Garden planning will help make any garden a success and easier to maintain. To create a small area flower garden that is easy to care for but makes a statement can be planned in one day and planted in a few hours if you use bedding plants.
A few questions to ask yourself are:
Where are you going to plant it?
Do you have the garden equipment to do so?
How big do you want your garden to be?
When do flowers bloom and what are their heights?
There are endless possibilities of flowers to choose from. The following is a list of the five most popular types of garden flowers chosen by gardeners from all over the United States. They are popular because of the ease in planting and care. They also supply a wide range of color.
1. Cosmos – These flowers have the ability to grow from 12 inches to 4 feet tall. Because of the varying height care must be taken in placing them in gardens. They are best as a background plant or placed in the center if you are creating a cone shape garden. Cosmos are perfect for cutting gardens. They are often used in flower arrangements because of their ability to last long once they are cut.
2. Marigold – Marigolds can be found in white, yellow, orange, red or a combination of all colors. They range in height from 6 inches to 2 1/2 feet. This type of flower will bloom in 45 to 50 days from sowing and germinate easily. They rarely require additional watering. They also repel wild animals and many insects.
3. Geranium – A hardy flower that blooms in white, reds, pinks and peach colors. There are even varieties that have variegated leaves. These plants are very hardy and do not have insect problems. They also can be dug up in the fall and over wintered or used and an indoor plant. During the season you can take a clipping from the plant and create a new plant.
4. Zinnia – Zinnias are a traditional, old-fashioned flower, which will bloom all season. If there is not a lot of rain, this type of flower will require watering on a consistent basis. Try not to get water on the leaves as this can cause mold, which can cause the plant to die.
5. Sunflowers – Sunflowers used to be traditionally a yellowish-orange color with a black circle in the middle. Today sunflower may range fro 1 1/2 foot to 10 foot tall and come in a wide variety of colors. Yellow, oranges, reds, rust, white and green are varieties that you will be able to find. Sunflowers grow well in a garden, container or even in the house. Many sunflowers are dried to use the seeds as a snack or to feed birds.
If you don’t have room for sunflower, consider the smaller dwarf sunflowers that grow 1 1/2 foot tall. Or another favorite of mine is Dusty Miller. It’s easy to care for and has very few insect or diseases. It also adds a silver color to flower garden, which creates interest.
My preference for any garden plan is to have some vertical height in the garden. This can be done with a trellis or containers such as garden pots. Growing plants vertically makes better use of space and catches the eye creating more interest.
In order for your garden to flourish, you will have to maintain it and keep it healthy on a daily basis. Removing old flowers that have died (also referred to as deadheading) will keep insects out of your garden, make it look prettier and help the plants to produce more flowers.
These five flowers will add color and atmosphere to your landscape. while not demanding a lot of your time. They are also are great for cutting and floral arrangements so will also add beauty to your indoor space.
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