Can Lilies Add Beauty To Any Garden ?

Do you ever feel like you know just enough about Lilies for the garden to be dangerous? Let's see if we can fill in some of the gaps with the latest info from lilies for the garden experts.

Lilies are one of the most striking and beautiful plants in the garden, and most gardeners will work with these beautiful plants at least once or twice in their lives.

Lilies can add beauty and drama to any garden, and they are very popular flowers for indoor display as well. Lilies are popular in many contexts, from giving a beautiful contrast to a winter rock garden, to providing a beautiful accent to surrounding shrubs and trees.

No matter how the lily is displayed, and whether it is enjoyed indoors or out, there are some important things to know about these wonderful plants. This article focuses on some of the most frequently asked questions about choosing, planting, caring for and enjoying lilies.

When should I plant my lilies?
The best time to plant lilies is in either the spring or fall of the year. Regardless of the time of year, however, it is important to get the bulbs in the ground as soon as possible after purchasing them. Unlike many other types of bulbs, lily bulbs do not store well.

What is the difference between a daylily and a garden lily?
The plant known to gardeners as the garden lily is grown from a bulb, but the plant known as the daylily actually grows from a corm. In addition, the daylily contains many leaves that grow from the corm, but the garden lily contains only one shoot that contains leaves. That shoot grows directly from the bulb.

It's really a good idea to probe a little deeper into the subject of Lilies for the garden. What you learn may give you the confidence you need to venture into new areas.

How deep should lily bulbs be planted?
The general rule of thumb for many types of bulbs, including lily bulbs, is to plant them three times as deep as the bulbs are wide. For instance, a two inch wide lily bulb would be planted to a depth of six inches In addition, lilies should be planted in groups for the best effect when they bloom. It is a good idea to dig a hole to the proper depth, then plant several bulbs together in that hole.

How do I propagate lilies?
Garden lilies are best propagated through breaking off a few of their scales in the spring or fall and planting them approximately one inch deep. Daylilies can be propagated by dividing the corms and planting them. In addition, some lilies will produce bulbils, which may appear to be black or dark green seeds. These bulbils are found at the point at which the lily leaf meets the stem. Even though these bulbils are not really seeds, they can be planted, and they will emerge within two or three years of planting.

Should I cut back my lily after it has finished blooming?
After the lily has bloomed, it is best to remove only the stem itself. That is because garden lilies will continue to feed off their foliage, and lilies that are left to die off naturally tend to grow better the next year. On the other hand, daylilies usually bloom for longer periods of time. The blooming season of daylilies can be extended if the gardener deadheads the blooms and cuts back the stems. After the blooming season is over, the foliage on the daylily should be allowed to die back naturally.

Can Easter lilies be planted outside?

Many people are interested in planting their Easter lilies outside, and it is fine to attempt that. The main problem with Easter lilies is that they do not bloom naturally at easter time. Easter lilies are actually forced to bloom at that time of year by the florist. This forced blooming can make it harder for the lily to grow properly once it is transplanted.

If you plan to transplant your Easter lily after you have enjoyed it outside, the following steps will help increase your chances of its survival.

1. Plant the lily in a sunny spot using well drained soil
2. Use a good, high quality planting mix
3. Plant the bulbs three inches under the surface of the soil and also place an additional three inches of soil on the top
4. Allow enough space for the lily to spread its roots
5. Water the newly transplanted lily thoroughly

Now you can understand why there's a growing interest in Lilies for the garden. When people start looking for more information about Lilies for the garden, you'll be in a position to meet their needs.

The Lotus vs The Water Lily



Source : ArticleBase
Read more GardenTech Articles Please Click Here

Herb Gardening

Herbs have been around since time immemorial. Ever since, herbs have served different kinds of purposes. Herbs have been used to treat illness and also in cooking. They were even believed to have magical charms. Do you want to have your own herb garden? Here are a few ideas on how to establish an herb garden.

Plan you garden.

Consider the herbs you want to plant. Think about their types. Would you like annuals, biennials or perennials?

How much space will they occupy in your garden? If you want, you can purchase a book that can give you the right information on what specific plants you are planning to grow.

List or draw your garden on paper first. Separate the annuals from the perennials so when the time comes that you have to pull out the annuals, you won't be disturbing the perennials. Perennials can be planted on the edge of your garden so when it is time to till your garden; you won't have a hard time.

Another thing to remember is that you have to plant the tall ones at the back and the shorter ones in front. Also, provide your plants with enough space to grow. Proper position shall help you in this area.

Some Design Ideas

You can consider having a square herb bed. You can have your square bed divided into four by two paths crossing at mid point measuring 3 feet. You can border it with stone or brick. A wooden ladder may also do the trick. You can lay it down on your garden and plant your herbs between its rungs. You can also choose to have a wagon wheel bed. Planting here is like planting with the wooden ladders. Plant your herbs in between the wagon wheel's wedges.

Get Your Plants Growing

Of course, different plants have different needs. This is the reason why you have to determine the herbs you want to plant in the planning stage. This can more or less help you find out how you should care for your plants. With starting seeds, remember its germination and soil temperature rules. If you see the seedlings sprouting, check the plants' air circulation, humidity and sunlight. When you see some leaves appear, allow proper spacing.

One of the plants that are easy to grow are herbs. You just have to provide them with an effective drainage, sunlight, enough humidity or moisture and fertile soil. Even with just minimally meeting these requirements they will be bound produce a good harvest.

Source : Isnare
Author :George Hapgood
Read more GardenTech Articles Please Click Here

Wildflower Garden

Wildflowers are not as common as some other flower plants used in the garden. Wildflowers provide a variation from the common sight of geraniums, roses, and zinnias found in other gardens.

Wildflowers have a number of advantages in comparison with other plants. Firstly, they have natural resistance against pests, change in climate and other plant diseases. Secondly, they can survive in any type of soil. Last but not least, it is best for people who cannot devote time to work on their flower plants. Hence, they can survive with minimum or no maintenance at all.

Different varieties of wildflowers are present which thrive in different climates. Hence, you must firstly choose the wildflower variety which will survive in the type of soil present in your area. Secondly, it must also be able to adapt to the climatic conditions and seasonal variation in your area.

If you acquire any instructions or clarifications regarding when and how to plant your wildflowers plants, just visit a local nursery and inquire from the people there. This information can also be found on the internet. There are some websites on the internet relating to horticulture. All types of information regarding wildflower plants can be found on these websites easily.

The important pre-requisite for planting wildflower plants is that the soil where it will be planted must be made free from rocks and weeds. It must also be crushed into fine particles to allow penetration of nutrients. Any grass present on the ground must also be removed.

The land used for sowing wildflower seeds must be exposed to sunlight for a minimum of five to eight hours a day. The site must also have good drainage facilities. Since the wildflower seeds are sowed by scattering, the site should be nicely ploughed before sowing the seeds. Even coverage of the seeds throughout the site can be ensured by mixing the seeds with fine-grade builder’s sand. These seeds will need constant watering until they grow to a minimum specified height.

Wildflower plants grow in regions were they can adapt to the climate and soil easily. However, there are certain varieties of wildflower plants which can grow well in any region or season. These can be obtained in both annual and perennial types. Mixing both will ensure that there is blossoming of plants throughout the year. Since these require comparatively lesser work input from your side, it will be a pleasure to just watch these flowers blossom.

Source : Isnare
Author :Susan Slobac
Read more GardenTech Articles Please Click Here

Plant Growth and Indoor Lighting

Indoor gardening makes a great hobby, especially during the gloomy and cold winter months, where in many areas of the country outdoor gardening of flowers and vegetables is out of the question. Hydroponics gardening is a popular method used by indoor gardening enthusiasts. Hydroponics is a form of soilless gardening; it instead uses a growing medium (or not, depending on the style of hydroponics you choose) in which the plant roots sit, and they are fed through the application of a nutrient solution. There are a few basic supplies you will need to get started with hydroponics gardening, including a lighthing system including grow lights, a ballast and reflector. You might need growing medium, and you will definitely need nutrient. The amount and kind of nutrient and growing medium you need will depend on the specific plants you wish to grow. You can start plants yourself from seed, or you can purchase plants from nurseries and greenhouses. Grow lights are vital to your success because without proper lighting your plants will not grow and thrive. Indoor lighthing of your plants affects plant growth in several different ways.

The visible spectrum is the part of the light spectrum that we can see. This spectrum is represented in wavelengths and is measured in the Kelvin scale. The spectrum ranges from purple and blue on one end, greens in the center, and orange and red on the other end. Daylight ranges from 5000 to 6500 K. What all this means to the indoor gardener is this: you are trying to replicate outdoor sunlight in an indoor setting. Plants grown indoors need 12-16 hours per day under appropriate lights in order to grow well. The kind of plants you are trying to grow will also play a part in the type of grow light you choose to use.Grow light that emit light in the blue spectrum are best for use in plants in which you want to promote vegetative growth, such as seedling plants or lettuces, for example. If you are growing flowering plants, or fruiting vegetables such as tomatoes, you will instead want to use lighting that offers red/orange spectrum light. Light in this range is best for promoting flowering and fruiting in plants. Once you know what type of plants you wish to grow, then you can obtain the appropriate lighting for them to flourish.

There are many great HID Lights, or high-intensity discharge lights, that work well in an indoor gardening application. They include HPS grow lights, or high pressure sodium lights, and metal halide grow lights. Because of the lower cost yet great light output, many indoor gardeners also like LED grow lights with light-emitting diodes as well.

Source : Isnare
Author :Susan Slobac
Read more GardenTech Articles Please Click Here