The Common Knowledge About Beautiful Lilac Flowers

Few fragrances signal the arrival of spring as clearly and sweetly as that of the lilac flower. These beautiful bushes are a favorite of floral enthusiasts everywhere, thanks in part to both their vast varieties and breathtaking colors. A hardy ornamental, lilac bushes may not be technically native to the United States, but they've certainly found a home here with enthusiastic gardeners, who use them for everything from privacy hedges to simple botanical yard decoration.

The latin name for the lilac bush is syringa vulgaris. The first part of the name may appear similar to that doctor's office staple, the syringe, for good reason. Syringa refers to a group of plants similar to the mock orange, whose stems were once used as stand-ins for smoking pipes.

In addition, in Greek mythology, a beautiful nymph of the same name turned herself into a lilac to escape the amorous advances of the god Pan. The second half of the name, vulgaris, thankfully does not reflect on the more modern meaning of vulgar, but on the original latin meaning of "common", or easily found.

Lilac in modern parlance is used as often to refer to the creamy pastel purple of the lilac tree as it is to the purple lilac flower itself. The original meaning then, should be of no surprise: it comes from the Persian word for indigo, or purple. Even in ancient times, our ancestors appreciated the singular beauty of this self-titled flower color.
Lilacs are not native to the United States, despite their clear popularity in the region.

In reality, growing lilacs is a practice that started in eastern Europe and Asia. Once imported, however, planting lilacs became just as familiar a practice here, with settlers of the new world embracing the cultivation of this fragrant flower. Today, varietals ranging from the California lilac to a more traditional dwarf Korean lilac prove that these lovely flowers are a great fit anywhere!

Purple lilacs, however, have long been rumored to celebrate young love, and make a popular gift among youthful suitors as well as being the traditional floral of the eighth wedding anniversary. The flowering time of the lilac bush is also said to herald an early or late arrival of warmth in the spring season.

Lilacs love the sun, so when planting a lilac it is very important to choose a spot that enjoys a great deal of sun. Much like roses, lilac pruning is essential in keeping the plant healthy and well-shaped, though lilacs will generally continue to grow regardless of whether the owner is adept at pruning lilac bushes.

To properly practice trimming lilacs, clip off flowers immediately after they have faded and remove about a third of the overall branches to encourage growth. Suckers that are growing near the ground should either be used for lilac transplanting or cut off to re-direct nutrients to the main plant. For the best manageable size, keep the tree to ten feet tall or less.

Lilacs grow in a fairly dense bush due to their large flowers and abundant leaves, which blocks out sun and airflow and makes them susceptible to mildew. While it may seem difficult to a gardener struggling with it, lilac care to remove mildew is very easy.

Simply trim away some leaves and flower clusters around the top to allow sunlight in (this is especially important for varieties like reblooming lilac bushes), and snip off any branches growing towards the "trunk", which will encourage airflow.

Tips For Growing Sunflowers

From delicate miniatures to towering giants, sunflowers are totally awesome. While often admired as ornamentals, sunflowers have an amazing variety of uses. They make a good fodder for poultry and livestock, dyes come from the petals, and paper can be made from the stalk pith. Its seeds and seed meal feed countless people, animals, and birds; sunflower seed-oil is used in cooking and in soaps and cosmetics. In the garden, you can grow sunflowers as windbreaks, privacy screens, or living supports for pole beans.

Sunflowers also come in a wide assortment of sizes. Some cultivars grow as tall as 15′, and the flower heads can be as big as 1′ across; dwarf types, however, are only 1′- 2′ tall. There are also early, medium-height sunflowers that stand 5′-6′ tall but have heads that are 8″-10″ across. Some cultivars produce a single large flower; others form several heads.

If possible, choose a site in full sun on the north side of the garden, so the tall plants won't shade your other vegetables. Sunflowers aren't fussy about soil. Seedlings are cold-resistant, so short-season growers may want to get a head start by planting several weeks before the last frost. In most areas, though, it's best to wait until the soil is warmer, around the last frost date. Sow seeds 1″ deep and 6″ apart. Thin large types to 1 1/2′ apart and dwarf or medium-sized cultivars to 1′ apart. Water well after planting.

Apply a 3″-4″ layer of mulch to conserve moisture and keep down weeds. Sunflowers are drought-resistant, but they'll grow better if you water regurlarly from the time the flowers begin to develop until they're mature.

Sunflowers are remarkably trouble-free. Rotate crop if leaf mottle, a soil fungus that produces dead areas along leaf veins, becomes a problem. An early autumn may interfere with pollination and cause the plant to form empty seeds; plant earlier the next year. To protect seeds from birds, cover flowers with mesh bags, cheesecloth, old pantyhose, or perforated plastic bags.

Harvest as soon as seeds start to turn brown or the backs of the seed heads turn yellow. The heads usually droop at this time. Cut them along with 2′ of stem and hand upside down in a dry, well-ventilated place, such as a garage or attic, until fully dry; store in plastic bags for birds and animal food. To eat, soak overnight in water, drain, spread on a shallow baking sheet, and roast for 3 hours at 200°F or until crisp.

There Are Five Rose Gardening Care Tips For Beginners

Many beginners to the hobby of rose gardening assume that they will have to prepare to make a great deal of fuss over their flowers. The common misconception is that all roses are delicate and liable to simply drop dead at any time. Most people are pleasantly surprised to discover that roses actually need relatively little care.

Unless you plan to grow roses for exhibition, they are not too hard to grow, and they can provide a great deal of enjoyment as they are beautiful to look upon and delicious to smell.

While roses are not terribly difficult to cultivate, they are just like other plants in that it is important to give them proper care. They are not more difficult than most other plants to care for, but they do require some care and careful planting. When you decide to plant a rose garden, it is important to keep in mind that you will need to care for and fertilize your roses, and ensure that they are well fortified against diseases and pests.

There are five basic things that can help beginners as they plant a rose garden. These five tips can help rose garden beginners create a more successful garden.

(1) – Know the different types of roses and what kinds of soil and climate they like. From the yellow brier rose to the Maiden's Blush white rosh, a visit to your local plant nursery can help you determine this information rather easily. You could also ask a master gardener or a local horticulturist.

Make sure that the varieties of rose that you decide to plant are well suited to survive in your region. Planting roses that only have a fair chance of survival in the growing conditions you have leads only to a measure of frustration. Choosing rose varieties that will thrive ensures that you will have a good rose garden experience, and this is vital to the beginner.

(2) – Plant roses during the autumn months or in early spring. This gives them more time to adjust to their homes, as well as store up energy for a longer and better blooming season later in the year. With the exceptions of container grown roses and mini roses, it is best to use dormant plants when you decide to plant a rose garden. If you are using transplanted rose bushes, wait until the fall when the plant becomes dormant, or in the early spring, while the plant is still dormant.

(3) – Ensure that your rose garden is planted where it can get 5 to 6 hours of sunlight. Some climbing roses, shrubs, and Rugosa varieties are fine in shadier areas, but most roses like a decent amount of sun. In order to avoid mildew and blackspot on your roses, you should plant them where they receive morning sunshine. Morning sunshine helps to dry off the leaves, and this in turn prevents blackspot and mildew. Roses that are left in the shade for the first part of the day are not as dried off, and are more susceptible to these afflictions.

(4) – When planting your rose garden, make sure that you provide a rich nutrient source for your roses. This does not have to be rose food. It is actually a good idea to use well-rotted manure or compost to the planting holes of your rose plants.

Add a bit of bone meal and mix it with your compost or manure. This provides a rich fertile environment that nourishes the rose roots and encourages them to strengthen and take better hold. Fertilizer can be added after planting to help continue to provide a soil chock full of nutrients. Organic fertilizers like seakelp and Canola meal are great rose garden fertilizers. When you provide adequate food for your roses, you greatly increase their chances of success.

(5) – Finally, make sure that you water your rose garden well upon planting. This is an essential part of planting your rose garden. Water is the most important food a rose can have. A great deal of rose food with little water does not do a great deal of good. However, if you adequately water your rose garden, it will be more successful than a garden that receives specially formulated rose food but hardly any water. Rose food is not a necessity; water is a very big one.

How To Plant Tulips In A Container

Vast beds of bright tulips might look fabulous in your yard, but what if you don't have a yard? What if you live in an apartment or condominium? Does that mean that you can't enjoy the early spring showing of tulips? Of course not. You just have to prepare a little differently than the gardener with lots of space does.

First, choose a variety of tulip which does well in containers. While tulips in general are a pretty hardy bunch, they do vary in size and temperament. For example, unless you're planting your tulips in a bathtub, you probably want to avoid the giant Dutch hybrids. They will overwhelm most any container you choose for them, and you don't want your tulips to end up looking top heavy.

Instead, choose a variety of tulip which will fit well with the size and shape of your container. If you're using a ten or twelve inch pot, choose a variety which grows to a height of 12 to 14 inches, such as a Greigii or Fosteriana Hybrid. For smaller pots, choose a Kaufmanniana Hybrid, which will typically grow to no more than ten inches tall.

Tulips dislike being waterlogged, so make sure you choose a pot with adequate drainage holes. Fill the bottom with an inch or so of gravel or small stones, then fill to about the halfway point with good quality potting soil developed especially for bulbs. For additional drainage, you can add a layer of sand at this point, but it's not required.

Place your tulip bulbs in the pot with the pointed end up. Since tulip bulbs produce only a single stalk, you don't need to worry that you are planting them too close together. Tulips look best in bunches of five to ten flowers. After you've placed your bulbs, cover them with more potting soil and leave them to overwinter in a cool place. Tulips need six to eight weeks of temperatures averaging less than 50 degrees.

If you've kept your bulbs refrigerated for the winter, you can even plant them in late winter and have indoor blooms long before the outdoor flowers are showing growth. This is known as forcing, and is a common practice among florists. Forcing is what allows us to buy pots of tulips and lilies long before Easter most years. Unfortunately, bulbs which are forced will not typically bloom again.

One great advantage of growing tulips in containers is that you can move them. Tulips prefer bright sun, so if you have a sunny windowsill or balcony, this is the best place to put them. If you really want them to brighten up that dark corner of your bedroom, though, you can put them their when they've had their dose of sunlight. The possibilities are limitless!

Tips For Planting Roses Well

Roses are probably the most glamorous garden blooms, revered by one and all for their beauty and benefits. Much coveted and widely appreciated for their delightful fragrance and lovely hues, these thorny blooms are, however, not the easiest to bring up. Most gardeners like to term rose as difficult, frail plants that need to be constantly pampered and fussed over with weekly sprays and frequent fertilizing. Agreed, that this thorny shrub demands extra attention and commitment, but a little ingenuity and careful planting can reward you with a garden full of lovely roses. Appreciated as 'Queen of Flowers', well-bloom roses are indeed any gardener's pride. Growing roses is not as difficult as it is usually seen to be. The real secret to rose gardening is to understand how nature works. Understanding this simple fact before digging mother earth will leave you with a garden full of attractive rose blooms.

  
Tips On Growing:

• When planting a rose bush, begin by digging up a hole almost one and half times as deep and twice as wide as your rose bush. Empty your sachet of rose fertilizer into the hole, followed by a shovel full of manure and soil. Remember to sprinkle a little fertilizer on top of the soil layer.
• Gently transfer the rose plant from the pot and place it in the hole, maintaining the soil line of your rose plant the same as that of your garden. Don't forget to gently scrape the bottom roots and sides of your rose plant before planting it, which is certain to promote root growth, as your rose plants adjust to the new soil.
• Fill the hole, switching between a layer of soil, compost and a dash of fertilizer. Water it thoroughly, before doing it up with another layer of soil, compost and fertilizer. Wait for the water to get completely absorbed, before following it up with another layer of soil and compost. Cover it with a layer of mulch to help the soil retain its moisture.
• It is important to keep your rose plant bug free. As soon as you spot aphids or other bugs, discard them straightaway. You can use a homemade potion of ½ teaspoon dishwashing liquid to one quart of water to get rid of aphids.
• Never wait for withered leaves to chip off of their own. Keep a check on diseased brown leaves and remove them immediately. Yellow-greenish leaves are signs of iron or nitrogen deficiency.
• Never overly water your rose plants. Just water when the top 3 or 4 inches of soil is dry, and then soak the plants. It is not required to water your rose plants every day.

Tips:

• Roses love to sunbath. So ensure that they enjoy their 6 hours of sunlight. However, avoid planting it in very humid areas. It is best to plant your rose in a way so that they receive the required sunlight.
• For maximum appeal, always plant roses of complementary colors close to each other.
• Give your rose plants plenty of air circulation if you wish to keep them in top form. Find out how large your plants will be at maturity and space them accordingly.
• It's always best to check the pH balance of your soil before planting your rose tree. The ideal pH balance for roses is between 5.5 and 6.6.
• During summers, it is advisable to water your roses in the morning so that they dry up before nightfall.