Archive for the ‘Flower Gardens’ category

Flower Bed Edging

April 5th, 2011

Flower Bed EdgingNature has a unique yet beautiful way of improving its own curb appeal and flowers are the tools which it uses! There are millions of flowers available in nature that have different color combinations, shapes and sizes, and they complement their own foliage very well. This is why they say, that flowers look the best when they are grown naturally than placing them in a vase or bundling them in a bouquet. Flower beds for gardens, patios or backyards are the best examples of using these beautiful creations of nature to the fullest.

But when you have a flower garden or flower beds in your outdoors, you can’t just let them grow in a haphazard manner. You have to make arrangements to contain them by preparing an edge or a border, so that they look even more attractive. Flower bed edging is a wonderful way of adding systematics to your garden, and using natural ideas could surely improve its aesthetic value. Here are some useful ideas mentioned just for you, take a look.

Flower Bed Edging Ideas

Along with flowers, it is very essential to add a border to these flower beds as they give a specific amount of room for your flowering plants to grow and the plants don’t look messy and unmaintained. Flower bed edging ideas are also used to separate the area of the flower bed from a walkway, a deck, a water feature, etc., which is to be used for a different purpose. Thus, it is very important to give your garden an organized look with beautiful flowers growing in a contained manner inside the edges. You can use a number of flower bed edging products such as stones, bricks, wood, metal, etc., to create these edges and match them with the rest of your garden.

Rocks

  • One of the prettiest, most readily available and convenient choices for flower bed edging materials are the different types of rocks. This can be used as a category to include bricks, stones, river rocks and any other naturally produced lump of mineral.
  • The reason they are one of the best choices in flower garden ideas is because they are extremely cheap, they make the garden and flower bed look very close to nature and they are endlessly durable in any weather condition for as long as you would expect.
  • To start with the aesthetic beauty of bricks, I would like to say that having an edge built with red bricks can give your flower bed a very neat and organized look. The color of these bricks also match most of the flowering plants, people usually have in their gardens.
  • Medium and large sized stones on the other hand, look more raw because they lack shape and specificity. But this is what makes the flower bed look more natural and authentic. River rocks, both big and small (polished), also look very presentable as edges.

Wood

  • Another broad category of flower bed edging styles is the use of wood in any form, such as planks, logs, railroad ties, fences, etc. These are also one of those choices which are very convenient to find and are durable for a long time. » Read more: Flower Bed Edging

Ranunculus Care

April 2nd, 2011

Ranunculus CareWhile starting a flower garden, all we can expect is vibrant blooms filling up the beds and brightening the landscape. Ranunculus is known for the same attributes. Yes, it produces bright colored blooms in shades of white, yellow, orange, pink, purple, red and some cultivars have multicolored petals. Unfortunately, it comes with a tag of difficulty in cultivation, and many hobbyists avoid planting it in gardens. The truth is, ranunculus care is challenging in cool areas, but not for moderate warm regions.

Ranunculus Plants: Growing Guide
The term ranunculus is colloquially used to refer to both the common name and generic name of herbaceous plants, which belong to family Ranunculaceae. They are mostly perennial plants, while a few are annuals and biennials. Some appreciable attributes of ranunculus are lacy leaves, long and upright stems, heavy blooms, delicate petals and long shelf life. In order to make your task for caring for ranunculus simple, highlighted below are the basic cultural requirements for growing this perennial flowering plant.

How to Care for Ranunculus Plants?
If you are interested in larger blooms, then choose the Tecolote or Jumbo ranunculus bulbs. For cool climatic regions (zones 4-7), it is best to grow ranunculus indoors, about 3 months before the last frosting. Select healthy bulbs and plant in large pots (preferably 6 inches in diameter) about 1 inch below the soil, with the root tips pointing down. For growing it in warmer areas (zones 8 and above), ranunculus bulbs are planted directly in outdoor garden beds in spring, with a spacing of 4-6 inches between them.

  • Hoping that you have grown ranunculus plants in sunlit areas and soil with no drainage problems, they will grow luxuriantly. Indoor ranunculus care involves placing the potted plants in bright light, or in the windowsill.
  • If the indoor plants lack vigor or appear weak, perhaps it is because of insufficient light. For such a case, consider installing artificial lights to restore normal growth. Make sure they are placed near to the west or south facing windows.
  • Coming to the temperature part, it withstands 10-20°F, and not below this range. Accordingly, make the necessary arrangements to protect ranunculus plants from heavy frosting. For container plants, you can bring them indoors. » Read more: Ranunculus Care