There are many pursuits in life that I would love to be proficient in – fine art, playing the piano and ice skating among others – but gardening was right up there on my list. I wanted to be good at gardening so much. I pictured myself serenely floating between my immaculately maintained flowerbeds, expertly tending to sweet-scented roses and lavender, admiring tall delphiniums, sweet peas and dahlias, while passers-by stopped to marvel at the dazzling display of color, fragrance and form that I had created.
Ever the eternal optimist, I truly believed that I had the natural inclination to be a great gardener. And now, my chance was at hand…
Recently married, I had moved to a small house with a large, empty garden – a wonderfully fertile blank canvas for my green work of art. All around me, my neighbors possessed beautifully constructed, fragrant gardens that wouldn’t have looked out of place at Chelsea or Hampton Court Flower Shows, and, added to that, my new husband was a Landscape Architect – so I had a lot to prove with my gardening prowess.
So, one cold February morning, I emerged from my house, armed with a brand new trowel and bag of 50 crocus bulbs. This, I told myself, was where it would all begin. In future years, people would say: “Even from the very first crocus bed that she created, Miranda’s genius was evident.” Ready to take the gardening world by storm, I began to plant my very first Grand Design.
I raked over the deep brown soil in the small bed I had earmarked, my heart leaping for joy with each turning of fresh earth. I had read and re-read the instructions on the bag of bulbs to be sure to get it right (even though I knew that, obviously, this information would become second-nature to me very quickly once I realized my natural gardening talent). Using my old wooden ruler, I painstakingly measured the correct number of centimeters between each bulb and the depth of each hole in the cold, damp soil. After what seemed like an age, I stood to my feet, aching but triumphant in the completion of my work.
Then, I waited. Days and weeks passed, rain fell and temperatures began to rise. Verdant new leaves unfurled on the trees surrounding my garden, where blue tits and robins sat. Spring announced its arrival in sparkling color as my neighbors’ gardens awoke. Yet still my small flowerbed remained stubbornly brown and lifeless. After a few more weeks, I began to get worried until, one night in late March, I made a tearful confession to my husband. Solemnly, he took my brand new trowel (which had been lovingly cleaned and leaned artistically by the back door) and went out to investigate. Anxiously I awaited his verdict, like a relative desperate for news about a loved one’s life-saving operation. He reappeared and gravely beckoned me outside. There, the awful truth was revealed: I had carefully planted 50 crocus bulbs upside-down. Before me lay fifty sad, gangly specimens, their brave green shoots curling right round the bulbs. In their attempt to reach the light they had grown unnaturally long and now, far from the resplendent spring blooms they should have been, they resembled the results of some hideous, Dr Jekyll-like experiment.
My dreams of gardening glory shattered, I retired the brand new trowel to the depths of the tool shed, never to see the light of day again.
But nature is a triumphant force. Even though my marriage ended and I moved far away, I have it on good authority that those poor, confused crocuses are still going strong each spring – despite their ungainly start in life.
The English Country Garden
The English country garden is a masterpiece of garden design. English country gardens gradually evolve from an intricate plan. They have to combine both formal and informal elements.
The garden has to look unified even with its diverse characteristics. An English country garden involves serious garden design yet it is the ultimate peaceful garden.
Today’s English country gardens take their cues from English cottage gardens of distant eras. In earlier times peasants owned small gardens which had to supply all their gardening needs. They had to plan a garden design which included herbs, fruits, and vegetables.
Most peasants also introduced a splash of flowering glory into the mix. The English country gardens of long ago were overflowing with beauty and bounty. Modern English country gardens carry on that tradition of abundant and profuse variety. Indeed many English county gardens still grow the traditional mint.
Daisies and delphiniums still add beauty to English country gardens. More formal English country gardens are continuing the formal garden design of the landowners or gentry from past centuries. The formal English country garden can have box hedges, stone paths, and impressive sculptures.
English country gardens will have perennials, annuals, and bulbs growing in profusion. Color themes must use plants which complement each other in color, shape, and structure. Small plants can not be dwarfed by taller ones.
Blooming times have to be a huge consideration in garden design. An English country garden should always have a lush and luxuriant look. Climbing roses on rustic arbors are the essence of English country gardens.
Wildflowers can either be planted freely or contained in a certain area. Winding paths must also be part of the garden design. Stone or aged brick paths weave through glorious English country gardens.
Small scented plants are an aromatic choice for planting beside garden paths. Beds and borders are two basics features of English country gardens.
Carpet bedding is also part of English country garden design. Carpet bedding is basically a pavement of petals. Flowering annuals are planted close together in a very simple or very complex garden design.
English country gardens offer exquisite variety in both color and type of flowers. The garden design can offer the contrast of bold shades alongside more muted tones. Shades of purple are primary hues in many English country gardens.
Mauve and lilac canterbury bells hold an honored place in English gardens. Borders of irises often line garden paths. The annual ageratum comes in a lavender blue color.
The lovely lavender itself will forever be the favorite scent in an English country garden. The rose, the primrose, clematis, gladiolas, and foxglove are all beloved flowers of English country gardens.
English country gardens are a paradise of garden design. Wild roses, forget-me-not, Queen Ann’s lace, and the peace lily set the mood for the quintessential English country garden.
An English country garden is full of peace, romance, and elegance. It is sweet and pretty. A perfect English country garden is every gardener’s dream!
We tend to think that poisonous plants can only be found in th wild, like mushrooms, poison ivy, poison oak or sumac, but the truth is that we often live side-by-side with them and are ignorant that many common plants we use for food, decorate our homes or add value to the landscape are poisonous. Many house plants and flowers we love to grow along with annuals and perennials contain alkaloids, resins, oils and toxic proteins that can be harmful if ingested or touched.
Take, for example, apples. Those little seeds contain cyanide. While you won’t die from eating the seeds of a single apple, they can kill you if you eat enough. Children might be tempted to eat those seeds but should be discouraged from doing so.
The pits of cherries are also poisonous. But their hardness make them hard to digest, so if you swallow one accidentally, you’ll find it in your stool the day after. The same goes for peaches and plums, though the pits are too big to make swallowing easy. You’re more likely to choke to death if you attempt to swallow a peach pit!
Tomatoes are a favorite in every salad but eat them unripe and you are likely to get stomach aches. Especially poisonous are the leaves. It’s said that one of the tactics used in feudal Japan was to slip a tomato leaf into the salad of the intended victim, a quick and sure way to eliminate an enemy.
Rhubarb makes for great pies so long as you use the stem and not the leaves which contain oxalic acid salts that can lead to kidney problems, convulsions and coma. Though you are not likely to die, the effects are bad enough.
A number of flowers and household plants are poisonous. Daffodils make great flowers, but don’t think of chowing down the bulbs. Caladium is another plant with multi-colored foliage, but all of the plant is poisonous. The mouth and tongue swell up and can block the air passageway, making breathing difficult or impossible. Delphiniums contain the alkaloid delsoline. The young plants and seeds are poisonous and lead to nausea, muscle spasms an paralysis. It is often fatal.
You’ve heard of dumbcane, otherwise known as Dieffenbachia? A nice house plant whose sap is poisonous. You need to wash your hands thoroughly after handling the plant and well before eating anything. Intense burning and immobility of the tongue, mouth and throat can block breathing. It’s the reason why it’s called dumbcane.
Oleander is considered to be the deadliest plant in the world. Every part of the plant is toxic.
Flowers will perform many functions in your garden so it is worth knowing the best and most useful to choose as well as some detail on their care.
It is usual to create a framework of background plants (shrubs, trees, climbers), and fill in the other areas of planting with lighter, more colorful material which can be varied annually if desired.
The most important thing for successful flowers is soil preparation. Dig the bed carefully an incorporate organic material into the soil. Make sure the soil drains well and correct this if needed. Add a general fertilizer and ensure you are putting your plants into the soil which suits them in terms of type and pH (check when you but them or in directories).
Plant them at the correct spacing as this will allow adequate air flow and prevent diseases like botrytis (grey mould).
Flowers with spiky forms like lupins, foxgloves or delphiniums can be used to reflect the architectural shapes in the garden. Spires can be reflected using the plants just mentioned or if the building has more rounded style, use rounded box hedges and clump forming plants.
Most garden centers provide a lot of information about particular plants such as their spread, preferred soil type if any, special needs (e.g. if they need to be protected from frost), and height.
Most plants will grow in most soils, tolerating a wide range of pH and thriving well in sun or partial shade. It is only a few who have a very narrow range of tolerance.
It is often only in extreme conditions, for example where the soil is very acidic or alkaline or the aspect unfavorable (total shade, windy, exposed, etc.), that you will have to consider whether plants will thrive.
Alkaline soils – mostly those in chalky areas – pose a problem for some plants. because the high pH causes problems in nutrient absorption. The nutrients become unavailable to the plant because they are locked into compounds the plants cannot absorb. The alkalinity can be treated with chemicals and special cultural techniques but it is much easier to concentrate on plants which naturally thrive on chalky soils. Shrubs that might be included are:
Lavandula (lavender)
Buddleia davidii (butterfly bush)
Clematis
Cotoneaster
Syringa (lilac).
Border perennials include:
Dianthus (carnations, pinks)
Helleborus
Paeonia (peony)
Scabiosa (scabious)
Most plants which tolerate a wide range of soil do well on acid soils as they are not such a specific problem as alkaline
Long before the first daffodils of the year come into bloom, seed catalogs are delivered to our mailboxes to herald the arrival of Spring. A good seed catalog contains so much information, it can sometimes be overwhelming for a novice gardener to decide which seeds to buy for their garden. Today I’ll explain how to interpret catalog descriptions for vegetable, herb and flower seeds.
Let’s start with vegetable and herb seed descriptions, since they’re fairly straightforward. A typical catalog listing for these seeds will look something like this description for lettuce seeds:
“Black Seeded Simpson (45 Day) Crisp, tender and sweet. Heat resistant. Pkt. $1.25â€
In this description, “Black Seeded Simpson†is the name of the lettuce variety. “45 Day†refers to the average length of time from when the seeds germinate until the plant matures and is ready to harvest. Keep in mind that this number should be used only as an estimation. The actual maturity time will vary slightly with your particular growing conditions and the weather. This number is a rough guide and should be used mostly as a comparison with other varieties and when planning when to plant successive crops.
That’s pretty simple, right? But catalog descriptions aren’t that cut and dried for every vegetable.
Take sweet corn, for instance. The catalog description may indicate the length you can expect each ear to be at maturity, and even how many rows of kernels to expect on each ear. But you may also see some odd letters after the names of the corn varieties offered in some catalogs. EH, se, sh2, su…it’s like a secret code. Actually, these letters tell you a little about the flavor you can expect long before you ever bite into the first sweet, tender ear.
First of all, when you see any of these designations after the variety name, you’ll know you’re looking at a hybrid corn variety. These hybrids have been developed for certain desirable characteristics, such as flavor, tenderness, or durability for shipping.
An “su†hybrid is a normal sugary hybrid. They tend to be creamy and sweet, but they don’t store well. An “su†hybrid should be eaten within a couple of days of harvest. This would be a good choice for a home garden, but a poor choice for a commercial corn grower. They tend to not cross pollinate with the neighbor’s corn.
An “se†variety is a sugary enhanced hybrid. These varieties have a smooth, butter texture, very tender kernels and a longer harvest period. Sugary enhanced hybrids also tend to not cross pollinate readily, and need not be isolated from your neighbor’s corn.
Supersweet hybrid corn is designated as “sh2â€. These varieties have a gene that enhances their sweetness and produces firm, crisp and juicy kernels. The texture is not as creamy as “se†or “su†varieties, but supersweet varieties do hold their flavor for up to ten days after harvest, making them a good choice for commercial growers. Supersweet corn will cross pollinate readily with other corn varieties, resulting in starchy kernels, so it’s best to plant supersweet varieties at least 25 feet from other corn in your garden.
Now let’s talk about flower seeds.
Flowering plants are categorized as either Annuals, Biennials or Perennials. Annuals will complete their entire life cycle in one growing season. Their seeds are planted in the spring, the plant grows rather quickly and blooms that same season. Marigolds and sunflowers are examples of flowering annuals.
A biennial plant will spend its first growing season establishing itself and storing energy. But it’s not until the following growing season that a biennial will bloom. Foxgloves and hollyhocks are biennials.
Perennials are plants that will continue to grow year after year without being replanted. They typically go dormant over winter and grow back from their roots the following spring. Astilbe, hostas and daylilies are examples of perennials.
Before choosing seeds from a catalog, you’ll need to know which growing zone you live in. Growing zones, also known as hardiness zones, are based on the average minimum temperatures for each zone. A growing zone map is included in every good garden catalog, making it quite easy to identify your garden’s hardiness zone. Growing zones with higher numbers are in warmer climates, while growing zones with lower numbers are in the north.
For all perennials, biennials, trees and shrubs, catalogs will indicate the range of zones in which the plants will perform consistently. For instance, Blue Fountains delphinium is listed as hardy in zones 3-7. This plant would not be likely to survive a long, cold winter in zone 2, nor would it tend to grow well in the heat of zones 8 or 9.
For best results and the most satisfaction from your gardening efforts, always choose seeds for plants that are hardy to the growing zone you live in. Buy seeds from a reputable company and avoid discounted seeds left over from the previous year. Most seed companies print planting instructions for each seed variety right on the back of the seed packet. By following these instructions carefully and choosing your seeds wisely, you’ll be well on your way to having a terrific garden.
“The term “globalization” has acquired considerable emotive force. Some view it as a process that is beneficiala key to future world economic developmentand also inevitable and irreversible. Others regard it with hostility, even fear, believing that it increases inequality within and between nations, threatens employment and living standards and thwarts social progress. This brief offers an overview of some aspects of globalization and aims to identify ways in which countries can tap the gains of this process, while remaining realistic about its potential and its risks.” IMF Staff
In the Grip of preconceived ideas and prejudices
The opinion of the masses is directed by carefully worded rhetoric a delphinium method of mass hypnosis designed to control huge populations. You will find the wording of key elements of information dissertation is neutral and bane. The feature that affects society is that it is to be accepted by the moral majority without question. Yet, when it is socially prudent to maintain the status quo individual opinions are lost by the intellectually arrogant masses. The most evasive opinion about Globalization is that it is inevitable and irreversible, sounds sensible but is it, can there be those who oppose its on slot behaviour with regards to global governance, economic stability, and social progress. Those who are apposed to its on slot have good reason to be fearful of its out comes however there fear is misunderstood by them as well as those who support the business of globalization. The fear mongers become useful idiots for flushing out those who are apposed to its process of integration.
“Globalization offers extensive opportunities for truly worldwide development but it is not progressing evenly. Some countries are becoming integrated into the global economy more quickly than others. Countries that have been able to integrate are seeing faster growth and reduced poverty.” -IMF Staff
The reason that some players are seeing faster development is because their governments are far more cooperative in these countries, usually they have excepted the change to there constitutions, that change there laws, they have adapted to democratic republican governing styles, therefore they have not been subjected to sanctions as other have who do not cooperate with the globalization integration process. It is assumed with in the governing bodies of these nations that the democratic method of governance is the best way to govern.
There are certain challenges when gardening in the Nevada climate, but don’t despair; it doesn’t mean you can’t have a lush green lawn filled with vibrant annuals or spring bulbs. There are however, some maintenance and planting tips that need to be considered during the autumn months.
Here is a handy checklist for those fall gardening to do’s:
Reseeding lawns – The hot summer temperatures can do a lot of damage to a lawn; late September is an ideal time for reseeding and repairing that damage. Make certain you don’t purchase bargain varieties of lawn seed, such as Kentucky 31 or K31. Most people are disappointed with this grass due to its coarse texture.
A year round green lawn can be obtained by over seeding it with perennial ryegrass versus annual ryegrass.
Give your lawn one last feeding using a fertilizer containing potassium and cut back watering your lawn to once a week in the winter months.
Colorful annuals – Believe it or not, autumn planting is the time to get the most color and longevity from your annuals in the Las Vegas area. They thrive in the milder climate and with some loving care may bloom again next spring.
Here are some ideas for cool-season annuals:
African daisies, alyssum, asters, baby’s breath, bachelor buttons, bells of Ireland, calendulas, candytuft, carnations, clarkia, columbine, delphinium, dianthus or sweet William, gaill ardia, hollyhock, larkspur, nirembergia, pansy, petunia, poppies, snapdragons, statice, stocks, sweet peas, verbena, viola, ornamental kale and cabbage.
Compost for your bedding plants – Our dry soil is scarce in organic matter, which needs to be supplemented in the form of compost or peat moss. It provides much needed drainage and oxygen as well as feeding nutrients to the plants.
A recipe for a healthy garden includes:
Spreading 3 to 4 inches of some form of organic material on the bed.
Add two to three pounds of 16-20-0 fertilizer and equal amounts of sulfur per 100 square feet. Work ingredients into the top 8 to 10 inches of the soil with a spade or rototiller.
Get those bulbs planted – Nothing is more uplifting on a cold winter day, then looking out and seeing a bed of brightly colored tulips providing hope for spring. Late October is the time to get those bulbs in the ground while the soil is cool. Normally these bulbs thrive in areas where the ground has been chilly for a long time, but this is a condition we can simulate. Place the bulbs in a paper bag and store them in your vegetable crisper for four to six weeks before planting.
Prepare your beds using plenty of organic matter and ensuring you have good drainage. Once they have bloomed, mulch with at least 2 inches of well-rotted manure. Don’t forget that our winter temperatures may be quite warm, just make certain to occasionally dig into the soil to test it for moisture, they may need watering.
Roses – After the fall blooming is over, trim back the canes using a 45 degree angle cut, by about one-third. Do any heavy pruning in the early spring.
Garden clean-up – Make certain to compost any dead vegetables or foliage and rake up any fallen leaves.
Garden tool tune-up – Now is the time to ensure your tools are ready for next spring. Wash them off, sand down the wooden handles and metal parts, wiping them with an oiled rag to prevent rust. It’s a bit of a chore, but you’ll be glad you took the time.
Gardening in Nevada has its challenges, but a little bit of tender loving care at this time of year will result in happy, healthy plants next spring.
Traditional UK flowers incorporate a whole host of flowers grown in the UK. Fragrant arrangements packed with an abundance of freesias and dappled with fern leaves displayed in pretty wicker baskets are a very popular choice which is ideal for sending to people of all ages and give a true English ambience as the room fills with enchanting scents. A modern approach florists use to capture these charming traditional UK flowers include designs which utilise the dexterity of freesias by displaying them in contemporary vases with chunky bases which offers an interesting contrast which compliments modern homes.
In the spring the traditional UK flowers include the ever popular daffodil, highly scented narcissi and tulips. Individual hand-tied bunches of daffodils of the same variety, most commonly the bright yellow trumpet daffodil, bring a real sense of warmth and cheerfulness to any room in the house. Vibrant tulips and gerbera awaken the senses looking absolutely delightful when packed tightly into a vase or jug. For a more contemporary look to these traditional UK flowers, single tulips placed in three identical vases gives a trendy and fashionable appeal.
Cornwall growers provide a diversity of traditional flowers which are traditionally associated with woodlands in spring, they are commercially growing flowers such as bluebells to bring a protected species into homes across the country. Themed arrangements depicting peaceful strolls through the leafy glades of the English countryside are becoming increasingly popular in the choice of traditional UK flowers to send or display.
Dainty posies arranged with subtle pink roses, stephanotis, chrysanthemums, carnations highlighted with lilac peonies all provided by UK flower growers are typical arrangements sent as ‘Thank you’ or ‘Get well’ flowers which are predominantly aimed for women who appreciate the sheer beauty of traditional UK flowers.
Elegant vases holding tall flowers have a real English cottage garden appeal, creating dramatic displays using seasonal UK summer flowers such as larkspur, delphiniums, lilies, aquilegias, phlox and of course English roses all in the most subtle tones of cool blues and pretty pinks. Local florists will amalgamate any UK summer flower to add interest and individualism to your design.
Traditional quintessential UK flowers are roses with their many varieties and colours. Florists can create designs which incorporate roses or use them on their own to construct the most striking displays. Large headed cream or pale pink roses teamed with dark green hedgerow foliage arranged in low vases or baskets are a fabulous choice of flower to send on birthdays and Mother’s Day.
Romantic red English roses are undoubtedly the most traditional UK flower to send on Valentine’s Day. Single long stemmed blooms with a bow strategically tied onto the stem are an extremely popular choice for women to send to men, while huge bunches of deep or crimson red roses make a real statement of love.
Traditional UK flowers used in hand-tied bouquets, comprising of vibrant oranges and striking yellow provide a blaze of colour to brighten the senses in Autumn, with chrysanthemums, lilies and carnations all grown in the UK.
An assault on the senses with scent and colour, with texture and shape is my image of a flower garden. Somewhere to be private yet share time with family and friends. And flower gardens come in as many types as there are people.
In planning the flower garden consider where it is to be viewed from mostly, such as the living room windows and how it will be used during the year. Flower garden design raises questions such as do you have children who play football or animals who need exercise? These considerations will affect the types of flowerbeds and flower plants you chose to have.
Libraries have good selections of gardening books for ideas and seed catalogue manufacturers and the unusual plant specialists will all offer useful help.
Garden designers will discuss all this with you but if you are doing the landscaping yourself, the lie of the land and the type of soil need to be taken into account to give the best results for your flowerbeds. The materials you use for landscaping can create a background for your flowerbeds. Old railway sleepers give a rustic appearance and can be used to make raised flowerbeds, while stone steps or walls create a country feel for your flowerbeds. Does your garden have room for supports for climbing plants which change the perspective?
Planning flowerbed designs allows you to create colour effects. You can use the colour wheel for contrasts or monocolor flower plantings. It is worth thinking about the texture and shapes of leaves to add to the overall effect and enhance your flowerbeds. For instance, iris leaves are spears against rosemary’s spiky evergreen. The variety of greens in leaves can balance those green flowers for effect.
Aim for flowering plants which give a succession of colour such as soulangia, a climber. Spring flowers are the easiest to start with. Bulbs come in a variety of sizes and are widely available. Raised flowerbeds bring the scents of the smaller varieties closer to your nose as well as being easier for the disabled to maintain. Summer flowerbeds can be kept fresh with successions of flowering annuals which can be sown on site Flowering plants which display colour in late autumn and winter extend the flowerbed season.
With most gardeners leading busy lives ease of maintenance is vital. Look for plants which require little work such as staking, but there are varieties which are worth the trouble such as dahlias or delphiniums.
The most important point in having beautiful flowering plants in elegant flowerbeds is the pleasure the planning and viewing give.
Let me begin discussing hummingbirds and their favorite flowers by first dispelling a myth. Many believe that hummingbirds are attracted only to the color red. While it is true that they prefer red or red/orange colors, fortunately for them, their need for nectar disallows them from becoming finicky eaters based on plant color. If you observe hummingbirds for even a short time, you will quickly see that they are attracted to almost any color nectar-bearing flower.
Avid hummingbird observers have noted that these birds can spend an entire day visiting one flower variety. Then, the next day, they will move on to another variety. Evaluating this pattern in human terms, I like to think that like people, they adhere to the saying: “Variety is the spice of life.” The more assorted your flower selection, the more time they will spend in your garden.
Just as important as color to the hummingbird is the shape of the flower for potential dining. Scientists believe that flowers have evolved through coadaptation and coevolution. The term “mutalism” is used for a positive interspecific relationship that, in this case, allows both the flower and the hummingbird to benefit. Flowers best adapted for hummingbirds are designed to attract this particular group of birds rather than insects.
Flower fragrance plays no part in attracting hummingbirds, and they prefer easy nectar extraction from a relatively long floral tube.
Any gardener can easily add hummingbird attracting flowers to the colorful pallet in their yard. Hummingbirds are voracious eaters and must feed 3-5 times per hour. It makes sense that when they find a garden filled with nectar delicacies, they will fight other hummingbirds in order to guard their turf. Their battles are commonplace wherever there is an abundance of nectar.
Hummingbirds respect no boundaries and are residents all over the United States. There are even a few varieties that flourish and live year-round in the desert Southwest. Depending upon the area of the country where you live, there should be a hummingbird attracting flower that grows well in your climate from the following list. However, there are many more flower varieties that could also be included as gardeners continue to experiment.
Perennials
Bee balm
Bubble gum mint
Butterfly weed
Columbine
Coral bells
Cosmos
Dahlia
Delphinium
Flame acanthus
Foxglove
Fuchsia
Geranium
Hollyhock
Lupine
Monkey flower
Morning glory
Penstemon
Red
