Red corn poppies are one of the easiest annuals to grow from seed. And if you are a poppy fan the bright red flower is a must for your backyard flower garden. Theses brilliant red tissue paper flowers will bloom from spring until the first frost, if you remove the older blooms.

photo credit: athos[hun]

Red poppies will easily re-seed themselves giving them the illusion of being a perennial. Just make sure at the end of the growing season you let a few blossoms develop a seed head. Once the seed head dries crush the pod to help distribute the seeds.

How to plant red corn poppy seeds

Prepare the soil where you are going to plant your poppy seeds by removing all grass, weeds and other materials. Work the soil so it is loose and remove the larger stones. Note: Sandy soil is excellent for growing red corn poppies in. In my clay based soil I add a lot of compost and a little sand to create a soil the poppies like.

Surface sow the red corn poppy seeds in early spring or in the fall after a frost. Red poppy seeds need light to germinate, so do not cover the seeds.

Once you weather has improved in the spring keep your area you planted the poppy seeds in moist but not soggy. Your seeds should germinate in 10-15 days. Once the seedling have started to grow and reach 2 inches tall you will want to thin them. Thin the plants to 6 to 8 inches apart.

I move the small transplants to another area of the yard and replant them. They will do well but after being moved they will blossom slower than the ones that were not moved.

Keep your red poppies watered and they will grow 18 to 24 inches tall. De-head the poppies as the flowers die off to keep a constant supply of flowers.

Red poppies are beautiful in the gardens but being such a delicate flower they do not last once cut. They simply don’t work in floral arrangements for this reason.

If you like the look of the poppy and want to have them indoors you may want to grow a few as indoor plants. For more information read  how to grow poppies indoors.

Technorati Tags: annual flowers, annual poppy, Backyard Flower Garden, growing poppies from seed, growing the red corn poppy, red corn poppy

I must confess. I am a garden addict. And it does not help when I head downtown and the sun is out and the snow is melting.

photo credit: silviasphotos

It started out very innocent with a visit to the bank where I saw a friend that has a nice perennial garden with an abundance of plants. So. I arranged a plant swap.

Then the next store had rose bushes on sale and my mother has wanted a rose garden. So I picked up 6 healthy looking plants. I have a place in the yard that would be the perfect rose garden. If I add a small fence, a trellis for the climbing rose and a bench the area will be perfect for reading or relaxing. A few decorative rocks and perennials would also add interest and color.

photo credit: Pw95

Of course I found a few plants in the garden center. With summer approaching new plants on the patio would be a nice touch. I picked up lucky bamboo, three shamrock plants, and two bonsai plants.

I also bought a few bulbs and seed packets. One bulb was the elephant ear. This will be perfect for a bog garden that I would like to put in near the creek area. Bog gardens can be beautiful.

And in the fall I dig the elephants ear bulb up and store until spring. ( I do have one elephants ear I grow in the sunroom in the winter.)

That’s what happens in the spring when the snow melts and the gardens and yards are just waking up. You want new and fresh plants to tend to and the selections at garden centers and stores are too tempting to pass up.

But I came home and the car was not full of plants and I had money left so I guess there might be hope for me.

Technorati Tags: bog garden, elephants ear plant, garden addict, rose garden, swapping plants

Vinegar has many garden uses and yard uses that people are not aware of. And with vinegar being environmentally friendly and cost effective it’s a great alternative to other products.

photo credit: ZeePack

One use for Vinegar that many people do not know is that it will help fresh cut flowers last longer. So if you have fresh cut flowers in your home or have a cutting garden and use flowers or sell them this is a wonderful tip. Add 2 tablespoons of vinegar and 1 teaspoon sugar for each quart of water. Shake well and change the water every day. Also make sure your vase is clean.

Clay Pots are pretty, add to garden décor themes and have certain benefits over plastic pots. But they can be difficult to clean. If you use vinegar the white salt buildup on old clay pots cleans easily. Simply soak the affected areas in full strength vinegar.

I don’t mind if a clay pot has an old vintage look but you don’t want the pot to be able to harbor disease. Vinegar will disinfect the pot at the same time as it cleans it.

Ants are a pest in gardens, homes, porches and many other areas. Some of these places you do not want to use a strong insect spray, especially if you have pets or small children. Plus, ants are beneficial – in the right areas. Just not in your home or garden areas.

If you spray vinegar around doors, appliances, and along other areas where ants are known to gather the vinegar will keep them away.

Vinegar will help keep cats away from areas you don’t want them. Sprinkle vinegar on any areas where you don’t want the cat walking, sleeping, or scratching. And many people know how much of a pest cats can be in a garden. Just spray around the garden edge to help keep any cats out of the gardens or shrubs.

Undiluted vinegar will kill grass between bricks and sidewalk cracks. This is much more environmentally friendly than premixed weed killers. Simply spray the vinegar on weeds where needed.

Spraying full strength vinegar on weeds will kill them – be careful not to spray it on the surrounding grass, as it will kill that too. If you use a bottle with a fine spray adjustment you can pick out certain weeds to kill and avoid the grass or flowers.

I like using vinegar over strong chemical mixes. It’s not harmful to the soil or other insects. I don’t have to worry about how it may affect the water table, pets or people. And one bottle of vinegar goes a long way so I save money.

Technorati Tags: clean clay pots, environmentally friendly weed killers, frugal garden ideas, vinegar uses in the garden