You’ve worked hard on your garden. You’ve spent months cultivating those tiny seedlings. You’ve banished weeds and bugs as best you could.  Your toil has been rewarded with some fruits, but there’s still more on the vine.  And now… vacation time.

If you’re relatively new to gardening, it can be a worrisome thing to let go of your garden for a week.  You’ve been its caretaker, and it has been your hobby and your respite from the busyness of modern life.  Now you’ve got to give it up to the care of either another person or to providence.  Either case can be concerning.

There is another option.  With a little bit of forethought, you can make preparations for your garden’s care while you are away.  You can purchase a timer system for watering the plants for about $25 to $50, depending on the size of your garden and the number of zones needed.  With a timer and some well-placed sprinkler heads, you can leave your garden for up to a week without worrying.

Bug protection is another matter altogether.  There’s not much that you can do to protect your garden from the creepies while you’re away.  The best alternative that I know is to have a friend come by once every three days or so to give it a spraying.  If any alert readers have a better plan for protecting the garden while they’re gone, I’d love to read it.  It’s so devastating to come home and find your prize pumpkin/eggplant/fill in the blank eaten up, leaving only a shell to mock you with its size and sheen.

The next time you’re going out of town for a few days, remember to plan ahead for the care and protection of your garden while you’re away.  It will be well worth the effort, expense, and favors called in when you come home to a rich, full garden.

An orchid, (with apologies to Shakespeare) by any other name may smell as sweet, but not every orchid is ideal for growing indoors. The first names to look for when selecting orchids are “Phal” and “Den”. Dendrobium and Phalaenopsis are perhaps the easiest orchid hybrids to grow at home.

At one time, this fragile flower was only available from specialty nurseries and required a greenhouse that mimicked tropical conditions to grow. But these heartier hybrids have made it possible for us to enjoy the exotic blooms at home.
You now can find these plants at virtually any retailer that has a garden center, but if this is your first attempt at home-growing, it may be best to visit your local nursery for help in selecting a healthy starter plant. If choosing on your own, though, be sure to select an orchid with bright green leaves and stem, as yellowing leaves can be an indicator of poor health.

It is best to prepare your orchid’s growing area prior to bringing the plant home so that it can be placed immediately in the ideal growing conditions. The spot you choose should have adequate warmth, humidity, and filtered light. If you
live in a naturally dry climate, you might consider placing a humidifier nearby for your orchid’s comfort, but a tray full of wet stones or gravel placed beneath the pot often will suffice. Make sure the bottom of the pot sits atop the rocks and not directly in water. Humidity also can help to ward off potential pests, as many common house plant infestations occur in overly dry conditions.

Always be sure the potting medium you use allows for proper drainage. Plants that are kept too moist can develop root rot, harmful fungus or disease. Water your orchids only when the soil is dry; you can test the moisture below surface level by inserting a wooden chopstick or dowel into the soil near the center. Hold there for a few seconds, and if it comes out dry, it’s time to water. If the wood comes out moist, try again in a day or so.

A greenhouse is ideal if you wish to grow a large amount of flowers or a large amount of vegetables. If you wish to plant only a few, then there are plenty of planters that would do just fine for your purposes. However, there are some plants that make having a greenhouse a necessity. If you decide to build a greenhouse in your yard, you need to learn about the dos of making this happen.

Do (if at all possible) build your greenhouse in such a way that it leans up against one of the walls of your home. In this way it will come to look like an extension of your home. If this is not something you can do, then build it where it will not look like a conspicuous structure.

Do choose a design that is as simple and as unpretentious as possible. Excellent choices are patterns that are a three quarter span or a lean-to design. Brace it against a wall (as previously mentioned) or a fence. Stay away from elaborate high-pitched, ridge-roofed structures that look more like doll houses because they will add an element of ridiculousness to the greenhouse. Go for a basic design with no frills.

Do paint the woodwork on the outside of the greenhouse a light and subtle shade of green. It is all about green, so let that be reflected by your choice of paint.

Do consider the shape and size of the yard you have to work with, as well as your outdoor garden. Be proud of your greenhouse by giving it a place of prominence in your yard, but do not let it overwhelm the rest of the surroundings. It should fit in with your yard but not stand out like a sore thumb. Good taste is the name of the greenhouse game.

Do choose good quality material to build your greenhouse. Plastic is a good choice. Glass is even better, albeit a more expensive choice. If you choose low quality materials for the structure of your greenhouse, you will have to deal with decay, malfunctioning parts and the potential for leaks much sooner than if you had chosen a more suitable material.

What do the colors of the flowers you plant in your garden symbolize? Are you drawn to certain colors without even knowing it? Do you have lots of pink and red in your garden, or are you more partial to yellow or purplish-blue shades? Read on to find out what the colors that adorn your garden have to say to you!

Red Flowers

Those red rose bushes in your front yard are gorgeous. They also speak the language of love, desire and passion. Red is a fiery color that is associated with heat but also of strength. Red is an intense, impulsive and magnificent color for a flower. Red quickens the heart and makes the senses tingle. Red gets you moving! Red is also romantic and infused with lots of love.

Pink Flowers

Pink flowers grace many gardens because they are so beautiful. Pink is more modest than red and not so intense. Pink is passionate, too, but it speaks of a gentler level of passion. Pink conveys freshness, sweetness, youthfulness and emotional maturity. Pink is graceful, joyful and innocent. Pink comes in an array of different shades, all lovely in their own right. Lighter shades exude a feminine energy that offers inner calm and a gateway to emotional healing, while darker shades are all about friendship and fun times.

White Flowers

White is the color that symbolizes the circle of life. For this reason white flowers are used for occasions of birth to symbolize innocence and purity, for the purpose of marriage to symbolize love and a union, and at times of death to symbolize tranquility. White flowers are respectful, and make many people feel comforted.

Yellow Flowers

What do yellow roses, yellow daisies and yellow daffodils have in common? They bring a smile to the face! Yellow flowers are bright, cheerful, lively and sunny. They are a perfect shade for the spring because they are all about beginnings and renewal. Yellow flowers are vibrant and delightful to behold and make an excellent addition to any floral arrangement.

Blue Flowers

Blue is not a run-of-the-mill color for a flower, which makes it unique. Most blue flowers are a combination of a purplish or pink shade. Blue or blue tinted flowers speak of honesty, confidence, harmony, security and stability.

To learn more about flower colors visit here or here.

If you are preparing to plant roses any time soon, then there are some things you need to know. It is recommended that you choose disease resistant types of roses because the maintenance required is much less than other types. When in doubt speak to someone at your local nursery or garden center for advice.

Choose a spot in your yard or garden that will receive ample sunlight in the morning hours. If you can find a spot that will be well lit for a period of at least six hours a day, that is good news for your future flower success.

Well drained soil is important, too. Soil that is the absolute best for planting roses has a PH level that contains acid amounts in the range of 5.5 to 7.0. If you are not sure what your soil’s PH is, then purchase a testing kit at a nursery.

The roots of your rose plants receive extra nourishment from organic matter, such as lime or manure. To get the added nourishment they require, soak the roots in either puddle clay or water for a number of minutes. Any root that contain broken ends should be cut off.

The best time of year to plant roses is in the spring time. During the first three to four weeks after you have planted your roses, water them frequently. Roses require lots of water to be healthy. Once you notice that the top two inches of your soil has become dry it is time to water them again.

Once fours weeks have elapsed it is time to begin soaking the rose bed every two weeks or thereabouts. For optimum results, do this in the morning hours.

Plant your roses in a spot where there is good air flow. Roses will not grow in a spot where they feel squeezed or enclosed. They need their space and the freedom to do as they please! In the same way, a lack of adequate air circulation can give way to a variety of fungal diseases.

When digging a hole to plant the roses, dig one that is two times larger than the space you estimate that your roses will require to grow. The larger the hole, the easier will be the task of digging them up in the future to replant them.

Roses are some of the most beautiful flowers that grace a garden. They are a flower that symbolizes love, friendship and a sense of sympathy.  On the down side, they are also very fragile flowers that can take up a fair share of time.

If you are new to the world of growing roses, then opt to grow roses that are not high maintenance. For example, landscape roses are a good idea as are old garden roses or shrub roses. Leave the hybrid tea roses until you are a seasoned gardener!

There are many varieties of roses, and, therefore, choosing the ones that are best for your garden can seem like a terrible chore. How will you ever choose between the many options available to you?

First of all, if you love roses and are willing to put the care into them that they require, then you can grow them. What you need is some education in the fine art of growing healthy roses and some guidance from those who are already well versed in such.

The color of roses plays a role in their overall appeal. Don’t downplay the importance of color to your decision making process. You are the one who has to look at them after all.

How tall the rose will grow once it reaches its full height is important to know because a rose that is taller than every other flower in your garden would not fit in. Some roses can grow as tall as 20 feet. Investigate this before you buy a rose to plant.

Consider the size of your garden. How much room do you have to grow roses? Make sure you give your roses enough room for their roots to grow and for air, sunlight and rain to reach them.

What other types of flowers and/or plants do you wish to incorporate into the same area where you will be planting your roses? This is important to contemplate before you do any planting because the ecosystem of your roses is essential to their health and well-being. You do not want to plant anything that can be damaging to them in any way.

Let your weather and temperatures also help to guide you in your choice of roses to plant. Some species can handle cold winters while others cannot.

If you know anyone who has a lilac bush in his yard, then you probably have stopped by it frequently in late May and early June to breathe in the scent of its blossoms. It is a smell that I never grow tired of.

Lilacs blossom for only a few weeks of the year, so you must get out there and enjoy them while you can. To give your home the lilac scent, clip some off the bushes and bring them inside. Not only are they scent-sational, but they are pretty as well.

There are more than 1,000 different kinds of lilacs. Some are early varieties, while others are middle or late bloomers. In order to have the opportunity to enjoy your lilacs as long as possible, then plant as many different varieties as you can. By doing so, you make it possible to have lilacs blossoming in your yard for as long as six weeks. You can still be enjoying the scent of lilacs into July when most people have already bid farewell to theirs for the year!

Not all lilacs are as fragrant as others. Let your nose be your guide to sniffing out the ones that smell the loveliest! In the same way, lilacs are available in a variety of colors. Look around, and you will see. There is a color for everyone! There are dark purple lilacs and light purple ones, as well as pink lilacs, white ones and even blue ones. The purple and white ones are more common in the area where I live, but where you reside might be different.

Lilac bushes are low maintenance bushes that are very hardy and do not require a tremendous amount of maintenance to grow. They can grow anywhere from four to eight feet and taller. Some lilac bushes will grow to a height of 30 feet!

Lilacs like lots of sunlight, so always plant a lilac bush in a southern or western facing location. If you live in a colder area, then plant the bushes in the late spring. On the other hand, if you live in a warmer area, then it is advisable to plant lilac bushes in the autumn.

Lilac bushes have a long life span. They can live for as long as 50 years if you treat them well!

There is nothing more glorious than a rainbow of colors in your garden! The gladiolus fits the bill perfectly for this. It is a tall flower that produces large blossoms of a multitude of colors. Glads, as they are sometimes called, grow in colors of pink, white, orange, yellow, purple, peach and green. It is even possible to find glads in a mixture of colors.

The word gladiolus means sword in Latin, which is why it is sometimes referred to as a sword lily. The glad is not from the lily family, however, but is instead a member of the iris family (Iridaceae).

Glads come from corms, which are bulb-like, and they are especially lovely in floral arrangements. If you have a special occasion coming up, then look to the gladiolus for the splash of color you need to make a room come alive!

Planting Gladiolus

Planting glads in rows is best, if you plan to use them for floral arrangements. It is easier to harvest and take care of them when you plant them in this manner, which is akin to how vegetables are planted. Please be aware that gladiolus tend to be a little stiff and not always the simplest flower to work with.

You might choose to plant them as borders around flower beds or mix them with your annual plants. If you choose to do this for the most aesthetically appealing effect, it is recommended that you plant them in groups of seven or more.

Glads should be planted in the middle of May and then approximately every two weeks until the middle of June. This will ensure that you will have lots of blossoming throughout the months of July and August. Another option is to plant a variety of sizes of corms. The larger corms tend to blossom sooner than the smaller ones and have larger flowers.

When buying corms, choose ones that are tall and plump as opposed to wide and flat. Thicker corms make for flowers of a higher quality. Use this as a guideline- look for corms that resemble Hershey’s Kisses.

Plant the corms in an area of the garden where there is lots of sunlight. Gladioli will grow bigger, stronger and more vibrant if they receive an ample amount of the sun’s rays on a regular basis. In the same way, make sure that the soil they are planted in is drained well.

One look at a dahlia, and it is hard not to fall in love with its beauty and majesty (even if you are not a flower lover!). Dahlias are beautiful, big faced flowers that can bring lots of color and life to any garden.

Dahlias are as lovely as their name suggests. A flower of true variety, dahlias grow in the colors of pink, white, red, orange and yellow, but they come in a tremendous amount of shapes and sizes.

Size Categories for Dahlias

-Giant is greater than 10 inches in diameter
-Large is 8 to 10 inches in diameter
-Medium is 6 to 8 inches in diameter
-Small is 4 to 6 inches in diameter
-Miniature is 2 to 4 inches in diameter
-Mignon is less than 2 inches in diameter

When it comes to bloom categories for dahlias, there are 11 in total. These include decorative, cactus, ball, water lily, anemone, orchid, peony, fimbriated, collarette, novelty and single.

Dahlias are very diverse flowers, which can be planted in a variety of areas of a garden and landscape with much growing success. The petals of a dahlia are a sight to behold. They can be rounded and thin or spikier in nature. Some flowers are all one color while others are a medley of two or three blended together.

Dahlias are tubers which bloom in the latter part of the summer but continue to live well into the autumn months. They prefer sandy, well-drained, humus rich soil. However, dahlias are versatile and hardy enough to handle most types of soil. If you plant them in soil that has a high concentration of clay, then it is recommended that you add a little bit of peat moss or sand to it in order to make it lighter.

Dahlias like the sun, but they also do well in cooler (not cold) temperatures when there is an adequate amount of rainfall. This explains why they can handle autumn so well. In fact, dahlias generally become more pronounced and brilliant in their appearance the cooler the weather gets. This is helped along by them being deadheaded and pinched as required.

While dahlias are generally grown as annuals, they can be grown as perennials if the tubers are dug up very soon after the first frost of the season.

If you love the look of beautiful flowers in a garden but are not much of a green thumb, then read on for some flowers that are very easy to grow and can make your garden shine with color and life!

Geraniums

Geraniums are very easy to grow and are popular among novice gardeners and seasoned gardeners. Geraniums are perennials in warmer areas but in many areas are annuals, as they can bloom anytime from the start of spring up to the first frost of autumn. Geraniums are broken down into three categories- zonal, ivy and scented. The zonal geraniums are the most common of the three and come in red, pink, white, violet and rose colors.

Petunias

Petunias blossom from summer until the frost comes and are available in a selection of colors from red to purple to white to yellow. There are even multi colored petunias. Petunias are classified as either multifloras or grandifloras.

Marigolds

Marigolds are as bright and cheerful as their name sounds! These flowers are very easy to grow from seed and are a hardy plant that blooms from spring until the first frost. Often referred to as the work horses of the garden, there are four kinds of marigolds. These include African (or American marigolds), French, Signet and Triploid.

Bachelor Buttons

Also sometimes referred to as cornflowers, bachelor buttons bloom from early spring to autumn and come in a selection of bright colors such as pink, blue and purple. Bachelor buttons can reach heights as great as three feet and grow at least a foot wide.  They enjoy full sun, alkaline PH soil and often self-seed. There is more than one variety of bachelor buttons, so make sure you buy the one most suited to your garden.

Sunflowers

Sunflowers grow easily from seed and come in a selection of sizes, shapes and colors. Some grow as large as 10 feet tall while others are very compact. Some of the flower heads will grow as big as 12 inches across.

Black-Eyed Susan

The black-eyed Susan is a member of the aster family and is very simple to grow. These flowers come in a variety of colors but most commonly are yellow with a brown or black eye in the middle. No special care is needed for these flowers, but they do require soil that is well drained.