Growing Flowers
Perennials, Biennials, Annuals & Self-seeders
Growing Flowers:
Where do I start?
I love everything about growing flowers and cutting bunches of blooms to bring in the house.
I am growing Perennials, Biennials, Self-seeders and some Annuals.
Annuals, I usually don't grow unless they are self-seeders or gifts.
Perennials:
Even though I live in Zone6, quite a few plants that wouldn't come back in the spring, they are starting to show up with climate change.
Perennial flowers, shrubs, ornamental grasses and trees are the backbone of my flower garden.
They just expect to be divided every 4-5 years, watered, fed once in a while and they just bloom.
I also use perennial blooms as a cut flower.
Caring for Perennials
Spring is a good time to clean the Perennial beds. Divide perennial if need to. Cultivate around your perennials plants and if you see new growth, it's time to compost or add slow-release liquid fertilizer. Water well and deeply to force the plants to search for water and grow long strong roots.
Mulching for Perennials, Biennials and Self-Seeders.
If you've a large garden, bought mulch can get expensive, but the more you garden the more observant you'll be of the free resources around you. I use homemade compost, bought mushroom compost, grass clippings, straw and leaves. I love the look of bought bark mulch. However, I will need at least one large truck load of mulch. Maybe someday. Right now I use what I have.
Staking:
This one I am not very deligent with it.
I get so busy watching everything grow that I forget everything could flopped over the next time it rains.
So, I use tomato cages and 2x2" cut to size. I cut the bottoms of the 2x2" to a point. It's not as nice as bamboo, but bamboo poles are hard to find where I live and they're rotten by the end of the season.
I also use twigs for some of the smaller plants like sweet-peas.
Tomato cages for Delphiniums, Peonies, Hydrangeas, Lilies and whatever else tends to go floppy after a rain.
Pinching:
Early summer is a good time to start pinching perennial plants to get them to bush out.
If I don't pinch back my Chrysanthemums they will get really leggy by fall and flop over.
It's hard to do, because they look very after I do it, but it a worth doing for the extra blooms.
Removing some of side buds on some flowers like roses - will lead to a stronger, bigger flower.
If you pinch back the main flower bud on the same flower - the plant will produce more smaller side flowers.
I usually go for more flowers and pinch them all back before they produce flower buds.
Deadheading:
I like the way my flowers after they're tidy-up. A plant goal is to live, gives us beauty and food for insects and produce seed. Then their job is done. However, removing dead faded blooms will help your plants remain healthy and produce more blooms. Deadheading is also very usually if you want to control the self-seeding.
Biennials:
Biennials blooms the second year of planting which is a little confusing for beginner gardeners. I have Floxglove flowers and I never when they are going to bloom. It's always a surprise. Then they self-seed wherever they like. I just have to watch for them and not dig them up.
Flower Gardening Tips:
Right plant in the right place.
Find out your plant hardiness zone and buy your plants accordingly.
Study your garden for sun and shade spots and just plant.
If you have a sun loving plant and you plant it in part sun and shade;
it will grow, but it will be leggy and flop over.
I have a shady spot where I wanted some colour and that's exactly what happen to mine.
Your plant will let know where it wants to grow - like my herbs.
I always find them either growing in the lawn or in the driveway. I just dig them up and put them back in the vegetable garden where the original herb died.
Then it runs away and I bring them back again. :)
Sometimes I just leave it and it always smell heavenly when I mow the lawn.
Flower Gardening Ideas for Backyards:
I grow Perennials, Biennials and Self-Seeders. Perennials, because they are easy to look after and there's always plenty of plants to share with friends. I like Self-Seeders, because they start germinating under the snow. Annuals, I grow very few and I grow them for the instant pop of colour. I save the seeds from my annual plants and making cuttings from geraniums etc.
Easiest and Long Lasting Cut Flowers to Grow:
I like spring bulbs, Lilies, Sunflowers, Black-eyed Susans, Cosmos, Zinnias, Roses, Feverfew, Chrysanthemums and Fall Asters.
Happy Flower growing!
Bringing a bouquet of fresh flowers grown in your own garden, is such a blessing.
Conditioning Fresh Flowers at H-n-G
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Garden Content
Say it with Flowers Greeting eCards
Packets to Print at homes-n-gardens.com:
Seed Packet to Print - lots
Flower Seed Packet to Print
Earth Day seed packet template