Flowers All Over

If you are a serious gardener, you spend lots of time outdoors. And, for sure, you would rather be tending your plants than swatting mosquitoes.

In the past few years I’ve read about, and have seen more interest in wildflowers, so I figure it’s about time I jump in and add my two cents.

I have watched in despair as some of my friends have created a wildflower bed in their yard, and have ended with the biggest, ugliest patch of weeds I have ever seen. Why did they get weeds instead of wildflowers?

Two reasons.

One they were armed with a lack of good information, and two, they were lead to believe that planting a beautiful bed of wildflowers is so easy that a child could do it. Actually, a child could do it, and with great success. But o­nly if that child were extremely lucky, or had a basic understanding of exactly how to plant a bed of wildflowers and achieve incredible success.

In the next few minutes I intend to arm you with enough good information so you can successfully plant a beautiful bed of wildflowers, and have your neighbors hanging over the fence asking you how ya did it.

First of all, you’ve got to understand what kind of a neighborhood wildflowers like to live in. They tend to prefer wide open spaces with at least 8 hours of sunshine each day. It’s true, they are sun worshipers. They also like the soil to be rich in nutrients, and well drained. They don’t like hard packed soil, and they don’t like to get their sneakers wet, o­nly for short periods of time.

If you have an area that tends to be wet, wildflowers are not the answer.

Wildflowers can be used for weed control, and with a great deal of success. But you have to give the wildflowers a running start, or the weeds will keep the area “Wildflower Free”. Weeds and wildflowers are both sun worshipers, so who ever reaches the top first wins. Neither will grow well without adequate sunlight. If you use this to your advantage you can have a beautiful bed of wildflowers that requires little maintenance.

The secret is proper bed preparation. You must create a bed that is as weed free as possible. You can do this by removing all the vegetation from the area you intend to plant in, and then prepare the soil for planting by tilling or raking to a depth of just o­ne inch or less. Do not disturb the soil any deeper than that, or you will just disturb dormant weed seeds that are just waiting to be brought back to the surface so they can grow. You should consider spraying the existing vegetation with Roudup before you remove it. This will kill all the roots that might still be in the soil.

Keep in mind that you need to spray the weeds or grass with Roundup at least three days before you disturb them. If you feel that the area you have chosen has significant amount of weed seed near the surface, you might consider letting the soil sit for about six days after you work it, then work it again. Do this over and over, but don’t work the soil more than o­ne inch deep. The longer you continue this process the more apt you are to get the bed as weed free as possible.

Most weed seeds germinate rather quickly, so when you bring them to the surface through your cultivation efforts, you are giving them a chance to germinate. But then when you work the soil again in six days, you will actually interrupt the germination process and the seed will be spent. The longer you continue the process, the fewer viable weed seeds you will have to contend with. Of course additional seeds are blowing in all the time, so it’s unrealistic to think that you can create a planting bed that is free of weed seed.

The most important aspect of this process is to have your bed as ready as possible, at the ideal time for planting wildflower seeds. The secret of success is to plant the wildflower seeds at the ideal time so they take off growing immediately, and beat the weeds at their own game.

The ideal time? Depends o­n where you live. If you’re in zones o­ne through six, you should plant in the spring. If you’re in zones seven through 11, you should probably plant in the fall.

Wildflower seeds like warm soil. They will germinate best with a soil temperature of 68 to 70 degrees F. So if you live in a cooler region, you should wait until later in the spring to plant. There’s no point planting when the soil temperature is 45 degrees and have the seeds just lay there while some of the weeds seeds germinate. You’d be much better off to continue working the soil as described above until the soil temperature is up to 68 degrees.

I’ll say it again, just in case you missed it earlier. Don’t work the soil any deeper than o­ne inch.

Now for planting the wildflower seeds.

The best way to plant your wildflower seeds is to distribute them with a small hand held broadcast spreader, or to apply them in a manor that mimics that technique. In order to get the best coverage you should thoroughly mix the seeds with dry sand, vermiculite, or potting soil to increase the volume before you spread them. It’s a lot easier to evenly distribute five pounds of granular material over an area than it is 8 ounces.

As you spread the seeds walk in straight lines from o­ne end of the bed to the other. Then do the same thing from the side of the bed in a criss cross pattern to the first set of footsteps you made. This will give you thorough and even distribution. This is why you should mix the seeds with some sort of filler material before you start, so you have plenty of volume to work with, and will be able to cover the area completely and evenly.

I urge you to visit www.wildseedfarms.com and ask for a catalog, or call their toll free number. 1-800-848-0078 This company publishes o­ne of the most complete and informative catalogs I’ve ever seen. They have a color photo of each variety, along with a good description. They even tell you what percentage of seeds you can expect to germinate, and this varies from variety to variety, so they list this information for each variety.

They also tell you how long each variety takes to germinate, and what the ideal soil temperature is. They also tell you how many seeds are in each pack, how many seeds in a pound, and how much seed you need to cover a given area. Wildflower seeds have germination periods of 6 to 28 days, so you have to keep this in mind as you plan your garden. If you select a variety that has a 28 day germination period, you should select a second variety with a much quicker germination period and mix them together before sowing.

If you were to sow o­nly seeds with a 28 day germination period the weeds would get a jump o­n the wildflowers, and you would likely end up with a weed garden. When you mix seeds with different germination periods, the faster germinating seeds will come up very quick, and act as a nurse crop for the seeds that need more time, keeping the weeds and birds at bay until all the seeds can germinate.

Good luck with your wildflower garden! Have fun, and enjoy.

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most
interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up for his
excellent gardening newsletter, and grab a FREE copy of his
E-book, “Easy Plant Propagation”.

To help gardeners choose flowers, various systems for rating hardiness have been developed. A plant is considered hardy in a region if it can grow and thrive there without requiring special protective measures such as insulating with straw mulch.
Sep 22, 2004 – 06:57 PM

The first thing to look for is the plant’s grade.
Nearly all bare root roses sold today are grown in the field and are approximetly two years old. They are sold in three main grades.

Grade 1 is the best and most expensive grade. In order to obtain this grade the plants are required to have at least three strong cains, two of which must be at least 18 inches in length for hybrid teas anf grandifloras. The canes should be at least 1/8 inch in diameter.

Grade 1 1/2 is the most popular grade due to it’s lesser price. In order to obtain this grade the plants are required to have at least two strong canes which must be at least 15 inches long for hybrid teas and grandifloras. The canes should be at least 1/8 inch in diameter.

Grade 2 is the least expensive grade. These plants are o­nly required to have two canes 12 inches or longer. These plants can be a gamble as they may be stunted.

Note: Measurements are for plants when dug from the fields. Sometimes the plant sellers will shorten the length of the canes for easier handling. The number of canes remain the same and usually the thicker the diameter the better the plant.

There are three main sources for buying roses.

Nurseries are normally more expensive but are usually the best places to buy your plants. Plants are normally kept in sawdust thereby allowing you to inspect the roots. Plants with badly damaged roots are less likely to do well and may not make it at all. Additionally, a nursery usually carries a large variety of new and old standards. Finally, a good nurseryperson can provide advice as to which plants do best in your area and climate.

Mail order suppliers are normally less expensive and usually have a greater variety of plants than your local nursery, however you can not inspect the plants before buying and they sometimes arrive damaged. Furthermore, although most mail order suppliers are reputable a few are disreputable and ship very poor quality plants. Additionally, it is hard and can be expensive to return plants that you are unhappy with.

Supermarkets are inexpensive but usually carry a limited variety of plants. Additionally the plants usually come with their roots wrapped in plastic, therefore you are unable to inspect the roots for damage. Plants can be treated roughly in supermarkets, not o­nly by the people that stock them, but also by customers. Therefore, there is a much greater potential for damage.

Should you buy newly developed varieties or the old standards?

Which variety of plant you purchase depends o­n your taste and what is available for your climate.

There are hundreds of varieties of roses, however I prefer the older time proven standards. They may not come in as many color variations but they are reliable, still come in a large variety of colors and are usually more heavily scented (I like to smell the roses). My two favorites are both red. The Chrysler Imperial is a full well shaped velvety dark crimson red flower with a rich delightful fragrance which grows o­n a heavily flowering medium height bush. Mister Lincoln has long buds with full open dark rich red fragrant flowers with long stems and grows o­n a tall bush with dark glossy leaves.

Roses, if properly cared for, can last years. Therefore, in order to obtain the most enjoyment from your plants it is a good idea to do your research. Spend some time looking at types, colors, shapes and sizes. Check catalogues, the internet, check out friend’s gardens and if possible go to an arboretum or nursery. Look at and smell the roses before buying.

So, you have decided to plant rose bushes in your yard or on your patio, porch or balcony. Now all you have to do is go out and buy some bushes and plant them. Right? Wrong!!

There are several things that you have to decide before buying:

1. Where are you planning o­n planting?

2. Are you going to plant in the ground or in containers?

3. Do you want roses that are scented or unscented?

4. Do you want bushes, trees, climbers, vining or do you want them to grow into a hedge?

5. Do you want large, medium, small or miniature blooms?

6. Do you want roses for cutting?

7. What colors go best with your garden, patio, porch or balcony?

There are several types of roses, among them are:

Hybrid teas bloom frequently, are hardy, come in a wide range of colors, are well sented and are good for cutting for vases. The size of the blooms and the length of the stem depends o­n how they are pruned. They make the best long stem roses for cutting.

Hybrid perpetuals are seldom planted today as they have a limited color range and normally bloom less frequently. They are, however, quite hardy and have large well scented blooms. The “American Beauty” rose is from this category.

Grandifloras are a cross between hybrid teas and floribundas. The flowers are the same size and shape as hybrid teas, however they usually have an abundance of blooms o­n each stem. These roses are very popular for growing in containers.

Floribundas have slightly smaller flowers but are hardier, have a longer growing season in cold climates and yeild large numbers of flowers.

Polyanthas are small averaging just 18 inches in height. They are very hardy and produce large clusters of small flowers.

Miniatures average between 6 and 12 inches in height, carry small o­ne inch or less blooms, are hardy and require little care. These make very good balcony container roses.

Climbers come in several types, Ramblers which are hardy, fast growing and can develope canes up to 20 feet long. Pillars are slower growing upright palnts that are well suited for growing o­n posts. Trailers are low growing easy to maintain plants good for covering banks and walls. Large Flowered Climbers are slower growing but have more showey flowers and are good for growing against fences and low walls. Hybrid Teas , Floribundas and Polyanthas can sometimes become climbers and have the same characteristics as the bushes.

Tree Roses can be developed from any type of rose. They are made by grafting a bush o­nto a long thick trunk. These look great o­n a patio or porch.

Shrub Roses are normally small, hardy fairly continuesly blooming bushes that can be used as hedge (hedges can grow to 5 or 6 feet and provide inexpensive privacy and color), thicket and trellis (trellis roses can add a beautiful accent to a yard or home entryway and can be made into an arch) roses. There are even varieties that can be used as ground cover o­n embankments or planted in hanging pots.

Today roses come in hundreds of varieties with new varieties being developed every year and in an almost limitless number of colors and color variations. It has been my experience, however, that usually the darker the color the heavier the scent. Most white roses seem to have no scent at all.

If you choose the right roses for the right place you can add beauty and elegance to any garden, patio, porch or balcony without spending large amounts of money or time.

What could be better than kicking back after
a hard day’s work and enjoy watching
butterflies flit peacefully around your very
own garden? Here are some tips for making your
fantasy come true!

- Butterflies love color! Choose a variety of
plants for best results.

- Plant flowers in groups. These are easier
for butterflies to see.

- Butterfly-loving flowers include Hibiscus,
Rosemary, Asters, Daylilies and Black-eyed Susans,
among others.

- Provide both sunny, open areas and shady o­nes
for butterfly sunning and resting.

- A little overripe fruit is delicious to your
colorful winged friends!

- Plant some flowers in pots you can move around.

- Discover what butterflies are native to your
region in the US.
http://www.npwrc.usgs.gov/resource/distr/lepid/bflyusa/bflyusa.htm

- Share the beauty! Plan to entertain often in
your butterfly garden!

- Be cautious using insecticides; most are toxic
to butterflies.

The secret to making your flowering trees, shrubs, annuals, and perennials bloom more is in the numbers. All fertilizers have analysis numbers on the package. These numbers represent the percentage of each chemical the product contains.

For example, 12-12-12 is a typical garden garden fertilizer that would contain 12% nitrogen, 12%phosphorous, and 12% potassium. The quick explanation is; nitrogen produces vegetative, or top growth, phosphorous produces flower buds, fruit, and root development, while potassium builds strong healthy plants.

Most lawn grasses are vigorous growers and therefore require significantly more nitrogen than the other plants in your yard. A lawn fertilizer would have an analysis of 26-3-3, indicating a fertilizer high in nitrogen. You would not want to use a fertilizer containing such a high percentage of nitrogen o­n landscape plants because it would be very easy to burn them. You must also keep in mind that many lawn fertilizers contain broad leaf weed killers, and most ornamental plants have broad leaves. The fertilizer doesn’t know the difference, and it will damage or kill ornamental trees and shrubs.

During the summer months the growth rate of most plants slows down, and when plants are not actively growing, they need very little nitrogen. Although not vigorously putting o­n new growth, many plants such as Dogwood Trees, Rhododendrons, and Azaleas are quietly working to produce flower buds for next year. Annual and perennial flowers are also busy making new flower buds.

To encourage flower bud production you can apply a fertilizer that contains a small percentage of nitrogen, a higher percentage of phosphorous, and a little potassium. I recently purchased a liquid fertilizer with an analysis of 5-30- 5, ideal for flower production. Because the product is sold as a bloom producer, the manufacture also added a little chelated iron, manganese, and zinc, all good for your plants as well.

Most garden centers and discount stores carry similar products. I chose a liquid fertilizer because liquid fertilizers are absorbed both through the roots and systemically through the foliage, so they work quicker. I used a sprayer that attaches to the end of the garden hose to apply the fertilizer, but do not use the same hose end sprayer that you use for lawn fertilizers. There could be residual weed killer still in the sprayer.

About those hose end sprayers. I purchased o­ne that is supposed to automatically mix the proper ratio for you. I used it to apply a general insecticide, and it worked, but it sure seemed like I went through a lot more insecticide than I needed. When I used it for the fertilizer the screen o­n the little pick up hose inside the jar kept getting clogged with the tiny solids in the fertilizer. I recommend using a solution of o­ne part liquid fertilizer to o­ne part water in the sprayer jar, and applying at a heavier rate.

Watch the liquid in the sprayer jar, and if it isn’t going down remove the lid and clean the little screen by spraying it with water from the garden hose. Read the application instructions o­n the container to determine how much fertilizer to apply, and how often. A fertilizer high in phosphorous will increase flower production. You will see a difference.

Remember the golden rule of applying fertilizers. “Not enough, is always better than too much.”

Michael J. McGroarty is the author of this article. Visit his most
interesting website, http://www.freeplants.com and sign up for his
excellent gardening newsletter, and grab a FREE copy of his
E-book, “Easy Plant Propagation”

Spring means that the garden centers are packed with people, and car trunks are packed with plants. Everybody has dirt on their knees, dirt under their nails, and are excited about gardening. To make certain that this excitement yields positive results, let’s discuss the basics in this article of spring planting tips.

Installing new plants and having them grow successfully is not difficult, nor is it as complicated as some would have you think. Is it as easy as just digging a hole and setting the plant in? Yes, it certainly can be. I won’t get into bed preparation, as I have covered that in other articles that are available at http://www.freeplants.com

Let’s start with B&B plants. B&B is short for balled in burlap. Closely examine the ball o­n the plant that you have purchased. Did the diggers wrap twine around the ball to hold the plant secure? If they did, you should at least cut the twine and lay it in the bottom of the hole, or remove it completely. Pay close attention around the stem of the plant where it emerges from the root ball, as diggers often wrap the twine around the stem several times as they tie the ball. This is extremely important because if the string is nylon, it will not rot and will girdle and kill the plant two or three years from now.

When B&B plants are stored in the nursery for extended periods of time it becomes necessary to re-burlap them if the bottom starts to rot before the plants are sold. If the plant that you buy has been re-burlaped it is possible that there could be nylon stings between the two layers of burlap, check the stem carefully. As long as the nylon string is removed from around the stem of the plant, it is actually harmless around the rest of the ball, and you do not have to remove it.

Is the root ball wrapped in genuine burlap, or imitation burlap made of a non-biodegradable plastic material?

Genuine burlap will rot quickly underground and does not have to be disturbed before planting. If you’re not sure or suspect a poly type burlap, you don’t have to remove it completely, but should loosen it around the stem of the plant and cut some vertical slices around the circumference of the ball.

More spring planting tips . . .

Now here’s the critical part. What kind of soil are you planting in?

If your soil is heavy clay, I highly suggest that your raise the planting bed at least 8” with good rich topsoil. If you can’t do that for some reason, install the plant so that at least 2” or more of the root ball is above the existing grade and mound the soil over the root ball. Keep in mind that plants installed this way could dry out over the summer, but planting them flush with the ground in heavy clay can mean that the roots will be too wet at other times of the year.

The “experts” suggest that when planting in clay soil you dig the hole wider and deeper than the root ball and fill around and under the plant with loose organic material. That sounds like a really great idea doesn’t it? Some of these experts also recommend that you dig the hole extra deep and put a few inches of gravel in the bottom for drainage. Where do you suppose they think this water is going to “drain” to?

Keep in mind that most B&B plants are grown in well drained soil. That means that the soil in the root ball is porous and water can easily pass through. Now imagine if you will, a root ball about 15” in diameter, setting in a hole 30” diameter. All around and under that root ball is loose organic matter. Inside of that root ball is porous soil. Now along comes Mother Nature with a torrential downpour. There is water everywhere, and it is not going to soak into that hard packed clay soil, so it is just flowing across the top of the ground searching for the lowest point.

When it reaches our newly planted tree surrounded by loose organic matter, it is going to seep in until the planting hole is completely full of water. (Remember my article o­n getting rid of standing water and the French drain system?) By using this planting technique we have actually created a French drain around our poor little plant that can not tolerate it’s roots being without oxygen for long periods of time. Because the bottom of this hole is clay, even though we’ve added gravel for drainage, there is nowhere for the water to go, and this plant is going to suffer and likely die.

If you can not raise the planting bed with topsoil, and are planting in clay soil, I recommend that you install the root ball at least 2” above grade and backfill around the ball with the soil that you removed when you dug the hole. Backfilling with the clay soil that you removed is actually like building a dam to keep excess water from permeating the root ball of your newly planted tree. The plant is not going to thrive in this poor soil, but at least it will have a chance to survive.

More spring planting tips . . .

Once again, raising the bed with good rich topsoil is the best thing you can do to keep your plants healthy and happy.

No matter what kind of soil you have, be careful not to install your plants too deep. They should never be planted any deeper than they were grown in the nursery. Planting too deep is a common problem, and thousands of plants are killed each year by gardeners who just don’t understand how critical planting depth is.

Staking newly planted trees is always a good idea. If your new tree constantly rocks back and forth when the wind blows it will have a very difficult time establishing new roots into the existing soil. Stabilize the tree with a stake. You can use a wooden stake, a fence post, or for small trees I often use 1/2” electro magnetic tubing, (conduit), available at any hardware store.

You can secure the tree to the stake with a single wrap of duct tape. In about six months or a year the sun will dry the glue o­n the duct tape and it will fall off. Check the tape to make sure that it has fallen off. You don’t want to girdle the tree with the tape.

More spring planting tips . . .

Container grown plants are much easier. Follow the rules for depth of planting as described earlier. Before gently removing the plant from the container check the drain holes in the bottom of the container for roots that might be growing out the holes. If so cut them off so they will not make it difficult to get the plant out of the container.

The easiest way to remove the plant from the container is to place your hand over the top of the container and turn it completely upside down and give it a gentle shake. The plant should slide right into your hand.

Examine the root mass as you hold it in your hand. Sometimes when plants have been growing in a container for a long time the roots start to grow in a circular pattern around the root mass. This is not good, and you should disturb these roots before planting so you can break this circular pattern. You can take a knife and actually make about three vertical slices from the top of the root mass to the bottom. This will stimulate new roots that will grow outward into the soil of your garden. Or you can just take your fingers and loosen the roots that are circling the root mass and force them outward before you plant them.

What about fertilizer, bone meal, peat moss, and all those other additives they are going to try and sell you at the garden center?

Raise your planting beds with good rich topsoil and forget about the additives. Be very careful with fertilizers, they can do more harm than good. I landscaped my house 14 years ago and I haven’t got around to fertilizing the plants yet, and have no intention of doing so. They look great.

As far as bone meal and all those other soil additives are concerned, don’t get too caught up in all that stuff. The o­nly thing that I know for sure is that they will make your wallet thinner, but I don’t think you’ll see a difference in your plants. Over the years I’ve landscaped several hundred homes with fantastic results, and I never added any of these additives to my planting beds.

Did I mention planting in good rich topsoil? That’s the secret