You don't think you have a green thumb? That's OK--you don't really need one! Just a little knowledge and info to get you started!!

Those of us who live in rural areas have a decided advantage over city and apartment dwellers. We can nearly always find room for a vegetable garden even if it's a small one!

But even if you don't have an acre or two of land to play with, don't despair! You can still supplement your grocery budget with fresh veggies grown in a container garden--even if only space you have is on your patio!

Tomatoes are about easiest vegetables to grow. They come in all sizes: from bite-size cherry tomatoes to great big beefsteak tomatoes. And tastewise, store-bought tomatoes just can't compare to vine-ripened!

The first step to starting a container garden is to locate your container. You can use almost anything. A half-barrel, kind you see for sale at garden centers, works great. You may have plastic buckets already on hand and these can work, too.

If you use buckets, usually one plant to each bucket is enough. And keep in mind, one plant can produce a lot of tomatoes!

Just put a layer of rocks in bottom of your chosen container for drainage. Then fill with quality potting soil about 2/3 thirds of way full.

Tomatoes are best grown from seedlings. Most garden centers, discount stores, and even some grocery stores have these in stock in spring.

Flowers and bouquets of flowers have a meaning of their own. Most of us know that a dozen red roses means, “Be mine.” But did you know, for example, that a primrose means, “I can’t live without you,” or that a purple hyacinth means, “Please forgive me,” or that a pink carnation means, “I’ll never forget you,” or that a gladiolus means, “Give me a break?”

Flower meanings have been used to convey ideas, feelings and messages for centuries. The word, floriography, has been coined for assignment of meaning to flowers. There is a meaning to colors of flowers, to numbers of flowers, and to groups of flowers. It is a silent language that has been largely lost to us through lack of use.

In addition to obvious choices of color and variety, language of flowers also includes way flowers are worn or presented. Presenting flowers upright conveys a positive meaning, but if they are presented upside down meaning is opposite. If a ribbon is included with flowers and is tied to left then meaning of flowers refers to giver, but if ribbon is tied to right then meaning refers to recipient. Also, flowers can be used to answer questions. When they are presented with right hand answer is “yes,” but when presented with left hand answer is “no.”

History

The Turks in 17th century seemed to develop flower meanings. In 1718 wife of British ambassador to Constantinople, Lady Mary Wortley, wrote a letter expounding on “Secret Language of Flowers” that she had discovered during her visits to Turkey. Europe quickly picked up on concept.

In 1819 Louise Cortambert, under pen name, Madame Charlotte de la Tour, wrote and published what seems to have been first dictionary of flower language entitled, Le Language des Fleurs. It was a small book, but it became a popular reference on subject.

During Victorian era, reign of Queen Victoria from 1837 to 1901, meaning and language of flowers became increasingly popular. Victorian women especially picked up silent language that allowed them to communicate feelings and meanings that strict propriety of times would not allow. Tussie-mussies, a bouquet of flowers wrapped with a lace doily and tied with a satin ribbon became a popular and valued gift of times.

In 1884 a whole book on subject and entitled, The Language of Flowers, by Jean Marsh and illustrated by Kate Greenaway, was published in London. It became popular and respected and has been standard source for Victorian flower meaning ever since.

Selected Flower Meanings

Here are some selected flowers and their meanings, a short dictionary.