Blue Wild Flowers for Your GardenWritten by Kathy Burns-Millyard
Planting wild flowers in your garden, or simply scattering wild flower seeds around an area of your yard are both ways to take advantage of Mother Nature's treasured gifts. Wild flowers are carefree, colorful, and tend to attract bees, butterflys and birds. So planting wild flowers not only gives you an easy maintenance flower garden... it also promises to be a constant source of interesting activity throughout year.The following wild flowers are blue to purple in color, and some say this is a favorite color of bees. VIRGINIA or COMMON DAY-FLOWER (Commelina Virginica) - Spiderwort family The Day Flower has blue, one inch wide or smaller flowers which tend to be irregular. The flowers are grouped at end of stem, and are upheld by long leaf-like bracts. The leaves are lance-shaped and 3-5 inches long. The upper leaves form like a hood of sorts about flower. These wild flowers prefer moist, shady ground and flower from June through September. The day flower tends to open in morning and looking somewhat "alert". In afternoon, or after bees have visited and fertilized it, petals roll up and quickly wilt into a wet, shapeless mass which will leave a sticky blue fluid on your fingers if you touch it. SPIDERWORT; WIDOW'S or JOB'S TEARS (Tradescantia Virginiana) - Spiderwort family The Spiderwort's flowers are purplish blue in color but on rare occasion they can be white. There's usually several flowers about 1-2 inches wide, and usually contain clusters of drooping buds between long, blade-like bracts at end. This one can grow from 8-36 inches tall, and has long blade-like leaves. It prefers rich, moist woods, thickets or garden space, and it flowers from May through August.
| | 5 Secrets To Growing Beautiful RosesWritten by Abigail Baker
A rose is a rose is rose - and there are few things in garden more beautiful. There are 5 secrets I want to share that will help you to grow healthy roses.1. Sunshine: Plan to put your rose bush in a spot where it will get as much sun at least 6 hours of sunshine a day. 2. Water: Drops of water on leaves can cause burning, and lead to black spot disease so always water from underneath, soaking earth until it is damp but not soggy. It is better to water thoroughly once a week than lightly several times in same period. Beware if your Roses get too much water, they'll drown. Water in morning or at least four or five hours before dusk so that any excess moisture can be absorbed by heat of day. 3. Planting & Soil: As soon as ground can be worked in Spring, turn soil to depth of spade. To loosened soil add 1/3 to 1/2 as much again of composted humus like leaf mold, peat moss, or composted manure, together with coarse sand. Make sure to work soil at least a month before planting.
|
