Spring is around the corner - How is your Garden?

Author: Anita Johnston

Article: Spring is in my opinion the most wonderful time of year for the gardener. You can shake of that winter weariness and get ready for a new gardening season.

The most difficult part of spring gardening is trying to manage your impatience. Don't start digging around too early. The soil must be dry enough to have it fall apart when you pick it up. When it still sticks together like glue that's definitely not the case.

Early spring is the best time of year to change (parts of) your garden design. You can transplant existing shrubs and perennial plants before they begin to leaf out. This also is the time to prune your trees and shrubs. Cut back the remaining dead foliage from last season and remove dead, damaged or diseased branches of trees and shrubs.

And then flowers! That's really what spring is about isn't it! There are many that are suitable for cool spring weather. Think of sweet alyssum, some snapdragons, stock and sweat peas. You can also start some perennials like hostas and daylilies.

Start some Violets, Marigolds, Carnations, Geraniums and Impatiens inside to transplant to your flower beds in early spring. Or if you have some space left in your garden you can set up a ""Cold Frame"". Ready-made cold frames are available in different sizes. A cold frame ""captures"" the spring sunlight and warms the soil it surrounds. That way it is ideal to ""harden off"" houseplants and transplants for your summer garden. You can use the cold frame for direct seeding as well.

If you have unplanted areas in your garden a great spring project is to lay out landscape cloth on that unplanted area. Landscape cloth is an excellent weed barrier. It comes in different weights, heights and fabric choices. This cloth can then also serve as a great map to precisely plant your transplants.

Weeds start to grow very early but still have shallow roots in spring so get them out when you spot them. Getting on top of the weeds now means a lot less work in summer, and I'm sure that digging out weeds in the burning sun in not your favorite pastime.

These two measures will definitely intimidate your perennial weeds to the extent that they will prefer your neighbor's garden over yours.

And most of all enjoy your spring garden, watch it grow and blossom into summer!

About the author: Anita is one of the authors of <a href=""http://www.gardening-guides.com""> http://www.gardening-guides.com</a> and <a href=""http://www.lawnmower-guide.com/"">http://www.lawnmower-guide .com/</a>

Pairing Orchids with Other Flowers

Author: Orchid Geeks

Article: Because there are so many varieties of orchids, you'll also find that there are lots of unique pairings of orchids with other plants. One of the most striking ways to grow and display your orchids, in fact, is in a naturalistic setting in a terrarium where their unconventional beauty is complemented by other plants that are native to the same habitats. By including gravel, charcoal or bark chips in the growth medium of your terrarium, you can happily grow a wide variety of orchids that will suit and complement other plants chosen for your terrarium.

Orchids are quite happy sharing their environment with other flowers and plants. Generally, orchids have the same temperature, humidity and light requirements as most popular houseplants, so they don't need a specialized environment set apart from your other houseplants. Because orchids are epiphytic (taking their nutrition from the moisture in the air), you'll find that they work very well in dish gardens when provided with a layer of moist sphagnum moss or loose bark in which to root.<a href=""http://www.orchidgeeks.com"">orchid care </a>

One of the most common pairings for a terrarium are carnivorous plants and orchids. The exotic foliage and showy blooms of the two kinds of plants not only look spectacular together - the two plants also 'help' each other. While the relationship isn't quite symbiotic, the blooms of the orchid help attract the insects on which a Venus fly trap or other carnivorous plant feeds. It's a popular pairing that is often promoted by the sellers of exotic plants.

About the author: OrchidGeeks.com is a leading authority in orchid information, http://www.orchidgeeks.com Join a community of fellow orchid enthusiasts today!

How Do I Make My Dozen Roses Look Right?

Author: Willie Jones

Article: When I first started to design flowers I often heard how designers had difficulty making a dozen roses look nice. That it was hard to keep the roses in place. But it is really very easy to do if you know a few simple basics.

1) First prepare the rose by taking off the bottom half of the leaves and popping off the thorns. Most people prefer the thorns off but as much as possible I leave the thorns on. This is because taking them off can leave open wounds and may allow microbial bacteria to enter and shorten the life of the flower.

2) Cut the rose stem slantwise under water (so they don't get an air pocket that prevents them from drinking) and place in small bucket or vase that has warm water and flower food.

3) Make sure you have the right size vase. Too small and you'll have them all standing up straight and it will look funny. Too big and you'll have way too much space to fill in. This may sound common sense but believe me; all beginning designers have made this mistake.

There are two ways that I have found to be the best:

a) Fill a vase with water ¾ of the way full.

b) Take your greens (usually leather leaf) and start putting them in the vase starting from the outside all around and moving inward. The greens should be crisscrossing themselves. This gives a good stiff base for the roses to be able to stand without flopping. Or:

a) Take a dry vase and clear floral tape. You can get this at a craft store and it is very sticky and water proof.

b) Use this tape at the top of the vase by making a grid. You should leave enough room to allow the stem and greens to pass through.

c) Fill the vase with water and flower food and start putting your greens in, same as before, start inserting from outside towards the inside stems crossing each other. The advantage to using the grid is you can use fewer greens.

d) Now you are ready to place the roses in.

In most floral designing you design from the outside inward. But for roses I prefer the opposite. I start with what I call the anchor rose. I take my longest stem and stick it right in the middle. If you have done your greening correctly, is should stand straight up. Place the next 4 roses in around the first rose but slightly shorter. Continue in this fashion until all roses have been placed. Now stand back and look at it to see if you need to make any adjustments. Then place in the filler of your choice such as baby's breath. Finish with a bow and enjoy your creation.

There are many ways to place the roses but remember, keep it simple. Don't make it complicated. There is a beautiful motivational print called Beauty-White Magnolia that says, ""Appreciate Simplicity"". That's my motto.

Enjoy!

About the author: Willie Jones is a freelance writer, researcher, floral designer, and artist, for Art Inspires, Inc. Make sure you enroll in the free motivational poster drawing at <a target=""_new"" href=""http://www.artinspires.com/display_motivational.asp"">http:/ /www.artinspires.com</a>