Posted on Mar 18, 2010 under Best Perennials |
Sometimes the sheer audacity of a flower grabs your attention and simply won’t let go. The first time I saw a dahlia, I was stunned. Not only is their size larger than life, but also the colors are absolutely amazing! The intricacy of petal structure, the huge array of shapes, oh yeah, did I mention the COLORS! In short, I was mesmerized.
In the intervening years, not much has changed, except of course, there are better selections of these incredibly immense dahlias. Stronger stems, better foliage, brighter colors are all thanks to the hard work and intuitive genius of many hybridizers.
I know several people who have devoted their entire garden to growing dahlias. Some people might say it’s a sickness. I don’t agree - if dahlias are your passion, live it! On the other hand, not everyone can - or would want to — devote a large amount of time and effort to one kind of plant. But, seriously, there’s room in just about any garden for a few of these show-stopping flowers.
Besides border dahlias, there are decorative, dinner plate, karma, powder puff, tree, collarette and a huge number of unique dahlia shapes available. Flower sizes range from under 2 inches wide to more than 10 inches in diameter. While the colors include everything under the rainbow with a few surprises in between. That’s a lot to choose from; I’m certain there is more than one for your garden.
One of the best reasons of all to grow dahlias is their flowering time. They begin to bloom usually in late July and continue unabated until frost, a time when many other perennials are finished blooming and there’s not much else going on in the garden.
Dahlias are native to the mountainous central region of Mexico and Guatemala. Spanish settlers in Mexico sent the first dahlia seeds and tubers back to Spain in the 18th century. Spanish botanists at the Royal Botanical Garden in Madrid sent seeds and tubers to botanists in other parts of Europe, for more details visit to www.insomnia-battle.com and the dahlia began to spread across Europe. The first varieties with large, double ball-shaped flowers were bred in Belgium in 1815 and within a few decades nurserymen had expanded the combinations of colors as far as they thought they could be. Most turned their attention to other projects, and dahlias languished.
Then, in 1872, a box of dahlia roots from Mexico arrived in Holland. All the roots had perished except one, which produced a brilliant red flower whose shape was distinctly different. It was combined with earlier varieties and the resulting babies became the parents of today’s diverse hybrids. Thanks to the skill of breeders in England, Holland, Germany, for more details visit to www.100computertips.com Australia and America, dahlias come in a range of sizes and colors unmatched in the world of garden flowers.
There are some spectacular dinner plate sized dahlias that grow 36-48 inches tall. How about ‘Emory Paul’, biggest of them all in orchid lavender; maybe ‘The Big Wow’, with enormous bright, scarlet red flowers. What about checking out ‘Ferncliff Illlusion’, fabulous in white with violet tips or ‘Kelvin Floodlight’, immense, dazzling, deep, clear yellow. Any one would be perfect for creating a dramatic display in your garden.
There are more demure dahlias that come in powder puff shapes and grow 24-40 inches tall. Most of these large flowers have a petticoat of regular petals with a puff of smaller, ruffled petals in the middle. Try ‘Blue Bayou’ in lavender-blue; or ‘Soulman’, in a rich, deep maroon, a color very rarely seen in the horticulture industry.
You can mix it up with Karma dahlias for an array of different shapes and vibrant, iridescent colors. These tall dahlias (36-44 inches) were developed for the Dutch cut flower market and have long, very sturdy stems. The colors are truly magnificent. For an amazing effect in your garden, try ‘Karma Sangria’ with a rose center, and golden yellow petals tipped in salmon rose. Single colored flowers include ‘Karma Prospero’, in soft lilac-pink with a golden center and ‘Karma Ventura’, a dazzling lemon yellow the perfect contrast to the pink petals of ‘Prospero’.
Sandeep
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/most-turned-their-attention-to-other-projects-and-dahlias-languished-696640.html
Posted on Mar 18, 2010 under Best For Garden |
Nothing focuses the mind on transforming raw material into an object of beauty, utility, and practicality better than landscaping. The land will make you wait when you do not feel like waiting, and nature, a mysterious consequence of every landscaping design, will do everything you do not want it to do.
Landscaping can do wonders for the surroundings. Many people find it very useful. In fact, in the survey conducted by the Gallup Organization, almost 54% of Americans have said that the top benefit of landscaping is the relaxation and enjoyment it brings for people to enjoy.
In beautifying a big garden, employing the principle of landscaping is extremely important. Some people contend that improving the appearance of a big garden can be a daunting task.
So what is a landscaper to do? It would be best to relax and respect the natural rhythms of the elemental materials found in the garden.
A landscaper should learn the value of patience and flexibility. It is with these attributes that a true landscaper can work out the details of the job.
The landscaper must take into consideration the size of the yard. If it is a big garden, it is best to use the proper number of plants and trees so that the area will not appear dull and empty.
When landscaping a big garden, one should keep in mind that employing the principles of landscaping should not just focus on enhancing its features. The way the trees provide shade is a vital factor.
A big garden usually contains some trees and shrubs even before the landscaping process begins. It is best for a landscaper to examine the area before he starts planning the design.
The proper placing of the plants is a necessity. Since it will be a bigger area, it is best to consider the plants that need more sunlight and those that should not be directly exposed to the sun.
In landscaping, what is important is to emphasize the beauty of the nature. This means that if there are natural rock formations in the area, it is best to put emphasis on them if the rocks seem to be worthy of attention.
All of these things boil down to the fact that the size of the area should be the top consideration of the landscaper. The size of the garden will determine if it needs more trees, plants, or other embellishments. Size really does matter.
Joey Simmons
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/making-beauty-in-your-big-garden-675698.html
Posted on Mar 17, 2010 under Best Vegetables |
What are the best fruits and vegetables for guinea pigs? I want some vegetables that I can give my guinea pigs on a daily basis and some fruits and vegetables I can give them as a treat. If you have guinea pigs what are their favorites?
Me Mysel- Guinea Pig, not hamster.
My guinea pigs favourite vegetable is cos lettuce/romaine lettuce, and his favourite fruit is watermelon.
Daily vegetables:
> Cos lettuce/romaine lettuce
> Carrot
> Carrot greens
> Cucumber
> Celery
> Celery greens
Daily fruits:
> Apple
> Grapes
> Watermelon
Vegetable treats:
> Parsley
> Spinach
> Capsicum
Fruit treats:
>Strawberries
> Cherries
Best of luck 
Please be sure to check out my website dedicated to guinea pigs, and become a member for free:
http://guineapighut.webs.com/
Posted on Mar 17, 2010 under Best Seeds |
Please advise me what to plant, here is my brief.
I have 7 Tubs x 18" wide and 4 hanging baskets x 12" wide.
I have last years compost in each.
I want something that is easy and simple, basically throw in and rake the seeds and throw some water their way as required. Something that will be assorted colours, will bloom most of the summer with as little interference as possible.
Impossible? or please advise thanks.
Not impossible at all. If they’ll be in the sun, plant zinnias or cosmos or marigolds in the tubs and trailing nasturtiums in the baskets. Those are all vivid, long blooming, incredibly easy care plants that grow effortlessly from seed. Just keep the soil lightly moist until the seedlings are growing well.
Posted on Mar 17, 2010 under Best Tomatoes |
Home grown toms usualy taste better than shop bought. A reliable favorite for a number of years is called Gardeners Delight, a red cherry tom. with fruits around 25/30mm, a heavy cropper if looked after & a flavour that’s hard to beat! Does best in the greenhouse but will still produce outside in a nice warm spot. Raise your own from seed or bring on bought plants. Lots of info on the web on how to. Good Luck!
Posted on Mar 17, 2010 under Best Perennials |
which perennials are the best to plant? I would like good ones for spring flowering and good ones for summer flowering.
Before I can answer this one for you, I need a general idea of what zone you live in. It makes a big difference for the types of plants you can actually grow.
I live in zone 2 to 3 area. I can grow tulips, crocuses, daffodils and Irises as well as peonies and bleeding hearts. These all tend to bloom for me in late May and through June. Mind you, I have to contend with the deer population. They treat my garden as an all you can eat buffet.
There are many different varieties of summer to fall perennials but again, it depends on your zone.
You can contact me for me info if you like.
Posted on Mar 17, 2010 under Best For Garden |
I love to garden but have not been able to lift even 5 lb. garden soil bags since last season, or enjoy gardening as just pulling up soil with the shovel can put me in pain for days, due to a congenital back defect which is deteriorating. I have a very limited budget. Any suggestions? Thanks!
try bonsai
Posted on Mar 14, 2010 under Best Vegetables |
I know veggies like peas, corn and potatos have a lot of starch but which can I eat as much as I want?
If you are eating fresh fruits and vegetables, you can feel pretty good about them. They have complete vitamins and minerals within them that are made for the digestion and usability of each. Apples are considered a very good food for health, and diet, too. Corn and potatoes are considered pretty starchy, and starch is converted into "fat" in the body. Potaotes in moderation are considered good for you, but better if you eat them boiled or baked, and also eat the skins. That is where the nutrients of a potato are mainly stored. French fries are really not potatoes, anymore, but a prepared food that contains tons of hydrogenated oils, highly heated, and that is very detrimental to the health. If you go for the brightly colored fruits and vegetables like green, orange, red, or dark colored ones, they have lots of nutrients in them. Iceburg lettuce is considered lacking in nutrition, as can be seen by the rather "anemic" appearance of the leaves. Since chlorophyll is important in nutrition, the greener veges will give you more benefits. Try to look at it like this: fresh is the very best (as in not cooked or heated), then frozen is next best, and last would be canned or packaged prepared items of any kind. Canning involves heating and other chemical processes that destroy many valuable nutrients. Once this has happened, you are really not benefiting as you might be leading yourself to believe. Put a bowl of fresh fruits on your table for easy access. Then, try cutting up some of your favorite raw vegables and place on a covered tray in your refridgerator. If you need dip to choke them down, that would certainly be preferable to not eating them, or finding a less nutritous option. If you have these things handy, and more of them around than the packaged things, chances are you might eat them more. But . . . don’t just rely on fruits and vegetables. You need to provide yourself with lots of high quality protein for the health of your body. Chicken, beef, pork, and fish are very important for health and even skin, beauty. Not fried. Baked, broiled, etc. is the very best. Now, you are probably going to say, "I asked about dieting, not healthy eating," but the two go hand-in-hand. If you eat non-nutritious foods, you will have a tendancy to gain weight, and also to be less healthy. Try to eat for health, and that may be easier than to always be thinking of how to loose the weight. To learn more, go to your local health food store and ask for a book or two about healthy eating. You will learn tons.
Posted on Mar 14, 2010 under Best Seeds |
i know im going to mix all kinds of clover and chicory in for deer ( they are the main concern), and some sort of grain for the turkeys. but i need some other plant species also, i want some broad leaf plants to put in here. the land that im planting is in low fertil land along a creek, in the north carolina appalatchian mountains. thanks
try your local co-op…They have everything that is available for your area and know whats best for each game animal…..I like crimson clover mixed with white..the co op mixed it for me along with a 7% ffertilizer mix….they are great…you might want some type of peas or sorgum
Posted on Mar 14, 2010 under Best Tomatoes |
I’m planning a garden and while I’m not crazy about eating tomatoes, marinara sauce is something my family consumes constantly, so why not make my own. I want to make something really good but i guess it’s important to note also that my husband doesn’t like his sauce really sweet (though I’m sure the sweetness in commercial sauces comes from corn syrup) so please take that into consideration when you make a recommendation.
Roma of course!