With a few simple techniques your flower garden will be healthy and beautiful. And with all gardens keeping your garden as simple as possible so that you will enjoy its beauty is the most important step to take.
photo credit: kabils

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.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Flower Garden, container garden, flower garden, flowers, patio garden, perennials

At this time last year I decided to start a perennial gardening business. I wanted to make better use of my backyard plus I am plant addicted and feel you really can’t have enough plants.
photo credit: cliff1066

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.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Flower Garden, dividing perennials, flower garden, free plants, perennial garden, perennial garden business, perennial plants, plant care, thegardenersrake.com

Sunflowers add to any garden with their bright colors and sunny inspiration. Besides being easy to use they make a great cut flower. They come in a variety of colors and grow as small as two foot to as tall as 15 foot.
photo credit: blair_25

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.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Flower Garden, creative gardening, flowers, garden art, garden trellis, how to create a sunflower trellis, sunflower house, sunflowers