May
05
Posted under
Flower bulb care
With fall just around the corner and the gardening season winding down, it’s hard to think about planting. But that’s exactly what you should do if you want to see some bright blooms early next spring. Tulips, daffodils, crocuses and other spring flowers start with bulbs planted in the fall.
What’s nice about these early spring flowers is that they are usually done blooming before perennials and other plants take over the flower bed. Keeping that in mind, take a walk around your yard and look at areas where you want to add some early color to your landscape in the spring. Garden catalogs with pictures of different types of bulbs can help you select the type and color of flowers you want in your yard.
Consider different heights and colors of plants and how they might look next to each other. A row of lavender tulips, for example, can provide the perfect backdrop for a row of shorter pink hyacinths. You may want to sketch out your plan on some paper to indicate where you would like to have spring flowers in your yard. This will also give you an idea of how many bulbs you will need to purchase.
If you are as comfortable around a computer as you are the garden, you can try landscaping software. Some programs let you plug in a picture of your home and simulate various plantings. While it might be a bit of overkill if you only want a spring flower plan, it can give you a more holistic approach to your landscaping. You can map out a strategy of what to plant so you will have blooms all summer long, not just in the spring.
You can also take the low-tech, no planning approach of a spring surprise. Try randomly planting different bulbs in flower beds and other areas of your yard. Consider planting some in areas of your lawn that are fairly protected like under trees or near your home. If the grass starts growing, you can always mow around the plants until they are done blooming. After a long winter, it’s a pleasant surprise to see colorful blooms popping out of the ground from bulbs you forgot about.
Most spring bulbs appear on shelves in September and October. If you are a bargain hunter and willing to take a little risk, watch for clearance sales on bulbs late in the fall at garden shops. I have planted these clearance bulbs late in the season with a decent success rate of blooms the following spring. Be sure to plant before the ground freezes.
While you are at the garden shop, be sure to buy a bulb-planting tool to simplify your work. Most spring bulbs should be planted at a depth of four inches or more, depending on the type of flower. Be sure to follow the instructions on the package and check how much space you should have between each bulb.
Once your bulbs are in the ground, you may need to protect your investment from deer, chipmunks and other garden invaders. A publication from University of Vermont Extension by Dr. Leonard Perry suggests placing fine mesh over your plantings to help prevent rodents and other animals from digging up your bulbs. After your flowers bloom, the same publication recommends leaving the leaves on the plants until they turn yellow to ensure the bulbs get enough nutrients for the next season.
With some advance planting and a little luck, your work in the fall will be rewarded the following spring. The bright blooms will help you forget about winter and get you motivated for another season of gardening.
Jan
23
Posted under
Flower bulb care
The only way to keep up with the latest about Caring For Your Plant Bulbs is to constantly stay on the lookout for new information. If you read everything you find about Caring For Your Bulbs, it won’t take long for you to become an influential authority.
How can you put a limit on learning more? The next section may contain that one little bit of wisdom that changes everything.
Bulbs are generally among the easiest of all plants to care for, and this hardiness makes bulbs one of the most popular among all kinds of gardeners. Even though bulbs are easy to care for, however, it is still important to care for them properly to ensure you will have a garden full of dahlias, lilies, daffodils, tulips and other bulbs.
One great thing about bulbs is the colors they come in. Bulb plants come in a wide variety of colors, and a flower bed full of bulbs can be one of the most colorful parts of any garden.
As with any type of plant, it is important that your bed full of bulbs receive plenty of water, plenty of sunlight, proper fertilization and a good quality soil. Providing these basic elements is the best way to get your bulbs off to the best start.
When it comes to watering bulbs, it is important to remember that all bulbs need regular watering during their growth and blooming period. For most bulbs, the active growth period begins shortly after they go into the ground, and it continues until the foliage on the plant has died back. The die back generally occurs after the flowering has stopped, or in the autumn of the year.
If there is not enough rainfall available, the gardener should be sure to supplement the water with deep watering, deep enough to reach the root zone, as the roots will be growing underneath the bulb. In addition, providing a good layer of mulch will assist the roots in retaining their all important moisture content. It is important to note here, however, that the bearded iris should never be mulched, since mulching it will cause it to rot.
Proper fertilization is also very important to successfully growing bulbs. The fertilizer should be applied at the time the bulb is planted, in the bottom of the hole, and covered with a thin layer of soil. The bulb should never be placed directly on top of the fertilizer. In addition, the bulbs should be fed with a high nitrogen content fertilizer at the start of the growing season. Providing this extra feeding will help the bulbs to produce more attractive flowers.
After the bulbs have completed their blooming cycle, they will have used up a great deal of their nutrient content. For the bulb to do well the following season it is important for those nutrients to be replenished. There are two steps gardeners should take to ensure that their bulbs will bloom well the next year.
The first step is to be certain that the foliage is left on the plant, even if the foliage looks poor, until the foliage has yellowed and pulls off easily. That is because the leaves will continue to make food for the plant as long as they are green, and this food will help the plant bloom better the next year.
The second step is to provide a good quality fertilizer right after the flowers have begun to fade away. It is important to fertilize with a bulb food which is high in phosphorus and potassium, as this will help the plant thrive the next year.
In order to be their most effective, the phosphorus and potassium in the bulb food must be able to reach the root zone, and for this reason the fertilizer should be placed as close as possible to the roots. For a planting that has already been established, the fertilizer should be stretched slightly into the soil to help it move deeper, and the feeding should be followed by a deep watering.
There’s a lot to understand about Caring For Your Bulbs. We were able to provide you with some of the facts above, but there is still plenty more to write about in subsequent articles.
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Oct
04
Posted under
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.
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Jun
10
Posted under
Flower bulb care
It will take some good old fashioned work to properly clean out and prepare your flower beds for a new season, but it will be well worth it and will go a long way toward ensuring next years crop of flowers will be healthy and vibrant.
In order for your flower bulbs and seeds to have the best growing medium possible there are a few important steps to take that will enhance the quality of your soil.
Start out by removing all the leaves, weeds, and debris that have accumulated over the course of the Fall and Winter. Also, be sure to remove any animal droppings if your pets have been using your flower beds for their own personal bathroom. Be sure to soak the beds to remove any animal urine. This whole process might take a few days, but it’s well worth the effort.
When you mow your grass, save all the clippings. They will be instrumental in keeping your flower beds healthy and free of weeds. Once you have taken steps to clean all the debris from your flower beds, add the grass clippings and spread them evenly over the top of the beds. Don’t wait too long to do this as the weeds might start popping up again. Some people feel that using grass clippings might actually encourage grass and weeds to grow in their flower beds, but that’s not the case.
Once you have spread the clippings out evenly, add some compost and fertilizer high in nitrogen and spread it on top of your grass clippings. Find some red worms(usually bait shops or fishing supply stores have them)and put them on top of your layers of cuttings, compost, and fertilizer. Soak the beds until the worms have disappeared below the surface.
You will accomplish several things by using this method.
First of all, the grass clippings will smother the weeds and stop them from returning. The worms will get busy and will loosen the soil as they work their way through it. In the process they will add their “castings” and the nutrients that result will do wonders for your flower bed.
After a week or two, work the soil until the clippings, compost, and fertilizer are well mixed. You should end up with a nice loose composition of all three. Be sure to coax any worms you turn up back into the soil. Be sure to keep the flower bed moist until you are ready to plant. You can keep working in grass clippings until you are actually ready to plant.
Flower bulbs love nice loose, damp, rich soil that will result from all your hard work. It might take a bit of time to prepare your flower beds properly, but the effort will be well worth it later in the Summer.
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Jan
29
Posted under
Flower bulb care
Have you ever wondered if what you know about flowers that bloom in the fall is accurate? Consider the following paragraphs and compare what you know to the latest info on flowers that bloom in the fall.
To many people, fall is the time of year when the gardening season is drawing to a close, and it is time to close the flower bed and prepare for winter. Even though most gardeners are ready to hang up their garden tools and get ready for the next season, gardeners can continue to enjoy the beauty of the fall season, since there are a number of beautiful flowers blooming all through the autumn of the year.
There are many fall bulbs available to the average gardener, and it is important to choose the right ones. When initially planting the bulbs, it is important to take care to choose the best location within the garden. It is important to choose a location where the delicate fall bulbs will not be overshadowed by larger plants or hidden in with the surrounding ground cover.
One advantage of fall bulbs, however, is that they are hardy. After they have been in the ground a few years, these bulbs will be able to take their rightful place and thrive in any garden setting.
One of the most frequently seen of all fall bulbs is the hardy cyclamens (Cyclamen Hederifolium). These bulbs are able to come back year after year, and they have been known to last for a decade or even more. In addition, the hardy cyclamen produces breathtaking blooms, and it is generally a very undemanding plant.
Other than a good quality soil, sufficient water and ample sunlight, the cyclamen needs little in order to bloom year after year. Each small cyclamen bloom has a soft pink petal that is complimented by an eye of darker pink. These small blooms are tiny version of the larger cyclamen that is often seen at Christmastime. In the home garden, the hardy cyclamen often blooms into November.
Most of this information comes straight from the flower and gardening pros. Careful reading to the end virtually guarantees that you’ll know what they know.
READ ON! ENJOY
Another popular autumn flower is the colchicum. These flowers usually bloom in the middle of September, and they are similar in appearance to crocuses but generally much larger. Most colchicums seen in the garden are hybrids of either C. Autumnale or C. Speciosum. There are some subtle differences between these two common varieties, and their blossoms come in shades of rose and violet. The sizes of colchicums vary from 10 to 12 inches. While these flowers can be used in many settings, they are a particularly beautiful way to accent a rock garden.
Autumn daffodils are another popular fall flower, and they can provide a beautiful touch of color for the garden. It is important to plant fall daffodils in a well drained flower bed and to provide them with plenty of sunlight. It is also important to avoid planting autumn daffodils in areas where moisture pools, as excessive moisture could damage the bulbs. Autumn daffodils often bloom at the same time as the colchicum, and the two can provide a striking color palette.
This article’s coverage of the information is as complete as it can be today. But you should always leave open the possibility that future research could uncover new facts.
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Jan
27
Posted under
Planting flower bulbs 
Spring is the most fun time to indulge your children by spoiling them with an over abundance of your time. My three boys range in age from 10 to 15. Every year when spring break at school finally rolls around most parents are trying desperately to find the perfect vacation destination and it may be as close as their front yard. My boys and I have a tradition of time spent with each other. The first day of spring break we go shopping for plants, flowers, bulbs and yard decorations. We decide together what will look great in the flower gardens this season.This year we decided to make a bird house and add to our already existing flower beds. I know it sounds like something out of a parenting hand book but it truly does work. My oldest son actually took it upon himself this year to draw the design for the flower bed addition. And he drew it four months ago. Even the neighborhood kids came over to get involved. My husband made a great three story bird house for us and we painted it together as a family. We took advantage of my thirteen year olds newly acquired knowledge of power tools to cut and put together landscaping timbers for the flower garden addition and we all got our hands dirty planting all of our new plants. The beautiful hand made bird house was the final touch. So by the end of the week we had added to the appearance of our home but the reward was truly the time we spent together. Its the Brady bunch for 2007! All joking aside- parents are so wrapped up in work and life to really enjoy the company of their children that they feel they must buy back time with expensive vacations and gifts. But at the end of the day if you ask your children what they really want and you allow them true speak honestly, their answers may surprise you.
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