Flower gardens are simple to install and easy to care for. They do, however, require a basic understanding of the natural conditions of your garden as well as the specific needs of the individual flowers. Different flowers have different requirements. Annuals, for example, live for only one season, require a bit more maintenance than perennials and, since they die after the first hard frost, need be replanted each year. Perennials, on the other hand, flower for a period each year and grow larger each season. They die back to the ground in the winter but reemerge the following spring.
Determine which flowers do well in your climate and research their sun and soil requirements. Some flowers thrive in the sun while other prefer a little shade. Also, though most plants prefer organic, nutrient rich soil, some will do actually do better in well drained sandy soil.
Perennials bloom either early in the spring, during the middle of summer or late in the summer and into autumn. To achieve a constant bloom throughout the season, plant many different species. Iris, bleeding heart and a variety of bulbs are notable early bloomers. Daylily and hosta bloom in the middle of summer while aster and sedum “autumn joy” are perfect for late season color. Annuals bloom continuously from spring right through the fall up until the first frost. A mixture of annuals and perennials in the garden ensures a colorful garden from spring until fall.
Plan a garden which compliments your house and overall landscape. For instance, mixing different heights, colors, and varieties of flowers together in a cottage garden style will give your garden a rustic look which is quite appropriate for a country setting. If you want a more formal feel, consider a rectangular garden with a symmetrical layout.
Planting your annuals and perennials is easy. After you have prepared your garden by tilling the soil and adding some compost and peat moss, arrange your flowers in the new bed according to a design drawn out before hand. Make sure you like the layout and that the plants are adequately spaced. To plant, simply dig a hole about twice the size of the plant’s root system and place the flower in the hole then back fill the hole with the some soil, tamp it down and water. All plants, including perennials and annuals, should be planted at the level of the finish grade of your garden.
In you want a low maintenance flower garden, limit your annuals and plant a variety of perennials. Perennials, though quite adaptable to a number of garden conditions, can benefit from an early spring feeding. Slow release fertilizer is very effective in the flower garden as it provides nutrients over the course of an entire season. Another way to provide nutrients to your flowers is to spread a layer of organic compost on the garden each spring.
Flower gardening is very rewarding. Simply decide what flowers you like, plant them and be sure they receive the proper care. Flower gardening gives people excellent reason to spend some outdoors and test out their green thumb.
anonymous
http://www.articlesbase.com/gardening-articles/flower-gardening-tips-90094.html
#1 by capnjackgirl on October 22nd, 2009
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If you are from Maine or anywhere near, can you please give me some good flower gardening tips?
I have never attempted a flower garden before and I would like to start one in my yard.
When do you begin?
What flowers are the easiest to start with.
Any advice would be appreciated.
THANKS! : )
#2 by den2read on October 22nd, 2009
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I don’t live in Maine, but get some flowering shrubs. For flowers, get pansys or petunias, zinnias. Anything they sell in the flower section of WalMart is probably easy enough, as they carry the most popular ones. Remember, annual means it will be here this year, then you need to buy new next year. DONT buy stuff that creeps all over, like mint. Keep stuff like that in a pot, trust me. Look at what your neighbors have and consider if you like it. Roses are not difficult, just take forever to grow and get eaten by a lot of bugs. Portulaca is awesome, it does creep but soooooooo pretty. That one I plant everywhere. Don’t go with seeds. Get some plants. And if it’s still getting down toward freezing at night where you are, draw plans and look online for information now. You will have to replant if it freezes. GET DAYLILLIES, they are sooo pretty and perennial! They have greens all season and long pretty flowers! I could go on…
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#3 by Boothster84 on October 22nd, 2009
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well i worked at franks nursery and English gardens, so i would recommend some pansies or some other really hardy plants. its going to be cold a little longer but not by much. mostly cold at night. if they are hardy they can last the cold night. they can be under snow and still survive. make sure that you have good soil though. get some peat Moss (peat moss has other stuff that will make your soil the best it can be) and some more potting soil because the winter really messes up the soil. i would start as soon as possible because the sooner the better and that looks good for the other people walking by your place. it brightens everything up so much. when you go to by your plants ask for some other plants besides pansies (you want the pansies but you want to see some other choices). never over load it with too many plants though because it will look ugly. have fun and talk to you later, boothster
PS. don’t get them from walmart becuase they buy the cheapest plant around and they don’t have deep roots. you want deep roots becuase they will die after a few weeks. there not worth it. the places i worked were good places to buy them (well not franks because they are out of business) they had deep roots and they lasted all summer. well panisies get long and stringy in a bout 5-6 weeks, but they are great to start with. get they smallest ones there. that way you have a long time to grow them. and if they havn’t budded yet, even better. all jokes aside, in the sence of plants, you get what you pay for. ok talk to you later, bryson
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