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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

Gladiolus flowers, which are grown from a corm bulb, have an elegance that will add to any backyard flower garden. They also make beautiful floral displays.
photo credit: ThreadedThoughts

The original gladioli hybrids were developed from Mediterranean species. But today the African native gladioli are the popular varieties grown.

In the United States, the Gladiolus was an instant sensation on its first appearance that the American Gladiolus Society was formed in Boston. This was in 1910 and the popularity of the gladioli only continues to grow.

This flower is also called the Sword lily, corn lily or Glad. The Gladiolus symbolizes strength of character and is the flower for August.

The gladioli grow from corms, which is a bulb like root. Depending on your climate they may or may not be left in the ground over the winter. In my zone 5 climate they must be dug up and stored.

Check your climate to know if the corms need to be removed from the ground. But a rule of thumb is, if your winters offer heavy or hard frosts dig the corms up in the fall and replant them in the spring for late spring and summer blooms.

Glads look better if planted in groups of six or more. They also look more stylish if you plant the groupings in the same color.

Some of the taller glad varieties may require some staking as the flower heads are affected by winds and the weight of the flower blossoms when in full bloom. For safely sake I always stake taller glad varieties. I usually plant these flowers near fences or shrubs for a natural wind block protection.

Gladiolus will grow well in ordinary garden soil. They need average water and sunshine. The only requirement they have is good drainage.

I have found that a pinch of bone meal when planting time will give them a boost. And later in the spring I will give them a boost with fertilizer. I prefer compost tea.

The foliage will turn brown after flowering and die back until it pulls away from the corm easily. This is a necessary step to ensure the energy will drain down to create next year’s corm.

This is not a pretty stage of the flowers growing stage. One way for this to be less noticeable is to mix the plants among other plants.

Glads range in size from the 12” tall dwarfs to the glad giants, which will reach 60”. These flowers bloom in almost every color so will fit into almost any landscaping color scheme.
photo credit: Mason2008

Glads also do well in containers so you may wish to start a few corms in the late fall and bring them in to add color to your home. I usually always have a few containers of glad growing on the patio or in the sun room.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Flower Garden, flowers

Garden trellises happen to be one of my favorite garden tools. It seems funny to consider a trellis a garden tool when it adds beauty and charm to a garden or backyard area but trellises serve many valuable purposes.
photo credit: Jellaluna

By using a trellis you can add beauty and color to an otherwise unusable area. You can also grow plants vertically to save space, add privacy and prevent plant insects and disease.

Another use for a garden trellis is that it gives you the opportunity to change the look and atmosphere of your garden in a matter of minutes depending on if you used potted plants or garden art for décor.

Garden trellises can be created from any object that can add privacy or be used for plants to grow or hang from. By shopping at garage sales or rooting through your attic you can design several unique trellises that will be a focal point in a garden, patio or balcony area.

Step Ladder Garden Trellis

An old stepladder that is no longer in use will make a great trellis or plant display area. You can leave the ladder as you found it and paint it to complement your landscape design.

You can plant vining flowers or vegetables around the base of the stepladder and allow them to climb the rungs of the ladder. This style of planting will create a flow and make the ladder part of the garden area and design. You can also add a few pots of the steps for more color but I would suggest anchoring them in place so that the wind does not blow them off.

The addition of a rectangular planted on the ground of first step also will add to this quick and easy trellis.

My favorite vine for a stepladder is the scarlet runner bean. It has such beautiful color.

Metal headboard frame trellis

Old metal headboards can be found along curbsides for free and at auctions for pennies. Choose a location for the headboard, usually along a wall or back of a garden and measure the distance between the metal posts.

Pound metal stakes into the ground and either slide the headboard over the posts if they are hollow or attach the post to the headboard with screws or plastic ties. If you want the headboard to be more sturdy, pound another metal post in between the tow other post and secure the headboard to the post.

Plants vining vegetables and flowers near the base and let them climb. In the front of the headboard add more flowers, vegetables or herbs for color and interest.

An old bedspring can also be used but I like the thicker look of an old headboard myself.

Old wrought iron fencing and posts that were popular in the later 50’s and 60’s will also work well as trellises and can often be found at junkyard and old metal scrap piles. They can be put together as trellises, gates or even arbors.
photo credit: apium

Whether you trellis is handmade or bought you can quickly change the look of your garden area by adding garden art to the trellis or placing hanging pots on the trellis that can be quickly changed for a new look in color or design.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Flower Garden, creative gardening, garden art, garden trellis, growing plants