Perennial Wildflowers

You will find that there are many different kinds of wild flowers; however, they do come in perennials, annuals, and biennials. You will want to consider what you can do with the wild flower and how you can use them to make your yard look fantastic. You will want to keep in mind that these perennials are planted by seed and they tend to not bloom the first year. You may get a flower bud here and there, but you are not going to get the full garden that you are looking for. They will then grow after their first winter.

The reason why the plants will not bloom is because they are saving all they got to survive the first winter. Then the plants will continue to grow and grow and grow. Some times the growth will become uncontrollable. Every year they will continue to spread and you'll find yourself with a yard full of these flowers. There are some plants that will die after three or five years.

These types of flowers are ground covers and also they are great to have in the yard because they don't require a lot of attention or need. These flowers are sweet alyssums, primroses, conflowers, Forget-Me-Nots, certain poppies, and certain daisies. You'll want to keep in mind that there are many more different types of flowers to plant. You'll love the fact that they come in all sizes and also they come in all colors. This way you'll be able to build a wonderful garden.

When it comes to planting these flowers, you'll start at seedlings. You will want to pick an area of your yard that needs some color and life. There are many ways that you can use the flowers to enhance your landscape. Keep in mind that they look nice up against the house. They also look good off to the side of your landscape plans. Sweet Williams and other ground covers make an ugly hillside wonderful. You'll want to consider the flower and how you would like to use without feeling that you need to place them in a traditional garden. Ground covers are greatly used to enhance land.

You'll want to not only plant wildflowers that are perennials, but you will also want to consider the many different types of wildflowers, even if they are annual. The best part of perennial flowers is that you don't have to worry about the garden coming back to life the next year, because they will come back naturally. You'll want to have wildflowers in your garden and in your yard because of all the wonderful, natural beauty they will bring to your front or backyard


By Cheryl Hanlon

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Add Rich Color To Your Garden With Blue Perennial Flowers

Blue flowers are some of the most striking plants around and can add a rich splash of color to any garden. Plant them in a cluster of all blue or mix them in with other flowers for a rainbow of color.

When planting flowers, it is important to remember to follow the instructions on the tag for the plant. Always buy plants that will thrive in the conditions in which you intend to grow them. A plant that loves sun won't do well in a shady area and you will only be disappointed with the results.

When planning your garden, be aware of the bloom time of the flowers. Planting perennials with different bloom times near each other will insure a garden that has blooms all season long. Remember also to plan for the height of the plants, putting the taller ones in the back.

Below is a list of favorite blue flowering plants that you might want to consider for your garden:

Polemonuim, Blue Pearl - A compact plant with deep sky blue flowers that grows to 10. It blooms in late spring to early summer. Plant in partial shade and in well drained soil.

Blue Sea Holly - This dramatic plant has a lavender blue cone like flower with long spiked petals. It grows to 30 and is a favorite for dried flower arrangements. Plant in full sun - blooms in mid to late summer.

Delphinium, Butterfly Blue - Bright blue delicate flowers adorn this plant that blooms in early to mid summer. It reaches 10 tall and prefers a sunny location with rich moist soil.

Campanula, Blue Carpet - Bright blue to lilac colored flowers bloom for weeks in the middle of summer. This low growing perennial grows to 4 and prefers full sun with well drained soil.

Penstemon, Blue Buckle - This plant has tubular shaped blooms in blue to purple and flowers in mid summer to early fall. It grows to 15 and likes well drained soil with full or partial sun.

Hydrangea, Nikko Blue - Gigantic clumps of blue flowers adorn this shrub for most of the summer. In the fall, the flowers turn a golden color. This plant is a new variety that prefers rich soil but will grow in shade, partial sun or full sun.

Vinca - Medium blue flowers and glossy green leaves form a carpet that grows to about 6 tall and blooms in mid spring. This plant will grow in most soil conditions, in the shade or sun.

Ajuga, Bronze Beauty - This short bushy plant has spikes of blue flowers that grows quickly. Great as a ground cover or in raised beds. It blooms in spring and prefers a shady area.

Scabiosa, Butterfly Blue - A bushy perennial with lavender blue flowers that bloom from June to October. This plant likes full sun and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

Verbena, Babylon Blue - Blue purple flowers petals adorn this plant that blooms in early spring. Great for window boxes and planters


By Kathy Burns-Millyard

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New York Flower Shops

New York flower shops provide you the easy way to order and send your floral arrangements. New York flower shops are available in great number at nearby places in the city. They provide flower delivery service to anywhere. Most of the flower shops sell cut flowers and house plants. They offer you some exquisite floral designs and decorations for various events.

The New York flower shops are classified into flowers by wire, indoor florists, open air flower markets, floral designers, flower consultants, and silk and other artificial flowers. There are almost 400 different flower shops available in New York.

Many florists in New York offer flowers by wire through the Interflora Network to virtually any major city in the world and also within our nation. The florists using this service are indicated by FTD in the descriptive line, which indicates the floral arrangements they provide to be Fresh, Trusted and delivered today. To date, there are 2196 Florists in New York City.

Florists like 1-800-Flowers, 50th St. Florist and Greenery, Alpine Florist, and Ariston Florist are a few among the top sellers in the city. Open air flower markets like Greenmarket and Spring St. Garden are also popular. Silk and artificial flowers are sold in shops like Dulken and Derrick, Flowers Forever and a few more. The Orchid Man flower shop is the popular one for selling orchids.

Using the national flower shop directory of local flower shops and the florists near or close to New York, it is very easy to send flowers across the street or across the country. The online services offer quick identification of the leading florists and flower shops within New York City for your convenience.

New York Flowers provides detailed information on New York Flower Delivery, New York Flower District, New York Flower Market, New York Flower Shops and more. New York Flowers is affiliated with Thanksgiving Flower Gifts.




By Kent Pinkerton

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A Look at Planting Flower Bulbs

Flowers are a favorite of many backyard gardeners. Thanks to their ease of planting and relatively low cost, flower bulbs are a popular choice for flower gardens. Not only are flower bulbs beautiful, but planting them is a very simple undertaking.

Planting flower bulbs is so easy, in fact, that its almost foolproof. The most important consideration is timing. Flower bulbs need to be planted when the ground is coolnot too hot and not too cold. Its best to plant them about six weeks before the ground freezes.

The next consideration is location. Youll want to choose a place where the soil drains wellbulbs do not grow well in areas with standing water. Bulbs also need a location that is well lit and sunny.

Make sure that the soil is loose. It does not require any fertilization or special treatment. However, you might want to add compost or peat moss if youre working in a new flowerbed.

The next consideration in planting flower bulbs is purely cosmetic. Youll want to consider the placement of the various flowers. Generally, bulbs should be densely plantedthey do not look as nice planted alone or in thin lines. Taller flowers should be planted behind short ones. Consider the finished product as you are planning your flower beds. Think about which color combinations work best together, as well as which varieties of flowers best complement each other.

Once you have determined placement, you are ready to plant. Dig your holes about six to eight inches deep (follow package directions). Place the bulb in the ground with the pointed end facing up. Cover the hole and pack it firmly to release any air holes. Water the ground thoroughly.

As you can see, planting flower bulbs is a fun and easy project. With a little patience and creativity, you can have a beautiful and enjoyable flower bed.


By Seth Miller

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Planning And Planting A Flower Garden

A bouquet of flowers can brighten up your home. Likewise, a well stocked flower garden can add brightness and color to your lawn or garden. A well stocked flower garden can provide you with a colorful bouqet for your table or shelf, or a gift to brighten someone else's day.

First of all, you'll want a good location for your flower garden. Most flowers usually need 6-8 hours of direct sunlight every day, although there are some flowers that grow in more shady areas. You'll need to match the flowers to the amount of sunlight that the flower garden will receive. Your flower garden should also be easily accessible for watering, weeding, and cutting the flowers.

Annuals vs. Perennials

You'll need to decide whether you want to plant annuals or perennials in your garden, or a mix of both. Annuals, such as snapdragons, zinnias, and other flowers grow, bloom, and die off in one growing season. Perennials on the other hand can grow and bloom, year after year.

Fall Bulbs

Fall bulbs are those that are planted in the fall, such as daffodils, tulips, and crocuses. These bulbs are planted in the fall, and then grow and bloom early in the spring when the weather starts to warm up. The giant flowering onion is another good fall bulb, which is planted in the fall, and produces large purple flowers from early spring to mid-summer.

Spring Bulbs

Spring bulbs are planted in the early spring. Some of them are planted just before the last frost, while others are planted after the last frost. Bulbs such as Gladiolus are spring bulbs, meant to be planted as early as two weeks prior to the last frost. These bulbs can be planted every two weeks to provide flowers all summer. Spring bulbs produce flowers from the early summer until the first frost in autumn.

Seeds

Flower seeds are readily available at your local garden center, or even occasionally in your grocery store. Seeds can be a cheap way of sowing a flower garden. Some seeds require that you start them in containers indoors before moving them outside, and some you can just start planting right in your flower garden. Just follow the instructions on the seed package.

Plants

Your local garden center will have a wide range of flowering plants that will do well in your area. If you want some instant color for your flower garden, buy plants that are blooming, or just about to bloom. Then every 2-4 weeks, you can go back to the garden center, and select a few more flowers that are blooming. This way, you'll have flowers blooming in your garden for the entire growing season.

Once you've chosen your location for your garden, and the plants that you want, you'll need to organize your garden. As you're planting, keep in mind how big the plants will be when they're full sized. You'll want the shorter plants in front, and the taller plants in back. You'll also want to keep in mind the colors of the flowers. You may want to group flowers of similar colors together, or you may want to plant contrasting plants near each other.

Growing cut flowers in your flower garden isn't difficult, but it does take some thinking and planning, and of course a bit of work. But the end result will be worth it. You'll have a healthy, colorful flowerbed, and cut flowers for bouquets all summer long


By: Lisa Sousa

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How to Plan a Flower Garden

How will it feel if your neighbor comes to your house and tells you how wonderful your garden really is? Have you ever stopped your car in front of a house with a truly blossoming garden, just to admire its beauty? We, the garden lovers, plant flowers not to negate the greenhouse gas affect but for the joy of seeing our garden bloom, and visitors appreciate our hard work. Anyway, it is not an easy task. Flower gardens need planning and preparation. There are hundreds of books written on flower gardening to guide a potential gardener but a few simple steps can ensure that you understand the basics of a successful plantation.THE BASICSIn planning your flower garden, it is necessary to include a variety of different plants. This strategy will ensure that your garden remains colorful throughout the year. When it is off-season for one species of flower, it is bloom time for the other variety. If you plan your flower garden by including plants that blossom in different seasons, it will allow your garden to be lively and functional, year round. Just make sure, you only buy flowers that can acclimatize themselves to your region.TYPESBefore launching a flower gardening plan, understand the two main types of flowers. The first type is seasonal. It is called Annuals. These are the flowers that will bloom in a certain season i.e. spring and than stop flowering. The advantage of such flower is that they are available in a wide variety and easy to look after.

Another primary reason that you must include these types in your gardening plan is the charm and the sheer beauty of its colors. Mostly these types are cultivated to provide a border around the edges of your garden. These flowers are primarily used in decoration. You can plant them in balconies, baskets and containers.Your flower garden should be planned to include the most common variety. This type is known as Perennial. These flowers generally have a larger life span that can extend to several years. They also bloom in different times but they differ from annuals because they don't need re-planting. Perennial flowering plants come in much larger varieties. They can include large flowering trees, thick shrubs and tall flowering shoots. Perennial require constant maintenance but little planning. These plants can sustain your flower garden plans for years to come as the main requirement is their protection from sun and shade, depending on the individual variety.SPECIALITY FLOWERSApart from the two types, flower buds and rose gardens are also among the best choices to plan your flower garden. Flower buds are the plants that produce only a flower. These buds are dormant in the winter season. The best thing about the buds is that they are long lasting and does not cost much. You can buy different flowering buds in bulk to ensure that you get the most out of your money. These buds will form an integral part of your garden and are a highly reliable species that will present their grace for seasons to come.Last but not least is the king of all flowers, the Rose. It is so popular that many flowering enthusiasts only design a rose garden. Counter to the popular belief that rose gardens are difficult to cultivate, it is a fact that proper care and a little guidance from experts will help you look after these tender flowering plants. No garden is complete without a Rose; therefore you must understand its variety and include it in your flower garden plans.THE DESIGNOnce you understand the basic types of plants, it will be much easier to design a garden. Simply, you have to include a variety of plants that blossom in different season. When a season ends for one species, there should be another flower to take its place. A garden with a combination of perennials and annuals will provide the best results. Addition of rose and flowering buds adds to the charm. A perfect amateur flower garden plan is the one that constitutes a lot of variety and includes plants that are easy to cultivate.

By Katie Appleby

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How To Make Flower Arrangements Last

Everyone that receives flowers certainly receives a gift of love. For any occasion, flowers are always welcome, but if your flower arrangements come in a bunch then you have to rearrange them. Before you grab that container and fill it with flowers, there are a few things you should know to make them last as long as they possibly can.Starting with the vase, you have a certain few things to do before placing your flowers in it. Rinse out the vase with warm water, but also add a few drops of bleach to the water. This will clean the vase but will not hurt the flowers. Just make sure it is just a few drops. When you receive flowers, there is usually a package of plant food included but if you find there is not, a teaspoon of sugar will do just as well. Now you can start preparing your flowers.Remove any leaves that are sitting below the water line, but leave as many as you can above the water line. You will need this in the overall look of your flower arrangement. If your flowers are roses, try and leave the thorns. When you strip them off, in fact, what you are doing is injuring your flower and giving more opportunity for it to die. Cut about an inch of the bottom of the stem. This allows the water to flow to the plant freely.

You should try to do this while you have the flower submersed in water. If you cut it without the water, then the stem will draw in air, which stops the stems from drinking and will cause an early death.Each flower has it's own likes and dislikes, such as the Freesia. It doesn't take kindly to bleach, so in this case don't use it. Use distilled water instead. The tulip does much better with a penny in the bottom of the vase. With this the petals stay closed a little longer. Remember tulips can still keep growing long after they are cut - some as much as an inch a day.The main thing is to keep your flower arrangement for as long as you possibly can and they will keep you happy in return for every minute you have them.

By Ken Wilssens

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A Guide to Spring Flowers

The colors and scents of spring flowers are probably no more vibrant and intense than the flowers of summer or fall, but they certainly seem so. Perhaps this is because we have adapted to the dull, washed out, gray of winter.Whatever the reason, we seem to feel a sense of wonder and revitalization in response to that first rush of spring color and fragrance. The immense sensual pleasure that spring flowers provide us makes the small effort required well worth it.I encourage you to create your own fragrant, kaleidoscope of spring color. Toward that end, I have created this guide to spring flowers. It is intended to give the beginning gardener a place to start, with these five, traditional favorites.Plant these in fall to bloom in spring1. Crocus - These orange-gold or mid-tone purple plants bloom very early. Theyll even explode through the snow to show their faces on sunny days.Very easy to growPick the sunniest areas as they hide their heads during cloud coverPerennial2. Daffodil - They are easy to naturalize and quick to multiply. They love coming back year after year. These yellow and white flowers are most beautiful when planted in scattered patches on lawns and hillsides. They also do very well in containers.Very easy to growPrefers sun but will tolerate partial sunSuperb as a cut flowerPerennial

3. Grape Hyacinth - These grape like clusters come in purple or white and thrive in pots as well as traditional gardens. They are especially nice in window boxes. Plant these bulbs in your window boxes in fall and then come spring; open your window to enjoy their one of a kind, sweet perfume.Easy to growPrefers full sun to partial shadePerennial4. Hyacinth - These hardy blooms come in white, yellow, purple, blue and even pink. The flowers possess an appealing fragrance. The purple variety is especially amazing with its burst of orange-yellow in the center of one point, of each star shaped blossom.Easy to growSun or shadeTerrific cut flowerPerennial5. Tulip - Name a color, any color, even a non color like black or white, and Ill bet you there is a tulip that comes in that color. Tulips look great anywhere whether planted in traditional gardens or even in old buckets. How about planting them in a whiskey barrel half?Easy to growPrefers sun but will tolerate some shadePerennial with the right care, especially the Darwin Hybrid.When on that late wintry cold morning, you find yourself gazing at a sudden burst of gold and purple crocuses that are presenting their faces through the snow; I assure you that you will find yourself smiling. And you will be glad for that slight effort you put forth to welcome spring.Be sure to pick up a local guide to spring flowers at your neighborhood nursery or gardening center. It will help you further in planning and planting your own, unique spring garden.

By Candis Reade

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Wedding Flower Guide Why Wedding Flowers Are Important

When you book your wedding venue whether it be a church or registry office, garden flowers are usually purchased to be there at your wedding. These are may be one of the most expensive things for the wedding after the dress and the cake, believe it or not the marriage license isn’t that big a fee. Usually where you are getting married is covered in beautiful flowers to set the mood, although if you have it in a garden than the flowers are already there, so you don’t really need to worry about that, you just have to worry about the rain!Not only does the hall or church have to be decorated in flowers, usually the bride carries a bouquet and so do the bridesmaids and flower girls. The general tip is to get flowers that match the theme and colour of the dresses. If the theme is Christmas than red and green should be the colours that you are interested in, or if it is valentines day than red flowers. If you really want a stunning bouquets for the bride very light colours will accentuate her dress and her beauty taking very little attention of her but still giving her the elegant classy look.Often at the reception parents are given a bunch of flowers in a presentation such as a basket, or large bouquet for a large thank you for all the work that they have done with the wedding and a thank you for just being there for them when they needed them most. Other special players in the wedding usually receive gifts as well and all guests take home wedding favors.

Instead of purchasing floral arrangements, to make things cheaper and more personal you could always make your flower arrangements yourself. Your local library and book shop will have plenty flower arranging books so you are sure to find something somewhere that will help you to choose a good pattern of colours and styles to suit your wedding. Creating your own arrangement adds that unique touch to your wedding and saves you money at the same time.Wedding flowers are at a wedding to help present the venue in a light mood, flowers are there for decoration, but be warned if hay fever bothers you.... stay away!!! By: Melissa Burton

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Wedding Flower Guide - Checklist of Floral Arrangements You Will Need For Your Wedding

When planning your wedding, you will need to select many different floral arrangements for your ceremony, reception and some very important people. Remember that many florists charge a set up feet to deliver and set up your flowers. Make sure when you finalize your order that your florist knows where your locations are and what time the flowers need to be set up by.Here is a list of floral arrangements you will need to purchase for your wedding.Bridal Bouquet: The bridal bouquet is one of the most important elements to the bride's wardrobe, second only to the wedding dress. This should be given special attention because it will make a strong impact as you walk down the aisle and also during your wedding photographs. Traditionally, the bridal bouquet is carried low enough to reveal the details of the bridal gown. Consider bouquets which will compliment your gown and your stature. Carry a smaller bouquet if you are petite or if your gown is ornate. Carry a larger bouquet if your dress is simple, or if you are tall. The most popular styles are cascade, cluster, contemporary and hand tied bouquets. The most popular color for bridal bouquets is white; however, feel free to incorporate any of your favorite colors or your color scheme within your bouquet. If you select a delicate floral arrangement, make sure your florist uses a bouquet holder to keep them fresh - or your flowers may droop and wilt.

Tossing Bouquet: If you want to preserve your bridal bouquet, you may want to consider having your florist make up a smaller, less expensive bouquet just for tossing.Maid of Honor's Bouquet: The Maid of Honor's bouquet should be somewhat larger than the bridesmaid's bouquets. You can also add different flowers or colors to set her apart from the other bridesmaids.Bridesmaids' Bouquets: Generally, the bridesmaids' bouquets compliment their dresses and are smaller in size than the bridal or maid of honor's bouquets. The bridesmaids' bouquets are always identical.Flower Girl: Usually wear a hairpiece of flowers. These flowers can be real or artificial but should compliment the bouquets in the wedding party. A hat, tiara, ribbon or bows are an alternative. Flower girls can toss real or silk petals. Keep in mind fresh petals not only wilt quickly, but also can be slippery and can stain your wedding dress as you walk over them.Corsages: The groom is responsible for purchasing corsages for his mother, the bride's mother and grandmothers. The flowers do not have to be identical - they should coordinate with their dresses. Also check with the women if they want to wear them on their wrist or pinned to their dress or purse.Groom's Boutonniere: Boutonnieres are usually a single blossom. However, if your groomsmen are also wearing a single blossom, you may consider having a double blossom boutonniere for the groom to set him apart from the rest of the wedding party.Groomsmen and Boutonnieres for Other Members: The groom gives each man in his wedding party a boutonniere to wear on his left lapel. The ring bearer may or may not wear a boutonniere. The groom should also consider ordering boutonnieres for the fathers, grandfathers and brothers.Main Altar of Ceremony Location: The flowers at the ceremony site can be as elaborate or as simple as your wish. You may want to check with the ceremony location or with your florist for floral recommendations. Many ceremony locations (depending on the season) may already have altar flowers on the day of your wedding.Unity Candle or Candle lighting: You may choose to decorate your unity candle with a strand of flowers.Aisle Pews: Flowers, candles or ribbons are often used to mark the aisle pews and add color.Reception Site: Flowers add beauty, color and sometimes fragrance to your wedding reception. Again, these can be as elaborate or as simple as you like. Like all the other flowers in your wedding, reception flowers should match your color scheme and overall feeling of your wedding.Reception Head Table: The head table is where the wedding party will sit during the ceremony. The flowers should be in the same style of the guest tables, but should be bigger, and a bit more elaborate.Guest Tables: Floral centerpieces should coordinate with the table linens, wedding colors, size of the table and should be low enough (or tall enough) so that they do not hinder conversation between guests.Buffet Table and Bar Area: Some decorations should be added to these areas, especially if food is being served. If you rather not use flowers in these areas think, fruit displays, pineapples, bunches of berries, vegetables or herbs.Other reception areas you may want to consider having flowers around are: cocktail hour buffet tables, ice sculptures, guest book tables, escort card table, and bathrooms. By Erica Tevis

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Wedding Flower Guide

Flowers are an important part of making your wedding ceremony and reception beautiful. Hopefully this guide will make your choices in wedding flowers a little bit easier. The Shop When planning your wedding, you should take time and care in selecting a wedding florist. Choose several florists in the general vicinity of your ceremony and reception site. If the wedding florist is on the other side of town, they may charge more for delivery. Look in the yellow pages, on wedding websites and ask your friends and families for referrals before narrowing down your list to three or four options. Set up appointments to meet with each of the florists. Before the appointment time, you should decide the following about your wedding: Wedding colors (color of bridesmaids dresses, table linens and other decor) Number of attendants Total budget for flowers, including delivery charges When you meet with each florist give them an idea of what you are looking for, but also be open to suggestions. After all, they are the professionals! Bring tear outs from magazines to give the florists an idea of what you types and colors of flowers you are consider. Ask each florist to come up a quote that will meet all your needs. It may also be helpful to ask for a high-end quote if you want to trade out your standard flowers for more exotics, dye flowers to a specific color, or want anything else special. Once you've visited three or four shops and gathered the quotes, ask for a list of references from each.

Call previous brides to make sure there were no problems with customer service, delivery, or quality of the flowers. The Flowers A basic package of wedding flowers should include: Bridal bouquet Bridemaids' bouquets Corsages for mothers, grandmothers and other important women Boutonnieres for the groom, groomsmen, fathers, grandfathers and other important men Centerpieces for the receptionYou may also need a smaller bouquet for the "toss," flowers for the flower girl, and other floral decorations. Though you can find most flowers all year, it's best to choose seasonal blooms because they are more readily available, more durable and less expensive. Here is a general guideline of wedding flowers by season. Spring Apple blossoms Cherry blossoms Daffodils Hyacinth Iris Lilies Lilacs Pansies Peonies TulipsSummer Cala lilies Dahlia Daisies Geraniums Hydrangeas Iris Larkspur Queen Anne's lace Roses Sunflowers ZinniasFall Asters Chrysanthemums Gerbera daisies Marigolds Roses SunflowersWinter Camelias Forget-me-nots Jasmine Orchids PoinsettiasNow that you are armed with all the information, you can make an informed decision and choose the florist and the flowers that are right for you!By Melissa Ingram

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The Flower Guide For The Weekend Gardener

Everyone needs some form of flower guide to get the most out of their gardens, especially those who may not have time to garden every day. Flower gardening is all about stimulating the senses with a display of colors. So what should we plant, and when?The buzz in gardening seems to be about whether to plant annual or perennial flowers. Some of these flowers give us textures, shapes and heights, while others just go blooming crazy all season long. Here's a basic flower guide for these two kinds of flowers that will help you design a spectacular wash of color for your garden.Annual Flower Guide:Annuals do all of their growing in one season. The seeds germinate in the spring, the plants bloom and grow all season, and then they die. You will have to plant them each season, but the result is instant color. Also, if you make an error in your design about color or height, the wrong effect will only last a year.Annuals produce an endless array of colors and sizes, and most are easy to plant and grow. They can be used for cuttings, in mass plantings, for edging, in rock gardens, in mixed beds, in containers, and in hanging baskets.Indeed, most annuals are fabulous plants for the weekend gardener because they are so versatile and not too finicky. For all their glorious color, annuals are very inexpensive. You can start them indoors as seedlings, or buy bedding plants from your nursery or garden center. The majority of annuals bloom for most of the growing season.Here's a list of some

great annual flowers that are easy to grow, show off spectacular colors, and are worth every dig of a trowel to plant:Begonia - Grows 6 to 12 inches tall. Flowers are white, pink, red, rose and scarlet.Tricolor Chrysanthemum – Grows 2 to 3 feet. Flowers are white, yellow, gold, red, or maroon, with contrasting color bands on the base of the petals. (This chrysanthemum is different from the perennial chrysanthemum called the "garden mum".)Dahlia – Grows 1 to 6 feet. Flowers are every color except blue and green.Geranium – Grows up to 2 feet. Flowers are white, pink, scarlet, orangish-red, red, and salmon.Impatiens – Grows to 1? feet. Flowers are white, pink, rose, scarlet, violet, salmon, and orange.Marigold - Grows 6 inches to 4 feet. Flowers are yellow, gold, orange white, near red, and mahogany.Zinnia - Grows 6 to 36 inches. Flowers are all colors except blue.Perennial Flower Guide:Basically speaking, perennial flowers live more than one growing season, returning year after year. When perennials finish blooming, their foliage provides wonderful background texture, form, and color for your garden.Perennial flowers may only bloom for a short spell and at certain times of the growing season. This makes it more difficult to plant a garden limited only to perennials and still achieve the desired effect of constant color. For this reason, mixing perennials with annual flowers is the key to a fabulous garden of continual color.Let's look at some favorite perennial flowers that offer magnificent color and depth to any garden, and will grow just about anywhere:Butterfly Weed – Grows 1? to 3 feet. Flowers are bright orange (great for attracting butterflies!) with pretty pods covering the plant once the flowering ends. Blooms all summer.Chrysanthemum or "Garden Mum" - Grows 1 to 4 feet. Flowers are all colors but blue. Blooms in the fall.Daylily – Grows 1? to 3? feet. Flowers are all colors except blue and white. Blooms from late spring to fall.Felicia – Grows 1 to 2 feet; Flowers are blue-petalled with yellow centers. Blooms from early summer to fall.Hosta – Grows up to 3 feet. Flowers are white, lavender or pale violet, often with colorful foliage. Blooms from summer to early fall.Peony – Grows 2 to 4 feet; Flowers are white, pink, maroon or red. Blooms from late spring to early summer.Shasta Daisy - Grows 1 to 4 feet. Flowers have white petals usually with a yellow center. Blooms all summer.With a little experience and planning, you can create a flower garden that blooms from one end to the other, from spring through fall. Bring together a few of these annual and perennial flowers for a wonderful mixed garden.Learn as you go, make your own improvements… but most of all enjoy whatever time By: Robert Mosse

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A Guide to Flower Shops

Flowers have continued to be the best gift since ages. They have always been popular gifts for special and joyous occasions such as birthdays, weddings, and Christmas. People love to decorate their houses with beautifully arranged and freshly cut flowers. Flowers have this amazing quality of cheering up people and bringing a smile to their face. Generally, flowers are liked equally by people of all ages. Flowers are generally very expensive and rates vary according to a particular season. Though roses are the most favorite flowers, other flowers such as tulips and orchids are also very popular. There are several exclusive shops that sell only different types of flowers and flower arrangements. Flowers stands or kiosks are also frequently found at various places such as drug stores, airports, shopping malls, and large grocery shops.There are conventional flower shops that operate during regular business hours and provide all sorts of floral services to cater to all types of customers. Smaller flower shops are often referred to as studio flower shops that have a huge variety of flowers but provide limited services. Flower shops are practically found everywhere. They provide unique flower arrangements and a wide range of consulting services for occasions such as weddings and birthday parties. They decorate venues with exquisite flowers and may also pursue a particular color theme.

People can find out about the flower shops in their neighborhood through the Internet. Many flower shops place regular advertisements in magazines and newspapers. There are a number of online flower shops that offer all kinds of flowers and prompt delivery service. Customers can select a particular flower arrangement from online catalogs and place orders online. A lot of established flower shops also offer overseas flower delivery through their network and tie-ups.Generally, flower shops sell flowers at much higher rates on special occasions such as Christmas, New Year's day, Valentine's day and Mother's day.By Jimmy Sturo

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