it comes to pest control in their gardens. There are of course a great many chemical pesticides on the market, but there are a number of natural methods as well. Many experienced gardeners prefer to start out with the natural approach first, and move onto chemical methods only when natural attempts have failed.

One great natural pest control approach is to use beneficial insects to control harmful pests. Many garden supply stores sell these beneficial insects, and it is usually easy to seed a garden with these insects and get them to stay and remove harmful pests.

In addition, aphids can often be controlled simply by spraying plants with a very dilute mixture of soapy water, followed by a rinse of clean water. This method often works just as well, and is considerably less expensive, than chemical methods, and it has proven effective even on serious aphid infestations.

Another great way to control pests is to buy pest and disease resistant varieties of plants. Many perennials have been selectively bred to be resistant to common pests and diseases. If these varieties are available it is a good idea to seek them out. Even if they are more costly up front, the money you save on pesticides and other chemicals can make them quite cost effective.

This article’s coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.

Did you ever want to turn your backyard into a garden but then you gave up because you didn’t know anything about gardening? You don’t have to do that anymore: gardening is actually not as hard as people might think it is. If you know a few basic rules, then you can have your own garden without much effort. The time you need to create a garden is not too long, and it is definitely a good way to relax. The beauty and scent of the blooming flowers will repay you for your effort, you can be sure of that. Here are a few basic gardening tips, that will help you gain that beautiful garden you’ve always dreamed of.

Flowers grow and bloom, but so do weeds. There can be a lot of unwanted weed among your plants. This is natural, since most weed seeds are carried by the wind and it is impossible to stop their spreading. Weeds are usually stronger than flowers and much more resistant, so they have a bigger chance of survival even in bad conditions. Get rid of weeds in your garden, because they take away the water and the minerals from your flowers. The best way is to rip them out with their roots to make sure that they won’t grow back again. You can also use weedkiller products, but avoid using sprays, because they can destroy your flowers as well.

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Most of the flowers and plants require certain conditions, otherwise they won’t survive or they will be very weak. Water your garden regularly, at least once a week, and more often if it’s a very dry hot summer. Deep watering is relevant because that way the roots can absorb much more minerals and the flowers will be more fresh looking and beautiful.

At all times try to avoid the use of chemicals in your garden. Most of the chemicals do more harm than good. For instance if you use a pesticide, it kills the bad insects but the beneficial ones as well. This way you will only destroy the natural balance of the garden. Some chemicals are also harmful for the plants and flowers, and they can be dangerous for humans and pets as well. For all problems there are organic, natural products that you can use instead of the chemicals.

If you want to fertilize your garden, choose fertilizers that are organic. Don’t use too much fertilizer, most of the times the soil contains already a lot of minerals that the plants need. The minimal amount of fertilizer is enough to give your flowers extra strength and resistance. Use this regularly, especially if you water your flowers very often. Repeated watering washes away nutrition from the earth and that’s why you should add fertilizer to it.

Cutting of dead flowers and leaves will not only make your garden look more beautiful and organized, but it is also beneficial for the plants. Most of the flowers will bloom more if the dead flowers heads are removed. Some perennials will have new flowers only if the dead flower heads are cut, like dahlias and geraniums. Similarly, there are some plants that require their top to be pinched out. This way they will be more bushy and have more flowers. Some of them will grow too high if you don’t do this, like fuchsias for instance.

The miracle of nature manifests itself in many ways, but none as amazingly as a handful of rock-like balls such as garden bulbs that will produce a profusion of colour just with some sun and water. Daffodils, tulips and crocus, just to think that all their beauty and colour come from a tiny uninteresting brown ball.

 

If you are not familiar with gardening and are just starting out, it will help to divide plants and flowers up, for example annuals and perennial plants.  Annuals are flowers that bloom only once and their whole lifetime lasts just one growing season. One prize example of an annual is the pansy, you buy these plants already blooming, plant them in your garden container, or window box and they will die in the Autumn never to return.

 

Perennial plants in your garden will keep coming back year after year as they don’t die each Autumn, they just go dormant until the weather warms up again.  The beautiful flowers from garden bulbs are perennials and if you plant them in the Autumn they will provide you with blooms year after year. If you see in a garden a clump of tulips or daffodils or iris that are bushy and thick with flowers, you can bet your bottom dollar these bulbs were probably planted years ago, simply because often the flowers multiply over the years.

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Garden bulbs will be in your garden for some time to come unless of course you dig them up and move them, so care should be taken when planting them to take full advantage. Be aware that some bulbs flower in early March and others flower in June and your garden will look out of balance if you don’t account for blooming times, also pay attention to height when planting and be careful not to hide short crocuses behind tall tulips.

 

The garden bulb is very versatile and can be planted almost anywhere and even used as hanging basket plants, or planted in pots for indoors. Wherever you plant them they will not disappoint and will give you so much pleasure.

 

Of course, to the experienced hard and fast gardener a well planted garden is not just about flowers. To them the soil is far more precious and most gardeners love to have vegetable plants that will feed the family through the seasons, such as runner beans, lettuce, spring onions, beetroot, potatoes, and so much more. These gardeners know that vegetable plants will save money and, more importantly, will be fresher and better for our health.

 

Lavender plants are a great favorite in many gardens and are the most popular cottage-garden plants. Evergreen lavender plants are great for attracting wildlife to your garden including butterflies and will help save the declining populations of our native species of bumble bee. Lavender plants are ideal for patio containers, hedging and can be used to make your own potpourri and can even be used in cooking.

 

A spokesman for Blooming Direct a horticultural business based on the Island of Jersey said, “visitors to our website will find it mind blowing such is the choice that we offer. We are confident you will find any plant, tree or shrub you are looking for as you can use our “plant finder” to track down exactly what you want  and, on the way, maybe find something more exciting and interesting and of course we deliver FREE to the UK”.

 

For further information visit:  www.bloomingdirect.com or you can visit their Facebook page to discover more offers.

Summertime in the garden is a wonderful time when plants are coming into bloom and the sweet scents of blooming flowers and shrubs fill the air encouraging you to inhale and be proud of what you have achieved.

 

Gardening is the most popular hobby in the UK and just about everyone wants to ‘have a go’. A garden is a great place for relaxation as the beauty around you offered by different garden plants and butterflies has a soothing effect on the minds of the gardener. Even in the midst of the summer there is still plenty to do such as administering appropriate food, watering and fertilizing as the more you take care of your plants the more they will yield in vibrant and lush colours.

 

What are you planning to plant in your garden this summer? There are a plethora of plants that will give an outstanding appearance to the garden, but do not forget along with beauty comes a lot of maintenance.

 

Garden shrubs provide year round interest in the garden and they look absolutely beautiful with vibrant flowers, foliage and colors. Perennial plants are also a superb option for the garden simply because they are capable of returning to life season after season. Once you have chosen a place for these plants, you do not need to worry about replanting for years.

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June is a busy month in the garden with jobs like moving spring flowering garden bulbs, fertilizing vegetable plants and doing appropriate pruning. For the layman, if you do want to move spring bulbs to another spot, it is important to wait until the foliage has turned yellow, dig them up and let them dry in a shady spot for a few days, then store the bulbs in a cool, dry place during the summer until it’s time to plant them in the autumn.

 

Cut back perennials when they finish blooming as this will encourage them to produce a second flush of flowers.  Vegetable plants such as tomatoes and cucumbers need some nutrients about now and there is evidence that fruiting of tomatoes and peppers is improved by applying Epsom salts which contains sulfur and magnesium to the soil.

 

Weeding, dead-heading and de-leafing are good jobs to do throughout the summer. Deal with weeds before they go to flower and then to seed. Dead-heading is important not only for aesthetic reasons but this also extends the bloom. The importance of de-leafing is to maintain a disease-free garden as dead, decaying matter is a prime location for diseases such as mould, rots, and leaf diseases to begin.

 

Make your garden a sight for sore eyes with container plants, hanging basket plants, and encourage bees into your garden with the good old faithful lavender plants.

 

A spokesman for Blooming Direct, a horticultural online business on the Island of Jersey, said, “we can supply every plant imaginable for the garden, our plug plants are healthy and strong and whatever the UK customer orders these orders are shipped absolutely FREE. This time of the year bedding plants are first choice to give that instant look to a garden and we have them all”.

 

Make your summertime in the garden a great experience, with wonderful colour, scents, and a tranquil place to relax and enjoy.

 

For further information visit:  www.bloomingdirect.com or you can visit their Facebook page to discover more offers.

-first month of spring has arrived and your garden really begins to come alive after the long winter. But remember that March is a tricky month-it is possible to get a sunshine one day which is likely to be followed by hard frost next morning. So do not be tempted to put out any tender plants yet!

Now the ground is warming up and so over this month and next month a lot of the spring planting, moving and dividing needs to be done before the hotter, drier weather sets in.

Mulch soil after weeding and tidying it first. Mulch has many advantages – helps to retain moisture, prevent soil erosion, control weeds and it adds nutrients to the soil; but also makes your garden look neat and clean. As mulch you can use well-rotten farmyard manure, cocoa shells, chipped bark, mushroom compost or garden compost (the best one comes from your garden compost bin!).
Apply generous layer of mulch using a spade; layer should be about 2 in deep; an important thing is to do not spread mulch too close to plant is stems, as it may cause rotting.

Rose pruning- now is the traditional time for pruning bush and shrub roses. The main reason for pruning roses is to build a healthy framework of shoots that will produce a good display of flowers. Thinning overcrowded growth allows in light and air, so it will make them less prone to pests and diseases and encourages strong healthy growth.
Firstly, remove any dead, damaged or diseased wood.
Secondly, cut out any shoots that are crossing and rubbing against another.
Now you are ready to prune flowering wood-the method varies depending on the rose type; always prune to outward – facing buds.

Buddleja davidii, dogwoods, shrubby willows, ornamental Rubus- prune all these shrubs hard, to about one or two buds of last years growth.

Prune group 3 Clematis -like Clematis Jackmanii or Clematis Madame Julia Correvon- late flowering climbers (from late summer onwards). Prune them hard, cutting all stems about 25 cm (10 in) above ground level.

Always use clean and sharp tools for pruning, by doing so you prevent spreading of many fungal diseases.

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Get your mower ready for new season! Make sure the blade is sharp and clean-there is nothing worst than lawn treated with a blunt mower.

Start mowing regularly: for the first few cuts set the blades at the highest settings. Do not leave grass clippings on the lawn.

Feed the lawn with spring time fertilizer this type of fert contains more nitrogen than autumn one. If the spring is cold, wait until next month, as grass needs to be actively growing in order to make the best use of fertilizer.

Remove thatch if you did not scarify last autumn, rake out the moss and dead grass using a spring tinned rake.

Reseed the lawn if your lawn was very mossy, there might be a need to reseed bare patches in the lawn. Cover newly sown seeds with thin layer of compost or netting to prevent birds having a feast on your seeds!

Now is a good time to divide perennials, like summer flowering herbaceous perennials ( Hosta spp, Aster spp, Carex spp) Plants that need dividing are usually quite easy to see: there is young growth on the edge of the clump while centre dies out. This is the stage at which they should be divided.

To divide, dig up the whole clump, and divide into smaller pieces. Either tease the clump apart or cut using a spade. Replant in groups of three or five for good displays the following year.

Beware of slug activity as the temperatures rise. They can strip young plants and new growth, doing irreparable damage; spread some slug pellets or crushed eggs shells around young plants.

 

Know more: www.gracefulgarden.co.uk

Growing herbs has been practiced by many civilizations over the centuries. They have been grown for many different reasons. The Italian herb garden is probably the most aromatic. It is also the most attractive by far. Regardless of why you are looking to grow Italian herbs, you want to familiarize yourself with the herbs themselves. This allows you to grow the plants properly and enjoy them more.

One of the easiest herbs in an Italian herb garden to grow is basil. This herb needs a decent amount of sunlight, so you do not have to shelter it. It will grow fairly high, but will not take over your garden. A side benefit of the basil plant is its ability to ward off flies and mosquitoes. This makes your garden more comfortable. Planting basil close to tomatoes will flavor them with the herb. You will want to prune the flowers of the basil plant in order to maintain proper growth.

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Fennel is also pretty easy to grow. This plant has an added bonus in it can be used for medicinal purposes. Used in teas, fennel helps to aid in digestion. This plant likes hot weather and light, constant watering. You will do well do give this herb room in your Italian herb garden as it is a perennial. Even though it comes back every year, you may want to replant. This is because it loses potency as it matures.

Oregano is also a perennial herb. This fairly hardy herb needs a decent amount of root space. You will notice year to year how much more oregano you have. These herbs are best plucked after they bloom. This is when the herb is it’s most potent. You are sure to enjoy having oregano in your Italian herb garden, just make sure it does not suffocate neighboring plants.

Rosemary is an herb you do not want to leave out. The smell from this perennial shrub is unmistakable. One drawback to having rosemary is the tendency to attract bees. Rosemary is a fairly tough herb though it is sensitive to frost. Make sure to harvest before the fall. A good thing about rosemary is its ability to dry. Unlike other herbs, this is one where you will not lose much potency through the process of drying.

Parsley is one of the most used of Italian herbs and the hardest to grow. The reason why is because of the long germination process. In order to allow your parsley plant to grow quicker, soak the seeds for two days in the fridge. You need to change the water after the first day. Then pour boiling water over the soil you are to plant in. Keep in mind, parsley is a biennial. You will enjoy it for two years before having to replant. Don’t let this deter you from planting parsley, as it is such a valuable part of the Italian herb garden.

I grow it grouped to edge a bed in front of yellow- flowered Paeonia mlokosewitschii and as a foil to the evergreen bushy spurge Euphorbia characias wulfenii. Slightly later flowering, the much brighter Oxford- blue flowers of Veronica austriaca teucrium are brilliant when combined with purple-toned leaves and crimson- colored roses (Rosa ‘Rosemary Rose’ has suitable leaves and flowers) or with shrubs such as the semi- evergreen Piptanthus nepalensis with contrasting yellow pea-flowered racemes. Erysimum ‘Bowles’ Mauve’ has a drawn-out season, flowering for almost three months after a mild winter. Its pale magenta flowers shine among grey-green leaves; small creeping evergreen spurges such as Euphorbia myrsinites and E. nicaeensis spill out at its feet.

Portraits of some classic border perennials demonstrate their role as early summer performers. Most Jacob’s ladder (forms of Polemonium) bear attractive pinnate leaves and flower at the same time as the first roses. The common upright Polemonium caeruleum flowers for many weeks, filling in the comparatively flowerless period between German flag irises and traditional summer perennials. At Tintinhull we grow lilac- flowered P. foliosissimum as a wide, sprawling clump next to silvery-leaved Dorycnium hirsutum (now Lotus hirsutus).

Pinnate-leaved galegas are mainstays of borders. Violet-blue pea-flowered Galega orientalis is superb but spreads vigorously; it associates well with the yellow of Thalictrum flavum glaucum and the scabious-like flower- heads of Cephalaria gigantea. The true goat’s rue (Galega officinalis) flowers at least a month later, producing an ice-cream effect of blue and pink and tying in nicely with tall campanulas and early garden phlox.

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Sun-loving alstroemerias are essential border plants, given unobtrusive staking with twigs when the attractive leaves emerge in spring. Alstroemeria Ligtu Hybrids have soft-tinted petals, in a range between rosy-pink, bright coral and cool apricot and yellow, which associate with almost any neighbouring flowers. The seed- heads are attractive, but their fading foliage may be an eyesore. Shallow-rooted plants that flower later help disguise unsightly leaves. The hardier orange-flowered A. aurantiaca (now A. aurea) — a mainstay of Victorian cutting beds and more tolerant of shade — reaches its peak later to coincide with summer perennials.

By midsummer the hardy perennial standbys are in full leaf and many of them are in flower. Achillea, for example, will be displaying its flat heads composed of tiny daisy-flowers. When combined with its attractive feathery leaves, it makes graceful clumps to associate with other Compositae such as anthemis, or with artemisias and campanulas, or with contrasting foliage of plants such as kniphofias, day-lilies and later-flowering crocosmias. Those achilleas with pale yellow flowers fit into any border scheme; the tall, more vigorous achilleas (such as Achillea ‘Coronation Gold’) carry flat corymbs of glowing yellow that shout for attention; they are best in strong-colored schemes with neighbouring orange-spiked kniphofias or scarlet lychnis. If happily sited in full sun and richly fed, astrantias are superb summer neighbours to showy clumps of daisy-flowered anthemis or silver-leaved anaphalis;, they are equally effective in a shady corner rising behind the nodding yellow sprays of the low-growing Chiastophyllum oppositifolium.

‘The aromatic -artemisias, often with silvery or grey filigree leaves, act as foils to adjacent flower or foliage color, Some with insignificant flowers form mounds of attractive foliage for flower-bed edges. They need well- drained soil and full sun and are often short-lived; take cuttings each season. Others such as Artemisia lactiflora have dark green leaves and tall stems bearing tapering cream panicles. Needing a rich moisture-retentive soil, this full-bodied border perennial should be grown in Jekyllian drifts or in bold clumps next to herbaceous plants that need similar conditions, such as yellow- flowered achilleas, cream-plumed aruncus, and later- flowering chelones and purple-leaved lobelias.

 

Any plant growing where it is not wanted can be defined as a weed. Some weeds can be as decorative as cultivated flowers but weeds are vigorous and competitive and most gardens provide ideal conditions for them to flourish. Gardens can become ruined by weeds if proper control is not exercised.

Weeds are classified as either annual or perennial. Annuals reproduce from seed. It is important to kill annual weeds before they seed as they can produce vast numbers of seeds which can remain in soil for years to come.

The other type of weed is perennial. These are also seeds but also have well developed root systems which spread rapidly underground and it is this which makes them more difficult to eradicate. You must remove all the roots – even a small part left behind can regenerate in the soil.

Weed Control Methods

The hoe is a very useful tool for dealing with annual weeds before they seed, although the hoe is less successful on perennials with deep, established roots. For best results, hoe on a dry day where the weeds will quickly dry out and die. Ensure the hoe is kept sharp for maximum impact.

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You can easily clear annual weeds with a spade simply by burying them at a depth from which they cannot surface. However in lighter or stony soil this will not be so effective. In this case the area should be forked over.

These are great timesavers in the garden, although some gardeners are against the use of chemicals. Garden weedkillers though are safe to humans and pets if used as directed. Some weedkillers will kill everything, while others are selective and will kill only certain sorts of plant. You must therefore make sure that the weedkiller you purchase is suitable for the area it is to be used.

Covering an area with straw, chipped bark, grass clippings for even black polythene sheeting is a simple and effective method of weed control, though not always successful with some stronger perennials. Don’t worry too much about weeds growing underneath the mulch layer – the lack of light will soon kill off any seedlings.

Mowing cutting and hand weeding may provide a “quick fix” but in most cases roots are left behind and the weed will quickly grow back.

Weed situations

Weeds are most visible on a lawn and can really stand out on the flat, uniform area. The best option here is a selective weedkiller designed specifically for lawns. This is best applied on a dry day when the lawn is growing at its fastest usually late spring or early summer.

The hoe is the best tool for controlling weeds in these locations, although in larger or complex areas, careful use of a weedkiller chemical will be better.

Mulching is a good method in these situations, and can be easily applied.

On hard surfaces like these, the absence of any garden plants makes chemical weedkiller the best option and can be easily applied without worry. You should however look out for any trees or shrubs that may have roots underneath the hard area, and take care on sloping areas that the liquid weedkiller may run down.