Showing posts with label Plants. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Plants. Show all posts

Friday, November 25, 2011

Create a Yellow and Orange Flower Garden With These Seven Plants


Choose among these 7 highly-recommended varieties or plant all seven in one bed. Put taller growing, bushy plants at the back and Marigolds toward the front. Plant in groups of three or five for more impact; can be spaced closer together if planted in clumps. Each of these flowers in gold or orange, but since they may be available in other colors make sure to look at the tags when you purchase them.

Lantana: Grow as an annual further north than Zone 5. Bushy, shrubby plant with dense leaves and strong stems. Blooms in a variety of shades; choose the gold or orange varieties for this garden. Flower heads have dozens of tiny flowerettes in a big bunch. Loves heat. Pinch tops when babies are 2-3 inches high to encourage bushy growth. Attracts bees and butterflies. Deer resistant. Deadhead spent flowers. Handle with gloves if you are sensitive or allergic to it.

Height: 36-48 inches. Spacing: 18 inches.

Coreopsis, also known as "tickseed": Grow as a perennial as far north as Minnesota (Zone 3). Tall, wiry stems with few leaves. Individual flowers are usually 1 inch across. Bright yellow petals surround darker brown center; look like daisies. Loves heat. Deadhead spent flowers or cut for bouquets. Grow as a perennial.

Height: 12-24 inches. Spacing: 12 inches.

Marigold: Compact plants can have single or double flowers. All flowers are ruffled and brightly colored. Try the "Aztec" variety for giant blooms and tall plants. Choose both gold and orange varieties for this garden. Likes more moisture than some other flowers, so keep watered. Plant in groups of three or five for more impact. Deadhead spent blooms.

Height: 8-24 inches. Spacing: 10 inches.

Nasturtium: Sprawling vines can be enclosed in a tomato cage or allowed to crawl on the ground. Large, interesting leaves and dozens of bright flowers in pale orange or yellow. Flowers are edible and delicious. Likes dry soil but not hot weather. Can get leggy if there's too much shade. Feel free to eat organically grown flowers.

Height: Train on a trellis or enclose in a tomato cage, or allow to sprawl on the ground in an un-mowed area. Spacing: 10 inches.

Black-eyed Susan: Most varieties are annuals further north than Zone 3; some are perennials. Self-seeds readily. Tall, strong stems with many toothed leaves. Flower petals are bright yellow surrounding a darker center; very interesting to look at. Attract bees and butterflies. Makes a great cut flower.

Height: 24-36 inches tall. Spacing: 10 inches.

Petunias: Choose the "Baby Yellow Duck" variety for the cutest petunias ever created. "Wave" varieties grow long, trailing vines; train on a trellis or use in containers above the ground. Several varieties bloom yellow and stay compact, so are good in the flower bed. Most petunia varieties are pink flowering, so be sure to check the tag. Yellow flowers are available and are wonderful!

Height: 12 inches, or may be trailing. Spacing: 8 inches for compact plants; 18 inches for larger plants

Celosia: Tall, feathery blooms in bright red, orange, or gold shades. Definitely makes the annual garden more interesting! Plant in groups of three or five for most impact. Love heat and don't mind dry weather. Also good in containers and as houseplants.

Height: 12-48 inches. Spacing: 10 inches.




Evelyn Fielding bases her writing from http://www.10000seeds.com. Click on over to see what she's up to lately!




Saturday, November 19, 2011

Garden Plants in Profile - Pansies


Gardens can be a drab gloomy place during winter months, however with some careful planning and the right mix of garden plants, a colourful, garden with a warm feel can be achieved with ease. Pansies are one species of plant that can be often overlooked throughout the colder months of the year but with a little care and attention can provide a great source of winter colour.

Pansies a type of 'viola' are part of a broad range of garden flowers that can even include hybrid species such as 'viola x wittrockiana' or 'viola tricolor hortensis'. All variations of the viola fall under the pansy umbrella and come in a range of vivid colours such as gold, orange, purple, red, violet, white, and yellow. There is even a black pansy although in reality it is actually a very dark purple.

Of course, with years of careful breeding, many variations on these colours are now available. Pansies have a distinctive flower pattern consisting of five petals with contrasting markings in the centre of the flower surrounding the stem This pattern is often referred to as 'the face'. Incidentally, it is this 'face' gave the pansy its name. The French word for pansy is pensée, which translates as thought. This petal arrangement always follows the same pattern with two overlapping top petals, two side petals and a single bottom petal, which has a small indentation in it.

The first 'universal' pansies arrived in gardens during 1979 and were well received due to their ability to flower during the winter months. These pansies could be planted and grown during the summer while still being able to flower throughout the winter months. These types of garden plants were bred with some specific intentions in mind. These were, to withstand winter weather conditions, to stay small and to be able to flower when days are shorter.

Garden plants such as a pansy grow best when they are facing the sun. They can survive both short freezes and temporary snow cover. Planting in containers and using rich soil and mulch can dramatically help get the best from your pansies. Planting pansies in large numbers throughout beds or in containers and hanging baskets provides a great way of helping to protect against cold while offering a wealth of colour in gardens that can often seem drab sat this time of year.

Brightly coloured pansies stand out more during darker days. Mixed citrus pansies for instance, give a blast of colour for long periods and are perfect for well-drained soil and love lots of sunlight. Another example of this family is the Matrix pansy that comes in a dazzling array of colours, and along with all our other bedding plants, grown only from F1 seed type.

If you want something a little different to the traditional pansy however, perhaps the frizzle sizzle pansy is the garden plant for you. The plants differ due to their frilly edges that can appear similar to ruffles. Again, perfect for beds and all types of container, no matter what style of garden you have these pansies will make the perfect accompaniment. Another distinctive yet beautiful pansy variation is the Red Wing. This gorgeous plant has two dark red top petals that resemble wings and can be planted in a variety of locations adding to its versatility.

Of course, for maximum effect it is generally advised that opting for lighter coloured pansies will stand out more on darker days. Colours such as white, primrose and sky blue offer maximum effect, providing a welcome warmth and sparkle on a dull day. Using a mixed pack of winter pansies could prove to be a good bet as a fair mix of plants will be found in these packs. Using a mixture of colours will also stop beds or containers from looking staid and help make your garden area more eye-catching,

No matter whether your garden is large or small, favours hard landscaping, or has bed, borders, and rockeries, pansies are versatile enough to be used throughout. These garden plants are perfect in pots and can be a colourful companion when placed adjacent to or garden ornaments. Pansies can be a cheerful, lively addition to almost any setting and are sure to bring a smile to your face when the weather turns grey.




Garden Plants, Flowers & Accessories
Plant Me Now,
Eastcote GC,
Hampton Road,
Eastcote,
Solihull,
B92 0JJ.
Tel: 0870 446 9442




Saturday, November 12, 2011

Grow Your Own Plants In A Hydroponic System

.


Do think that you cannot grow plants except in soil? If yes, then you should think again as actually you can grow your plants without any soil. Growing plants without soil is called hydroponics. Imagine that you have a system whether inside your home or a bigger one that enable you to grow plants faster, easier, healthier and all this with no soil at all. All you need to grow plants using hydroponics is a solution that consists of water and special nutrients for each type of plan and a system that contain this solution and the plants you want to grow.


There are different types of hydroponic techniques like the aeration technique, aeroponics and the nutrient film technique. In aeroponics you need to anchor the plants in a certain in order to be able to apply the solution you have prepared to the roots either directly or by spraying it in the form of air mist on the roots.


In hydroponics you need a media to grow the plants on. The role of the media is to retain the solution for some time and be able to support the plant to make contact between the roots and the solution. There are different media for hydroponics that you can choose from. Some of these media are sand, Styrofoam, rockwool and others.


You can grow many types of plants using hydroponics, but of course the popular types that people grow with hydroponics are the types that they can sell. Many growers like to use this system to grow tomatoes, herbs and many seedlings that they can sell or transplant to be grown in soil.


You can think of the great benefits of hydroponics. You can grow vegetables indoors and eat fresh vegetables. You don?t need a large space containing soil to grow plants. Hydroponics gives you the chance to grow your crops almost everywhere from your balcony to very big greenhouses. Also think of the healthy part, growing crops in soil can make them less healthy and you will need to remove weeds.


If you tried to grow in a space of soil and in an equal space of hydroponic solution you will be able to grow more plants in the solution space and you will be able to harvest earlier. Have you seen anyone who throw the seeds in the soil and do nothing to the plants till the harvest time? Well, this is possible with hydroponic systems as you can use technology to automate everything in your system and do almost nothing till the harvest time.


You may think that this is a complicated technique, it may be in the beginning as everything else. By time you will get used to everything that need to be done and if you chose to automate your system your work will be reduced very much. So what prevents you from trying this fun, fast and healthier way of growing crops? Just think of the benefits and find a good guide to help you step by step and try this interesting technique.

Article Tags: Grow Plants

Source: Free Articles from ArticlesFactory.com



View the original article here