Page 165

The Best Flower to Give Your Dad This Father’s Day

The Best Flower To Give Your Dad This Father’s Day

Did you know that many men appreciate flowers just as much as women do? That’s why the official flower for Father’s Day is a red rose. Red roses are a universal symbol of love and most Dads would love to receive a bunch. Here’s why.

The first Father’s Day began on June 19, 1910 in Spokane, Washington. After hearing a Mother’s Day sermon at church, Sonora Smart Dodd wanted a similar sermon to appreciate her own father. Her father had raised her and her five siblings alone on a rural farm after their mother’s death. The pastor agreed.

And it was with that first inaugural Father’s Day in 1910 came the official flower: the rose.

Rose: The Official Father’s Day Flower

The official flower of Father’s Day is the rose. Why? Sonora Smart Dodd selected the flower herself, suggesting that people wear a white rose to honor a father who has passed away, or a red rose to honor a living one. While some countries still honor this practice, many others simply give gifts.

While we often associate red roses with romance and Valentine’s Day, they’re also a universal symbol of love.

Do Dads Even Like Flowers?

Many people’s first thought was probably not flowers as a present. Gift guides try to tell us that our fathers would rather have a steak, a fishing rod, or whiskey. You know, that really stereotypical image of the stock, ultra-manly man. The image that doesn’t really represent many men at all.

But it really depends on who your father is and what he likes. Many men love flowers. They become florists. They learn flower arrangement. They love to garden, or just wish they had a green thumb. They like a pot of bright daisies outside their door to welcome them home. And some men would rather have a steak.

Will your dad like getting flowers? Can’t tell you that. You know your father best. And if you’re still not sure, try it and find out. He might love it because you gave it to him, or you might just find he’s been waiting to get a bouquet of his own all his life, but couldn’t admit it.

If you love the idea of this tradition but your father isn’t into flowers, you can still honor him with a rose pinned to your lapel.

What Other Flowers Can You Give for Father’s Day?

While roses are the official flower, there’s no rule saying you must give roses. Think about what flowers your father will like. If he’s a gardener, he may enjoy a live plant to add to his burgeoning garden.

Florists suggest big blossoms in bold colors (avoid pastels unless your father likes them), with more structure to the arrangements. The official colors of Father’s Day include black, white, dark red, and dark blue, if you want to get even more into the symbolism.

Superb Choices Include:

Something sophisticated

Something cheerful

Something living

This Father’s Day, honor your father with a bouquet of roses or other flowers. This might be the Father’s Day present he’s been hoping for.

An Introduction to International Floriculture Expo in America

The International Floriculture Expo is the largest floral-related event in North America and brings together industry thought leaders, buyers, and vendors together in one place. You can make new contacts and compete in the Designer Competition for a chance to win some amazing prizes.

If you’re not in the flower business, you might not have heard of the International Floriculture Expo. While it might be the largest floral-related event in North America, it is strictly for B2B businesses such as event planners, retail florists, online retailers, nurseries, distributors, supermarkets, and more. However, if you do happen to be a key buyer, it’s an excellent event not just to source flowers but also to learn from industry thought-leaders.

About the International Floriculture Expo (Ife)

The IFE started decades ago initially under the name Super Floral Show (SFS). It was eventually acquired by a new owner back in 2005, which came with the name change to IFE. Since its inception, the event has attracted attention from companies around the country. As of today, it remains the largest high-volume B2B show in North America offering a wide range of products from fresh cut flowers and greens to potted plants, containers, technology, balloons, care and handling, and more. There are over 200 vendors at the event from around the globe so you’ll definitely be able to find what you’re looking for.

Depending on your business, you can choose to come as an attendee in order to source flowers, accessories, and services. Or, if you are a retailer, you can exhibit to increase your clientele list. Considering the event attracts thousands of interested buyers, there’s a huge opportunity to really get your business off the ground.

Increase Your Knowledge

In addition to networking with thousands of floral professionals and checking out the latest and greatest products, the expo also offers educational panels to help you grow your business. Panels range on a variety of topics including current trends, business advice, and floral design.

Even if you’re not able to make a panel, the IFE provides on-demand content for free through their Floral Connect. These videos focus on yearly trends for the floral industry and how you can apply them to your own business. From talking about consumer habits, marketing, sales trends, color trends, etc. you can find plenty of topics that will help your business grow.

How to Attend

The IFE is held every year over the course of four days. Costs to attend vary based on when you register and what you plan on doing. If you only intend on going through the exhibit hall, the pricing ranges from $50~$100; while if you also wish to attend educational day, the full package ranges from $295~$395 depending on when you register. If it’s your first IFE or if you are a small business, it might make more sense to just pay for the exhibition hall pass than the full package.

If you’re an exhibitor, you will have to fill out a form to apply for a booth. Prices vary based on the size of your booth. If you don’t plan on selling but want to attend as a supplier or service/provider, you are subject to a $3,500 fee to attend.

The event takes place in Miami Beach, Florida, which is a notoriously expensive city in the United States. However, there are plenty of affordable food and even hotel options available if you’re willing to be a little further away from the main convention center. Make sure budget for travel and hotel accommodations as well as meals while you are in attendance.

Popular Events

The IFE has two popular events with the first being the flower naming ceremony. The ceremony honors pioneers who have made an impact in the floral industry by naming a flower after them. In order to be considered for the ceremony you, or whoever you nominate, must meet the following criteria:

Is an active retailer, supplier, or educator in the floriculture industry
Is a life-long member of the floriculture industry
Holds a position of VP or higher
Has had a major impact in the industry
Is a public figure
Maintains a high standard of conduct and reputation
Has worked as a volunteer in the floriculture industry

Once the naming ceremony has concluded, it is immediately followed by the second most popular event – the Iron Designer Competition. Competitors must put their design skills to the test to create a beautiful design based on the yearly theme in just 20 minutes. Anyone can enter, but only one person will be the winner.

Conclusion

The IFE is a must attend event for anyone who is in the floriculture industry. Not only will you be able to network with thousands of other professionals, you will also be able to learn more about the business. If you’re feeling up for it, you can even enter a design competition. Even if you don’t, there are plenty of things to do at the largest B2B floriculture expo in North America.

What You Need to Know About Fertilizer

If you want to grow healthy plants, you need to know what to feed them. Learn all about the benefits of fertilizer, what to look for in a fertilizer blend, and the best strategies for applying it to your plants.

When you’re looking to grow the healthiest plants possible, sometimes they need a boost. Fertilizers promise to give you long-lasting blooms, bigger harvests, and more productive plants. But, knowing where to start with fertilizer can be overwhelming when you’re first getting started.

Here’s a closer look at how fertilizers work and what you need to know to choose one for your garden.

What Is Fertilizer?

Plants pull everything they need to thrive out of the soil through their roots. Over time, they absorb such a large concentration of nutrients that the ground becomes depleted. Adding fertilizer to your garden replenishes these nutrients so that plants continue to grow well.

Put another way, adding fertilizer to a garden is like putting money back in the bank after draining your savings account.

How Does Fertilizer Work?

Though fertilizers can contain dozens of compounds that promote plant growth, three primary nutrients make up almost the entire formula: nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium. On a soil bag, you’ll see these represented as N-P-K, or as numbers in place of each letter to represent the ratio of each nutrient within it.

For example, a 100-pound bag of fertilizer could be labeled 5-7-4. This means it contains five pounds of nitrate, seven pounds of phosphate (phosphorus), four pounds of potash (potassium), and 84 pounds of filler materials.

Here’s why each nutrient is important:

Nitrogen

As one of the most common elements in nature, nitrogen is critical to all forms of life. Homemade compost and animal manures contain lots of nitrogen. This nutrient is responsible for giving plants vibrant green foliage, and too little leads to stunted leaves. However, excessive nitrogen can be just as problematic, as it makes plants prioritize leaf and stem growth at the expense of producing flowers or fruit.

Phosphorus

This nutrient is critical for root growth and bloom formation, making it an essential component for all fruiting plants. A lack of phosphorus will lead to stunted tomatoes or squash plants that never develop blossoms. Good sources of phosphorus include bone meal and rock phosphate.

Potassium

Potassium promotes photosynthesis and helps the interconnected systems within plants function together. Without it, plants look weak and spindly. Wood ash can restore potassium levels, though too much can burn plants.

Other Key Plant Nutrients

Beyond these three main components, plants need smaller quantities of other critical nutrients.

Molybdenum: Promotes healthy leaf formation and prevents a buildup of nitrates.
Zinc: Helps plants withstand cold temperatures and converts starches to sugars.
Chlorine: Aids photosynthesis and helps take in and release gasses like oxygen and carbon dioxide.
Manganese: Supports healthy plant cell functioning.

An all-purpose 5-5-5 fertilizer will typically provide an ideal ratio of nutrients plants need to thrive. If your soil has specific deficiencies, you will need a specialized formula that can address them.

Organic vs. Synthetic—Does It Matter?

One primary decision every gardener needs to make is whether to use synthetic or organic fertilizer.

Synthetic Fertilizers

Synthetic fertilizers are made through a chemical process that typically uses oil and other nonrenewable resources. Most synthetic fertilizers are water-soluble and prioritize the three main nutrients (NPK), which means plants can take them in fast and show improvements quickly.

However, these fertilizers tend to be deficient in other essential nutrients, potentially leading to problems for plant health over the long term.

Organic Fertilizers

In contrast, organic fertilizers come from naturally occurring materials that may include mineral deposits, bone meal, fish emulsions, or composted manure. In most cases, organic fertilizers are not water-soluble, which means they release their nutrients into the soil over time.

Ideally, you want to apply them in the fall so that they can break down over the winter and be available for your plants by spring.

Beyond feeding plants, organic fertilizers improve the soil’s structure and create habitat space for beneficial soil microorganisms that aid plant growth. They also tend to be more complex than synthetic options and will provide plants with all the necessary secondary plant nutrients.

Which Is Best? A Summary

So, in short, synthetic fertilizers are easy to use and offer fast results but often don’t support long-term plant health. Organic amendments work more slowly, but they promote overall soil health and give plants a better balance of essential nutrients.

Some gardeners may find a blend of both works best. Consider using organic fertilizers in the fall to enrich your soil and promote microbial life, and apply synthetic fertilizers as needed over the growing season to keep things vibrant.

Understanding Different Fertilizer Applications Methods

Fertilizers come in multiple forms depending on your preferred method for feeding your plants. Here are some to be aware of.

Dry Fertilizer: As the easiest type of fertilizer to apply, dry fertilizers can be scattered by hand (wear gloves!) or dispersed over a larger area with a spreader. You can add more around the base of plants over the growing season to aid their growth.

Slow Release: This fertilizer typically comes with a coating that breaks down over time after heat and water exposure to slowly release its nutrients into the soil. This makes it possible to fertilize without fear of burning your plants. To use, sprinkle directly into the ground.

Liquid: Plants can absorb nutrients up to 20 times more efficiently through their leaves than the roots. For this reason, liquid fertilizers are usually sprayed directly onto plant leaves, so it absorbs the nutrients directly. Any that drips into the soil will get taken in by the roots. This provides plants with a quick nutrient boost and is one of the best ways to revive fading plants. As liquid fertilizers are potent, you must take care to dilute them according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

Choosing the right fertilizer for your garden is an important decision. Take time to research what’s best for your plants, and your garden will thrive from your effort.

15 Perennial Plants That Bloom in Early Springtime

After the long winter months, we all want a pop of color to liven up our outdoor spaces! As soon as spring shows its face, you can count on these spectacular and rather hardy plants to bloom and brighten up your garden.

Virginia bluebells

Virginia bluebells (Mertensia virginica) is native to eastern North America. However, it’s being increasingly threatened in its original environment by both destruction of habitat and the obstruction of natural river flooding. It has nearly hollow stems, so they’re fragile and break easily. Flowers start off pink, and then gradually turn light blue.

Smooth solomons-seal

Smooth solomons-seal (Polygonatum biflorum) has scars on its rhizome (an underground stem) that look like ancient Hebrew writing – thus the name that references the Hebrew King Solomon. It produces small white bell-shaped flowers in spring and blue-purple berries afterwards. Care must be taken since the berries are poisonous to human.

Common lungwort

Common lungwort is an evergreen perennial, and “Pulmoa” from its genus name means “lung” in Latin. If you look closely, you’ll see that the Common lungwort’s leaves have the appearance of a somewhat unhealthy lung. The unique flowers of Common lungwort are red at first and change to blue as the pH of the plant changes.

Moss phlox

Moss phlox (Phlox subulata) is a flowering plant native to the United States. The Latin name Phlox subulata means needle-shaped, which describes its leaves. Moss phlox is sometimes confused with marijuana due to its similar smell.

Lenten rose

The Lenten rose has been cultivated since the Germans began to do so in the mid-1800s, with varieties being created in the United Kingdom shortly after. Between the 1920s and 1960s, there was little interest in its cultivation until Helen Ballard bred new varieties. They blooming early in the year hence they get their name of Lenten rose.

Primrose

Primrose is a welcome sight in an early spring landscape. The vibrant colors of the flowers and a light, delicate scent make the Primrose a favorite. This plant provides vibrant color to any container or flowerbed, with hues available in yellow, pink, purple, blue, orange, red, white and bi-color.

Bleeding heart

Bleeding heart is a highly valued flowering plant belonging to the poppy family. The flowers are a conventional heart shape, which explains its name, with a small droplet that falls just beneath the flower. The seeds contain elaiosome, a popular food source for ants. They take the seeds to their anthills, aiding in seed dispersal.

Heartleaf bergenia

Heartleaf bergenia (Bergenia crassifolia) is a plant species that is tolerant to cold and warm climates. This species has leaves that change color and range from rust brown to brown-red. Heartleaf bergenia leaves are used to make tea in Siberia. Its latin name Bergenia crassifolia means thick-leaved.

Siberian bugloss

Siberian bugloss (Brunnera macrophylla) is a flowering plant native to the Caucasus. Siberian bugloss is also known as the forget-me-not. The latin name Brunnera macrophylla means large leaves.

Bloodroot

Bloodroot (Sanguinaria canadensis) is a plant species native to eastern North America. In the wild its early spring blooms can be seen spreading across the forest floor or along riverbanks. Its common name comes from its reddish orange-sap, which can be made into a dye. Bloodroot seeds are often spread by ants who take them back to their nests.

Common periwinkle

Common periwinkle (Vinca minor) is a trailing evergreen subshrub that forms large, dense colonies. Because of this quality, Common periwinkle is commonly used in landscaping as a groundcover. It is a mildly toxic plant, but due to its pungent taste, it rarely gets ingested in amounts significant enough to cause toxic effects.

Snowdrop

A herald of spring, the Snowdrop grows up to around 7-15 cm tall. Sprouting from bulbs, the drooping bell-shaped white flowers are accompanied by two slender, erect leaves. These flowers have been noted throughout history, with references going as far back as the fourth century.

Wild daffodil

Wild daffodil (Narcissus pseudonarcissus) is a perennial flower that grows from bulbs. It is a common ornamental plant, famous for its pale-yellow flowers with a bright-yellow central trumpet. In the wild, Narcissus pseudonarcissus can be found in forests, grasslands, and rocky terrains. Its bulbs and leaves are poisonous when ingested.

Siberian squill

Siberian squill (Scilla siberica) belongs to the lily family. Its common name is a misnomer, since it’s not native to Siberia. Siberian squill originated in other parts of Russia. It’s a plant that’s been cultivated since 1796 and grows best in partial sunlight.

Dutch crocus

Dutch crocus (Crocus vernus) is an early spring blooming bulb with large flowers that range in color from yellow, white, and purple to striped or bronze. The plant grows 4 to 6 inches tall in full sun or partial shade. Makes a colorful display when planted under trees, in rock gardens, or in flower beds.

What You Should Know About Mosaic Viruses

Mosaic viruses affect many different types of plants grown in your garden. These include tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers and fruits such as grapes, bananas and papayas. Find out how to identify this virus and what to do about it.

What Are Mosaic Viruses?

The term Mosaic Virus is a broad description of many plant viruses that can cause mottled and deformed foliage on at least 150 agricultural and ornamental crops. Home gardeners are most likely to encounter viral problems with a handful of plants that they grow, most likely tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and beans in their gardens. Still, there are mosaic viruses that affect many other important plants such as fruit (grapes, papayas, and bananas), grains (such as corn, rice, and oats), and even certain houseplants (poinsettias, freesias, and orchids), to name a few.

With dozens of species-specific Mosaic Viruses found worldwide, there is one thing that they all share in common – there is no cure. That said, there are proven ways to eliminate the virus from one’s garden and ways to avoid an outbreak.

Garden Plants Most At Risk

Tomato

The Tomato Mosaic Virus (ToMV) – The Tomato Mosaic Virus (T0MV) is so closely related to the devastating Tobacco Mosaic Virus (TMV), that without submitting samples to a plant disease laboratory, identifying and diagnosing exactly which virus your plants may be suffering from can be nearly impossible. However, the symptoms of most Mosaic Viruses appear identical, their treatment is typically the same.

Look for these tell-tale symptoms and signs on tomato plants (as well as the other crops affected by ToMV and TMV, such as cucumber, pepper, petunia, tobacco and lettuce.).

Cucumber

While cucumbers are also susceptible to Tomato and Tobacco Mosaic Viruses (they are all closely related), they also have their own Mosaic Virus. The Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) affects most plants found in the squash and melon family (Cucurbitaceae). While cucumber crops, in particular, are affected by CMV, this special virus also attacks other crops, including lettuce, peppers, beans, celery, and spinach. It’s easy to see why identifying each Mosaic Virus can be challenging, but how you treat affected plants and solutions is relatively the same.

The cucumber Mosaic Virus manifests itself slightly differently from the tomato and tobacco viruses, but it still includes the typical deformed foliage and miscolored leaves. Affected plants typically start showing symptoms with immature or chlorotic foliage (extreme yellowing of the leaves) followed by curling and distorted young leaves that often appear thread-like. Flowers may abort before bearing fruit, and any fruit that does mature will usually exhibit roughly textured skin.

Pepper

Pepper Mosaic Virus (PMMoV). The pathogen that affects peppers often called the Pepper Mosaic Virus is also known as the Pepper Mild Mottle Virus (PMMoV). Its symptoms are similar to other TMV and are considered closely tied to the entire Tobacco Mosaic Virus family. The Pepper Mosaic Virus is unique to peppers (whereas the Tobacco Mosaic Virus affects all most plants in the tomato family (Solanaceae). Spread mainly by infected seed, it’s the single major pathogen affecting pepper crops worldwide.

How Do Mosaic Viruses Spread?

All of the mosaic viruses spread quickly. Most commonly, transmission occurs via humans as they handle infected plants. Cross-contamination can also occur from gloves, tools, and even clothing, so cleanliness is essential. The virus is also easily spread by contaminated seeds. Since the virus can live in soil for a few years, never re-plant the same crop where infected plants once grew a year or two earlier.

How to Prevent Mosaic Viruses

The best prevention is to remove and destroy infected plants, rotate crops, sanitize and disinfect any tool or material that came in contact with the disease.

While no plant is known to be 100% immune to any specific Mosaic Virus, many hybrid plants or selected ones can be relatively disease resistant. Look for disease-resistant varieties of tomato, bean, and cucumber in seed catalogs and on plant labels. The codes for disease resistance are usually listed at the end of a description. For example, some tomatoes highly resistant to ToTMV and TMV are ‘Sungold’, BHN-444, and ‘Big Beef.’

Tobacco is a significant vector in spreading many Mosaic Viruses. Avoid handling plants if you smoke cigarettes or use any tobacco product. The TMV virus particularly lives on dry tobacco and can easily be spread from fingertips to plants, even to houseplants.

How to Get Rid Of Mosaic Viruses

While you can eliminate the virus from their garden quickly, there is no guarantee that the virus will not return. There is no fungicide that will be effective because the problem is a virus, not a bacteria or fungus. While insects can introduce or spread the pathogen from a neighboring garden that has infected plants, use of pesticides is not effective nor recommended.

You can casually introduce the virus via infected seed as the virus can lay dormant on a dry seed coat for years. Look for seed that has been heat treated or hot water treated. Be cautious when saving your own garden seed or when purchasing seed from private sellers online who may not have sterilized their seed correctly.

More often than not, the virus will appear unexpectedly with no fault of the gardener, as an infected tomato or pepper plant often won’t show the tell-tale mottled or deformed foliage until the plant is nearly mature during the heat of summer. It’s rarely seen on young plants or during cold or wet weather. Remove any infected plants once discovered.

If a crop exhibited the virus in one season, rotate the bed or garden with crops that are not susceptible to the virus for at least two years, or allow the bed to lay fallow. Clean and sterilize anything that came in contact with the plants with a 10% bleach solution, including garden tools, gloves, and even staking material. Growing crops in sterilized potting soil and clean containers will also improve results. Never reuse old potting soil from a previous season.

Take care when cleaning the garden in the fall. Dispose of any affected debris properly (burn or trash, and never introduce it to the compost bin). Be sure to remove any roots and underground parts for plants like potatoes to ensure that none of the pathogens remain within decaying plant material.

Using Color in Your Garden to Create a Colorful Scene

Adding color is a great way to improve the visual appeal of your garden. The issue is that many novices are unaware of how to use color effectively. This article will teach you the basics of color theory and how you can begin using color in your garden.

Color is one element that can bring more life to your garden than nearly any other. However, working with color in the garden is a more challenging task than you might expect. That is why we created this guide to using color in your garden. After reading, you will be ready to arrange plants in a way that inspires awe in all who visit your property.

Learn the Basics of Color Theory

Color is important in many artistic ventures. For that reason, humans over the centuries have developed different theories about colors regarding how they appear to the human eye and how they interact with one another. Understanding the basics of color theory will serve as your first step towards using color in your garden or any other visual pursuit.

Today, we divide colors into several distinct groups. This classification helps us to know how different colors will mix with one another and how to use each one effectively in a design. Here are the basic color groups that you should know:

As you may already know, we create secondary colors by mixing two primary colors. For instance, a mixture of red and blue will yield purple. Knowing about those basics will set you up to begin creating color themes for your garden.

Choose a Color Theme

Consider the color groups we mentioned above to be your building blocks as you attempt to create a design in your garden. Now that you have those basic blocks at your disposal, you can begin to develop a unique color theme for your garden space.

For example, you may be someone who wishes to see bold pops of color in their landscape. In that instance, you will want to use bright colors such as red, yellow, and orange, as these colors are the ones that will catch your eye most quickly.

Alternatively, you may want a more subdued color pallet. In that case, it makes more sense to use cool colors such as blue and purple. While these colors do not call as much attention to themselves as bright colors, they are a great complement to a calm, shaded garden space.

The color that you choose to use is entirely up to you. Your main goal here should be to choose a set of colors that pleases your eye. That way, you can ensure that you will enjoy your final product and that it will be an expression of your aesthetic preferences.

Complement Existing Garden Features

Although we have not explicitly stated this yet, we believe that the most effective way to add color to a garden is by planting flowers. However, there are some other factors that you will need to evaluate. What many people fail to recognize is that their garden already has a color theme. The structures and garden features that exist on your property will contribute to the overall color pattern. Be sure to complement these existing elements as you create your planting plan. Doing so will lead to a more cohesive final product.

Play With Continuity and Contrast

Two other important influences of color design, and design in general, are continuity and contrast. Mastering the proper balance between these two opposing forces takes some time. But when done well, a pleasing mixture of continuity and contrast will make for an astounding floral display.

Using these elements properly is a matter of artistic taste. While that can be difficult to cultivate, there are a few tips you can follow. One reliable approach is to choose one color that will be present in different forms throughout the design. Then choose a contrasting color to appear here and there throughout the garden. This will allow your design to maintain its cohesion while also adding some excitement to the visual experience.

Anticipate Bloom Times and Seasonal Change

Building an understanding of color theory is challenging enough. Now you must also face the inherent challenges of the medium you are using. Unlike in many other art forms, a garden design relies on colors that will change throughout the season.

Anyone who has spent time planting and tending gardens knows that flowering plants each come with a specific bloom time. Because of this, you will need to use careful planning to make sure that the color you want to appear together will do so at the proper time.

For example, if you want to create a flower bed that will show a strong contrast between some purple and yellow flowers, you need to confirm that the purple and yellow flower species you plant have an overlapping bloom time. Otherwise, your color scheme will not have the impressive impact you seek.

Plan Around Your Lifestyle

Our last point proves that timing is an essential concern when planting a colorful garden. But timing is not a topic that is exclusive to bloom times. What you should also consider is your lifestyle as well as when and how you intend to use your garden space.

For your own benefit, you should think about choosing flowers that will bloom during the times of the year that you use your garden the most. If you have a tradition of hosting a Fourth of July party at your home, your best bet would be to choose some summer-blooming plant species. With such an approach, you and your friends will get to see your garden in its best form during the times of year that it matters most.

Don’t Neglect Green

Our final tip on this topic is that you should not neglect green as an important color in your garden. Green is so widespread in the plant world that many people take this hue for granted. However, you might be surprised by home much a swath of green foliage can enhance your garden design.

Green leaves serve as a fantastic backdrop to the colorful flowers you plant. They also offer their own intrigue through interesting shapes and textures. Healthy green leaves also make it so that your garden will look lush and lively even when the flowers are not in bloom.

Clean Your Houseplants with These 6 Useful Tips

Houseplants do require some maintenance on a regular basis to thrive and grow. Keeping them healthy is easy with these expert tips. It’s important to keep the leaves clean so that your plants can breathe. Follow our tips for healthy, happy houseplants.

Just like the plants growing in your garden, your houseplants need regular maintenance too. When they spend their entire life indoors, plants tend to gather dust and other debris from the air. Some leaves will die and drop down into the pot, and flowers will also die once they’ve given you a magnificent show.

Here are some basic maintenance tips for houseplants that you should incorporate into your cleaning routine.

Remove Spent Flowers and Foliage

You spend time deadheading and pruning your garden plants, so you need to do the same for houseplants. Regular deadheading is important for flowering houseplants because it can encourage further flushes of flowers.

It’s also a good idea to remove any leaves and stems that are turning brown or are about to fall off. Remove any foliage that has fallen onto the soil in the pot as well, as this decaying plant matter may encourage pests and diseases.

You can also give your houseplants a light trim with a pair of garden pruners to keep them compact and shapely.

Dust Your Houseplants Regularly

Like everything else in your house, your plants will collect dust. Therefore, it’s important to remove this from the leaves. The leaves are your plant’s lungs and if they’re covered in dust, your plants will have trouble “breathing”.

For a quick dusting, you can use a feather duster but be very gentle as you don’t want to damage your plant. Don’t do this with ferns though as you may dislodge the spores into the air.

For delicate plants and those with furry leaves, you can just use a soft toothbrush to remove any dust on the leaves.

Wipe Down the Leaves for a Deeper Clean

It’s a good idea to periodically wipe down the leaves of your houseplants for a deeper clean and to remove any residue that’s settled there. This can be as simple as using a damp dishcloth.

Just place your hand under the leaf to support it and wipe down from the stem outwards. Remember to wipe the undersides of the leaves as well because this is where pests may hide.

For a more thorough clean, try mixing a little dish detergent with water and then wipe this mixture over the leaves. This approach works really well for houseplants with large leaves. However, it’s not the best if you have delicate plants such as ferns or African violets with furry leaves.

Also note that you should never use a leaf shine product on your houseplants. These products contain oils or waxes, which will clog up the pores in the leaves. As a result, your plants will be unable to breathe and eventually suffocate.

Give Your Plants a Shower

For delicate plants or those with furry leaves, you can actually give them a shower. After all, this is what your outdoor plants get every time it rains.

Remember to use tepid water. Your plants don’t like either hot or cold water. Placing them in the shower for a few minutes with the door closed also creates a little humidity. Most houseplants actually love this.

Make sure, when doing this, that the soil doesn’t wash away. You don’t want to clog up your drain with potting mix. To avoid this from happening you can:

After showering your plants, you should leave them to drain fully and make sure the leaves are almost dry if you’re placing your plants in a sunny spot. This is because if there’s water left on the leaves and the sun hits them, it could cause the leaves to burn.

Before placing your plants in the shower, make sure that the pot has drainage holes. This way, any excess water can easily drain out of the soil and won’t cause any water-logging for the roots. You might like to add some additional slow release fertilizer as most of the nutrients in the soil may have leached out with the water.

If you have plants in pots without drainage holes, such as succulents, do this instead:

This will avoid the water getting into the soil and drowning the roots.

Give Your Houseplants a Spell Outside in the Rain

If the weather is mild and you’re expecting a light shower of rain, you can place your houseplants outside for an hour or two. Rainwater is an amazing tonic for your plants and they will really appreciate it.

Therefore, if it’s not too hot or cold or windy, if you can, place your houseplants outside in the rain for a short time. Remember to let them drain before bringing them back inside.

Top Up the Potting MIX and Add Some Fertilizer

While you’re giving your houseplants a good clean, you might like to top up the potting mix as well. Over time, the mix will settle in the pot and this will lower the level of the mix. It’s perfectly fine to just top this up a little.

While you’re doing this, add a little slow-release fertilizer. These slow-release pellets will provide the roots of your plants with nutrients as and when they need it.

On the other hand, if your plant has been in the same pot for a long time, you might want to consider repotting it into a larger pot. Most houseplants will really benefit from this and will put on a flush of new growth as a result.

If your plant has become very root bound, you should gently tease out the roots a little and you can even trim off any that are really long. Once your plant is in the new pot, it will grow new little roots that are better able to take up the nutrients and water in the soil.

Final Thoughts

Just like the plants growing in your garden, your houseplants need a little maintenance from time to time. You should trim off any spent flowers and remove any brown foliage.

Also, make sure that you regularly remove dust from the leaves of your plants to keep them growing healthy and strong.

And finally, consider repotting your plants every so often so that they can put on some lovely new growth. If you take good care of your houseplants, they’ll reward you with beautiful lush foliage and stunning flowers to brighten up your home.

How to Water Your Plants Correctly in the Garden?

Learning how to water is an essential step for gardening success. Discover why overhead sprinklers aren’t the best option and the ten watering strategies that will help ensure your garden plants stay healthy and hydrated.

If you want a successful garden, you need to know how to keep it irrigated. Fruits and vegetables are more than 90% water, and plants immediately start to suffer when they can’t get enough of it.

However, watering plants in the garden takes skill and knowledge if you want to do it right. The wrong techniques may lead to shallow roots, diseased plants, and even more wilting than before.

Here’s what you need to know to water plants in the garden for the best results.

How Much Water Do Plants Need?

Most garden plants will thrive with at least 2.5 centimeters of water per week, though many need more during hot, dry spells. This averages 225 liters per 30 square feet of garden space or about 90 minutes per week with a regular sprinkler.

You can install a rain gauge to monitor weekly rainfall and determine when you need to start watering.

Four Types of Garden Irrigation Systems

Here’s an overview of the most common ways to water plants in the garden.

Watering Can

Watering cans let you pour a slow stream of water directly at the base of your plant. They are portable and ideal for container gardens but can become cumbersome for watering large spaces.

Watering Wand

This hose attachment lets you direct water to hard-to-reach places like hanging baskets. They also allow you water directly at soil level without bending over, though you’ll need to walk through your garden rows to use it.

Overhead Sprinkler

Overhead sprinklers usually consist of a rotating sprinkler head attached to a pole, so the water projects out and covers a larger space. While an overhead sprinkler is one of the easiest ways to water a big garden, it also comes with the most downsides.

First, watering plants from the top down means less water reaches the roots before it evaporates. This means much of the water is wasted before the plants take it in. Likewise, overhead sprinkles make it hard to direct the water’s flow, which means you irrigate the paths and weeds in your garden as well as your plants. Finally, wetting plant leaves creates habitat space for bacterial pathogens and fungal spores, which increases the risk of disease.

Drip Irrigation

Drip irrigation can be expensive and time-consuming to install, but it provides the easiest, most efficient watering method. You’ll run the drip tape around the base of your plants, which contains small holes that allows water to leak out slowly. Water leaks through these holes, saturating the soil and reaching plant roots directly.

10 Tips for Successfully Watering Plants in the Garden

Here’s some helpful advice if you want to keep your garden plants well-hydrated.

1. Apply Mulch

Mulching around the base of your plants offers many advantages. It moderates the soil temperature, prevents fungal spores in the soil from splashing onto plant leaves during rain, and slows down evaporation to hold moisture in the ground. For best results, apply a layer of organic material like wood chips at least three inches thick.

2. Test the Soil Before Watering

Watering whenever you feel like it won’t help your plants. Before pulling out the hose, check the soil’s dryness by sticking a wooden dowel six inches down. Wet soil will stick to it, but it will come up clean if the soil is dry and needs water. You may find that the top layer is dry from wind and evaporation, but the soil below is still wet so the area doesn’t require watering.

Prefer a higher-tech solution? Stick a moisture gauge into the soil for a real-time readout of whether you need to water.

3. Adjust Your Watering Strategy by the Season

he time of year affects plants’ water requirements, even when they are kept indoors. That’s because shorter days and chillier weather slow down photosynthesis and prevent plants from needing as much water. Adjust your watering habits accordingly so you don’t stress your plants.

4. Water Early in the Day (Never in the Evening)

Early morning is the most efficient time to water outdoor plants. You’ll lose less moisture to evaporation, and the soil will have a sufficient store of water to help plants withstand the midday heat. Plus, any water on the leaves will have time to evaporate before nightfall, which reduces the chance of fungal and disease problems.

5. Water Deeply (but Infrequently)

You’re doing your garden a disservice if you water it for ten minutes per day. Daily shallow waterings promote shallow roots because it keeps water near the soil surface, making plants less resilient and more susceptible to drying out.

Instead, water deeply a few times a week so the water permeates the soil and encourages root development so plants can better withstand drought conditions.

6. Avoid Overhead Watering on Windy Days

Watering the garden on windy days is a waste of effort, as most of the moisture will evaporate before it reaches the plant roots.

7. Be Aware Of Container Garden Water Needs

Potted plants are extra sensitive to water issues because their soil tends to heat up faster and dry out more quickly than those in the ground. This means you need to monitor the plants more often to prevent them from getting stressed. Generally, the smaller the container, the faster it will dry out.

8. Don’t Forget to Water Trees and Shrubs

While the vegetable garden rarely gets overlooked for watering, many gardeners forget their newly planted trees and shrubs also need a hydration boost. Make sure new plants are thoroughly soaked at least three times a week for the first month after planting and weekly throughout their first two growing seasons.

9. Don’t Overwater

One common gardening mistake is assuming that wilting plants always need more water. In fact, overwatering can cause the same kind of droopiness because too much water prevents plant roots from getting enough oxygen. If your plants look limp, check the soil moisture before assuming they need a drink.

Note: Disease and insect problems can also make plants wilt, so pay attention to other potential causes besides watering issues.

10. Avoid Misting

While a fine spray of water can revive a plant quickly, it’s one of the easiest ways to spread disease by transferring spores into the air, so they migrate to healthy plants.

Water is a crucial component for healthy plants, so perfecting your watering practices will lead to less waste and better results in the long run.

Plant Vegetables: Do the Planning First

The best gardeners put in plenty of work before planting season even begins. Learn what it takes to plan out your garden, from choosing the best seed varieties to deciding on a garden style and setting up a planting schedule.

When it comes to having a successful garden, much of the hard work needs to happen before the growing season even starts. If you don’t have a plan in place for what you want to grow, you might find yourself with the wrong kinds of plants and possibly overwhelmed with weeds in the middle of the summer.

Here’s a guide for planning out your vegetable garden to ensure you start the season out right.

How to Choose Seeds

Your first task when planning a vegetable garden is deciding what to grow.

Plant nurseries and seed catalogs contain more varieties than you could master in decades, so it’s important to practice restraint and make practical choices. In fact, the most common mistake beginning gardeners make is trying to grow too much at once. Every plant has different needs, so committing to more than you can maintain can ruin your enthusiasm before the season’s half over.

Keep yourself from getting overwhelmed by growing six or fewer varieties your first year and adding up to three more every growing season after.

What should you plant? That depends on what you want to eat. Tomatoes are a popular choice because they are relatively easy to grow, come in hundreds of varieties, and are versatile for canning and cooking. Besides, once you taste a home-grown tomato, you’ll never want to return to storebought.

Salad lovers should consider growing various greens, while those with more space may enjoy mastering melons and winter squash. Pay attention to the characteristics and growing requirements for every variety to make sure it fits your garden conditions.

This is also the time to calculate how many plants you need. Think through how much your family will eat over the summer, how much you would freeze or preserve, and how much you want to give away, and plan how much you plant accordingly.

How to Make a Garden Planting Plan

Next, it’s time to determine how you will set up your garden. Popular strategies include row cropping, planting in raised beds, and setting up a small-space container garden.

Row Cropping

The traditional method is to plant each vegetable in rows approximately four feet (1.2m) wide. This provides plenty of space for each plant while still making it possible to reach across the whole bed for weeding.

Raised Beds

Raised beds make it possible to start your garden from scratch. You build or buy a structure, add a quality growing mix, and plant directly into this new soil. Gardeners love raised beds because they make it possible to grow lots of plants in small spaces, and they raise the soil height so you aren’t bending over to nurture the plants.

Container Gardening

For those low on space or who need to keep their garden portable, growing plants in containers is a surprisingly productive way to produce food. Many plants like tomatoes thrive in containers, meaning you can maximize any unused corner of your yard for gardening.

How to Set Up a Summer Planting Guide

Now that you’ve decided on the varieties and gardening style, it’s time to plan where each plant will go. Again, this stage takes careful planning for the best results. Here are the steps to follow to determine what to plant where in your garden space.

1. Sketch Out Your Garden Area

First, make a blueprint of your total growing space, adding dimensions where you can. You can do this by hand on graph paper or a computer if you want a reusable template.

2. Pay Attention to Spacing Needs

Next, look at the spacing requirements for each plant variety and write those down. This gives you a sense of how much of each plant type would fit in each part of the garden so you can optimize it for what you most want to grow.

3. Add Your Top Priority Crops

It’s now time to add plants to your sketch. Start with the crops you care most about to ensure you have enough space for them. You’ll fill in the other varieties around these top priorities.

4. Give Space to Vertical and Vining Crops

Next, plan for the crops that have special requirements. For example, squash plants start small but quickly can take over a square meter or more in trailing vines, and cucumbers and pole beans do best with sturdy trellising. Factor these spacing elements into the garden to keep things organized.

5. Plan for Crop Rotation and Succession

As your garden progresses over the growing season, you’ll start pulling out one-time producers like heads of lettuce and carrots as you eat them. This leaves space for new plants, so plan out what your next growing round will be, so you use the space efficiently all summer.

A Note on Plant Spacing

Many beginning gardeners make the mistake of attempting to cram too many plants in one garden bed. Plants start small, so it’s tempting to pack them in tight to maximize the harvest. However, this strategy only harms your garden in the long run.

As the plants grow, they will start competing with each other for soil nutrients and sunlight. The result may be a garden bed of mediocre plants rather than a few standout super-producers. In short, resist the urge to overcrowd and give each plant the space necessary to thrive.

Eager as you might be to start digging in the dirt immediately, a well-planned garden is the best way to get results. Take the time to plan your garden in advance, and you’ll reap the rewards all summer long.

How to Control Common Houseplant Pests

There are a number of pests that can infect your houseplants from time to time. These are mostly sap-sucking insects and fairly easy to control. Have a look at these five different pests that might be infecting your houseplants and how you can easily control them.

Although pests on houseplants aren’t as prolific or common as the pests you might find on your plants outdoors, they do still occur. And when they do, you want to control them as quickly as you can to avoid any damage or them spreading to other plants.

Wherever possible, it’s a good idea to use organic controls for your houseplants to limit the amount of chemicals that you spray in your home. In saying that though, we’ll be discussing both eco-friendly controls as well as chemical controls so that you can have the choice.

Here are 5 common pests that you are likely to find on your houseplants.

1. Aphids

Although more common on your outdoor plants, aphids can make their way inside and feast on your precious houseplants. Aphids are sap-sucking insects that generally attack new growth. They’re quite small and can be green, black or gray in color.

You’ll usually find them on the undersides of leaves or on new flower buds. Because they tend to congregate in large clusters, they’re very easy to spot. Aphids also exude a sticky honeydew type substance that is easy to spot on the lower leaves.

If left uncontrolled, leaves and young stems will start to turn yellow and new growth will become distorted.