Posted on Oct 29, 2009 under Best Perennials |
It is difficult to imagine a garden with only “greenery” around, and no colorful flowers! In fact, it would not really look like a garden at all–no beauty, no color, no fragrance! Thus, your garden can be made “complete” only with the help of either annual flower gardening or perennial flower gardening!
An annual flower is one which survives only for one growing season, that is, its life cycle is completed within one season. New seeds or seedlings have to be planted if you want the same flowers again.
Perennials, on the other hand, last for two years or more, sometimes even lasting for decades. They do not have to be re-grown from seeds or seedlings. As they come back year after year, they keep growing in strength and becoming healthier.
I would like to caution you that perennial plants are costlier than annual flowers. But the advantage is that once these perennial flowers become members of your garden, they establish themselves permanently. Long-term, you do save on costs since you do not need to purchase new plants or seeds year after year!
Here are some features of perennial flower gardening–
(1) Before you actually begin your garden, do some research on the huge range of perennial flowers available (In fact, it is as if nature has made sure to cater to everyone’s tastes!), so that you can narrow down your choices to those that you ultimately wish to grow.
(2) There are perennial plants that require full sunlight. Some of them are–yarrow (variety of colors); extremely fragrant peonies that survive from late spring to early summer; also blooming in late spring to early summer is the bearded iris, so called because of the white beard attached to its cornflower-blue petals; the perennial sage grows beautiful lavender-coloured flowers; and trumpet-shaped, beige-pink daylilies with their lime throats.
(3) In contrast to the above-mentioned plants, there are some that can survive in semi-shaded areas, while others do not mind living in an area with total shade. Again, conduct a search and find out!
(4) Another important thing concerning perennial plants, is the exact blooming time for different kinds of flowers. Since each flower blossoms at a different time of the year, your perennial flower gardening is going to result in a breathtaking vista of vibrantly-colored flowers that you can delight in the whole year through!
(5) Just to give you an idea, here are some of the flowers you can grow. The growing season can be heralded with the planting of bluebells, bleeding hearts and rock cress. Candytuft, peonies, bell flower, oriental poppies, false indigo, leopard’s bane and columbine should do for late spring. Many times, these grow in summer as well. For mid-summer to late summer colors, choose stonecrop, mountain bluet, garden lilies snow-in-summer and violet sage. Finish off late summer and fall with goldenrod, mums, aster, black-eyed susans, blue leadwort, plaintain lily, boltonia nad purple coneflower.
(6) Where soil is concerned, it should have a good mix of sand and clay. The ground should be tilled to at least one foot in depth. The soil should have the quality of draining well. This type of soil is good enough for a majority of the perennial plants. There are some plants that can survive in acidic or alkaline soils too. In general, these flowers manage to survive even in not-so-ideal places.
For instance, while peonies grow in moderately moist places, the yarrow can survive with poor soil conditions.
(7) You could also check out each flower’s resistance to diseases. For instance, daylilies are extremely resistant to pest infestations and diseases.
(8) These plants are not easy to grow from seeds, though seeds are available. An easier way to begin your perennial flower gardening is to borrow (divide) a part of an existing plant, either from your neighbor or friend. Your money is safe in your pocket, plus the original plant becomes even healthier by obtaining adequate nutrients and water after the division.
(9) Which are the best seasons to divide the plants? As the first growing season comes to an end, the foliage and flowers wither up and die. The roots survive with the help of the food stored in them. They will ensure the re-growth of these plants in the coming season. Therefore, dividing is essential for this type of gardening.
Those flowers that come back in mid-summer to late summer can be divided during the spring season. Early fall is the time to divide plants that will bloom in spring. A few experts suggest dividing early spring plants as soon as they flower, giving the plant strength to survive till next spring.
(10) Once a plant has been divided, it has to be planted in the soil. The best time for perennial flower gardening is spring or fall seasons, since the weather is humid and cool. Of course, those plants growing in containers can be transplanted whenever you feel like doing so. Water is an essential requirement for all plants.
(11) Perennial flower gardening includes maintenance too. Faded and dead flowers have to be removed. Large flowers like peonies and roses can be just cut off, while plants having many stems with blooms need shearing.
(12) Deadheading should become a regular practice. For one, your garden looks neater. Secondly, you are allowing plants to conserve their energy to put forth many more flowers instead of forming seeds. Otherwise, there is haphazard reseeding and your garden looks totally disorganized. You will end up spending more and more time in your garden than indoors!
After all this, your perennial flower gardening may not turn out to be a huge success in the very first growing season! Have patience! The plants may not have attained full maturity as of yet, and so are taking their time to bloom. Just remember, your wait will be well worth it!
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/perennial-flower-gardening-12-tips-to-have-beauty-all-year-round-753782.html
Posted on Oct 29, 2009 under Best For Garden |
A home vegetable garden does not have to be an ugly spot in your home surroundings. A thoughtfully planned and carefully planted vegetable garden adds a harmonious touch to your home that no shrubs or flowers can produce.
When selecting a spot for a vegetable garden, make sure you take into account the amount of sunlight the spot receives and the convenience. The area should be easily accessible so that when you vegetables start growing, you can access them without the plants without too much ado. In addition, you would not like to have soaking feet trying to get to the vegetable garden.
When selecting a spot, look for space that is out of the chilling north and northeast winds. The best spot will be one that is sloping a little to the south or east so that it catches sunshine early and holds it until late. If there is a fence or building protecting the patch, it will help your garden tremendously. If there is now fence or building, think about putting a fence or a hedge.
When you select a spot for your garden, the chances are high that the soil will not be ready to use. Most soils can be brought to a high degree of productiveness so do not get disheartened. Once you treat the soil with fertilizer and nutrients, you can be sure that you will get a rich yield provided you are a careful gardener.
The ideal garden soil is rich sandy loam. This type of soil is made and not found. When we say rich, we mean that there is plenty of plant food available for the vegetable plants. You will have to cultivate it and use manure to make the soil in your patch rich. Sandy refers to the fact that there are enough sand particles in the soil to allow water to past through without leaving a sticky paste after a rain.
The great importance of the part the soil must play in every garden operation is therefore readily seen. In the first place, it is required to furnish all the plant food elements - some seven in number, beside the three, nitrogen, phosphoric acid and potassium, already mentioned. In the second, it must hold the moisture in which these foods must be either dissolved or suspended before plant roots can take them up.
The soil is naturally classified in two ways: first, as to the amount of plant food contained; second, as to its mechanical condition-the relative proportions of sand, decomposed stone and clay, of which it is made up, and also the degree to which it has been broken up by cultivation.
The approximate amount of available plant food already contained in the soil can be determined satisfactorily only by experiment. As stated, however, almost without exception they will need liberal manuring to produce good garden crops. I shall therefore not go further into the first classification of soils mentioned.
Of soils, according to their variation in mechanical texture, I shall mention only the three which the home gardener is likely to encounter.
Rocks are the original basis of all soils, and according to the degree of fineness to which they have been reduced, through centuries of decomposition by air, moisture and frost, they are known as gravely, sandy or clayey soils.
Clay Soils are stiff, wet, heavy and usually “cold.” For garden purposes, until properly transformed, they hold too much water, are difficult to handle, and are “late.” But even if there is no choice but a clay soil for the home garden, the gardener need not be discouraged. By proper treatment it may be brought into excellent condition for growing vegetables, and will produce some sorts, such as celery, better than any warm, light, “garden” soil. The first thing to do with the clay soil garden is to have it thoroughly drained. For the small amount of ground usually required for a home garden, this will entail no great expense. Under ordinary conditions, a half-acre garden could be under-drained for from $25 to $50–probably nearer the first figure.
Once these requisites for a home vegetable garden are fulfilled, you are all set to produce your own delicious vegetables.
Abhishek Agarwal
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/perfect-home-garden-stipulations-for-setting-the-best-garden-753738.html
Posted on Oct 28, 2009 under Best Vegetables |
The vegetables are potatoes, pumpkin, parsnip and kumura.
l boil the veges till they are just cooked, (not very soft) and wrap them tightly in foil or clingwrap as they tend to "grey"
Posted on Oct 28, 2009 under Gardening Tips |
I tried to read it but it’s so boring and I don’t understand anything about it. Could somebody please explain to me what it’s about and give a summary? I would greatly appreciate it! Thank you 
yeah it does i have to read it for my anthropology class
Yeah, but what does this have to do with Anthropology?
Posted on Oct 28, 2009 under Best Seeds |
After the pumpkin has been gutted and seeds have been rinsed and dried, how long should they be in the oven? Do they need oil or butter or anything? Any advice would be great, thanx guys
I always take them out and put them in salt water for a couple of days then I bake them on a cookie sheet on 300 degrees until they are a toasty brown color. When you see that one side of them is getting done take them out and use a spatula and turn them over to the other side. They will get to popping in the oven when they are getting close to being done. Wow, now I am in the mood for some, well, I better get myself to the store. Good luck!!!
Posted on Oct 28, 2009 under Best Tomatoes |
growing tomatoes
you need a spot with at least 8 hours full sun. tomatoes are big eaters and drinkers,, so penty of 5-10-5 fetilizer or compost, of manure. keep wet, for if the plant dries out it will stunt the growth. fetilize when you have many flowers, and again when you have many small tomatoes.. cherry tomatoes are actually easier, less space and more prolific. try a few different varieties. burpee plants are quite good and a greenhouse can recommend varieties that grow well in your area. have fun
Posted on Oct 28, 2009 under Best Vegetables |
Hi,
I live in New York City.I and my family have decided to visit some farms in New York State to get fresh milk,fruits and vegetables.
Could someone,please, suggest me any of the farms where I could find these products?
Thank you
The best farms won’t sell you raw milk because of the health risks. If you look hard enough, though, you’ll find some unscrupulous sleaze-ball who’ll take your money and laugh up his sleeve at you.
Posted on Oct 28, 2009 under Best Seeds |
I was given alot of money tree seeds and don’t know where, when, or how to plant them.
I have been given alot of money tree seeds and am unsure on what time of year to plant them.
Im not 100 % sure so what i would do in a case like this is call your local garden shop and ask them or you could go to he local garden shop and look at the back of a packet of them it’ll tell you how and when but call first to see if they still have there seeds out depending on where you live seed season might be over. It is in my area.
Good Luck
Posted on Oct 28, 2009 under Best Tomatoes |
step by step advice. When to plant outside. No seedlings yet, and I have yet to choose the seeds. Which tomatoe seeds are the fastest and easiest one to grow?
Easiest and fastest — cherry/grape tomatoes, Early Girl, Patio, and Big Boy. Hardest - plum (Italian), heirloom, and yellow varieties (although it is worth trying a yellow variety for their sweetness and less acidic content). Patio tomatoes are great for small spaces or pots, but don’t have the flavor as other varieties.
Soak your seeds in a moist paper towel until they swell and/or start to pop, and then place in a seedling mix (regular soil and even regular potting soil is too heavy and will slow down root growth, and most topsoils contain no nutrints) twice as deep as the seed length (about 1/2 inch). Tomatoes like warmth, so start your seedlings in a sunny window or in a cold-frame. Don’t worry if they become too leggy. When you have two sets of real leaves, they are ready to transplant. Transplant the seedling horizontally with just the top leaves out of the ground (more roots will develop on stem.) Prepare the soil well adding composted manure and peat. If your tomatoes are ahead of your garden (or the outside temperature) you can transplant into a larger pot until ready to go outside — bury the seedling, and then rebury the plant when it goes outside.
As seed starters, you can also buy peat pots, etc. You can roll up newspaper into little cuplets also. Avoid using cardboard (egg cartons, paper towel rolls, juice boxes), as these items contain formaldehyde, chemicals and other toxins in their manufacture, and tomatoes are the most notorious for absorbing noxious elements…if they don’t kill or stunt the plant first.
If your plants are ahead of the season, you can cut off the bottom of a milk jug and use it as a little greenhouse and overnight protector.
For the best tomatoes on the block, plant your toms around a "compost" ring — a round of wire in the center with your plants equally around it, and continually throw grass clippings, non-pernicious weeds, peat, etc. into the ring. Make a ‘Jersey Well’ out of an old soda bottle (punch holes around the bottle at varying heights) and bury bottle in the ground in the middle of your compost ring and water/feed through the bottle (tomatoes need consistent moisture or you will get cracking in the flesh). As the plants grow, tie them to the wire in your compost ring for support.
(…and, there is no ‘e’ on the end of tomato, only when plural).