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 So what are annuals really all about? The following report includes some fascinating information about these Popular Flowering Plants you can use, not just the old stuff they used to tell you. Annuals are among the most popular of all flowering plants, and it is hard to beat annuals for low cost, beautiful blooms and ease of planting. All most annuals need in order to thrive is proper water, sufficient sunlight and a good well balanced soil.
Let’s take a quick look at each of these important elements for growing a spectacular bed of annuals.
Most types of annuals will do best in when given a well drained soil containing a moderate amount of humus. If you start a compost bin at home, you can provide your own high quality humus, or you can buy prepared humus from your favorite garden store. If your soil is very dry or contains a lot of clay it can be supplemented with manure or high quality compost.
Those of you not familiar with the latest on Annuals, now have at least a basic understanding.
Sunlight
Most varieties of annuals need to have at least six hours of full sunlight per day. Many types of annuals, such as argeratum, browallia, coleus, fuschia, dianthus, pansy, and impatiens, do well in partial shade or in filtered sunlight, but few if any annuals will thrive in complete shade. It is important to take these sunlight needs into account when planning your flower bed. Continue Reading »
 The right houseplants can add depth and beauty to your home. There are a plethora of choices for anyone who wants to bring decorative accents to his décor. The plants range from tall indoor trees to tiny cactus houseplants that just provide a little color and detail. These decorative must-haves can also be functional as well.
We usually associate edible plants with outdoor gardens that are replanted each year. However, edible plants can serve two purposes when used as houseplants. There are a number of creative ways to integrate the functional vegetation into your home. The functional houseplants are a wonderful way to make use of your decorations.
Many vegetables can be grown indoors. The best vegetables to use as houseplant include radishes. Radishes are especially nice because they add color as well as function. Bushy vegetables fair better in the home than vine vegetables like beans. The vine plants are difficult to grow indoors. They require a lot of light and a lot of room to grow to their fullest potential.
Another thing to consider when growing houseplants is using the proper containers. It is essential that the containers have the proper drain holes for the specific houseplants. The containers should also be decorative, of course, while giving the plants room to grow. You may fall in love with a planter that strangles your houseplant. Continue Reading »
Fresh flowers are truly a display of natures beauty. They can easily brighten up not only a room, but a person’s mood as well. Fresh flower bouquets make wonderful birthday, anniversary and Valentine’s Day gifts. The only downside to cut flowers is that their beauty fades, and they wither too quickly. However, the beauty doesn’t have to fade away so soon, because there is a way to capture the essence of the flower, forever.
Preserving fresh flowers isn’t a difficult process. It can easily be done and once completed you have a tangible memory of the arrangement and the occasion it marked.
One of the first steps in preserving fresh flowers is to spray the flowers with hair spray. The hair spray helps to preserve the color of the flowers. Next you’ll want to hang the flowers upside down in a dark, dry and cool place. This can be a closest or in a basement if you have one in your home.
Once the flowers have dried significantly you can place them in a vase again or arrange them in another manner without having to worry about them spoiling.
A very popular method for preserving fresh flowers is to press them. Pressing them involves placing them between two pieces of wax paper or paper towel. Once you’ve done that you’ll place them in a book and then place several books on top. The weight presses the flower into a flat position.
This preservation technique enables you to use them as additions to photo albums, scrap books or picture frames. Many newlyweds utilize this after their weddings. By preserving fresh flowers from their special day they can place them in a frame along with a wedding photo. Continue Reading »
 We recently added to our patio area. We enjoy the new space but there is one area that seems to be desolate. It’s not large enough for a chair so I thought I would look at outdoor plants that could fill the space. I had other outdoor plants in the yard, but I didn’t want a short blooming plant in this area because you would not be able to see it due to the railing. So, off I went to the local nursery to see what I could find.
The nursery was filled with outdoor plants of all kinds. I had been here several times to purchase my bedding plants as well as vegetable plants. The owner of the nursery asked if she could help me. I told her that I needed a plant to put in a corner of the deck. She showed me beautiful hibiscus trees. These plants are specially bred to be outdoor plants, but they can be brought indoors for the winter months. I loved the plants, but they needed partial shade and the area of the deck I needed them for was in full sun light. We looked at several other outdoor plants that can withstand the hot sun, but none of them were tall enough for the space that I wanted to fill.
I was getting ready to leave when I spotted a large patio tomato plant that had a sturdy stake in the middle. The plant and stake was about 5 feel tall. The nursery owner said that she would sell it to me, but she was concerned that some of the tomatoes would come off during transport. I had brought our pick up truck to the nursery because I knew I wanted a tall plant. We taped a cardboard shield around the plant to protect it for the three miles to our home. Continue Reading »
 If you have a summer herb garden, it’s always a disappointment when cooler weather sets in and your fresh herbs die down. Now you need to rely on dried herbs as the next best thing to enhance your menus. Or do you? With a south-facing window and a little TLC, you can have a thriving window herb garden throughout the winter. Sure, you may not have the full complement of fresh annual herbs, but many herbs, given the right care and a sunny, warm environment will provide a bounty of delectable additions to your everyday winter menus. Here we have seven herbs you can sustain in a window herb garden, without too much effort, enhancing a variety of dishes with that just-picked taste.
1. Parsley: yes, parsley is readily available in the supermarket year-round. However, there’s a world of difference between freshly picked parsley, both in taste and nutrition, from a bunch that’s traveled hundreds or thousands of miles before reaching your store. If your garden parsley has already gone to seed, it’s not too late! Buy a bunch and snip off the freshest tips, leaving as much stem as you can. Dip the cutting in a rooting hormone powder (available at any nursery) and set the cutting in a small pot of sandy soil. It will root within a week or two and begin sprouting new leaves. During this rooting period, spray the cutting, in its pot, with a fine mist to keep it moist. Allow the plant to grow to a sufficient size before you start snipping. Snipping will then encourage new branches. Continue Reading »
 Everyone wants to be able to do their part to fight global warming. But it’s not easy to figure out what exactly everyone should do. What exactly can you do to help with the climate crisis? You can’t stop driving a car altogether, and there certainly is the myth out there that to stop global warming means a complete shift in the way you lead your life. That’s not true. The fight can mean a number of very small steps and alterations that can lead to big changes down the road. The key to fighting global warming is if everyone did their best to achieve sustainable living.
What does sustainable living mean? Sustainable living is an attempt by a person or family to achieve a balance in terms of using the Earth’s resources. Many of the Earth’s resources are non-sustainable, meaning that there is a finite supply and that they might one day run out. Oil is a perfect example. Other resources are sustainable, such as wind and solar power. We could never run out of either of those things and as a result, they are both key to sustainable living.
So what are some of things you can do to achieve sustainable living? Well, one of the first steps towards sustainable living is to reduce your carbon footprint. The chief cause of global warming is the overwhelming amount of carbon dioxide that humans are emitting into the atmosphere. This can happen in the form of factories, but one of the main culprits is automobile emissions. Sustainable living might mean trading in your car for a hybrid or increasing your usage of mass transit or using your bike to commute or go shopping. Continue Reading »
 My husband and I bought a new home, which means we also bought a new yard. I am glad that it is winter right now because I have no idea how to landscape a yard. I love to look at plants and flowers. I do not love taking care of them. I have started to do a little research on plants and flowers for our yard and I have come across some wonderful ideas. The only problem is getting those ideas to work.
Of the information I have acquired about plants and flowers, the most valuable information has come from seasoned gardeners and do-it-yourself landscapers. I learned that some plants and flowers need to be planted again every year. I do not find this appealing because, as I mentioned, I like to look more than I like to work. It is a good idea for me to find out right away if the plants and flowers are annuals. The annuals die away during the winter and do not revisit in the spring.
Many people choose to buy perennials. Perennials are plants and flowers that only need to be planted once. They may die off in the winter, but they revisit in the spring. This is very appealing to me and I am starting to decide which perennials I want for my yard. Many perennials are flowering plants and beautiful shrubs that grow again and again each year. However, I was really disappointed when I discovered that there are other things to consider before buying plants and flowers.
There are animals that visit yards on a regular basis. Our house rests on two acres and most of the two acres is heavily wooded. This was appealing to me because the woods are nice to look at, but they require no maintenance. The wooded area of our property houses many animals. Some of these animals like to snack on plants and flowers. Since it is unlikely that I will be able to train the deer, raccoons, rabbits and squirrels on property dining etiquette, I need to consider which plants and flowers will not be palatable.
Unfortunately, what I find palatable to my eyes is palatable to our neighboring animals’ taste buds as well. The plants and flowers that are not on the dinner menu for our furry friends are downright unappealing to look at in most cases. The plants and flowers that are pleasing to the eye but not pleasant for the animals to eat are often annuals.
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