The Essentials of Flower Gardening
March 12, 2008 by The Gardener
Filed under Gardening, Landscaping
The planting of flowers around your house and in your yard can make for a very colorful and beautiful display which enhances any dwelling. It isn’t simply about purchasing flowers and then putting them into the ground. It’s about having the right gardening plan and planting and paying the necessary attention to your flowers while you care for them. By doing this you will achieve some lovely landscaping without necessarily having to take ever spare moment that is available to you. However you should note that it will probably take you some amount of time.
Before you decide on the kind of flowers to plant, you have to decide on how long you want your plants and flowers to last. Annuals tend to bloom for the season and then die. Perennials bloom for a month or two but return year after year. They tend to cost more but they save you more in the long run. You must do some research and determine which environment your flowers grow in. You also need to know which flowers will withstand the weather conditions of your own climate.
After this you will need to examine the areas where you want to plant. Take some time and study the shade and sun that they receive; this will also determine which plants that you have to put where. Plants that need shade shouldn’t be put directly into the sunlight and plants that need lots of sunlight shouldn’t be placed in the shade. Slowly you see a garden design coming into place.
Your flower garden design should have you mixing different colored flowers. You should maintain certain colors in some sections or stick to one color. You should plant according to the bloom time of your flowers as well. Make sure that each bed has flowers that appear when others are fading, this helps to provide a scene that is continuously changing.
Now that your design is complete, its time to start the buying, seeds can either be bought from catalogs or bought in stores. These can also be planted directly into the ground of started in a pot in the house before transplanting. Before you start the planting it is important that you lay them out and ensure proper spacing between the plants in an arrangement that you like. You should then proceed with your master piece by planting.
As the season proceeds you should ensure that your flowers are watered thoroughly and that the soil remains moist. You should also make sure that faded blossoms are pinched back in order to encourage new growths. Also remember to get rid of any nasty weeds that show up to spoil the look. When the season is over after the first frost make sure that all the annual stems and roots and out. For perennials leave the roots but remove the stems. The soil should be cleaned up and mixed with some peat moss or compost in it. That way you replenish the nutrients that are being used by your flowerbed and they will be in perfect shape for the next year.
Darren Williger is an over-caffeinated, low carbohydrate eating, winemaking enthusiast who writes for PlantWebsite.com, MiniGarden.com, and ContainerGardening.Net.
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