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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