The Meanings of Flower

Posts Tagged ‘Plants’

Article by Thomas Straub

Different plants have different life spans. Annual plants live only one year. Perennial plants live for many years.

There are two types of perennial plants; woody perennials, which are shrubs and rose bushes, and herbaceous perennials, which make up the bulk of the perennial flower plants.

Annuals

Annuals generally propagate by seed and can be easily grown from seeds. Local garden centers also carry a variety of annual plants that can be easily transplanted into your garden.

Established annuals should be planted in the garden in the spring after all danger of frost is past. You can find out typically when the growing season begins, in your area of the country, from your local garden center or possibly from a farmer’s almanac. Another good source of information for growing seasons in different areas of land would be the farmers association accessed through your local chamber of commerce or library.

Each variety of annual will have different needs for sun exposure and water. Making sure that you give your annuals the proper sun exposure and water will give you longer lasting plants and more colorful blooms in your garden.

Perennials

Many perennials also propagate by seed and are easily grown from seed. However, unlike annuals, some perennials may not bloom the first season and will not reach their full growth for at least two years and often for three to four years. Perennials offer great advantages in the garden for their brilliantly colored blooms and because they do not need to be replanted each year.

Like annuals, perennials also have specific needs for sun exposure, watering and fertilizing.

Bulbs, Rhizomes and Tubers

Bulbs, rhizomes and tubers are part of the root systems of plants like Day Lilies, Iris, Tulips and many other perennial plants. Unlike annuals and perennials that are planted from seed, the bulbs and rhizomes must have at least two months at temperatures below 40 degrees F in order to bloom.

Therefore, these plants should usually be planted in the fall. Perennials may sleep like bears in the woods, throughout the entire winter, but will flourish and blossom come the next Spring.

Article by Cheryl Steins

Plant propagation can be a wonderfully rewarding activity. You can take great pleasure in knowing you had a hand in a beautiful plant from start to finish. Plant propagation can be done either sexually or asexually. But in order to efficiently help a plant grow and develop you should have at least a basic understanding of horticulture.

Plants are divided into two basic loose categories: angiosperms and gymnosperms. The first of these, angiosperms, are the plants that bear flowers and the leaves are either dicots or monocots. Dicot leaves are those you see on a great many plants such as roses, oak trees or tomatoes, etc. The veins on dicots are netted and their seeds have two cotyledons which are the embryonic seed leaves (already present in the seed) but not the true leaves that develop later. Monocot leaves have veins that run parallel to each other along the length of the leaf and have only one cotyledon. These are the leaves you see on grasses, irises or cannas, etc. Monocots and dicots also differ in their root structures.

Gymnosperms bear cones instead of flowers and have simple leaves like needles such as on pine or cypress trees.

Additionally, plants can be classified according to their growing season, i.e., how long does it take a plant to go through its complete life cycle? A growing season is generally the period of time in which you can grow a plant. Factors that affect when your growing season occurs are climate, elevation, daylight hours, rainfall and temperature. A complete life cycle of a plant is from the germination of the seed to the production of a new seed followed by the death of the plant. Keep in mind that a life cycle is not equal to a calendar year. There are three life cycle categories: annual, biennial and perennial.

Annuals go through their life cycle in one growing season. Here in central Texas I put out my tomatoes in spring and by the time our summer heat arrives and we hit triple digits they will have gone to seed (they don’t like temperatures over 95 ?) so I pull them out. Then I put out new seeds in July and depending on our weather they can last until November. So I can get two growing seasons in one year. Those of you in colder climates will only get one without a greenhouse but your spring plantings may last well into summer. Impatiens get put out after the last frost and will last until the next frost.

Biennials start from seeds and last for two seasons. In their first season they will produce vegetative structures and food storage organs. Using the famous Texas biennial, bluebonnets, as an example, the seeds are put out in October and by winter (first season) you will see an evergreen cluster of leaves or a rosette close to the ground. In spring (second season) they bloom and after several weeks they go to seed and die. The seeds from those plants will start the cycle again the following fall/winter.

The mission of annuals and biennials is to reproduce itself so once it has gone to seed it knows its life cycle is over. To extend the life cycle a little longer you can keep the fruits picked or clip flower heads to make the plant keep on producing. A phenomenon known as bolting is when a biennial passes through both its growing seasons in one season due to climatic conditions, drought or temperature changes. Lettuce is a good example. It requires cooler temperatures but if it is unseasonably hot, it will bolt.

The third life cycle classification is perennials. These plants live more than 2 years and will produce flowers and seeds once the plant is fully mature. Fruit trees can be planted one year but depending on the age of the sapling and the species of the tree, it may be years before it bears fruit. Herbaceous perennials grow and produce flowers and fruit in the spring and summer but will die back each winter to their roots. The plant returns each spring with new growth coming from the root stock of the previous year’s growth. Woody perennials such as trees and shrubs persist as they are all year, losing leaves if it is deciduous in the winter.

Depending on your unique growing conditions and climate, a plant that is a perennial in one area may be treated as an annual in another area. Therefore, if you move from a warmer southern climate to a colder northern climate or vice versa, don’t expect the plants you previously treated as perennials to grow the same. Here in central Texas we can grow tropical plumerias in pots outside to take inside during winter, but on the gulf coast it can be grown in the ground year-round. So you can see that you don’t have to go very far to have completely different growing conditions.

Plant propagation is the process of producing more plants either asexually or sexually. Sexual propagation involves the sexual parts of the plant which are the flowers, fruits, flower buds and seeds. Asexual propagation uses the asexual parts of a plant. These are the vegetative parts such as the roots, stems, buds and leaves and are used to reproduce a plant with cuttings, grafting and other methods.

Here, I will focus on asexual reproduction of a plant. Let’s look further at the vegetative parts of a plant that can be used in asexual reproduction.

We will start with the roots. First, what is the purpose of roots? The root of a plant provides an anchor for the plant. Some roots are shallow and others run deep. They absorb and store water and nutrients to be used by the plant. They can be used to propagate plants, they will adapt to different soils and some roots are edible. The health and vigor of the plant depends on the health of its roots. If you plant a new tree or shrub and the root ball remains in a ball after several weeks you will notice your plant declining or dead already. The roots must be able to spread out in order to perform their job.

There are several types of roots: primary, taproots, fibrous, lateral and secondary. The primary root is the first root you will see on a seedling. It grows out of the bottom of the embryo seed and can either become a taproot or a fibrous root system.

Fibrous roots are the roots you see on those seedling plants you purchased for your garden. The primary root did not elongate into a taproot but rather grew many lateral roots.

A taproot is formed by a primary root that grows deep into the soil and is the central part of the root system and has very little branching or fibrous roots. Many trees have taproots making them difficult to transplant unless the soil is very deep. Growers may undercut the taproot early in the tree’s development, causing the tree to develop a fibrous root system to make it more successful to transplant later. Carrots are edible taproots that must be grown from seed as they can’t be transplanted.

Lateral and secondary roots are those that grow off the primary or other fibrous roots and are usually very small.

Humans and plants both have vascular systems in common. The vascular system of a plant transports water and nutrients to the rest of the plant and can grow either above ground or in the ground. They have three major components: xylem, phloem and cambium.

The xylem transports water and minerals while the phloem transports food to the plant. Depending on whether a plant is a monocot or a dicot determines the arrangement of these components. The cambium is situated between the xylem and the phloem on a dicot and is responsible for the stem’s increase in girth. On a dicot, much like the rings of a tree, the phloem is the outermost ring, near the bark and the xylem is the innermost ring. On a monocot, the xylem and phloem form small bundled pairs throughout the stem. The dicots have a continuous system while the monocots have a discontinuous system. Knowing which system a plant has is important because herbicides are specific to one or the other.

Stems must have buds or leaves. The point on a stem at which a flower or leaf develops is called a node. The space between nodes is called the internode. The length of the internode can be affected by such factors as fertility, light, season
, competition and vigor.

There are many different kinds of stems such as crowns, spurs, stolons, rhizomes, tubers, corms and bulbs. Crowns are compressed stems such as on dandelions or African violets. Spurs are those little nubby things on fruit tree branches through which they develop fruit. Stolons grow aboveground such as on strawberries, and are also called runners. Rhizomes are similar to stolons but grow underground such as Bermuda grass and Johnson grass which is why it is so difficult to get rid of. Breaking the rhizome causes it to produce more stems. Tubers are potatoes and the eyes of the potato are actually nodes. Sweet potato on the other hand is a tuberous root which is an underground storage organ. Corms like gladiolus may look like bulbs but do not have fleshy scales like onions or tulips which are bulbs.

The next asexual parts of a plant used in propagation are buds. Buds are the nubby things you see on a branch that has not yet developed into a leaf (leaf bud) or flower (flower bud). A terminal (apical) bud is the bud at the uppermost or tip of a stem. Lateral buds are on the sides of a stem. Auxin is a plant growth hormone that can cause the apical bud to have dominance thereby not allowing the lateral buds to not develop. By snipping the apical bud off you will cause the plant to bush out for a fuller, more compact plant. There are also adventitious buds that may pop up in other areas for whatever reason. If you have ever eaten lettuce, brussel sprouts, broccoli or cabbage you have eaten buds.

The last asexual parts we will cover are the leaves. Everyone knows that leaves are important for photosynthesis. The little stem that attaches the leaf to the stem is the petiole. The base where the petiole attaches to the stem is the node. The bud that may form in the angle formed by the petiole and stem is an axillary bud. Leaves are a key way to identify a plant but also come in a myriad of leaf shapes, margins, arrangements, and blade shapes too numerous to mention here.

A few important leaf parts that you should know are the cuticle, which forms a waxy layer on the epidermis, called cutin. It protects the plant from dehydration and the penetration of some diseases. Plants grown in the shade have less cutin than plants grown in the sun. So when you move a plant from the shade to a sunny area, do so gradually so the cutin can build up on the leaves or the plant will die from sunscald or rapid water loss.

If you have ever returned home at the end of the day and noticed your plant’s leaves are all droopy and are tempted to water them. Don’t do it! You are probably overwatering if you do. The reason leaves droop at the end of the day is due to the guard cells. These cells have the ability to open and close and their job is to protect the interior of the leaf and regulate the passage of water, oxygen and carbon dioxide. If the day has been hot, the guard cells will close in order to conserve water and keep it in the root system, the vascular system will slow down for the same reason and all this causes the leaves to droop. By morning when it has cooled you will see that the leaves are back to normal. If they are not, THEN water. Watering at night only encourages problems for your plants like fungus so it shouldn’t be done then anyway.

Part II of this article will talk about the ways in which you will be able to propagate at home with little or no money. Which is the best way to do anything if you can.

One of the berry plants is he black raspberry is a perennial plant with biennial stems or canes that grow from the perennial root system. During its first year of growth, the black raspberry grows to full height of 4 to seven feet with no branches and producing large pinnate leaves with five or seven leaflets. It typically does not produce any flowers. During the second year,, it does not grow any taller but grows side shoots which produce smaller leaves with three or five leaflets. The flowers come in the second year during the late spring on the tips of the side shoots, each flower about two inches in diameter with five white petals. The fruit is red and sweet but slightly tart and produced in summer or early fall. Botanically speaking, it is not a berry but a fruit that is an aggregate of an outer fleshy part around a central core, which can be picked separate from each other. The black raspberry typically grows in forests, forming open stands under a tree canopy, and denser stands in clearings. Its species name idaeus comes from its occurrence on Mount Ida near Troy in northwest Turkey, where the ancient Greeks grew in great numbers.

Another of the berry plants is the dewberry plant which is closely related to the blackberry plant and produces fruit that is similar to the blackberry in shape and appearance, though it is much larger than the blackberry plant and is typically dark reddish-black in color. The fruit from this plant completely edible and is often used in cakes, pies, fruit bowls and other food dishes. The plant itself is often described as a perennial plant, with regard to producing fruit, its growth may vary depending on the current fluctuation of the climate. The dewberry is self-seeding as well as self-sufficient, requiring little care in return bountiful harvests of its fruit. It grows best in partial sun and medium or dry conditions and tolerates almost any type of soil or environment, including but not limited to, clays, sand, rocky areas and soils and clays containing loam. The plant is unique in that it tends to ripen nearly two weeks before blackberries and other berries. It also attracts a lot of wildlife, including bees, butterflies, flies, caterpillars, moths, squirrels, chipmunks and mice, among others.

Another of the berry plants is the bunchberry which is a little plant, growing no more than six inches in height, primarily in moist, cool woods. The slender stem, with one or two pairs of small leaves, springs from creeping, woody shoots and is topped by a circle of six larger leaves, smooth and bright green in color, setting off a pretty white blossom, with a slender flower-stalk. This looks like a single flower, measuring about an inch across, but it is really composed of a number of tiny, greenish flowers, forming a cluster in the center, and surrounded by four white bracts, which look like large petals. The flowers are succeeded by a bunch of red berries, insipid in flavor, but vivid scarlet in color.

Here is a nice collection of profitable houseplants for you to make bumper profits from: Fittonia

Especially valuable for the dish garden or terrarium, fittonia another member of the Acanthacea-is easy to grow in a warm moist greenhouse. Fittonia argyroneuras green leaves are veined with white; those of F. verschaffelti with pink. Plant fittonia in terrariums and dish gardens, not only for the attractiveness of its foliage but also because this plant acts as a guide to the watering of others. When the water supply is running low it wilts rapidly; once watered it soon regains its crisp starchy look. This, again, is a “sales point” for you to capitalize on when talking to customers.

Propagate from cuttings in a 70- to 75-degree house in shade or semishade. Cuttings root rapidly and will be ready for 2-inch pots in a month. Soil for fittonia should contain at least ⅓ peatmoss.

Hibiscus, traditionally a favorite shrub in the South, is not too well known to Northern gardeners. The flowers make it well worth growing, and you can truthfully assure prospective buyers that some varieties make superb house plants. A prime favorite with me and with most visitors to my greenhouse is Hibiscus Cooperi. This has variegated silvery green, cream, and pink leaves and satiny red flowers.

It prefers a soil somewhat on the acid side, a warm greenhouse, and a semishaded position. You can propagate hibiscus by cuttings taken in the spring. They will root in almost any medium.

Ivy

One of the most popular of house plant vines (some climbers) is Hedera helix or English ivy. Varieties are many, as are leaf forms, sizes, and variegations.

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Propagation is carried out by terminal or bud cuttings. Shade from bright sunshine and root in temperature of 60 degrees. Terminal cuttings will be ready for 2-inch pots in about 6 weeks. Good sturdy plants are produced by leaf-bud cuttings, but these generally take up to 5 months.

Joseph’s Coat

A midget shrub of splashy hues, Amaranthus tricolour commonly called Joseph’s coat-is an excellent seller in small pots. Window gardeners like it and it makes fine bedding plants.

I like to sow seeds in February in sandy loam. In 6 weeks, seedlings are ready for 2-inch pots of loam and leafmold. You can propagate more stock by rooting cuttings in any media. It thrives in a wide range of temperatures-from 50 to 70 degrees.

Kaempferia

Among the really unusual pot plants for your sales list is kaempferia, the resurrection lily; Kaempferia rotunda, sometimes called ginger-lily, actually produces flowers before foliage. The flowers, resembling small orchids, are very fragrant one potful will perfume a small greenhouse or a window garden. They appear daily or at 2-day intervals over a period of 4 to 6 weeks; K. rosceana sends forth foliage in early spring and flowers of rosy-orchid in midsummer. The satiny bronze foliage is so lovely that people want the plant even before seeing the bloom.

And when informed of the succession of flowers, they are more eager than ever to possess it.

There are few growers of these lovely plants in the United States; but those who do list them sell the tubers at about a dollar each. The tubers are usually shipped in their dormant season, early fall to winter. As soon as you receive them, plant them in rich porous soil. Keep them slightly watered until growth starts. They need a warm greenhouse and a slightly shaded position.

They increase through new tubers. To propagate, separate the tubers and plant in individual 3-inch pots of soil.

Oxalis, the little shamrock, is a novelty item to have on hand at any time but especially for St. Patrick’s Day sales. Grow both the annual and perennial kinds from seed or bulbs started in a cool greenhouse. The bulbous sorts are potted up and grown on, also requiring a cool greenhouse. After flowering, they should be dried off and given a rest. Soil composed of equal parts of sand, peatmoss, and light loam is best.

To propagate, remove the bulblets from the parent and repot them.

Pellonia

Suitable for baskets and pots, or in mixed foliage planting, is Pellonia. Green leaves sometimes marked with black, bronze, or dark red, are characteristic. Propagate as for ivy.
If you plan to sell them from small pots, place two bulbs to a 3-inch pot-up to five for a 5-inch pot display. The annuals, Oxalis rosea with rosy flowers and O. alba with white flowers, are favorites. Perennial O. adenophylla shows lilac-pink flowers in late spring to midsummer; O. Bowiei, red flowers in autumn.

Kalanchoe plants are pretty dry garden bloomers known for their bright colorful flowers.  They’re great succulent plants for dry landscapes or as houseplants in container gardens indoors.  Kalanchoes are in the Crassulaceae or, Stonecrop family.  Most varieties are perennial and evergreen.

One of the most popular form of kalanchoe species grown today is kalanchoe blossfeldiana and its many hybrid plants.  Kalanchoe blossfeldiana plants grow up to 2 feet tall and as wide.  They have large, leathery leaves about 2 1/2 inches long and 1 1/2 inches wide.  The leaf edges are usually lightly scalloped and may have a slight tint of red or other color.  Some hybrid plants have smooth edges and different colors on the leaf.

Flowers bloom in upright, large clusters from 2 to 3 inches across, and are made up of small daisy like flowers of 5 petals.  The stamens are usually yellow and can stand out brightly depending on the flower color.  Flower colors can range from white, yellow, orange, red, pink and everything in between.  Flowers can also be creamy, dreamy pastels, or have flowers with more than one color, but kalanchoe blossfeldiana are mainly known for neon bright colors.  These drought tolerant plants make a bold statement in the garden with their glowing, bright flower colors.  Bloom is heaviest in spring, but they can bloom all year with a little feeding of fertilizer after the first bloom.

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Care of kalanchoe plants outdoors is easy in mild winter areas.  They are hardy to USDA Zone 10b, or 35 degrees, (Sunset Zone: 17, 21-24),  These plants can take full sun to part shade in the garden.  Outdoors, if it gets over 100 degrees for more than a few days, or your plants develop brown spots it may be getting sunburn.  Either move the pots, or give them a little shade during the hottest part of the day with a temporary screen. Indoors they prefer a bright windowsill with lots of light.  Indoors, place your kalanchoe plants near a bright window.

Kalanchoes are popular gifts during the winter and make nice housewarming presents.  If you are lucky enough to receive one the first thing you might want to do is see if the soil is dry.  If so, give your plant some water and let it drain in the sink.  Then move them outside if you are in a mild winter area, or to a windowsill if it is cold outside.

Seeds saved from any hybrid plants will not grow out to look the same as the parent plants.  It is much easier to propagate kalanchoe with leaf or stem cuttings.  Place the cuttings in damp soil, and keep the soil moist for the first two weeks.  After that, let the soil dry out between waterings.

Like most succulent plants, water requirements for kalanchoe are low.  They can take average garden water, but will also grow well with much less.  In my garden a few plants are out in a section with the natives and other drought tolerant plants and they do quite well.  To avoid root rot, let the soil dry out before you water them again.

Kalanchoe plants also do well in container gardens.  Since they can handle drought, they are a bit more forgiving than other plants if you forget to water them!  They look great on the patio or as a focal point on your table.  For drop by http://www.theGardenPages.com to see photos and read more about dry garden plants.

A lot of perennial plants can be grown by division. This is a lot easier than taking cuttings, and if you have friends, who have large gardens. You can usually get your plants for free, By dividing their plants up. You can get 50 to 100 little plants from one large plant, which means if you have a few friends with biggish gardens, you can stock your whole nursery for free. Also Perennial plants need dividing every two or three years. So you are doing your friends a favour by having all these free plants off them.

When should you divide perennials?

The best time to dig up and divide perennials is late autumn through to early spring. Personally I like to leave this until after Christmas, as the plants start to shoot and grow in January.

How to divide your perennials

Dig around the plant and lift the root ball out of the ground shaking it. Once you have got it out of the ground kick as much soil away as possible. Try make it so you can see all the buds of the plant around the crown.

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If possible pull the plant apart with your hands, If not use a sharp knife. For larger plants you may need to sharpen a spade to use. If you read nearly every other book it will tell you to be very careful, when you do this, and do not damage any part of the plant. In reality whether you use a knife, a spade, a fork or even a saw, 90% of the plants you divide will live. When doing it for myself I chop these perennials Into very small pieces. I will sometimes get 200 small plants out of a large plant. The one thing to remember is try and get a piece of root connected to a piece of the crown, if you manage this the plants should grow.

PLANTS SUTABLE FOR DIVIDING

The easiest plants to divide are the perennial plants listed below Including:

Achillia, Aconitum, Agapanthus, Alcea, Alstromeria,.Anemone, Aster, Astilbe, Astrantia, Bergenia, Campanula, Chleone, Crocosmia, Delphinium, Dicentra, Digitalis, Echnacea, Erygium, Geranium (The perennial variety), Hellenium, Helleborus, Hemerocallis, Hosta, Iris, Kniphofia, Liatris, Lupins, Monarda, Paeonia, Phlox, Primula, Rudbeckia, Salvia, Sedium, Sidelsea, Tradescantai Trollis, Verbena, Verbascum, Veronica

a lot of other plants will divide, if you are nor sure either look in the R.H.S propagation guide or just try some.

The advantages of dividing perennials rather grown them from seed, is you get bigger plants which have more growth and flowers on them.

This means you can sell the plant faster, and for more money. Most perennial plants you grow from seed only flower in the second year, with splitting the plant is already a few years old so will flower the same season as you divide it.

When you do divide your perennials make sure you repot them as soon as possible, if you are going to be a few days make sure you put them in the fridge for safe keeping.

Common mullein

The statuesque common mullein is an essential plant for wildflower borders, herb and heath gardens, among thistles, low grasses, sage, or lavender. The decorative leaf rosette stays green in the winter. In the summer, a strong, wooly-haired, un branching stem arises from it, bearing yellow cup-shaped flowers at its end. The flowers are short lived, but new ones are constantly opening, and they are especially attractive to bumblebees. Wind-sheltered sites in full sun, with well-drained dry soil— it can even be on the poor side—are ideal for this plant. Tends  to self-seed.

  Pansy

The bushy erect plants of the Imperial series, cultivated as biennials develop beautiful, large individual, flower in early spring or winter. The flowers come in a wide range o colors and have contrasting markings in the center of the flower. In’ the gloomiest time Of the ye it brings cheerful splashes of color into flowerbeds or containers It likes sunny to semi shady locations with humus, fertile soil. If you sow in the summer, you can count on the first flowers in the fall. In winter, protect by covering with a brush wood mulch.

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First, a brief definition of the herbaceous perennial: this term covers a multitude of flowering plants, architectural plants with magnificent leaves, and foliage plants. What they all have in common is that they are herbaceous—green and sappy—rather than woody perennials. Most of them spend the winter under the ground and send out fresh shoots in the spring. They have a firmly established place in garden design, as it is impossible to manage without these multitalented plants. Whether in formally laid- out beds, semi-natural gardens, dry zones, or moist areas, in light or in shade, they always put on a good show. The spectrum of species and varieties is so diverse that herbaceous perennials can provide something for every location and offer unlimited design options for every season of the year. Finding the right composition is a matter of individual preference and reflects the personal style of the gardener.

One more practical tip to finish with: herbaceous perennials can be propagated by seed—some self-seed—but are usually propagated by division or by cuttings. Most can tolerate being cut back after the first flowering and will then flower for a second time. As a rule, spring and fall are the typical planting times. For frost-susceptible herbaceous perennials, spring is better, so they have a chance to develop well before the winter.

Bear’s breech

The fascinating slender flower spikes of A. mollis which stand high above its bushy, flat- lobed, glossy green, attractively-veined foliage, make it an outstanding architectural plant in the herbaceous border or an ornamental feature plant that is emphatically wild in character. The flowers are white, usually tinged with purple, and stand close to the stems, which are up to 3 feet 4 inches (1 meter) tall. They make very good cut flowers and dry well. Bear’s breech is very vigorous and prefers moderately fertile, very well-drained soil. It requires only limited tending. Faded flower heads and leaves should be removed after flowering. Winter protection is recommended in cool climates. leave a few flower heads standing over the winter, as they look magical coated with frost.

 

Here are some plants that people will always buy and can build you a good customer base, that can help make you rich:

Sweet Peas

These fragrant old favorites need to get their first spurt of growth before the weather warms too much.

Colors range from purest white through all shades of pink and lavender. Soak the seeds in warm water over night. Plant one seed to a 2-inch pot of rich soil. February is a good time. Grow them right on in the cool greenhouse or, after the plants have started into good growth, say mid-March, move them to the cold frame.

Cuthbertson’s heat-resistant sweet peas are a good choice for repeat business. These come in all the favorite colors. The Spencer and Zvolanek strains also are well known and thoroughly reliable.

Zinnia

Zinnias have been so improved that now there are forms for every gardening need. There are the baby zinnias, the bedders, the small-flowered sorts (so good in flower arrangements), the improved “giants,” and the cactus types with twisted petal tips.Flowers range from white through yellow, orange, pink, and red, and multicolored.

Sow the seeds in April in flats and grow them in the cool greenhouse. Prick off and plant singly as soon as they are easily handled-perhaps in 2 weeks. Grow under strong light. Once potted, they can be removed and placed in the cold frame, thus leaving space for starting another crop for the later buyers

Here are some great and profitable plants for terraces:

Anemone

These pretty bulbous plants thrive in sun or semishade. Their flowers are like thick-petaled poppies, in red, purple, or white. For summer-flowering plants, start the corms (with “claws” pointing downward) in March in the cold greenhouse. As soon as growth shows, pot up in 3-inch pots of porous soil mixture.

Anemones can be started from seeds sown in July, but the imported corms sold in mixture are so reasonably priced it hardly seems worth while to grow them from seeds.

Astilbe features graceful foliage and feathery flower spires. Large clumps can be divided in the spring and potted in 5- or 6-inch pots of sandy soil. They need plenty of water and should be grown in a warm house. Astilbe forces well for late winter early spring bloom.

Baby’s Breath (Gypsophila elegans)

The lacy appearance of baby’s breath makes it a welcome addition to the terrace. The freshly cut branches are beautiful in flower arrangements. When dried, they become material for winter bouquets.

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Balloon Flower (Platycodon grandiflorum)

Neat growth, handsome flowers-in bud or bloom-make the balloon flower a favorite with gardeners. It is a hardy perennial with blue, purple, pink, or white flowers. Just before Although you can start them from seed by sowing them in a warm house in the spring, it may be more profitable to pur¬chase rooted cuttings, or a few large plants and propagate your own cuttings.

As soon as seedlings show true leaves, and cuttings sprout new leaves, give them weekly dosages of diluted liquid ferti¬lizer. One-fourth the recommended proportion is right for seedlings; ½ dilution for cuttings.

The older plants are rested through the winter by storing in a cool place. Start the plants into growth in February or March. As soon as they show strong growth, take cuttings and insert them in flats of good greenhouse soil. If the cuttings are given bottom heat so the soil temperature is about 60 degrees, they will root and be sturdy enough in 3 weeks to pot into 3-inch pots. Encourage growth by growing them on in a warm green¬house or by giving them another 2 or 3 weeks of 60-degree bottom heat.

They can be sold directly from the 3-inch pots; or, if you desire larger plants, give them another shift into a 5- or 6-inch pot.

Cuttings taken in September and grown in 60-degree tem¬peratures without any bottom heat will produce plants for 4-inch pots the following spring.

Passiflora

The passion flower is a wonderful and “different” vine for terrace trellising. The flower range is from creamy white through lavender, blue, and pink to red. Propagate passiflora during the early spring by taking cuttings and inserting them in any rooting media. They grow well at 70 degrees and can be planted directly into 2- or 3-inch pots.

They will flower sparingly in these containers, but they can be sold before flowering because as soon as prospective buyers note the name passiflora, they are eager to purchase.

A Minnesota grower propagates passiflora by the hundreds and still falls short of supplying the demand. My own green¬house is so crowded with other things that I lack space for a col¬lection of these vines, much as I would like to have them. Unrooted cuttings sell for 35 cents to a dollar each, depending on the relative scarcity of the particular variety.

Highly unusual varieties can be produced by planting passiflora seed-which is somewhat difficult to germinate but can be helped along by an overnight soaking in water. Plant in a light soil and keep in a 70-degree house. Germination takes from 2 to 6 weeks. If you want to grow them on yourself in or¬der to have material for cuttings, keep shifting until the vine is in a 5- or 6-inch pot.

In the summer they can be transplanted to the garden; and if your greenhouse can accommodate these big plants, you can dig them in the fall and replant into 8- or 10-inch pots. These older plants will provide you with hundreds of cuttings.
opening, the buds become swollen and resemble balloons, thus its common name. There are single and double flowers; plants to 2- and 3-foot heights, or dwarfs. These make especially good terrace material.

Start seeds in late February or early March in shady loam and grow in the cool greenhouse. Pot up in 3-inch pots about 6 weeks after seed planting.

Candytuft (Iberis)

Flower spikes much like hyacinths, in shades of white, pink and orchid, make these low-growing plants favorites for terrace plantings-especially as a planting to top a rock wall.

Plant seeds in mid-January and grow them in the cool green¬house. These will produce flowering plants for sale in May. Sow thinly in flats of soil, transplant to 3-inch pots about March first.

Carpet Phlox (Phlox subulata)

It is not uncommon to see large areas of terrace given over to this richly colored, spring-flowering perennial. Although you can start carpet phlox-also widely known as mountain pink- from seed, the plants from which you can make divisions are so reasonably priced that it is not practicable for small greenhouse growers to devote space to seed starting. Plant the divisions in small flats of ordinary soil, give them good light and plenty of water. Grow in the cool greenhouse.

Fuchsia

With their drooping, richly colored, bell-shaped flowers, fuchsias make beautiful potted plants for the terrace, for growing in the outdoor planter, or the cool, well-lighted window garden.

Sweet peas should be transplanted to the garden just as soon as danger of frost is passed. They grow best in cooler weather, which is a special sales approach to use on the gardener who just can’t wait as late as May to get his spade in the ground.

Plant propagation can be a wonderfully rewarding activity.  You can take great pleasure in knowing you had a hand in a beautiful plant from start to finish.   Plant propagation can be done either sexually or asexually.  But in order to efficiently help a plant grow and develop you should have at least a basic understanding of horticulture.

Plants are divided into two basic loose categories: angiosperms and gymnosperms.  The first of these, angiosperms, are the plants that bear flowers and the leaves are either dicots or monocots.  Dicot leaves are those you see on a great many plants such as roses, oak trees or tomatoes, etc.  The veins on dicots are netted and their seeds have two cotyledons which are the embryonic seed leaves (already present in the seed) but not the true leaves that develop later.  Monocot leaves have veins that run parallel to each other along the length of the leaf and have only one cotyledon.  These are the leaves you see on grasses, irises or cannas, etc.  Monocots and dicots also differ in their root structures.

Gymnosperms bear cones instead of flowers and have simple leaves like needles such as on pine or cypress trees.

Additionally, plants can be classified according to their growing season, i.e., how long does it take a plant to go through its complete life cycle?  A growing season is generally the period of time in which you can grow a plant.  Factors that affect when your growing season occurs are climate, elevation, daylight hours, rainfall and temperature.  A complete life cycle of a plant is from the germination of the seed to the production of a new seed followed by the death of the plant.  Keep in mind that a life cycle is not equal to a calendar year.  There are three life cycle categories: annual, biennial and perennial.

Annuals go through their life cycle in one growing season.  Here in central Texas I put out my tomatoes in spring and by the time our summer heat arrives and we hit triple digits they will have gone to seed (they don’t like temperatures over 95 ?) so I pull them out.  Then I put out new seeds in July and depending on our weather they can last until November.  So I can get two growing seasons in one year.  Those of you in colder climates will only get one without a greenhouse but your spring plantings may last well into summer.  Impatiens get put out after the last frost and will last until the next frost.

Biennials start from seeds and last for two seasons.  In their first season they will produce vegetative structures and food storage organs.  Using the famous Texas biennial, bluebonnets, as an example, the seeds are put out in October and by winter (first season) you will see an evergreen cluster of leaves or a rosette close to the ground.  In spring (second season) they bloom and after several weeks they go to seed and die. The seeds from those plants will start the cycle again the following fall/winter.

The mission of annuals and biennials is to reproduce itself so once it has gone to seed it knows its life cycle is over.  To extend the life cycle a little longer you can keep the fruits picked or clip flower heads to make the plant keep on producing.  A phenomenon known as bolting is when a biennial passes through both its growing seasons in one season due to climatic conditions, drought or temperature changes.  Lettuce is a good example.  It requires cooler temperatures but if it is unseasonably hot, it will bolt.

The third life cycle classification is perennials.  These plants live more than 2 years and will produce flowers and seeds once the plant is fully mature.  Fruit trees can be planted one year but depending on the age of the sapling and the species of the tree, it may be years before it bears fruit.  Herbaceous perennials grow and produce flowers and fruit in the spring and summer but will die back each winter to their roots.  The plant returns each spring with new growth coming from the root stock of the previous year’s growth.  Woody perennials such as trees and shrubs persist as they are all year, losing leaves if it is deciduous in the winter.

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Depending on your unique growing conditions and climate, a plant that is a perennial in one area may be treated as an annual in another area.  Therefore, if you move from a warmer southern climate to a colder northern climate or vice versa, don’t expect the plants you previously treated as perennials to grow the same.  Here in central Texas we can grow tropical plumerias in pots outside to take inside during winter, but on the gulf coast it can be grown in the ground year-round.  So you can see that you don’t have to go very far to have completely different growing conditions.

Plant propagation is the process of producing more plants either asexually or sexually.  Sexual propagation involves the sexual parts of the plant which are the flowers, fruits, flower buds and seeds.  Asexual propagation uses the asexual parts of a plant.  These are the vegetative parts such as the roots, stems, buds and leaves and are used to reproduce a plant with cuttings, grafting and other methods.

Here, I will focus on asexual reproduction of a plant.  Let’s look further at the vegetative parts of a plant that can be used in asexual reproduction.

We will start with the roots.  First, what is the purpose of roots?  The root of a plant provides an anchor for the plant.  Some roots are shallow and others run deep.  They absorb and store water and nutrients to be used by the plant.  They can be used to propagate plants, they will adapt to different soils and some roots are edible.  The health and vigor of the plant depends on the health of its roots.  If you plant a new tree or shrub and the root ball remains in a ball after several weeks you will notice your plant declining or dead already.  The roots must be able to spread out in order to perform their job.

There are several types of roots: primary, taproots, fibrous, lateral and secondary.  The primary root is the first root you will see on a seedling.  It grows out of the bottom of the embryo seed and can either become a taproot or a fibrous root system.

Fibrous roots are the roots you see on those seedling plants you purchased for your garden.  The primary root did not elongate into a taproot but rather grew many lateral roots.

A taproot is formed by a primary root that grows deep into the soil and is the central part of the root system and has very little branching or fibrous roots.  Many trees have taproots making them difficult to transplant unless the soil is very deep.  Growers may undercut the taproot early in the tree’s development, causing the tree to develop a fibrous root system to make it more successful to transplant later.  Carrots are edible taproots that must be grown from seed as they can’t be transplanted.

Lateral and secondary roots are those that grow off the primary or other fibrous roots and are usually very small.

Humans and plants both have vascular systems in common.  The vascular system of a plant transports water and nutrients to the rest of the plant and can grow either above ground or in the ground.  They have three major components: xylem, phloem and cambium.

The xylem transports water and minerals while the phloem transports food to the plant.  Depending on whether a plant is a monocot or a dicot determines the arrangement of these components.  The cambium is situated between the xylem and the phloem on a dicot and is responsible for the stem’s increase in girth.  On a dicot, much like the rings of a tree, the phloem is the outermost ring, near the bark and the xylem is the innermost ring.  On a monocot, the xylem and phloem form small bundled pairs throughout the stem.  The dicots have a continuous system while the monocots have a discontinuous system.  Knowing which system a plant has is important because herbicides are specific to one or the other.

Stems must have buds or leaves.  The point on a stem at which a flower or leaf develops is called a node.  The space between nodes is called the internode.  The length of the internode can be affected by such factors as fertility, light, season, competition and vigor.

There are many different kinds of stems such as crowns, spurs, stolons, rhizomes, tubers, corms and bulbs.  Crowns are compressed stems such as on dandelions or African violets.  Spurs are those little nubby things on fruit tree branches through which they develop fruit.  Stolons grow aboveground such as on strawberries, and are also called runners.  Rhizomes are similar to stolons but grow underground such as Bermuda grass and Johnson grass which is why it is so difficult to get rid of.  Breaking the rhizome causes it to produce more stems.  Tubers are potatoes and the eyes of the potato are actually nodes.  Sweet potato on the other hand is a tuberous root which is an underground storage organ.  Corms like gladiolus may look like bulbs but do not have fleshy scales like onions or tulips which are bulbs.

The next asexual parts of a plant used in propagation are buds.  Buds are the nubby things you see on a branch that has not yet developed into a leaf (leaf bud) or flower (flower bud).  A terminal (apical) bud is the bud at the uppermost or tip of a stem.  Lateral buds are on the sides of a stem.  Auxin is a plant growth hormone that can cause the apical bud to have dominance thereby not allowing the lateral buds to not develop.  By snipping the apical bud off you will cause the plant to bush out for a fuller, more compact plant.  There are also adventitious buds that may pop up in other areas for whatever reason.  If you have ever eaten lettuce, brussel sprouts, broccoli or cabbage you have eaten buds.

The last asexual parts we will cover are the leaves.  Everyone knows that leaves are important for photosynthesis.  The little stem that attaches the leaf to the stem is the petiole.  The base where the petiole attaches to the stem is the node.  The bud that may form in the angle formed by the petiole and stem is an axillary bud.  Leaves are a key way to identify a plant but also come in a myriad of leaf shapes, margins, arrangements, and blade shapes too numerous to mention here.

A few important leaf parts that you should know are the cuticle, which forms a waxy layer on the epidermis called cutin.  It protects the plant from dehydration and the penetration of some diseases.  Plants grown in the shade have less cutin than plants grown in the sun.  So when you move a plant from the shade to a sunny area, do so gradually so the cutin can build up on the leaves or the plant will die from sunscald or rapid water loss.

If you have ever returned home at the end of the day and noticed your plant’s leaves are all droopy and are tempted to water them.  Don’t do it!  You are probably overwatering if you do.  The reason leaves droop at the end of the day is due to the guard cells.  These cells have the ability to open and close and their job is to protect the interior of the leaf and regulate the passage of water, oxygen and carbon dioxide.  If the day has been hot, the guard cells will close in order to conserve water and keep it in the root system, the vascular system will slow down for the same reason and all this causes the leaves to droop.  By morning when it has cooled you will see that the leaves are back to normal.  If they are not, THEN water.  Watering at night only encourages problems for your plants like fungus so it shouldn’t be done then anyway.

Part II of this article will talk about the ways in which you will be able to propagate at home with little or no money.  Which is the best way to do anything if you can.

Herb garden plants have played an important part in man’s life for countless years — politics,romance, love, religion, health, and superstition. It all began with history and continued in our generations.

Everybody get interested in specific types of herb but through a thorough study you can have agood idea and be more interested in how it works.

Herbs plants started in annuals, perennials and biennials like other types of plants. Annuals(bloom one season and die) like anise, basil, chervil, coriander, dill, summer savory will not survive afrost. They are plants that complete their life cycle in only one growing season, means that it willgerminate, grow foliage, set seed and die all within the course of a year. Perennials (overwinter; bloom each season once established) — chives, fennel, lovage,marjoram, mint, tarragon, thyme, sage, winter savory can survive cold temperatures and last longerthan annuals and are usually able to grow and re-grow for more than two years. Both perennials and annuals clearly have their own advantages and disadvantages. Biennial are rare, but caraway andparsley are among them. It is also form of herbs plant that form leaves in their first growing seasonand in the second season flowers, seeds are follows. It lives only two years, and generally takes troubleto most gardeners. It sprouts from seed the first season, but usually does not flower or fruit until thesecond, after which it dies.

Some herbs fit into one or more classifications according to use — culinary, aromatic,ornamental, and medicinal. Culinary herbs are probably the most useful to herb gardeners, havinga wide range of uses in cooking. These herbs, because of their strong flavors, are generally used insmall quantities to add flavor. Parsley, produced in the largest amount, is used mostly as a garnish,chives, thyme, savory, marjoram, mint, and basil. Aromatic Herbs have some novel uses and are notas popular to grow. Most have pleasant smelling flowers or foliage. Oils from aromatic herbs canbe used to produce perfumes, toilet water, and various scents. For home use, the plant parts are usedintact, often to scent linens or clothing and when dried, many aromatic herbs will retain their aromafor a considerable period. Some common aromatic herbs include mint, marjoram, lovage, rosemary,and basil. When looking for brightly colored flowers and foliage, Ornamental Herbs is the one to look for. Many have whitish or light-colored flowers. Valerian has crimson blossoms while borageand chicory are blue-flowered. Such herbs as variegated thyme, mint, lavender, and chives producevariegated foliage. On one hand, Medicinal herbs have long been thought to have curative powers.But while present medical knowledge recognizes some herbs as having healing properties, others arehighly overrated. Medicinal herbs should be used carefully. Some herbs are harmless while others canbe dangerous if consumed.

Herbs can be categorized into different types of uses, techniques and purposes. Through wideunderstanding you will be able to apply it while starting planting herb in your own with your guidelinesyou will be able to choose what herbs best suited you.