At this time of year I am thinking about what flowers I will grow in a cutting garden, what flowers I already have in the gardens and what flowers I will need to order or find.

One of my favorite gardens is the cutting garden. Cutting flowers are easy to grow, require less work than most flowers and seem to have less insect and pest problems.

They also have the added benefit of being hardy flowers that last long and do well in floral arrangements.

photo credit: tiarescott

A new garden always brings new variety of flowers. It is what keeps gardening new and exciting. Whether it be a new annual, perennial or even a sunflower, new varieties add interest and creative fresh ideas for floral arrangements.

Growing flowers will give you an unlimited amount of fresh bouquets you can arrange for your home or give to friends.

This you tube is about floral arranging. There are some really great ideas here.

When arranging flowers I like to mix herbs, wild flowers and even twigs or grasses to the arrangements. It adds to the fun and the interest of the floral display.

I also like to find unique vases or pots for my arrangements. Small cups, an old punch bowl, tin cups, basically anything that will hold water. These pots and vases can set a theme or feel to a room or party.

And if you have small children or pets that may break nice vases, these different pots for flowers will save a collector vase.

Flowers are meant to add color and atmosphere to a room or event so why not try new ways of containing them?

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A two liter clear pop bottle will make a quick, inexpensive greenhouse, perfect for starting a few seeds or propagating a plant cutting. I really like these for cuttings. They create a perfect starting climate for cuttings.

photo credit: yugenro

Start the project by using a clean two liter pop bottle. Use a serrated knife and cut near the bottom of the bottle. Most plastic bottles have a clear line about two inches from the bottom, where the straight sides begin to taper down.

Make the cut at least an inch above this line, so you’ll be able to fit the two sections back together. The pop bottle may want to move or pop on you so use extreme care when cutting.

Finish the cut either with the serrated knife or with scissors. I find scissors are easier for me to use.

You can place potting soil directly in the bottle bottom or use min pots. Little peat pots will work well. Some people make pots from toilet paper rolls cut down to 3 inches in height.

Plant your seeds or cuttings. If you use a rooting liquid or powder on the cutting they will root much quicker.

If needed, water the pots, and then fit the top of the bottle in place. There’s a trick to this – slide most of the top inside the base, then press your fingers against the last section to make an indent; this will enable you to slide the rest of the top inside the base. When you release the indent, that section should spring back out, creating a close seal all around. But if you don’t get a good seal, don’t worry – the plants won’t mind a little fresh air.

Set the bottle greenhouse in a sunny windowsill and observe the humidity level over the next few days. I also like to set the bottle on a TV or refrigerator if the area gets sunlight. You get bottom heat this way, which is beneficial to many plants.

A slight film of moisture collecting on the sides of the bottle will add humidity to the air in the bottle, which is good. But if water starts to run down the sides, open the top of the bottle for a while to reduce the humidity. Too much liquid will cause soggy soil and possibly soil mold.

When the last frost date approaches, you can begin setting the bottle outside on warm days. This will allow the plants to adjust to full sunlight. For the last week or so before planting, you should also remove the top of the bottle. This will let the seedlings harden off and acclimate to the sunlight and wind. This is a very important step and overlooked my many gardeners.

I also use clear pop bottle in the garden in early spring to cover small seedlings at night for protection form the cold and even insects.

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There are many silly garden mistakes you can make in gardening. I know I have made most of them. My philosophy is as long as the plant did not unduly suffer, my yard is still in one piece and as long I can laugh later I guess, “It’s live and learn.”

photo credit: lostash

And I must admit I have killed a few amazing plants and trees.

Here is  my list of top 5 silly garden mistakes.

1.   Not having a landscape plan. I know its sounds boring but a garden plan lets you know what you planted and where. This is important if you are growing a new plant. You will know to leave it there and not pull it as a weed! It will also save a new small shrub or tree placed in a yard if someone else is mowing.

2.   Not addressing drainage issues. If you plant on a slope, in a hollow in the yard or in an area that may have a flash flood, you could have a problem. These issues may not show up in a normal summer, but a soggy cold summer will cause water to puddle in area you would never think of.

I remember one year I let my nephew play with a toy backhoe at the lower edge of my garden. It had been a wet summer and I knew the drainage here was not as good at it could be. But I never expected him to hit water. I had a mini fountain at the bottom of the garden.

He was having fun so I just dug a few mini trenches around the plants and let him play. The next year I put raised beds in that area.

3.  Not properly preparing the soil. Your garden is only as good as your soil. All plants, trees and shrubs need nutrients and if they are not in the soil the plant will either grow slowly or die. Adding compost, fresh soil or fertilizer will improve you soil drastically. Take a soil test (available at garden centers) and find out if your soil is good or needs help.

4.  Not spacing plants properly. Plants need a certain amount of space to grow. If they are crowded they will either not produce or flower or they will be sickly and prone to disease. Seed packets have direction for spacing and other plants will have planting instructions. If in doubt look the information up online or at your local library.

5.  Overestimating your gardening skills. Gardening should be fun. If you take on a large yard or garden and it’s all work you will begin to avoid the backyard and garden areas. And if you have high maintenance plants they will take away from other yard tasks and even family time.

If you’re a first time gardener my recommendation is to keep it simple. Have a small garden and a few flowers and vegetable and go from there.

And if you find you have a gardening problem contact the local Extension Office or find a source for reliable information online or in a gardening book.

There are many different garden challenges and mistakes we can make. Lighting, maintenance and costs are just a few more. Your garden challenges will vary with your location, gardening knowledge and skills.

But overall, my best advice is to keep your gardening fun. Knowledge and a green thumb will soon follow

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