Spring Time Means Flowers

March 1st, 2012 Posted in Flowers and Plants
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Spring may still be a few weeks away, but it is not too early to begin thinking about your lawn and garden. Most importantly, you want to start planning on including some spring flowers to add color and beauty to your landscaping scene. Hues of blue, red, orange, pink and yellow can really brighten up a dull garden.

Winter can be harsh on your lawn and garden. Even your greenery can suffer and lose its color after so many snow storms and days of below freezing temperatures. But spring provides an excellent opportunity to inject some much needed life back into it. Azaleas, hyacinth, irises, lilacs, marigolds and petunias are popular species of spring flowers that come in a wide array of colors and sizes.

When planning out your garden and how you want your flowers to look, be sure to spread the colors around. Remember, a well-maintained lawn with seasonal colorful flowers provides curb appeal to your house. This is especially important if spring means putting your house up for sale. Nothing helps to sell a house better than seeing a well-groomed garden boasting with color from spring flowers.

But with so many flowers to choose from, you may be overwhelmed and not know which ones to choose. There are no rules when it comes to flower selection. Of course, you do not want to drown your garden in flowers. Place them along your walkway, include them in your flower boxes along the front windows or create a nice spot at the end of your driveway where you can showcase a colorful selection of sweet peas. Let seasonal flowers bring beauty and brilliancy to your lawn and garden.

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Add a Touch of Color to the Yard with Seasonal Flowers

February 28th, 2012 Posted in Flowers and Plants
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Spring is right around the corner, and that means that now is the time to start thinking about what types of flowers you might want to have growing in your yard. When you are choosing your seasonal flowers, you can pick a color that’s going to look great with your home as well as any other décor that you have in the yard, or you can pick something outrageous and fun.

Spring is the perfect time for flowers, and you are going to find quite a few different seasonal varieties that are right up your alley. If you don’t know very much about flowers, and if your green thumb is a bit more brown and wilted than green, you should talk to a professional landscaper for some help. Most landscapers and lawn care specialists will have some ideas of what you might want to choose. After all, they are the professionals and they see all types of different flowers in their line of work!

Something else that you might want to do when you are choosing your flowers is head to the web to get an idea of what the colors are going to look like, or you could even visit a nursery to see them in person and get a better idea of how the colors are going to work on your property. Seeing the flowers can often spur some ideas that you can pass along to your landscapers.

Imagine how nice it’s going to be to sit out in your garden on a warm spring morning, where you can listen to the birds and enjoy the beauty of your flowers. They are a great way to add a bit of zest to your landscaping, and flowers will improve the look of any home. Start thinking about the flowers that you want to add today!

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Marigolds

September 10th, 2010 Posted in Flowers and Plants, Landscape Design
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Studies have proven that the Mexican marigold actually fights some ground weeds such as the elder, bindweed and couchgrass.  They also can fight off nematodes and worms that eat away your beautiful plants!  Marigolds are said to be good companion plants or cover crops.  The African Marigold and the French Marigold also fight harmful nematodes.

Marigolds are a natural insect repellant as well.  Insects avoid marigolds because of the pungent odor that the Marigolds emit.  This is also why marigolds are used largely as an outside flower as opposed to inside.  You can also make an insect repellant tonic with Marigold leaves.  Simply liquefy the stems and leaves of the plant in your blender, let it soak for a day then add water to dilute and apply as needed.

Plant your Marigolds after the last frost of the season and they will bloom into the autumn months in warm temperatures.  Marigolds excellent for planting close to your vegetable garden or just mixed into your flower garden. They should be planted where they can get full to partial sun with rich soil.  Once established, marigolds require little care.  They are hardy plants that come in a variety of colors to suit your liking. 

Insects that will bother your Marigolds are spider mites, spittle bugs, aster yellows and wilt.  Keep these insects at bay and your beautiful Marigolds will survive all season!  Marigold varieties vary from 6 inches to 4 feet in height. Consult your local nursery or landscape specialist to see what variety will work for your garden needs.

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Rose Garden Maintenance

September 10th, 2010 Posted in Flowers and Plants
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Roses are a passion for many gardeners.  Keeping your rose garden healthy is not difficult, but does take a good routine of time and care.

Roses like most beautiful flowering plants need a lot of water to survive.  Water once a week if there is not rainfall.  Water roses deep at the soil level to avoid damage to the leaves and to ensure good root growth.  Make sure the soil has proper drainage to avoid root rot. 

Once your flower has faded, take a pruning tool and cut at an angle below the faded flower just above the first leaf.  This will encourage future flowering.  It is important to remove the least amount of leaves as possible as this is where the plant gets its energy.

Fertilizing your roses is important for steady growth, flowering and long term health.  Choose a fertilizer that is balanced specifically for roses.  It should have nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium.  Water first prior to fertilizing.  Fertilize after the first buds flower, then once a month though late summer. 

Organic composts are recommended to keep soil rich.  Keep your mulch 2-4 inches thick.  Using a thick layer of organic mulch will increase minerals in the soil, help hold moisture and will keep weeds at bay.

Pests love roses!! Identify what pests are bothering your roses and treat them appropriately.  Not all pesticides work on all pests and some can damage your roses.  A good defense is to plant companion plants in your garden.  These plants repel unwanted insects.  You can also grow and insect garden or groundcover that attracts the insects that are favorable for your flowers.

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Astroemeria

September 10th, 2010 Posted in Flowers and Plants
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There are about 50 species of this beautiful flowering plant native to South America. It is commonly called the Peruvian Lily or Parrot Lily as it looks like a miniature lily.  There are many different colors but no fragrance.  Once cut, these flowers can last up to 2 weeks in a vase.   The Alstroemeria flower is symbolic of wealth, prosperity and fortune and is also a flower of friendship.

 This flowering plants grows best in full sun but if the temperatures get too hot, the plant will not flower.  To plant, set the roots in the ground no lower than the level it was in the container and at least one foot apart from the next plant.  Surround with mulch and organic compost.  Water daily to moisten soil but keep it well drained.

 The first growth you will see on your Alstroemeria is support growth.  You will see short thin stems that do not produce any flowers.  These stems can be pulled and thinned out to leave room for the next growth stage which produces the flowers.

 These plants will flower all spring and summer.  Make sure to pull or cut the flowers.  This encourages new flower growth.  If your stems produce seed pods, pull them out.  The seed pods will take up valuable energy needed to produce the beautiful flowers.

 Lastly, once blooming season ends, your Alstroemeria will disappear into your soil. You can leave them there until it is time to replant in spring.  Dig up the roots, choose the heartiest white risomes and roots to keep, divide and replant for new growth.

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