Beauty and nutrition combine in a fall garden that features super green Swiss Chard and cheerful white pansies. Bonnie Plant transplants make it easy to get your fall vegetable garden started.

(ARA) – If you haven’t yet joined the “grow your own vegetables” craze, it’s not too late to join in. You can produce a bounty of vitamin-rich veggies from plot (or pot) to plate this fall, plus you’ll save a bundle by growing them yourself.

You may be surprised to find that with just a little attention and effort, growing fall vegetables in the backyard garden and in planters is even more enjoyable than planting a vegetable garden during the spring and summer seasons. Why? Cooler autumn temperatures make it a delight to spend time outside in the garden and also provide an advantage when it’s time to harvest your crops.

You’ll spend less time caring for your fall crops because of the favorable cool weather growing conditions. Plants will grow rapidly at first and gradually slow as the days become shorter and colder. Destructive insects won’t be as numerous in autumn as they are in summer months. Weeds germinate less frequently and grow slower than they do during the warmer seasons. Compared to hot and dry summers, fall usually brings an increase in the amount of precipitation, eliminating another time-consuming chore – watering.

What you need to know:

1. Let the sunshine in. Most vegetables need full sun – at least six hours of direct sunlight per day. They also require a steady supply of moisture and nutrients from the soil. You can help ensure your plants get both by mixing a 2-inch layer of compost into the soil (bagged compost is available at garden centers). Or spread a balanced fertilizer, such as 10-10-10, according to labeled instructions. Plants will need an inch of moisture per week, either through rain or supplemental watering.

Lettuce and herbs make a lush harvest when potted for fall. Bonnie Plant biodegradable Pots make it easy to get your fall vegetable garden started.

2. Start with transplants. Transplants buy you lots of time. Plants are six weeks or older when you put them into the ground, so you will begin harvesting much sooner than if you start from seed. Bonnie Plants transplants in biodegradable, environmentally friendly pots make planting easy and spare the use of much plastic. Just cut off the bottom of the pot, water and plant … pot and all. Garden centers typically supply optimum fall varieties for your geographic region.

3. Don’t fear frost. When frost threatens, cover plants with a floating row cover, cold frame or a cloche. Or, you can grow fall veggies in a container and move the pot to a protected location on frosty nights.

Essential, preliminary planning tips for fall vegetable gardens include:

* Before planting any new plant make sure that you clear the area of summer and spring crops planted previously, as they may decay and encourage bacterial infection.

* Spread a few inches of mulch or compost over the area. Make sure that you turn up the soil’s top layer and water well. Allow the soil to rest for a day before planting new fall plants.

* During the fall season most areas experience rain and even frost, so make sure that your soil is well drained and doesn’t get soggy.

Vegetables best suited for fall gardens:

After following the essential preliminary steps for fall vegetable gardening, it’s time to select vegetables for planting. Here’s a list of fast-growing, cold-hardy crops that are ideal for fall vegetable gardening:

Winterbor Kale – This nutritious leafy green is a vigorous producer that endures winter easily, even in very cold climates. Cut the outer leaves so that the center can continue growing. Space transplants about 12 inches apart

Georgia Collards – Another leafy green similar to kale, collards offer a larger, stronger, sweet cabbage-like flavor. Leaves taste best when young. Space transplants 36 inches apart.

Romaine Lettuce – Romaine packs more vitamins, minerals, fiber, and phytonutrients than other popular types of lettuce. Rich in fiber, vitamin C, and beta-carotene, romaine is an especially good vegetable for heart health. Space transplants 18 inches apart.

Early Dividend Broccoli – Popular, productive and easy to grow, this broccoli is high in fiber and calcium. Set transplants 18 inches apart

Mustard Greens – Offering spicy hot leaves, this is a very fast-growing, nutritious vegetable. Mustard greens always taste sweeter when nipped by frost. Space plants 12 inches apart

Bonnie Hybrid Cabbage – Bonnie’s best cabbage. Grows large, round, blue-green heads. Cabbage is especially high in beta-carotene, vitamin C, K and fiber.

Arugula – These fast-growing leafy greens are great for salads or gourmet recipes. This peppery-tasting green is a super food for your bones. The leaves are “nutrient dense” and low in calories. They are especially high in vitamins A, C, and K.

If you put these practices into place this fall, you’ll get your garden off to the right start and set it up for a fruitful season. Preparation is key, but the reward is a healthier, more productive garden – and fresh food that tastes better than anything you can buy at the store.

To learn more about vegetable and herb varieties as well as gardening tips, visit www.bonnieplants.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Photo Credit: www.terranovanurseries.com. Echinacea "Mac 'n' Cheese" and Echinacea "Pink Poodle" from Terra Nova Nurseries provide striking color when planted solo and bold color contrast when planted as a pair.

(ARA) – Lawns and gardens that are eye-catching have harmonious colorful plants in bloom and dramatic foliage varieties patterned in a way that appeals to the senses.

Unifying blooming and foliage plants in gardens has become a popular trend because it allows homeowners to think outside the box of traditional flower beds. If planted with care, a garden space can result in a heightened presence of sight, smell, movement and even touch. However, starting from scratch without proper knowledge can be tricky. From bold plant selection contrasts to color continuity, understanding bloom and foliage combinations will lead to an alluring escape in any backyard.

Ambiance Matters

Photo Credit: www.terranovanurseries.com. This Heucherella "Tapestry" from Terra Nova Nurseries is a breakthrough in breeding by providing unique color and texture in shady areas.

Foliage plants bring as much interest to the garden and provide as many options as blooming plants. However, these combinations often exist in the form of variegated textures and nontraditional color contrasts. It is important to keep in mind the differences between a flower bed and foliage design. Foliage is all about leaf shape, vein coloration, outlines and textures. Some foliage selections are tall, dramatic and vast; others are soft, petite and simple. Arrangements are often subtle and focus on creating a mood, drawing the eye outward or upward and creating dimension.

Because common foliage colors include variations of blues, silvers, greens and deep reds, a soothing design concept is often a favorite among homeowners. To achieve this delicate ambiance, it is best to use strong textural contrasts to insight supplemental interest instead of bright colors alone. A mix of matte and velvet-like foliage may be best for this style, with groupings of smooth and serrated edges. The blue-green summer leaves of Heucherella ‘Tapestry’ are accented with deep-red veins which complement dark foliage plants such as the deep purple of Heuchera ‘Plum Royale.’ These two plants from Terra Nova Nurseries, a world leader in plant breeding and genetics in Portland, Ore., work well together to infuse drama and fullness to beds or containers.

Introducing soft hues blended with striking color contrasts adds range and seems to extend the space. Plant colors such as silver, auburn, russet and deep green will also add a calming effect and develop a sense of assortment without over-complicating the layout of the garden.

By choosing colors such as yellow, chartreuse, bright reds and greens, a foliage garden will take on a more vibrant energy. While vivid hues were once less common in foliage plants, many are now cultivated with high-level color power to tackle the need. When trying to make an impact, pair several bright- and true-green foliage varieties of different textures in an area with one or two unusual foliage colors. Complementing a heavy green palette with plants of crimson or wine will become an instant focal point. For example, the shiny, lacy leaves of Tiarella ‘Sugar and Spice,’ from Terra Nova Nurseries, have heavily marked reddish centers in summer. When used with Tiarella ‘Mystic Mist,’ showcasing bright green leaves with white-speckled variegation and red veins, the combo is breath-taking.

Two other garden-worthy options from the growers of Garden Splendor varieties include Sedum ‘Angelina’ with evergreen needle-like, yellow foliage that makes a stunning ground cover or container plant and Sorbaria ‘Sem’ boasting a spectacular chartreuse leaf accented with softer bronze-red young tips that turn green in summer.

Color Congeals

When planning the colors for a landscape, especially spring or summer gardens, it is wise to think in terms of diversity. When placed together, flowering blooms in a variety of colors, shapes and sizes creates a medley with enticing appearance. Professional growers like Terra Nova Nurseries and Garden Splendor make great strides each year to cultivate a wide range of colorful bloomers. Planting unexpected combinations like Terra Nova Nurseries’ Echinacea ‘Pink Poodle’ and Echinacea ‘Mac ‘n’ Cheese’ will stop garden visitors in their tracks with a bold and beautiful surprise. The names alone are enough to draw attention.

The alternating-stripe blooms of Phlox ‘Peppermint Twist’ are a stunning choice for beds, borders and mass plantings. True to its name, pink and white blooms appear as if peppermint candy atop this compact grower. The Garden Splendor brand horticulturists say it is a mainstay of summer garden color.

Following the home-gardener trend of developing a collection or menagerie of color in the landscape, the Terra Nova Nurseries team introduced Echinacea ‘Tomato Soup,’ a coneflower with tomato-red blooms that can grow up to 3 feet tall. It follows Echinacea ‘Tiki Torch,’ now well known for its broad florets and burnished-copper seed cones. When creating beds, borders, containers, and other gardens, blooming color and attractive foliage will unify the areas by their sheer visual appeal. Learn more about these plants and gardening tips at www.terranovanurseries.com and www.gardensplendor.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Rabbits wreaking havoc on your prized plants? Natural products use taste and smell aversions to keep critters away.

(ARA) – You love the great outdoors, especially gardening. But sometimes wildlife can be just a bit too wild, with rabbits munching prized plants to the ground, deer devouring petals of roses and azaleas, and cats rolling over seedlings and leaving their “calling cards” throughout your landscaping.

Unfortunately, these critters are a common, perpetual annoyance to home gardeners. Learning a little more about their habits and identifying the culprits is your first step to critter control. First, you’ll need to recognize your four-legged foraging foe. Here are some tips to help you determine the critters you’ll need to thwart: 

Rabbits: Bunnies don’t just dine on clover and grass, they’ll also wreak havoc on your vegetable plants and can even damage woody plants in your landscape. Tell-tale signs that bunnies are bountiful include damage that is usually no higher than 2 1/2 feet above the ground, and sharp cuts at 45-degree angles on plants. 

Deer: A lovely sight almost anywhere other than in your backyard. Deer can, and do, cause major damage to plants, landscapes and vegetable gardens, consuming about 12 pounds of foliage in a single day. To determine if your flowers and vegetables are disappearing due to deer damage, look closely at the half-eaten plants. If you see a jagged, rough edge, you can be sure the damage was done by deer as they have no incisor teeth and tear at the food source, leaving proof of their presence. 

Squirrels: These furry, funny, cute creatures can be quite destructive when it comes to your gardens and landscapes. Squirrels are burrowing animals; they usually feed on bulbs and green leafy material during the spring and summer, switching to seeds and grains during the fall and winter. They love wild bird feeders and have a reputation for driving away the very birds you put the feeder out to attract. You have squirrel damage if you see gnawing marks on tree bark and outside wiring, and signs of digging and burrowing. You’ll also see them in the light of day sitting atop your birdfeeder. 

Cats frolicking in your flowerbeds? All-natural products can control critters in your garden and are safe for children and pets.

Cats: Cats love to dig in soft already-tilled soil, making gardens just perfect for their digging desires. Most cats think the outdoors is their litter box, and a patch of dirt is an invitation to come do their business. It also makes a great place to play or roll. They’ll roll over your plants, breaking new shoots and foliage. A sure sign you have a cantankerous cat frolicking in your flowerbeds is cat droppings. 

These critters don’t have to be the enemy of your gardens, and trapping them won’t solve the problem. The arrival of warm weather means the arrival of new foliage, green grass and pesky critters in our backyards and gardens. As spring is sprung, we’re suddenly faced with long gardening to-do lists and a wide variety of unwanted animals in our garden beds. As a rule of thumb, it’s far better to prevent animal damage than to wait until it occurs and try to combat it. 

There are a number of less-than-ideal approaches for dealing with these frustrating problems. Messy, dangerous chemicals pose unacceptable risks for most homeowners, considering pets and children. Sealing off entire areas of your landscape would be impractical, inconvenient and potentially very costly. Trapping is a lot of effort, and again, it would be a perpetual labor as trapping does nothing to prevent new pests. 

All-natural alternatives can help keep critters out of your gardens and landscape. Look for 100 percent certified organic products like those made by Messina Wildlife Management. Easily applied in ready-to-use spray bottles, these organic products dry clear, smell good and work for 30 days before reapplication is needed, no matter the weather. They’re safe to use on vegetables and none will harm the animals they’re intended to repel. Natural products use taste and smell aversions to keep critters like rabbits, deer, squirrel, cats, groundhogs, moles and even armadillos out of your backyard. 

For most animals scent and taste are the primary senses that attract them to food sources. If you disrupt the animal’s sense of smell and taste, you have won the battle against the constant parade of pesky critters in your landscapes. Visit Messinawildlife.com for more information on natural, safe, effective pest repellents. 

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Here are some tips to help you to make that dream a reality, in a “greener,” more cost-conscious way:

* Switch over to a push lawn mower or electric mower this year. Overall they’re traditionally lower in price, save you money at the gas pump and also provide you with healthy exercise.

* Use a landscape fabric like Weed-X or Weed Shield to protect your investment in expensive perennial and annual plants. Unlike other landscape fabrics or simple black plastic, these fabrics are the only products proven to prevent weed roots from penetrating the soil from above, and prevent existing weeds from growing up through the fabric. Also, since these landscape fabrics help soil retain its moisture, thereby conserving water, and eliminate the need for toxic or harmful chemical weed killers, you’ll save yourself time, money and help contribute to conserving our Earth’s resources. The fabrics are guaranteed to work for 20 years, reducing the amount of waste you create.

* Decorate your yard with carriage and porch lights, but install them on an “as needed basis” with a motion detector light system. This way you can still enjoy your landscaping after dark, but don’t need to worry about wasted electricity or unnecessarily large utility bills.

* Build or purchase a rain barrel to capture water draining from your gutters and downspouts. These barrels work to provide you with fresh water for your plants in between showers, but also prevent soil runoff from where the spouts dump water in your grass.

* If you are dealing with hungry critters in your yard, avoid using expensive toxic chemical pesticides which can be dangerous for pets and children. Instead install a scarecrow device, like Dalen’s Rotating Head Owl or their Holographic Scaretape. These scarecrows effectively and humanely deter destructive yard pests like rabbits, birds, squirrels and gophers while depending on wind and sun for movement, eliminating the need for electricity or batteries.

Visit www.dalenproducts.com for more ways to save money and keep your garden even “greener” this summer and for years to come.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Plant Knock Out roses against your porch to add eye-popping color to your home.

(ARA) – Stroll your neighborhood and chances are you’ll spot landscape shrub roses decorating someone’s garden or backyard. Take a drive into town, and you’ll see them planted at your favorite shopping center.

If you haven’t noticed, landscape shrub roses have taken the country by storm. In home gardens, in containers and along highways, these low-maintenance roses bloom continuously from spring until frost with little to no effort.

“Anybody can grow these hard-working roses, no matter where they live. If you can grow grass, you can grow landscape shrub roses,” says James A. Baggett, editor of Country Gardens Magazine. He likes Knock Out roses for their drought tolerance and disease resistance, especially against black spot.

When designing with shrub roses, think of them as you would any flowering shrub, only this one will bloom continuously all season and do all the work for you!

Here are some tips on using landscape shrub roses in the garden and throughout the landscape.

1. Problem Solvers in Your Landscape
Whether you live in a city or the ‘burbs, have a small garden plot or large acreage, the gardening and decorating possibilities with shrub roses are endless. Plant them individually among other shrubs, annuals and perennials, in mixed beds and borders.

2. Pot up a Container
Renowned garden designer Jon Carloftis prefers to plant shrub roses in containers. “I like to give them perfect planting conditions such as good drainage, rich soil and the addition of regular fertilizer that won’t be an overdose to neighboring plants,” he says. “The results are outstanding when roses are planted in formal urns or combinations of rustic pots.”

From small apartments to grand homes, containers filled with shrub roses bring an understated sophistication to any sized deck, porch and patio. Pot them up in large and small containers, around a gazebo, poolside, or your entranceway for the perfect plant for all seasons.

3. Close to Home
Nothing says simple elegance like the original Knock Out rose. Try planting them “en masse” against your front porch or home. The large clusters of cherry-red blooms say “welcome” with a generous bloom cycle of every five to six weeks. Against your house, porch or deck, the rich, eye-popping red color is a sure winner.

Group several Knock Out roses together to hide unsightly utility units.

4. Second Look Curbside Appeal
Looking for plants with great curbside appeal that add year-round beauty? Cluster shrub roses around a mailbox or blend with perennials to create visual curb appeal. Plant the award-winning Rainbow Knock Out along with perennials. This lovely coral pink rose complements any color scheme and the blooms almost look hand-painted with rich yellow at the base. The plant adds height and color for maximum curbside appeal.

5. Now You See it – Now You Don’t
Do you have an unsightly utility unit, shed, trash can, or pool pump you want to hide? How about a slope or a hazardous spot to fill? Group hardy and attractive roses for a showy “cover-up.” Try planting Pink Double Knock Out with double flowers in a cheerful bubble gum hue. Unfazed by heat, this hardy shrub rose will cover up those unsightly spots with a pink profusion of color.

6. Borders and More
Want to create a natural privacy fence in your backyard? Shrub roses will keep wandering children, pedestrians or stray dogs out of the landscape with a colorful “living wall” hedge.

7. Create an English Garden
You don’t need to dream anymore about having a showcase formal garden. Stake and trim your favorite shrub roses to grow as small rose trees for the look and feel of an English garden. Mix in old-fashioned favorites such as spiraea and hydrangea to create an enviable cottage garden.

It’s no wonder that these roses are the number one choice for folks looking for a carefree landscape shrub rose that looks great and performs beautifully. For more information visit: TheKnockOutRose.com.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Green Gardening: Save Time, Money and the Environment

Everyone wants a beautiful landscape but most people feel they lack the time and expertise to cultivate the results they want. With a few simple eco-friendly changes in your fall landscape care, you can get more beautiful results with a limited investment of time and effort.

Triple Your Benefits
Cut the grass, recycle fall leaves and improve the soil with a pass of the lawn mower. Shred leaves and leave them on the lawn as you mow this fall. As long as you can see the grass through the leaf pieces, the lawn will be fine.

According to nationally known horticulturist and gardening expert Melinda Myers, “Shredding leaves and leaving them on the lawn is good for the grass and saves you time. As the leaves break down they add organic matter to the soil, improving drainage in clay soil and water holding ability in sandy soils. It’s a great way to recycle a valuable natural resource and reduce your work load. You can increase the environmental benefit even further by using an electric mower to both cut your grass and shred the leaves.”

Further improve your lawn’s health with fall fertilization. University research has shown that fall fertilization is the most beneficial practice for home lawns. Less disease problems and slower weed growth means your lawns — not the pests — benefit from the nutrients. Fall fertilization also helps lawns recover from the stresses of summer because it encourages deep roots and denser growth that can better compete with weeds and tolerate disease and insects.

“Northern gardeners can follow the holiday schedule and fertilize Labor Day and Halloween. Southern gardeners should make their last fall fertilization at least 30 days before the lawn goes dormant or the average first killing frost to avoid winter kill,” recommends Myers.

Use a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer, for best results. Milorganite fertilizer is slow release and resists leaching. Its phosphorus and organic nitrogen stay in the root zone for the plants to use over a long period of time. And, it is good for the environment since the nutrients resist leaching into the groundwater and nearby well. Plus, the non-staining iron promotes greening without excess late season growth that could be subject to winter kill.

Less Work, Better Results
Leave healthy perennials stand for winter. According to Myers, “The seedheads add beauty to the winter landscape and provide food for the birds. Plus, research has found perennials left standing are better able to tolerate the rigors of winter.”

Be sure to remove any diseased or insect-infested plants to reduce the source of pest problems in next year’s garden. Use any extra fall leaves as mulch. Shred the leaves with your mower and spread a layer over the soil to conserve moisture and insulate the perennials’ roots. Not only are the leaves free, but using them as mulch is good for your garden and the environment. Fall mulching gives you a jump on next spring’s landscape chores.

Shredded leaves also make a good mulch for over bulbs. Plant daffodils, tulips and hyacinths in fall for extra color next spring. Set the bulbs at a depth of 2-to-3 times their height deep. Cover with soil, sprinkle on a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer like Milorganite and water. The low nitrogen slow release fertilizer promotes rooting without stimulating fall growth subject to winter kill. The leaf mulch helps conserve moisture, moderate soil temperature fluctuations and eventually improves the soil.

Dig ‘Em In
Still more leaves? Then shred them with the mower and dig them into vacant annual flower and vegetable gardens or incorporate them as you prepare new planting beds. You will be amazed at how quickly these leaves turn into organic matter and improve your garden’s soil. Add a little slow release fertilizer to feed the microorganisms and speed up their decomposition.

Or use the shredded leaves in your compost pile. Combine fall leaves with other plant waste, a bit of soil or compost, and a low nitrogen slow release fertilizer like Milorganite to create compost. Recycling yard waste saves time bagging, hauling and disposing of green debris. You also reduce or eliminate the need to buy soil to improve your existing garden soil.

So put away the rake and find creative ways to save time and money as you put fall leaves to work in your landscape. For more information, visit www.milorganite.com and www.melindamyers.com

Courtesy of ARAcontent

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Still, eco-friendly is a great choice and one that I heartily agree with, especially when it comes to gardening.  I often shudder when I see those signs, “stay off the lawn, pesticide use,” and I think of all the hours of enjoyment that will be missed simply because someone sprayed their lawn.

If you are eco-friendly, or trying to go eco-friendly, here are is a handy organic tip on weed control that will keep you and your garden happy and healthy.

Weed Control:

I remember one year my garden became overrun with dandelions.  I was in hell.  Not because of the dandelions, nope I’m actually quite fond of this sunny little weed, but because of my over zealous neighbors who, I was positive, were casting hexes my way on a daily basis.  Two long days were spent going over the lawn on my hands and knees and digging out the dandelions.  I had a huge stack to toss into the compost by the time I was finished and my neighbors smiled at me in what appeared to be relief. 

Unfortunately, not even a week after my adventures in weeding and the neighbor across the street, who could care less about how the neighbors felt, allowed his lawn of dandelions to mature and I watched in horror as they spread across my lawn again.

Now I take a completely relaxed view of dandelions and the only time you see me out there pulling them out is when I’m harvesting a treat for my son’s bunny. 

Of course, this probably doesn’t offer you much advice right there but the most organic way to control weeds is to dig them out.  Yes, it’s hard work and probably one of the worst jobs in gardening but it has to be done.

Now, the alternative to digging out weeds in places other than your lawn, is to use an old piece of carpet or a piece of black polyethylene.  All you need to do is place the strip over the weed(s) and leave it.  The lack of light will eventually kill the weed and it is not a next day cure to weeds.  Generally, you need to wait several months for all the roots to die but in the end, if the patch of weeds was large enough, you save yourself the backache and the planet from chemicals.

Sirena Van Schaik

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What you need:

• Wire Wreath Form
• Sphagnum Moss
• Small Well Rooted Plants
• Floral U-pins
• Fishing Line
• Rubber Gloves
• Scissors
• Bucket

Before starting, a nice leisurely stroll through your local garden center is a wonderful way to find the right theme for your wreath.  Go in and absorb the sights, sounds and smells around you to gain inspiration for the wreath.  Plan your visit around the central idea of the wreath; a busy garden center might inspire a wreath that is colorful and filled with busy cheer.  A quiet early morning visit may inspire a wreth that exudes serenity.

Now that you have the mood, you need the plants.  There are hundreds of plants that can be used for living wreaths but it is important to use well-rooted plants.  When choosing the plants, take into consideration the soil composition, light requirements, and moisture needs of the plants since they should all be similar.  Succulents do very well in living wreaths and they come in a variety of shapes, sizes and colors.  If you are looking for some blooms in your living wreath, plants such as pansies, violets and many other flowering plants can do well.  Plants that have quick growing roots such as ivy also make an excellent choice for a living wreath.  Herbs such as mint, rosemary and lavender to name a few can be added to a wreath to create a desired ambiance.  Take time when choosing your plants and play around with placement before you commit to the purchase.

When you sit down to create your living wreath, make sure you do it in an area that can be cleaned easily.  Like many creative processes, this can be very messy.  I usually place a garbage bag down and work on top of it.  This makes clean up a breeze and saves time for the more important stuff, like admiring your work.

You will need a wire wreath form but it does not have to be a simple circular shape; hearts and other shapes also look nice.  You will also need fishing line, scissors, floral u-pins, a bucket and rubber gloves.  It is very important to wear rubber gloves since you will also be using Sphagnum Moss to line the wreath and hold the plants.  Sphagnum moss can cause a skin infection if it is handled without gloves. 

To begin, you will need to tie the end of the fishing line to a starting point on your wreath.  Place the Sphagnum Moss, which needs to be soaked for 30 minutes before hand, around the wreath form and make sure that it is generously layered.  Arrange the plants on top of the moss.  It is best if you lay them loosely so you can position the plants until you have created the mini garden that you desire.  After you are happy with the placement, take the first plant closest to the fishing line and place it in the Sphagnum Moss.  Secure the plant with more moss and loop the fishing line around both the moss and the plant.  Repeat these steps all the way around the wreath and keep a close eye on the shape to prevent the size from fluctuating around the wreath.  When the wreath is complete, tie off the fishing line and place the wreath where you want it.

Living wreaths do require a significant amount of care.  The plants need to be trimmed and controlled with floral pins and the living wreath will need to be watered every day.  The best way to accomplish this is to place the wreath in a garbage can lid and soak it for a few minutes in cool water.     

A finished living wreath can be a work of art and can be used in a multitude of ways.  Deep greens and seasonal flowers can create a welcoming wreath during the holidays.  Create a wreath with nothing but fresh herbs and place it in a kitchen.  Not only do you have a wonderfully scented kitchen but you can use the clippings to spice up any dish you desire.    

Romance can be achieved by adding candleholder spikes into the wreath and setting it on a table.  Be sure to securely fasten the spikes with fishing line.  Add a touch of mint or another favorite herb to give the romantic setting a seductive scent.      

A great way to bring the romance from indoors to out is to create several small wreaths and place them on candle spikes down a walkway.  The flickering light of the candles warm the colors of the wreaths at night and can provide a charming decoration during the day.      

One of my favourite ways to use a living wreath is to fill it with soothing greens, warm colors and a soft blend of lavender and chamomile. Add it as a table decoration or as a wall hanging in your bathroom spa.  The need for scented candles will be unnecessary with the relaxing smells that drift from a well-placed living wreath.    

The living wreath has become more than a way to bring the garden indoors during winter months.  It has become a way to create a decoration, a miniature garden, and a central object for relaxation and meditation and there is no end to their enjoyment throughout the whole process of creating and owning one.

Sirena Van Schaik

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3. Creating A Beautiful Bonsai Garden

For anyone that grows a well-tended garden, there is no limit to the amount of emotions felt when it has taken shape. Gardens can reflect so many things; a person’s moods, dreams, desires or they can be a guided path through peace and tranquility. They can incite feelings of sun kissed joy, whisper of deep green serenity and exotic romance. There is no limit to the structure, flow and accessories that can be added to a garden but sometimes when the focus is on the central space, the outer edges become blurred and forgotten. A living wreath is a wonderful way to take the central idea and move it towards the edges of a garden or even inside.

Wreaths have been used for decades to provide decoration during holidays, to add a touch of color to a room or as a welcoming flourish to many front doors. Wreaths have moved from being decorations only seen around holidays to a potential yearlong celebration of both art and beauty. Living wreaths take a work of art and turn it into beauty that breathes life into a space. They can make an excellent accessory to any garden gate or home, welcoming people with deep greens, vibrant colors, and heavenly smells. They can be used for centerpieces during holidays and can be made year round, although the cost of a living wreath during off seasons can be fairly high. They can be simple to extravagant, a pool of deep cool greens or a bright splash of color. There really is no limit to the shape, colors, size or enjoyment that a living wreath can add to a space.

Making a living wreath can be as rewarding as tending a full size garden, in fact they can be thought of as small gardens that need to be shaped, tended and loved. Living wreaths do not have to be difficult to make and they can inspire the same feelings of accomplishment that gardens do.

Sirena Van Schaik

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1. Creating a Living Wreath Part 2
2. Gardening Ideas for Container Gardens
3. What Are the Advantages of Creating Herb Gardens Outdoors?

Some tulips are willing to put on a good show for two or three years, sometimes more. This is a Darwin Hybrid tulip named Pink Impression. It is one of the most reliable of the “perennial” tulips.

It’s a common frustration. You buy 25, 100, maybe even 300 tulip bulbs, plant them in the fall and enjoy a great display in the spring. But the following spring, all you get is a smattering of flowers and maybe a bunch of leaves.

“What happened?” you ask yourself. “Aren’t tulips supposed to come back? My grandmother has tulips that have bloomed every spring for as long as she can remember? Did I do something wrong?”

According to Tim Schipper, owner of Colorblends wholesale flowerbulbs in Bridgeport, Conn., you are not to blame. “It’s in the nature of tulips,” he says. “Most are not strong perennializers. They don’t flower well the second year after planting.”

Why Tulips Stop Flowering
The tulip bulbs you buy and plant in the fall have been groomed to bloom. They were raised in sandy Dutch soil and fertilized in just the right measure.

To produce large, flowering-size bulbs, growers in Holland remove the flowers within a few days after they open. "Beheading" machines cut off 90 percent of the blooms. People, sometimes lying on flatbed trailers as shown above, pluck off the rest.

When they bloomed in the spring (the same year you bought them), the flowers were cut off soon after they opened to keep them from drawing too much energy from the bulbs below. They continued to grow for several more weeks in famously cool Dutch weather. (“Holland is further north than Newfoundland, which is over 300 miles north of the tip of Maine,” Schipper notes.) After going dormant in early summer, the bulbs were dug and stored in a climate-controlled warehouse to mimic a long, hot, bone-dry summer in the mountains of Central Asia, which is where most tulips are native.

Here are two tulip bulbs. The one on the left is topsize: it’s the sort of bulb you would expect to buy and plant in the fall. The bulb on the right shows what happens after blooming in the spring. If left in the ground, the small bulbs would produce foliage the following spring, but they are not large enough to make flowers.

“All of this TLC yields a high percentage of flowering-size bulbs, including many top-size bulbs, the cream of the crop, which measure 12 centimeters in circumference and sometimes larger,” Schipper says. “A top-size bulb can’t get bigger, but it will get smaller, typically by splitting into two or more smaller bulbs.”

So you start with big, plump tulip bulbs and plant them in your garden. Do you have sand for soil? Do you monitor your soil’s fertility and apply just what’s needed when it’s needed? Do you have long cool springs in your climate the way they do in Holland? Do you cut the flowers off right after they open? The answer to most of these questions is most likely no.

“Under less-than-perfect garden conditions, when the bulbs split into smaller bulbs, those smaller bulbs are unlikely ever to grow to flowering size,” says Schipper. “Some may also rot due to heavy soil or excess moisture. And so your breathtaking tulip display dwindles to little or nothing. That said, I have a few red tulips that have bloomed every spring for 10 years. They just refuse to give up.”

Tulips That May Come Back
The good news is that some tulips are willing to bloom well for more than one spring. Their bulbs are slow to split or they split unevenly, so that one of the smaller bulbs is still big enough to flower. “Eventually, flowering becomes sparse, but you may get two or three good displays before you feel the need to replant,” Schipper says.

The best known of these so-called perennial tulips are the Darwin Hybrids. This group includes such well-known varieties as Apeldoorn, Oxford and Pink Impression. All make big bulbs and big flowers in bold colors. They bloom in the middle of the spring bulb season.

Almost as familiar are the Fosteriana tulips, which include the Emperor series (Red, White, Yellow and Orange). These tulips are more compact and earlier to bloom than the Darwin Hybrids, but their vase-shaped flowers are large and very showy.

Further down the list are the Greigii and Kaufmanniana tulips, which are generally shorter and earlier than the Darwin Hybrids and Fosterianas and often have attractively spotted leaves.

And finally there are the wild, or species, tulips. They are descendants or near-relatives of the tulips that can still be found growing in the valleys and on the rugged slopes of mountains in such places as Iran, Afghanistan and Kazakhstan. They are colorful, attractive and remarkably persistent in the landscape.

Spring Beauty on the Cheap
If you can buy a tulip that may flower for three years, why would you consider one that will only flower once? The answer, Schipper says, is that some of the most beautiful tulips are not good perennials. “People plant them because at 35 to 45 cents a bulb, they won’t break the bank. Compared to other leisure activities, planting bulbs is less expensive, takes less time, is longer lasting and more beautiful. When you look at it that way, even a one-shot tulip gives a great return on investment.”

For More Information
You can learn more about tulips and other spring-flowering bulbs by visiting www.colorblends.com, or you can call toll free (888) 847-8637 to request the Colorblends 2008 wholesale catalog.

Courtesy of ARAcontent

How to Encourage Repeat Performances

(ARA) – Even if you select tulips with perennial tendencies, perennial behavior is not a sure thing. To increase your chances of having a multi-year display, try the following:

Choose a sunny, well-drained location. Tulips need lots of sun to store up the energy required to produce next year’s flowers (though a little afternoon shade will prolong bloom). Well-drained soil is important; bulbs planted in heavy, wet soil may rot.

Plant the bulbs deeply, 8 inches instead of the usual 5. Deep planting may help to prevent the bulbs from splitting into small, non-flowering bulbs.

Fertilize the bulbs when the foliage pushes through the soil in early spring. Don’t overdo it. A light scattering of a low-nitrogen fertilizer is enough. “We generally recommend organic fertilizers,” Schipper says. “They release their nutrients slowly, which means those nutrients are more likely to be taken up by the bulbs and less likely to become pollutants in the environment.”

Remove the spent flowers as soon as the bulbs finish blooming. Snapping off the top 3 inches of the flower stem prevents seed formation and focuses energy instead on bulb growth.

Avoid summer irrigation. Tulips prefer to be dry during their summer dormancy.

More on tulips:

Perennial Tulips in the South?

(ARA) – Tulips are cold-winter plants. To grow and bloom well, they need a real winter. Tulips planted in coastal North Carolina, South Carolina, Atlanta, Birmingham, Dallas and points south (and in the desert Southwest and Southern California) can be induced to perform reasonably well if they are refrigerated for 8 to 10 weeks before planting. Since they can’t get that chilling in the ground, tulips in the sunbelt should be treated as annuals, that is, chilled and planted in the fall, enjoyed in the spring and then pulled up and tossed on the compost pile.

“You’ll hear stories about tulips that perform well year after year in Columbia, South Carolina, or Columbus, Georgia, but a handful of repeat bloomers does not make a display,” Schipper says. “We tell our southern customers: ‘You can leave the bulbs in the ground if you want, but don’t get your hopes up.’”

Related posts:

1. Planting Tulips in Pots
2. Tulips – How to Prune Tulips
3. Tulips in the Garden