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More flower garden tips

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Large groups of contrasting flowers or flower colours planted side by side can create a spectacular effect.

If you don’t have much space in your garden don’t over do it with a large number of plant species – fewer plants in multiple plantings often works out better.

Some plants with colourful flowers in spring or early summer can also produce tasty fruit later in the season. Consider planting Cherry, apple or crabapple trees.

To add height and dimension to your garden do consider planting climbing vines and flowering vines on trellis’, and arbors. We do this with several species of clematis, and honeysuckle.

when planting- particularly perennials, trees and shrubs – consider the mature size of the plant and follow the instructions as to how much space they will eventually need.

Curved flower beds or curved groups of plantings are much more visually appealing than straight rows or perfect circles.

mulching your garden with attractive wood chips will not only help hold moisture into your gardens soil, but it will help prevent weeds and other unwanted plants from growing in your flower beds. Also, mulch will eventually break down and add organic matter to the soil and enrich your flower bed in general.

Don’t water on windy days – the water you are using will evaporate faster.

Attract the good bugs to your garden like lady bugs, praying mantis, and the non-stinging Trichogramma wasp to your garden for natural pest control. They are the best aphid destroyers!






Tips for your lovely flower garden

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Here’s some tips that I’ve found on various sites that will help you create or tend to your flower gardens with ease:

When planning your flower garden, follow the rules of painting using complementary colors or shades of one colour to create a balanced looking garden.

Flower gardens, or any type of garden really, look much more attractive when plants -annuals, perennials, shrubs and grasses are planted in groups of odd numbers.

Regularly maintain your flower garden and other plants on your property by pruning or trimming shrubs to maintain good shape – even in the winter, and dead head your flowers which will not only make your garden more attractive but in many cases will promote the production of more blooms.

When planting flowers under trees make sure that the plants do well in shade, and since trees roots often cause the ground to be drier under a tree make sure the plants are drought tolerant as well.

You also want to avoid damaging the roots of shrubs or trees when digging near them to plant flowers or other plants. dig small separate holes for each new plant.

Try not to put new plants where they will damage existing structures- such as a heavy vine that you want to grow on a fence – but that will end up getting so heavy that it will eventually damage the fence.

Flower and other types of gardens should be planted in a way so that they drain away from your home. You don’t want extra water gathering under the ground and coming back to damage your foundation.

The use of drip irrigation systems in garden beds or in individual plant pots can save water and keep a plant evenly watered.

Water in the early morning, or in the late afternoon when it’s cooler and when the sun is not shinning directly on your plants to help conserve the water you are using and avoid quick evaporation.

Plant perennials and annuals in your garden that attract birds and other wildlife that will prey on insect pests in your garden.

Give your houseplants a summer vacation

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I know it’s almost winter here in North America but it’s going to be summer soon In Australia and New Zealand … plus there’s some great tips here ..

Summer is always a busy time for gardeners … we have to fertilize our plants, prepare garden beds, weed, mulch, buy more plants- well if you are me you do, and once the plants start to grow there could even be produce to pick.

We spend so much time focusing on our gardens throughout the summer that at times we might end up neglecting our house plants. I try to move a number of my houseplants outdoors in the summer time. They get an added boost of unfiltered sunlight, natural rain water and regular waterings when we are watering the rest of our gardens.

When the weather becomes warm and there is no more danger of frost you can bring your plants out and unless they are very tender leave them out all night long as well. Night time temps should be over 50 F in order to leave them out all night otherwise they will be damaged by the cold.

Our houseplants are not used to the bright bright light outdoors so at first they should be placed in lightly shaded spots. If they are true sun lovers you can move them to brighter areas once they have acclimated to the area you first put them in.

Remember that potted plants may topple in the wind so make sure they are in protected areas when finding a summer spot for them. You’ll also need to check that they don’t dry out- as being outdoors exposed to dry warm air and winds will make they dry out faster than they do indoors.

Watering can be simplified by sinking the pots directly into the soil in flower borders or into a larger container filled with moist peat moss. Less water will be lost than from free-standing individual pots, and the plants will draw some moisture from the surrounding media.

Continue fertilizing house plants that are summering outside as you would for indoor plants. The high light levels will allow rapid growth if nutrient and water needs are met. If any of the plants are approaching a stage where repotting is in order, perform this task before the summer so recovery will occur while the plant is growing rapidly.

Watch for insect damage and treat as you would indoors if any occurs. Placing some window screening in the bottom of the pots will prevent pests such as sowbugs from entering the pot. At the end of the summer, soak the plants in water for fifteen minutes to drown or drive out any insects that have taken up residence.

Return the plants to the house by repeating the process of acclimatization in reverse. Move the plants to progressively shadier spots so they can get used to lower light levels before coming indoors. Be sure to complete the return trip before nights become cool.

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