Summertime Flowers

Back again to blogging...

After the last post, time simply flew...other projects came in the first place, and  I ended up putting off this one that should have been my priority in 2010. After all, it was the idea of creating a blog like this that helped me to get through the first months of the year as a retired teacher. I found in it a substitute for the classes I no longer had to teach. And, in the end, blogging turned out to be a great pastime.

But, once a teacher, forever a teacher... my teaching practice was required, and my blog was set aside for a while.

So, after a few months, here I am writing about summer flowers - which are just gorgeous. Every garden, every corner is filled with colors, from bright pink to light rose, from dark purple to light blue, not mentioning the numerous varieties of yellows.

The bougainvilleas this year are incredibly colorful and so are the gracious hibiscus. My neighborhood is specially blessed with so many beautiful gardens. Were not for the boiling heat this summer and I would say this is my favorite season.

Parsley

Well, I am finally getting around to writing another post. After nearly three months away, I'm now back to blogging...which I surely missed, in spite of the excitement the projects I got involved with brought about.

So, here I am again to share with you great ideas FOR and FROM the garden. 

And it was by looking at my garden that I chose today's topic: parsley.

It looked so green and vibrant that I couldn't help taking a few pictures
to post here.


Parsley is a multi-purpose herb you shouldn't do without in your kitchen.

Often regarded as a simple table garnish, parsley is much more than that. Besides its delicious taste, parsley is highly nutritious, and has healing properties as well.

Very few people know that, but a serving of parsley contains vitamins   K, C, and A plus folate and iron.

As to preparation, the list is endless: you may use parsley in fresh salads, soups, and sauces. Chopped and mixed with melted butter, it is wonderful over fish or to glaze vegetables. It may also accompany chicken, veal, and other meat if you briefly deep-fry it and serve as vegetable.

You may easily grow parsley as it doesn't require any special care save sunshine, water and good soil...just like any other herb.

Pools And Fountains In The Garden

It’s been 13 days now since the last post but it seems I haven’t written in ages. Over the web, where instant communication is king, time has another dimension. One day or even a few hours away from the online world might appear that you’ve been away for months. It’ s amazing, isn’t it?

Well, such subject could lead us to an interesting discussion about how we spend our time ( or waste it ), how precious time becomes as years go by, how fast it is passing these days… But this isn’t our purpose here. On this blog, you and I address a more permanent stuff, right?

Ok,  before it’s too late, let’s get back to the blog theme and see some ideas to make your garden look prettier this summer. Yeah! Summer is just round the corner, and with it comes heat…

So, you might want to bring relief from the heat by using any form of water source in the garden, especially water in movement. The sound of running water is soothing , ideal for an end-of-workday family gathering.

A garden pool, a splashing fountain or a narrow little brook running through the grounds are some ideas that may be easily implemented.

A pool in the garden highlights the good features of your setting, and it should always be placed in the central part so that its surface will be seen from several points, or at least from the most frequented spot in the garden.

Make sure you choose both the appropriate shape and materials of the coping around the pool. Flagstone, brick and tile are all good depending on the degree of formality of the pool. Sometimes the best solution is no visible coping.

As to fountains, they  can be made with only a small supply of flowing water, and the same water can be used over and over if you install a small motor and pump for an electric pumping system. You might need extra help to do that but it’s all inexpensive while the final effect is awesome and worth your effort.

A Multicolored Garden

There is nothing more eye-catching than a multicolored garden.


Whether you choose to have flower-beds with only one flower type or with various ones, the resulting look will be just as gorgeous.


Take a look at these photos and get inspired to go outside and start creating your dream garden.

Begonias, Tulips, Daffodils - Bulbs For The Garden

Experts say that the secret to a beautiful garden is in the bulbs. One of the reasons that account for bulbs preference among more experienced gardeners is that bulbs naturally package all the essentials they need to flourish and grow. They are usually quite hardy and undemanding and can provide the most amazing shower of spring and summertime colors as a wide variety of colors and shapes can be produced. All that’s required is warming temperatures to bring the bulbs out of dormancy. 




You can easily find bulbs such as daffodil, crocus, hyacinth, tulip, and lily at your local lawn and garden center. However, if you want something rarer, you should 
 look for flowering bulbs with unique colors and smells like Guinevere, Blackmore, and Landon Begonias.

For spring-flowering bulbs, you will plant in fall while for summer-flowering 
bulbs, the ideal time to plant is spring. Most bulbs do well in pots or in planters, so your main concern should be the type of soil required and the depth and spacing necessary to give your new bulbs plenty of growing room. After following the necessary steps, your garden will be blooming with flowers that will catch everyone’s eyes. Enjoy!

How To Attract Hummingbirds To Your Garden - Part Two

Today I'm posting the second part of the article by Marilyn Pokorney on How to Attract Hummingbirds to Your Garden. It's  interesting to read all the advice she gives because most of it seems obvious but is often overlooked by gardeners - amateurs and pros as well. So if you want to see your garden being visited by hummingbirds, make sure you follow the tips below.


"Avoid pesticides. These chemicals kill the insects that hummingbirds eat for protein and can also sicken or kill the birds.

Add plenty of places for the birds to perch. Hummingbirds spend around 80% of their time sitting on twigs, shrubs, and other available resting places.

Provide red hummingbird feeders hung about thirty feet apart throughout your yard. Never fill your feeders with anything but a sugar-water mix of 1 part white sugar to 4 parts boiled water. Do not use food coloring or artificial sweeteners of any kind, and never, never use honey which can develop a fungus which can be fatal to hummingbirds. Clean and refill the feeders every 3 days. More often if temperatures are above 85 degrees F.

Hang the feeders on a pole in a flower bed or on a porch or deck near flowers hummingbirds are attracted to".

(to be continued)


About the author:

Author: Marilyn Pokorney
Freelance writer of science, nature, animals and the
environment.
Also loves crafts, gardening, and reading.
Website: http://www.apluswriting.net/

 

Flowers For the Garden

You may want something like this for your garden.

Or you would rather have only a flower bush like this one.

Annuals or Perennials for Your Garden

The choice between annual or perennial plants for the garden may be solely economical. However, there are other factors to be taken into account, depending on the time you can dedicate to gardening or to the type of garden you want to grow. Linda Jenkinson gives us some ideas on the topic, and hopefully, after reading them, you will be able to make your own decision.   Do You Need Annuals or Perennials for your Garden?
by: Linda Jenkinson*
The crocus delights us in early spring as it dares to peek through the snow and lift its face to the sun. Soon after follow tulips, narcissus, iris, lilacs… all perennials that welcome spring with vibrant color and fragrance. Perennial plants bloom at different times during the growing season and delight you with variety in color and size from earliest spring to late autumn. However, many perennials like those mentioned, bloom only for a few short weeks and then disappear from the landscape until the following year. Annual plants provide a garden with continuous bloom and color throughout the summer. The “mission” of an annual is to produce seed. Seeds sprout, foliage grows, flowers bloom and then the plant goes to seed. When the annual completes its mission, the entire plant— flower, foliage, and root system —dies. Some annuals have a very short life span and depending upon when they are planted, may reseed and go through two or more growing cycles per season. Other annual plants grow continuously from spring planting until the first frost of autumn. Since annual plants die completely at season end, they need to be replaced yearly. Depending on the cultivar, annual seeds can be planted directly into a garden or sprouted indoors for transplanting when weather conditions and soil temperatures are right for growth. Annual transplants are also available each spring at gardening centers and many are sold in inexpensive flats that contain four or more plants. Annual plants can often be closely grouped to fill in barren areas of your landscape whereas perennials often need space to multiply and/or to grow to maturity.

* Linda is leading author of GardeningGuides.com -Your place for information on gardening topics and free e-books .
 

Flowers and Other Garden Plants - Part Three

 This is the third part of GARDENING TIPS by Hege Crowton. Some of the tips may sound like obvious to the advanced gardener, but they are important to be remembered, especially if you do not have much practice. Check them out below:

10.Flowers are beautiful, but they are also expensive. Get one that is resistant to many elements. Flowers from your local community already have developed resistance to conditions present in your area.

11.For most garden plants, their roots go only as deep as 6 inches. Putting fertilizer deeper than that would be a waste of money. Put them shallower as they seep down when the plants are being watered.

12.Earthworms are important to plants. They till and aerate the soil for the roots to breathe. Non-organic fertilizers can kill them. This gardening tip dates back to the old days of gardening.

13. Having several kinds of insects that are beneficial to your garden would be good. These insects can be encouraged to stay by having diverse plants in your garden.

14. Spot spraying weeds with household vinegar, instead of using commercial weed-killers, can eradicate them. This is another environment friendly gardening tip. 

 

Basil in the Garden

Basil will add to your garden with its good-smelling leaves. Plant it in pots along with other herbs or in a garden corner next to taller species.

BOUGAINVILLEAS ON THE ROOF

Bougainvilleas are naturally beautiful and are able to leave any corner of your garden just gorgeous. Like this roof:

GARDENING TIPS - Part One

Whether you are a newbie at gardening or a pro, the following tips will certainly be handy. The post below is part of an article written by Hege Crowton, an expert copywriter,who is known for doing in-depth research before writing her articles.


"Gardens come in different varieties like the plants you find in them. There are several gardening tips that can be used for all types of gardens.

1.Mulching protects your garden topsoil from being blown away. It also provides nutrients as it decomposes and improves the appearance of your gardens. Mulching has other benefits and is one of the most recommended gardening tips by gardeners and farmers alike.

2.Healthy plants are more disease resistant. Plants are like people, a person with a strong immune system can combat diseases. A healthy plant does the same.

3. Pests can be eradicated by cleaning the plant with a watery solution of soap. Just make sure to rinse after. This gardening tip is best heeded for fruit bearing trees or edible plants.

4. Using compost fertilizers are a great way to have healthy plants. It is also a great way to save money on expensive fertilizers. Non -organic fertilizers also tend to leave chemical residues that can accumulate in garden soils and harm not only the plants but the gardeners as well. They cause toxins to go to the water supplies. Another gardening tip recommended not just by farmers and gardeners but also by environmentalists."

To learn more about composting, you may check out last Tuesday's post (March 16th).

SUNFLOWERS BRING OUT JOY

Yellow looks just great in any garden. That's why sunflowers with their beautiful design will leave your place surprisingly joyful! Check out 03/03/2010 post for more ideas about flower types.