Selecting Plants for Drying

When selecting flowers and foliage to dry, make sure you choose plants with no petal or leaf damage, as the damage will become more apparent when dried. Most flowers should be picked at the peak of their bloom, but flowers to be air dried will continue to open as they dry, so buds that are not fully opened should be chosen for this drying method. To prevent mold, always be sure to pick flowers that are dry - never pick flowers with dewy petals or just after a rain shower.

Methods for Drying Flowers.

Pressing
Pressed flowers can serve as a wonderful reminder of a summer afternoon when displayed in frames or simply kept as mementos. The traditional method for pressing flowers is to place the flower between the pages of a book, but any clean, absorbent, porous material (like cardboard) will do. Once you have sandwiched the flowers in your chosen material, weight the top and store it in a warm dry place until dry. This drying method works well for flat flowers with small stems, like Pansies and Violets.

Air Drying
For larger plants with more substantial stems like Strawflower, Globe Amaranth, Cockscomb, Larkspur, and Yarrow, air drying can be the best drying method. To air dry, bind small groups of flowers, with foliage removed, and hang them upside down in a warm, dry, dark place. The less exposure to light, the more colorful your final result will be. Binding the stems with elastic is best, because stems will shrink during the drying process. It usually takes between two and three weeks for flowers to completely air dry.

Desiccants
Desiccants, or drying agents, can be used to dry flowers that do not hold their shape well when air dried, like Bachelor's Button, Crocus, Daffodil, Iris, and Salvia. Some common desiccants are silica gel, borax mixed with cornmeal, and borax mixed with sand. To dry flowers with a desiccant, place about one inch of the desiccant into the bottom of a container large enough to hold your flowers. Use airtight containers with silica gel and well-ventilated containers (like an uncovered cardboard box) with other desiccants. Trim or wire the stem of the flower and place the flower into the container, then slowly and carefully add more desiccant material to the container until the flower is covered. Be sure not the crush the flower with the desiccant. Most flowers will take between two and three days to dry.

You can also use a microwave oven to dry flowers buried in desiccant material. This works best with silica gel, but borax mixtures will also work. Use the defrost setting of your microwave oven (between 200 and 300 watts). It takes most flowers about two and a half minutes to dry in the microwave, but it may take some trial and error to get it right. Microwave drying does not work well for flowers with thick petals.

Drying Foliage

Glycerin is the best substance for preserving foliage. Glycerinized foliage is soft, pliable, and can be used over and over. To glycerinize, smash the ends of your chosen foliage and submerge completely in a mixture of one part glycerin and two parts water. The foliage will absorb the glycerin, so you will need to keep adding solution over the two to three weeks it will take to complete the process. You will know the foliage is fully preserved when it has completely changed color (usually to a honey brown).

Whether you display them in frames, vases, or wreaths, your [dried flowers]and foliage will be lovely reminders of your summer garden that you can keep throughout your home all year long.

Tags: Perennial Flowers

Blue Oat Grass

Without a doubt, Blue Oat Grass is one of the most popular ornamental grasses for fall landscapes. The large, densely blue colored foliage is attractive year round, but also provides beautiful flowers from June to August. While Blue Oat Grass does well in most mild to moderate climate zones, it is also fairly drought tolerant, only needing water every 1-2 weeks. For these mild to moderate climate zones, Blue Oat Grass can also make a great winter landscape choice as well.

Fountain Grass

Another large ornamental grass, Fountain Grass is another favorite choice of gardeners who prefer ornamental grasses for fall landscapes. Fountain Grass produces beautiful green foliage through the year, but the grass turns a golden yellow in the fall, adding to your fall landscape. This large [ornamental grass]can reach anywhere from 1 to 3 feet at full maturity. Keep in mind that this is an excellent summer landscape choice as it also offers beautiful white to purple flowers that will last until early winter.

Big Bluestem

A beautiful, tall prairie-like ornamental grass, the Big Bluestem can reach up to 8 feet in height, so be very careful where this ornamental grass is planted. The Big Bluestem truly is one of the perfect ornamental grasses for fall landscapes as the flowers wait until late summer or early fall to bloom and the fall foliage is also a vibrant orange color. Throughout the rest of the year, the foliage remains a bluish-green. While it does not have much presence throughout the winter months, it will begin to grow in April and become beautiful again by the early summer months.

Feather Reed Grass
A wonderful, medium sized plant, growing 3 to 5 feet at total maturity, Feather Reed Grass is another favorite among ornamental grasses for fall landscapes. This is also a favorite year round plant that grows well in almost any climate zone, although it may grow smaller in extremely warm climate zones. Flowers will occur in the mid summer months, a white to red color and will change to a beige color in the fall and into the winter months. Keep in mind that the wonderful temperament of this plant means that it can withstand excessive watering, sun or even lots of shade.

Tags: Ornamental Grasses

Gardening in Drought-Prone Areas
If you live in an area that is already experiencing a drought, or one that goes through summer droughts frequently, one of the best solutions for you might be to choose plants from the start that don’t require much water to thrive. Alyssum, Hollyhock, Marigold, Petunia, Phlox, Sage, Sunflower, and Zinnia are known to do well in low-water climates. A great tip is to choose plants that grow naturally in your area – these plants have grown used to the amount of water your climate naturally produces.

It is important for plants to have deep roots, especially in drought conditions. To grow deep roots it is recommended that plants get about 1 inch of water per week, preferably in one soaking rain (or watering). It takes about 90 minutes of solid watering with a sprinkler to get 1 inch of water. Do not give your garden short, frequent watering throughout the week because that will cause shallow roots that are much more vulnerable in a drought. Using a soaker hose instead of a sprinkler to water your garden is a good way to get most of the water directly to the plant’s roots where it is needed most.

Use a rain gauge to monitor the amount of water that your plants are getting; don’t try to guess. Early morning is the best time to water your plants because the soil is at its coolest and most absorbent. Using 3 inches or more of mulch around your plants will help keep the soil cool and trap the moisture next to the ground so your plants have a chance to use it before it evaporates.

Withstanding an Unexpected Drought

If drought conditions catch you off guard there are still ways to combat the lack of rainfall. Try to remove all of your garden’s water competition – this includes pulling weeds and even replacing the grass near your garden with mulch. Grass and weeds use water more efficiently than most garden plants, and if there is a competition for scarce water, your garden will lose.

It is also important to reduce the amount of fertilizer you put on your plants in a drought. Fertilizer will cause your plants to expend their energy producing new growth when the energy of plants in a drought-plagued garden needs to be spent gathering and saving moisture. Watch your plants for signs that they have been damaged by drought, like scorched foliage or severe wilting. If you see these signs it is a good idea to cut back the foliage of your plants by up to one half to reduce their need for water.

If your area is under a water restriction there are still ways to water your garden. Put water collectors under your downspouts – most areas will get some rain even in a [drought]. You can also collect water from your indoor faucets by catching the water you run while waiting for it to reach the right temperature or while you wet your toothbrush. To get the most from this salvaged water, take clean, empty milk jugs and poke holes in them with a pin. Fill these with your salvaged water and set them by the roots of the plants in your garden. The water will leak out slowly, optimizing the little water you have.

A drought doesn’t have to mean the end of your garden. With creativity and a little extra work you should be able to nurse your garden through the hard times and keep it looking as beautiful as always.

Tags: Perennial Flowers

In order to qualify as an "easy care" plant, the plant must be one that grows well in the environment you are able to easily offer. This means that a garden which will be in deep shade must utilize only shade-loving plants while plantings in direct sunlight must be able to withstand the intense sunshine and associated heat. Of course, most gardens offer areas of sun, partial shade, and possible some deeper shade, allowing you to choose from a wide spectrum of plants; however, even if this is not the case in your garden, you can still have a great garden that will be the envy of your friends and neighbors. You can avoid the time, effort and expense associated with frequent supplemental watering, by selecting plants which thrive in the local environment rather than specimens which demand only conditions you must artificially provide.

To make your easy care garden be truly impressive, you'll want to determine what areas of the garden will have the most impact and which will have the least impact. The high impact areas are those which are visible from the street, in landscape areas closest to outdoor seating areas and those areas viewed from your home's windows. Your garden may have other high impact areas, but using the guideline of "what is seen most frequently", you can easily identify which areas should be highlighted. The remaining garden area can be considered lower impact.

Let's look at some easy care plants which fit great in each of the high impact areas.

Street-Visible Areas

For street-visible areas, choose plants which create a defined border or specimens placed in groupings. Pampas grass offers feathery pale plumes towering over tall groups of thin, hardy leaves is impressive yet very easy care. Colorful, hardy crotons are foliage plants used to create shrubs and require almost no pruning; they become even more colorful when exposed to full sun. Well-shaped, low-growing evergreen shrubs make great plantings for bordering the street, driveway, porch, front steps, or under front windows. Add impact to trees by planting shade-loving groundcover around the base. Ivy, wild ginger, creeping buttercup or bunchberry, as well as ferns work well for this purpose and help keep weeds from becoming established under your trees; you'll also rarely have to edge around the tree trunk once these plants are established.

Outdoor Seating Areas

You'll want to enjoy your garden from your patio, deck, back porch or other areas where friends and family gather to enjoy the outdoors. Here, you may want to focus on adding color and flowers when choosing easy care plants for your garden. Visible fences can become high impact beauties when flowering climbing vines such as clematis or mandeville are added. Cypress vine can be planted along fences and you'll have plenty of hummingbirds come to visit and dine. If you do not like the idea of climbing vines, then consider creating a border of Ajuna "Caitlin's Giant" with its lush burgundy leaves and eight inch tall blue flower spikes.

Around the outdoor seating, flowering shrubs prove to be easy care choices yet offer color and focus. Spanish bluebells love shade while freesias love sunlight. Crotons provide colorful impact anywhere full sun is available. When shopping for plants for high impact areas, be sure to read the instruction spike inserts in the pot or ask the expert at your garden center for the exact requirements for that species.

Petunias make lovely blooming plants that area truly easy care and offer lots of color. "Supertunia Vista Bubblegum", a heat-hardy yet cold-tolerant hybrid pink variety, works great in containers or ground plantings, growing to heights of 20 inches and creating an easy care choice which requires no deadheading or pruning.

Hydrangeas are great choices for high impact areas viewed from windows. Available in periwinkle blue or pink, the large bunches of small blooms area truly impressive. With only a single fall pruning and spring fertilization, these shrubs will thrive in almost any condition. You can purchase varieties which grow to large heights or dwarf varieties which remain les than three feet tall.

Geraniums, marigolds, zinnias, four o'clocks, touch-me-nots, bachelor buttons, gerber daisies, and an endless variety of other beautiful flowering plants for garden areas near your outdoor family spots provide lots of variety. Hanging baskets of ivy, asparagus fern, and succulents also provide focus for high impact spots near seating.

Window-Viewed Areas: Garden areas which can be seen from windows which are located in areas that are frequently used, such as the living room, family room, kitchen, or dining area, also need to be high impact yet easy care. Choose from the easy care flowers and flowering shrubs for these areas. The taller flowering shrubs can be placed toward the back of these garden areas with shorter flowers planted in front. Then you can enjoy the easy care plants for your garden from indoors as well as outdoor.

 

Tags: Perennial Flowers

Topiary is, by definition, simply locating or trimming plants in such a way that a specific shape is suggested. You may think of these creations as traditional ivy growing over a wire frame or carefully trimmed shrubs. Why limit topiaries to these restrictions when you can explore all sorts of unique ideas?

First, we need to understand what succulents and sedums require to thrive. They are so easy to care for; even a person who says they have a brown thumb can enjoy success with these species of hardy plants. Burrows tail, stone plant, giant rose, pork and beans plant, string of pearls are only a few of the common names of sedums and succulents that you may recognize.

Sedums are also known as stonecrops, in part because they are often found in the wild growing in outcroppings of stone or rock where little soil is available or growing in a niche in a cliff or rock wall where a bit of soil as collected. By their very name suggests, they are perfect for rock gardens.

Both sedums and succulents share the ability to store moisture in their leaves and stems. This gives their leaves the fleshy appearance. Many species are structured in a fountain or circular growth pattern to trap trace moisture during droughts.

While succulents and sedums include huge plants and small and some have attractive blooms, a topiary project should focus on the smaller, delicate species of sedums and succulents. Beautiful plantings in creative containers can be designed using the wide range to textures, leaf shapes, and colors found in these easy-to-grow plants

The Key To Sucess .

The key to success in designing a gorgeous topiary design with succulents and sedums is the container selected. Frequently, these [plants] are grouped into desert-like miniature landscapes in large, round, terra cotta pot saucers. If you think outside the box a bit, you have many other options.

One idea for a unique topiary project of sedums and succulents is to choose a basket with a handle. Place some sphagnum moss in the bottom and on the inner sides of the basket. Add cactus potting mix and place your collection of plants into the basket.

Take this idea one step further and cover the exterior of a rough-edged vine basket by attaching the moss with florists pins strategically placed. You’ll want a thick covering of moss to create this type of topiary. Tuck pockets of cactus potting mix into pockets formed in the sphagnum moss and place your selected sedums and succulents into these pockets. Add more moss as needed and additional florist pins.

You’ll become the envy of all your friends when they see your unique topiary ideas. Unlike topiary specimens that require continual trimming, topiary projects like the basket above require very little maintenance except watering once or twice per week and fertilizer annually.

You can create bold tapestries in larger pots by mixing various sedums and succulents whose leaf sizes and colors provide pleasing contrasts. Simple combinations are often the most effective.
For a finished look, choose a pot that echoes the succulents' colors. A pink or yellow pot, for example, provides a softly elegant setting for an aeonium with green-and-cream striped leaves edged in rose (such as A. decorum 'Sunburst'). White-glazed pots add a light, summery look to white-variegated agaves, such as striped A. americana 'Striata', which stays much smaller than its pot-breaking cousins; A. parviflora, which has curly white threads; or short-leafed A. victoriae-reginae. Set potted succulents in entryways and sitting areas where their tidy geometry can be enjoyed up close.
Caring for succulents
Certain stonecrops and sempervivums tolerate bitter cold, but most succulents need frost protection. In cold climates, grow them in pots and move them to a greenhouse or other protected spot during winter. Full sun is fine for most agaves and aloes, but aeoniums and echeverias prefer partial shade, especially in hot inland areas.
If temperatures in your area seldom dip below 30° or exceed 100°, you can grow succulents effortlessly on a bright patio or in dappled sun, in soil that drains well. Indoors, set them near a sunny window and provide good air circulation.
Once established, succulents seldom need pruning or thinning. Fertilize them lightly in spring, clip spent blooms, and give them just enough water to keep their leaves plump.

Tags: Ground Covers

What are HeirLoom Tomatoes?

The question of an exact definition of heirloom tomatoes is a controversial subject. One train of thought is that the definition should be based on the age of the cultivars. For example, these people define heirloom tomatoes as a line that is over 100 years old, or 50 years old, while others say that any tomato line which began by 1945, the end of World War II qualifies as an heirloom tomato.

Others define heirloom tomatoes as a cultivar that has been nurtured, carefully chosen, and handed down from family member to family member for generations. Still others define these tomatoes as cultivars introduced generations ago which have such great qualities that the line has been saved and maintained over the years.

No matter which definition of heirloom tomatoes you agree with, the common point is that their heirlooms must be open-pollinated and not hybridized in any way. No genetically modified specimens can qualify as heirloom tomatoes.

Pricing of HeirLoom Tomatoes

When you shop for heirloom tomatoes, you will notice that the price of these specimens is greater than for hybrid of non [heirloom tomatoes] . Why is this true? Well, the heirloom tomatoes where selected for handing down from generation to generation for specific qualities.

Tenderness and taste are major reasons for continuing a line of tomatoes. Some of the specimens can grow to huge sizes and others produce unique colors and shapes. The main driver for growing the pure-bred heirloom produce is flavor. Nothing is quite like a perfect, beautiful heirloom tomato served sliced with a tiny bit of salt as an accompaniment to fresh vegetables.

These attributes mean that the prices are higher than for modern tomatoes. After all, these heirloom fruits are “antiques” and, whether you buy furniture, cars, clothing, or anything else that is an antique, you will pay more than you would for a modern version. However, those who grow these tomatoes attest that the additional investment is well worth the price.

Attributes of HeirLoom Tomatoes - Unique, Colorful, and Shapely

We think of tomatoes as green fruits which turn red when ripe. With heirloom tomatoes, this is not always the case. Heirloom specimens of various varieties ripen to purple, green, pink, gold, orange, striped, even white. Huge old-fashioned beefsteaks that are large enough to stuff are an example, and some heirlooms are even shaped like an accordion.

HeirLoom Tomatoes Varieties

Examples of some of the available heir-loom tomatoes include:

Aunt Ruby’s German Green: Ripes to a bright green and is very flavorful and large — up to one pound..

Brandywine: An Amish heirloom from 1995 which produces large fruit, up to 1.5 pounds, and has a wonderful flavor. It ripens to shades from pink to blackish purple.
Cherokee Purple: This tomato from the 1890s ripens to a flavorful, large fruit which is deep pink-purple.

Galinas: This heirloom hails from Siberia and produces small, golden yellow tomatoes which are sweet yet tangy.

English Rose: Dated from pre-World War II, this tomato has been passed down through a single family. It is noted for a large size and pink fruit and has leaves shaped like potato leaves.

Break-O-Day: This heir-loom dates from 1931 and provides red fruit that is great for canning. The fruit are uniform in shape and have rich red color. The flavor is considered tangy.

Marmande: This ribbed red tomato comes from France and is richly flavored. The tomatoes are medium to large size and the plants produce well even in cooler climates.
Old German: The Mennonites developed this exquisitely flavored tomato with large, yellow-skinned fruits streaked with red. There may be marbling of red both on the skin and inside the tomato.

Orange Banana: This heirloom is great for making paste, drying or canning. It is orange and sweet when ripened properly. They also taste great fresh when included in a meal as a side dish.

Pink Accordion: This tomato is mild in flavor and heavily ribbed, reminding one of an accordion. They are semi-hollow inside, making great choices for stuffing. The ribbed shape also makes an impressive display on a place when simply sliced for serving.

Principe Borghese: This heirloom hails from Italy and has fruits shaped like grapes with few seeds. The flavor is relished but the fruit is small — only one or two ounces.
Plum Lemon: Hailing from Moscow, these heirlooms are canary yellow when ripe and measure about three inches in length, looking very much like a lemon. They are sweet in taste.

Thai Pink Egg: This heir-loom tomato from Thailand produces crisp, sweet, pink tomatoes which are full of flavor and uniform in color. Each tomato may be only one ounce and is shaped like a grape.

Tigerella Orange: These red-orange tomatoes are small to medium in size and have a tangy flavor. They are prized due to their productive vines and disease resistance. This is a great choice for slicing and eating along with vegetables.

White Currant: This wild-type heirloom produces clusters of cherry tomatoes that ripen to a creamy color with a slight yellow tint to the skin. They are very sweet and much loved by fans of heirloom tomatoes.

Preserving the HeirLoom Tomato Lines

When you grow heirloom tomatoes, it is important to keep the line pure and preserved for future generations. To do this, simply prevent cross-pollination with other tomatoes by growing other tomatoes in another area of the garden or in a different part of the property (i.e. grow one type in the front garden and the other in the back garden). Save some seed from the heirloom specimens to plant again the next year. Do this each year, and your initial investment, even though it is more than buying hybrid tomatoes, will pay off for you in flavor, beauty, and enjoyment of growing something that has been around for generations.

Tags: Vegetable Garden

First, let’s look at the elements which make up a beautiful, lush garden, whether in a flower bed, herb garden, colorful shades of green and gold non-flowering plants, or whatever the lazy gardener loves best. The requirements are:

Rich, nutritious soil,

A weed-free environment,

Mulch to hold moisture,

Drainage to allow excess moisture to flow away from the plants.

This can be created by digging out a bed, pulling all the weeds and unwanted growth by hand, spending hours working enrichment into the soil, and digging holes for plants. Then, a layer of mulch is placed over the garden. Sounds like lots of work, doesn’t it? Well, it really is, especially for someone with back problems, knee problems, and other physical issues.

The solution is so simple and easy, you’ll wonder why everyone hasn’t been using this technique for years. The plants will have all the same elements, but almost all the shovel and spade work will be removed from the process.

The simple answer for the lazy gardener is no big secret. Instead of planting your garden into the ground, plant directly into biodegradable bags of potting soil! Let’s look at how to successfully garden using this method.

Choose a location for your garden and measure how long and wide the space you wish to plant is in all dimensions. Just get a general idea at this point, because you’ll adjust your measurements slightly later to make things as easy as possible.

Next, take the measurements of a bag of potting soil in the largest size you can successfully manage to move into your wheelbarrow and from there onto the ground. You will want to adjust your plot measurements to allow the width of the garden to fit the bags. In other words, if you had thought a garden 3 1/2 feet wide would be nice, but the bag of soil you wish to use is only 3 feet wide, simply adjust your plot. If you truly need that extra one-half foot covered, you can cover it with mulch in the final steps of the process.

Purchase the number of bags of potting soil needed to fit your plot. Wheel them to the area you wish to plant. Line them up on the ground, about one bag width from the back edge of the place you wish the plotting soil bag to lay for the planting.

Use a knife, shears, or other sharp implement to puncture each bag of potting soil on the side that will be next to the ground in at least six small places. Puncture the bag up to 12 times if you need extra drainage for the type of plant you plant to grow.

Now, simply flip the bags of soil so that they lay where you wish to plant your plants. You may have to drag them a bit to get each in perfect position. Lay the bags end-to-end along the length of the planting area. Add another row of bags if needed to fit your plot.

Again, use your knife or other sharp implement to slit the top of each bag of soil from end-to-end. Use a small gardener’s hand spade to create a hole for each plant and insert the plant into the hole, using the same techniques you would in a traditional planting. Press the soil around the plant firmly. This work will go amazingly quickly since you are not digging into hard ground.

After you have planted your garden, cover the entire garden with a layer of mulch. This helps prevent weeds from invading the rich soil. The unwanted plants under the potting soil bags will simply die and become enrichment for the soil.

The potting soil bags will biodegrade over a period of time. During the early months of gardening using this method, reduce supplemental watering slightly because the partial cover on the bag bottom will help hold moisture around the plant roots.

Next season, you can simply perform the same [lazy gardener] process if you are a seasonal gardener. If you have chosen plants which will last for years, simply begin fertilizing by late fall and again in early spring.

Anyone, even a lazy gardener, really can have a beautiful garden without ever digging. This same method can be used in planters and window boxes using smaller bags of soil.

Tags: Annual Flowers

There is at least one fern that will thrive in just about every light condition possible except complete darkness. The key to having happy ferns is to know what each species needs to thrive and providing those conditions in your home or garden.

Landscape Ferns

If you need a fern-like plant for bright, direct sunlight, the asparagus fern is perfect. This plant is really not a true fern but a member of the lily family. It grows well all year long in southern climates. These specimens make great landscape plants and look dramatic spilling over a rock feature or planter box.

In the average home, low to medium light is the norm. Holly ferns will thrive in these conditions. The glamorous birds nest fern is perfect for low to bright light conditions where no direct sunlight contacts the fern. If necessary, add a thin curtain to cut light in harsh lighting situations.

All ferns require good drainage. If the soil is not well-drained, the fern can not thrive. Sandy shoals or humus-rich soil is preferred by almost every species of fern. To place ferns in your landscape, choose elevated beds with well amended soil to provide drainage and aeration. Avoid dense, clay soil unless it is amended extensively to achieve the level of drainage and aeration required. But you must still keep light conditions in mind. Indirect light will help your ferns produce healthy fronds, which are the leaf-like structures of ferns. Direct, harsh, afternoon sun is stressful for most ferns.

Fun Things About Ferns

One of the fun things about [ferns] is that they are so easy to divide. Potted ferns should be removed from their posts when root bound and divided into two specimens, each going into fresh soil in separate pots. Outdoor a xhref=“http://www.technorati.com/tag/ferns” rel=“tag”>ferns can be divided by cutting off some well-established runners or digging a clump of fern from a well-established specimen and transplanting it.

Once you find just the right lighting situation for your fern and have a thriving specimen, do not attempt to relocate it. All too often ferns kept indoors are rearranged into different exposures. For example, if your fern is doing great in a northern exposed window, don’t move it over to an eastern exposure. Work around the plant’s needs and allow it to live where it thrives.

Outdoor Potted Ferns

Of course, if you keep potted ferns outdoors and live in a climate where winters are harsh, you simply must move your potted ferns indoors to allow them to survive the winter. The key to making this transition from outdoors to indoors is to place the plant in lighting conditions as much like those it enjoyed outdoors as possible. When spring arrives, return the plants to the outdoors after the last possibility of frost. If the plant has been in lower light conditions than it experiences outdoors, you can move it slowly, allowing it to adjust to the bright light without stressing too severely.

Tags: Perennial Flowers

Adding daylilies to your garden can add color and variety to your garden. You do not have to be an expert gardener to create a beautiful perennial garden of daylilies. These beautiful bloomers are great to planting on slopes, around the foundation of a building, along a driveway or pathway, or just about anywhere. These hardy plants require very little to thrive and bloom again year after year.

Daylilies, in fact, will thrive in most conditions. Because they multiple and spread, daylilies make a perfect choice for erosion-prevention or as coverage for an entire area in a large landscape. Daylilies are among the lowest-maintenance choices for a garden, yet the wide selection of colorful blossoms can fit into any color scheme.

Daylilies can be planted from spring until late into August. They are resistant to drought and disease and thrive even in full shade. Few garden pests bother a daylilies and almost any soil will make a happy home for these tough garden plants. You may find these are the perfect perennial for you!

Planting DayLilies

You may purchase daylilies in pots or as bulb stock. When you plant your daylilies , you must keep in mind that they will multiply and should be not closer than two feet apart to allow plenty of room for yearly additions.

If you purchase daylilies in pots, you should plant them using your normal routine for transplanting to your garden. Simply, prepare the soil by breaking the soil, amend with organic matter, aerate, and transfer the plants into the garden.

If you purchase bulbs with roots, a common method of starting a daylily garden, and you plan to plant them right away, give them a good soak in tepid water. One hour or so is plenty of soaking time. You can add liquid fertilizer to the water if you choose but only a tiny amount. The treatment of soaking helps the bulb recover from having been dug up, packed, shipped, and helps them settle into their new homes more easily.

Plant the bulbs within a few hours of soaking if possible. If your soil has not been prepared in advance, you can ‘heel the bulbs in’ by placing them on their sides in a shallow trench and covering the roots with a light coating of soil. It is wise to prepare the soil and get the bulbs into the ground as soon as possible; avoid leaving them heeled in for longer than a day or two.

Daylilies thrive when placed in full sunlight or partial shade. They can survive in deep shade but will not do nearly as well if they do not get sun at least part of each day.

Daylilies like soil that does not become waterlogged. Loam which has been amended with organic matter is the ideal home for these plants. Good drainage and steady, moderate moisture make them very happy as well.

For each bulb, dig a hole about 18 inches deep and two feet around. Amend the soil with compost, peat moss, dry manure, or other organic material, mixing well. Keep the soil level low enough that you will have room to plant the bulb at the correct height. Soak the soil with water. Then place the bulb, root end down, at a depth so that the crown (top) of the bulb will be level with the surrounding ground. Place the bulb in place and fill around the day-lily with additional amended soil which you removed from the hole initially. Press the soil around the plant or bulb firmly but not so hard that the soil is over-compacted.

The First Two Weeks

For the first two or three weeks, water your daylilies. As they begin to become established, watering should reduce to once per week. After you know for certain the [plants] are established, only water during dry periods.

A good coat of summer mulch can keep down weeds and help hold moisture in the soil. This boost, combined with water support during dry periods, will ensure healthy foliage and repeat flowering.

When daylilies form seed pods full of seeds, a great deal of energy is drained from the plant. To prevent this, simply remove any developing seed pods. Your day-lilies will multiply just fine without allowing seeds to develop because they multiple by creating new bulbs.

Tags: Perennial Flowers

Cactus plant can be grown two ways: as potted plants or in-ground plants. In both cases, they have three basic needs: food, water, and light.

Food

When you bring a cactus plant home from the lawn and garden center, it is inside a pot which may have been its home for a long, long time. Perhaps the soil is old and the nutrients have been used. If you wish to maintain the cactus as a potted plant, you should re-pot the plant and begin feeding it properly.

If you are planting the cactus plant in-ground, you'll prepare the hole by enriching the planting area with aerated soil and then feed the plant several small feedings of fertilizer per year rather than one or two large feedings. You can use time release plant food if you wish, but be certain not to use more than directed for cactus.

Since the food for a cactus plant is extracted from the soil, you want to plant your new cactus into the right mixture, whether in a pot or in-ground. The mixture can be made up of one part quality potting mix (not potting soil), one part washed sand, and one part course gravel. This ensure the plant's roots will get the air necessary and that water will not saturate the soil making it soggy and causing the roots to root.

Once planted in good soil and fed properly, the cactus will require little other maintenance.

Light

Both potted and in-ground cactus need plenty sunlight in order to thrive. Full sun to partial shade, depending on the species, is best but when moving to a new location, it should have a bit of time to adjust, so make the moves in slow increments. Taking a cactus from the garden center and sticking it in full sunlight can cause burn. However, this problems is much less than with most any other type of plant.

Water

During the growing season, cacti like regular water, however these desert plants have adapted to long periods without water. Therefore, if you are the type of gardener that gets busy and forgets to water at times, you'll love growing cactus. It takes quite a period of drought to kill most species. Don't over water cacti, instead err on the side of watering less than you think they need because of their natural adaptation.

Maintenance

When you grow cacti, you only need worry about the three necessities above. There is no pruning, no leaves to rake and rarely will you encounter insects or other pests. Cacti are simple and easy to grow even though they are rather slow growing. The fact that they are slow growing, combined with the fact that most cacti like to be a little root bound, means you won't have to re-pot every spring.

So, before you design a high maintenance garden which may be difficult to keep alive, consider cacti for your [gardening]efforts. They can provide some unusual and interesting shapes, textures and even blossoms.

Tags: Perennial Flowers