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.

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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.

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Steps for a successful flower garden

Your flower garden area must have an adequate fertile soil, sunlight, and water. If you lack any of these three important elements, your garden will not thrive. So when planning your garden select an area for the garden or containers that receive eight hours of sunlight and add fertilizer to your soil when planting. I also set up my garden near a water source or add a rain barrel near the garden are for easy watering.

Mix and Match your Flower Garden

Perennial flowers and annual flowers compliment each other. Perennials add the lush background to emphasis bright annual flowers and take less work. But annuals add vibrant color all summer long and fill in any holes in a garden area.

I also like to add a few vegetables to my flower garden area. It adds color and interest with vegetables maturing alongside the flowers. And many vegetables have stunning color and textures.

Deadhead your flowers

Deadheading is such a strange name for removing the old wilting flower head. But this simple step makes a flower produce more flowers plus it tidies up the garden area, which will cut down on insects. Just snip the old flower head off. Sometimes I use scissors to remove the old blossom.
photo credit: kabils

The last step in deadheading to remove the old flower from the garden area and dispose of in a compost bin or the garbage.

All insects are not evil

Butterflies, beetles and bees are pollinators. 80% of flowering plants rely on insects for pollination and survival. If you are not sure which insects are good or bad you can check online or get an insect book.

If you need an insect control for bad bugs, try natural insect control. It will not harm good bugs.

Insects like dragonflies and lacewings are natural predators of those insects that do the real damage, like aphids.

Birds will also control insects in your flower garden.

And last but not least, prune any dead stems and branches off your flower plants. Sickly branches do not add to the beauty of any garden and they will also harbor bad insects and plant disease.

A flower garden will add color and relaxation to a backyard or patio area and doesn’t require much room if planned properly. So add a flower garden and enjoy the color and fresh bouquets that you can collect for your home.

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During the summer I collected plants and in the fall I set up a starter garden for the perennials. Theses were for the plants I bought, found or traded for. I divided the perennials that you divide in the fall and covered the soil with a heavy mulch to stop weeds from growing and to protect the plants from heavy frosts.

This spring I worked the mulch into the ground and found more plants to add to the collection. I also divided many of the plants that should be divided in the spring. My plants quadrupled in a twp week times from dividing plants. The divided plats will be ready to sell in the fall.

Last year at this time I had about 150 perennial plants. This year I have 2000 plants that are a good size and healthy. By fall, even with sales I will have about 5000 plants.

My goal was to start a perennial gardening business on a budget by finding or trading plants and purchasing plants that could be easily divided for more new plants. I wanted to set up a backyard business that is enjoyable.

I spent $50 last year and have made $500 this spring just selling a few plant varieties I don’t like to grow. In the fall I hope to have a business that can be run full time.

Where to find Free Plants

From your friends when they divide their perennials
From houses that are going to be torn down. Ask first!
From greenhouses at the end of their season
Along the road and abandoned houses.

This last week stopped at two garage sales and they had beautiful gardens. I asked what they did with their plants when they divided plants and worked in the garden and they admitted they just tossed them. So I made arrangements to pick up their “homeless” plants. I have 4 boxes of plants (about 200 plants and 12 new varieties) and in a few weeks I will be getting more perennials.
photo credit: carterjk

I also plan to sell my bee balm patch that has taken over an old garden. It’s a lovely plant and I plan to keep some of the plants but I have dug up 100 clumps of bee balm and it’s going to a flea market tomorrow. The money I make from the plants will go to buy new plant varieties I don’t have.

Another suggestion that will save you money is to make your own compost for your plants which will cut back on buying soil.

Free  pots and garden containers can be found along curbs that are being tossed out or at garage sales.

So when it comes to saving money on plants, ask around. You will be surprised what plants you can get for free or for trading. It adds to the fun of gardening and makes for a prettier backyard garden area.

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Sunflowers are always a part of my gardens. I have planted sunflower mazes, sunflower houses, and sunflower tunnels. These gardens have been favorites in the neighborhood, and with the birds!

Sunflowers also grow great in containers and can be grown indoors the winter for color and to add cheer to the home.

They can be dried for crafts, used for bird feeders and even made into mini furniture and garden art or trellises.

How to Build a Sunflower Stalk Trellis

Once the sunflower season has ended and you have harvested the flowers its time to harvest the sunflower stalks. Use pruning sheers to cut the stalks off at ground level.

Remove any branches or leaves and let dry for a few days. I store them in a dark place lying down with space between each stalk. I turn them over in two days and let dry for another two days.

Select two strong stalks that are about the same size in height and thickness to use as trellis sides. Cut several smaller pieces for cross members.

Next assemble the side poles and cross members so that they resemble a small ladder. You can use string, plastic ties or fishing wire to attach the cross members to the supports. I prefer fishing line myself, unless I use baling twine and give it a rustic look.

Once you feel the sunflower trellis poles are totally dry spray the trellis with clear water seal spray. This will help weather proof it and make it more durable in wet or damp weather.

This will make a small interesting nice trellis with a natural look that will blend into your garden area. Three or four of these ladder trellises can be connected together to make a larger trellis or plant cage.

As you work with the sunflower stalks you will find that can be assembled into small garden fences or arbors. You can either bend a few of the stalks for a creative look or add other types of natural items to the fences and arbors such as grapevine.

It’s a fun project that children will enjoy and that will add character to your garden areas.

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But while wandering the land I found a few water plants I could move to various parts of the yard and decided since I was already a muddy mess I might as well go on a Free Plant foraging expedition.

I have made note last fall of a few abandoned houses that had bulbs and a few perennials that were in need of being divided. I also know of a place nearby the Conewango Creek that has beautiful water iris and blue flag iris.

So I loaded up a shovel, spade and trowel and took an extra pair of high water boots and set out on a foraging adventure. My first stop netted me snowdrops, tulips, daffodils and Chinese Lanterns. My next stop at an old abandoned house (I asked the owners last year if I could dig up flowers in the spring) added forget me nots, violets, bergamot, iris, creeping myrtle, chinese lanterns and a few hostas.
photo credit: dysviz

My vehicle had close to 100 plants in it so I thought I would have room for one more stop. I saved the best for last. Water and mud!

Down by the Conewango creek, one the one island is the most beautiful iris plants, water iris and blue flag. Being on the island edge and in a muddy area it was time for the water boots, pails and plastic bins. I dug out about 30 plants and figured that would be enough for one days adventure.

When I returned home I put most of the plants in my nursery area I have set up for plants that need a home before being planted. But the water plants were placed in my bog garden off to the side in a trench until I could get them planted.

Most of these plants will be planted in the backyard, which is being re-designed this year, but few will be traded with friends for other plants I want. These trades help supply me with new varieties of flowers or vegetables seeds for the garden areas.

Foraging and trading for plants will fill your backyard with wonderful plant varieties, save you money and add adventure to your day. I always have a unique experience when I am out and usually make a friend or two.

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If you are like me, you may have started gardening by planting a small vegetable garden. A vegetable garden is nice as it provides a bounty of produce, but it can at times seem to look very dull. Then I discovered how to brighten it up with some color by planting perennials. It really is very easy to have a perennial garden.
photo credit: spierzchala

A friend advised me that a perennial garden would add beautiful color to my garden and I wouldn’t have to redo it every year like with other types of gardens. That sounded good to me so I gave it a try and loved the results.

You must have good drainage in your soil for perennial gardens to grow properly. They will not grow if the soil they are in stays saturated for long periods of time. A raised bed can alleviate this problem or you can dig a trench in the ground fill it with some crushed rock and then put a layer of soil back on top. To determine if you need to go to these measures, test your soil. Dig a hole in the ground where you want your garden to be and fill it with water. The next day fill it again and check it later in the day if the soil in the hole is still wet, you will need to improve the drainage in that area by using one of the two above methods.

Picking out the right perennials for your area can be tricky. The goal should be to have blooming flowers for as long as possible during the year. During your planning stage you can create an outline for the whole year. Research the different types of flowers that you like and when they bloom. If you plan it right, your yard can be a constantly changing array of colors and flowers.

You can order perennial seeds online but there is very little help that way. If you are new to perennial gardening I recommend buying your seeds from a local florist or nursery. You might be able to find a custom seed mixture designed for the growing conditions of your area. This takes the really tough research part out of the job. If one of these pre-made mixes isn’t available, you can ask the employees what they think would be a good mixture. They are usually very knowledgeable about what thrives in your climate, that?s their job.

With careful planning and some help from an expert either a book or local gardening expert, you can have beautiful blooms nearly year round in your garden. You can plant your seeds in groups and place different seeds in the group that have different growing cycles. That way there is always at least one plant in bloom in that section of the garden at all times. When one plant dies, another is just starting to bloom and so on.

When planting the seeds, you should space them out in small separate clumps according to the directions. Perennials tend to spread out and if you have too many too close together then they will end up trying to share the water and nutrients in the soil and will choke each other out. As you plant them, throw in a little bit of weak fertilizer to help the seeds get started. With a little bit of care in the beginning you should start to see flowers blooming up that will return year after year.

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photo credit: Uberto

Annual plants benefit the most from deadheading; they will often produce nearly double the flowers that they would have produced without removing the old flowers.

Perennials also can benefit but not at the same success rate. Some perennials have a longer blooming seasons and if deadheaded will have a second set of blooms.

How to deadhead flowers

• Deadhead roses if they only a few flowers on a cluster and the flower have faded. Deadhead by pinching or trimming the rose blossom off. If the whole cluster is fading, cut it off at the first leaflet with five leaves.
• To deadhead Perennials with tall stalks cut the stalk as near to the base as possible. In some cases the stalk will dry up enough that you can gently tug it off.
• For Perennials and Annuals with one partly faded flower clusters pinch or cut the faded flower off. If the entire cluster is faded, remove the whole stem.
• If you have bushy Perennials and Annuals with many small flowers give the plant a haircut by shearing back to about one-third and removing all of the blooms. You would do this when 2/3’s to ¾’s of the plants has faded blossoms. A good example of such a plant is the Mum.
• Deadheading can make a plant look unattractive at first but the plants will fill out again in a week or two. I myself try to dead head a little every time I go by a plant so it good fresh all the time and doesn’t get the bare look.

One tip that will help your plant to look better is to deadheading individual flowers by reaching into the plant as much as possible. This will minimize unattractive stubs.

When I first raised flowers I didn’t deadhead the plants but it makes a big difference in the appearance of the plants and the flowers that is has. Flowers add such color and life to a yard so keeping them healthy and free from faded flowers just adds to the beauty of your yard.

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Flowers add to any meal with taste, beauty and they are high in vitamins and minerals you can use both annual and perennial flowers. There are over 100 different flowers that can be eaten but as with any plant you must know which ones are edible and which ones are not.

If you are going to eat your flowers first you must know which ones are safe to use and second, don’t use any chemicals on the plants. The chemical residue will remain behind in the petals and this will be dangerous to your health. Also people with allergies will have to see what flowers they could eat and watch for any allergic reaction.

There are many non-edible flowers that can be quite toxic to humans, such as Azaleas, Clematis and Daffodils. Other flower you can eat the petals but not the leaves, so before trying flowers do research. What’s Cooking America has an excellent breakdown on edible flowers along with links to recipes

A few edible flowers that you can grow in your garden, enjoy their beauty, and eat later include: Alliums, Borage, Cattails, Pansies, Lilacs, Dandelions, Nasturtiums, squash blossoms, Calendula, Impatiens, Roses, Mint, and Chrysanthemums. This publication from IA State will provide you with more information

Edible flowers can be used for salads, soups, drinks, syrups, jellies, and main dishes.  They are often used as decoration on cakes and pies. Borage and violets that have been candied have been a favorite for cake decorating for years. And this year at the Kitchen garden or Victory garden the Obamas are growing on the White House lawn, there are edible flowers in the garden.

Edible flowers are very delicate and need to be handled carefully to maintain their beauty. Harvest the flowers early in the morning before the sun has warmed them.  The flowers have more taste in the moring. Gently clean off the petals, then let dry. Flowers should be used the same day or next day for the best flavor.  
photo credit: la fattina

Each edible flower has it own unique flavor that you may or may not like. So pick a few and see if they are something you want to add to your prepared dishes. I remember my first taste of the nasturtium. It has a peppery taste so took me buy surprise but it’s a great addition to salads.

With the renewed interest in gardens and recession gardens you may want to add a few flowers to your meals.

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A faerie house is said to be “a gateway through which our fairy friends enter our gardens.” By creating houses for them, we create a way for the fairies to use to visit our world. And in thanks the fairies will tend the gardens and help them thrive.

There are many types of faerie houses, from a simple style to intricate lavish. They add fun and wonder to a backyard garden area and assembling a faerie house is fun for adults and children alike. This would make a great family project and help interest children in gardening.
photo credit: aussiegall

These adorable glass faerie houses look beautiful setting in any garden. Sometimes small furniture or plants are added to the interior of the house. And to blend the faerie house into your backyard garden area, add a mini garden or fairy chair and the yard will take on an enchanted feeling.

Fairy House : supplies you will need

• 7- square foraged or used windows
• Hot glue
• Hot glue gun
• Paint
• Screws
• Screwdriver 4 Large wood balls (for feet of house)

Collect your free or foraged windows together. The windows will need to be the same size. I pick up windows along curbsides and at garage and auctions. Construction sites may also be able to help you. I also look for windows that show a little wear – peeling paint or a few colors.

Clean the window and frame. I like to scrap off loose paint and lightly add a smudge of color to the frame with a cloth. This will give the frame an older look and more character. Choose a color that will compliment your backyard and flowers.
photo credit: zedzap

The next step in building your faerie house is to create the structure. Start by screwing the four windows together using one screw at the top and one screw at the bottom of each window. This will form a square block. Attach another window to the bottom of the block by using one screw on each of the four sides. Tip: to make the screws easier to get into the frame I use a drill to start a hole.

While box is bottom side up, screw or hot glue the wooden balls to the bottom of the box. This creates legs for the faerie house. (You can also use old legs off furniture or wood blocks.) Turn the box over onto its legs.

Screw or hot glue the last two windows together to form a “V”. If you have hinges I would suggest using two of those on the inside of the frame. I think they are easier to use and make a stronger attachment. Turn the “V” over and hot glue or screw or hot glue the windows to the top of the box to form the roof of the faerie house. If you use hot glue, add a small decorative brace to the roof. It just fortifies the structure of the house.

This will leave you with two openings in the roof to decorate the inside of the fairy house if you wish. Candles, a small potted plant, mini furniture, or even a mini rock garden will add flair to the faerie house.

Add the faerie house to a section of your yard that needs garden art or a focal point. And for more fun add night-lights in the area.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Flower Garden, creative gardening, faerie garden, faerie house, Theme Gardens

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