Add Rich Color To Your Garden With Blue Perennial Flowers

Author: Kathy Burns-Millyard

Article: Blue flowers are some of the most striking plants around and can add a rich splash of color to any garden. Plant them in a cluster of all blue or mix them in with other flowers for a rainbow of color.

When planting flowers, it is important to remember to follow the instructions on the tag for the plant. Always buy plants that will thrive in the conditions in which you intend to grow them. A plant that loves sun won't do well in a shady area and you will only be disappointed with the results.

When planning your garden, be aware of the bloom time of the flowers. Planting perennials with different bloom times near each other will insure a garden that has blooms all season long. Remember also to plan for the height of the plants, putting the taller ones in the back.

Below is a list of favorite blue flowering plants that you might want to consider for your garden:

Polemonuim, Blue Pearl - A compact plant with deep sky blue flowers that grows to 10"". It blooms in late spring to early summer. Plant in partial shade and in well drained soil.

Blue Sea Holly - This dramatic plant has a lavender blue cone like flower with long spiked petals. It grows to 30"" and is a favorite for dried flower arrangements. Plant in full sun - blooms in mid to late summer.

Delphinium, Butterfly Blue - Bright blue delicate flowers adorn this plant that blooms in early to mid summer. It reaches 10"" tall and prefers a sunny location with rich moist soil.

Campanula, Blue Carpet - Bright blue to lilac colored flowers bloom for weeks in the middle of summer. This low growing perennial grows to 4"" and prefers full sun with well drained soil.

Penstemon, Blue Buckle - This plant has tubular shaped blooms in blue to purple and flowers in mid summer to early fall. It grows to 15"" and likes well drained soil with full or partial sun.

Hydrangea, Nikko Blue - Gigantic clumps of blue flowers adorn this shrub for most of the summer. In the fall, the flowers turn a golden color. This plant is a new variety that prefers rich soil but will grow in shade, partial sun or full sun.

Vinca - Medium blue flowers and glossy green leaves form a carpet that grows to about 6"" tall and blooms in mid spring. This plant will grow in most soil conditions, in the shade or sun.

Ajuga, Bronze Beauty - This short bushy plant has spikes of blue flowers that grows quickly. Great as a ground cover or in raised beds. It blooms in spring and prefers a shady area.

Scabiosa, Butterfly Blue - A bushy perennial with lavender blue flowers that bloom from June to October. This plant likes full sun and attracts butterflies and hummingbirds.

Verbena, Babylon Blue - Blue purple flowers petals adorn this plant that blooms in early spring. Great for window boxes and planters.

Additional information and resources for this article can be found at: <A HREF=""http://www.garden-source.com/archives/2005/05/24/add-rich-c olor-to-your-garden-with-blue-perennial-flowers/"">http://www.gard en-source.com/archives/2005/05/24/add-rich-color-to-your-garden-w ith-blue-perennial-flowers/</A>

A beautiful blue wildflower picture can be found at: <A HREF=""http://www.garden-source.com/archives/2005/06/02/blue-wildf lower-in-kathys-garden/"">http://www.garden-source.com/archives/20 05/06/02/blue-wildflower-in-kathys-garden/</A>

About the author: &copy; 2005 This article is provided courtesy of The Garden Source Network - <A HREF=""http://www.garden-source.com"">http://www.garden-source.com< /A> This article may be freely published on any website, as long as the links are live, and this notice is left intact.

Arbor Swings - Which arbor is right for you?

Author: Nicole Martins

Article: Arbor swings - Taking up anywhere from 20 to 30 square feet when assembled, an arbor swing provides a handsome focal point and a way to enjoy the idle moments of the seasons, swinging outdoors. Arbors with swing parts are generally sold in pieces or panels that require simple assembly. When you shop online, take a look at the various materials available. You will find when comparing different swinging options that materials, size and craftsmanship play a factor in price.

Deciding which arbor to buy

A backyard arbor is one thing, and a garden arbor with a swing is another. A scouring of the internet for swing arbors will lead to specialty merchants selling outdoor wood furnishings and accessories, and, in many cases handcrafting the arbors and swings themselves. This of course, can benefit the consumer by selling perhaps, higher quality arbors swings (though not necessarily so) made from top of the line weather resistant and fungal resistant woods such as western red cedar and teak.

While other woods especially hardwoods like cypress make good choices for outdoor swing arbor sets, so too does pressure treated pine, which is the material used in the popular Uwharrie chair Keep America Beautiful series.

Another thing to compare are components, make sure the hardware is high quality and resistant to corrosion.

Most swings can accommodate two adults comfortably, but if you have several young kids around you may find them swinging away, making it difficult for you to sit yourself down.

If ordering online, swing arbor sets are generally shipped by freight. For more information about arbor designs, please visit http://www.everything-patio-furniture.com/garden-arbors.htm

About the author: Nicole Martins is the editor of Everything Patio Furniture, a patio furniture and accessories review site, which provides valuable tips and information as well as great products for your outdoor space. You can visit this site at http://www.everything-patio-furniture.com

Care of Slipper Orchids

Author: Bob Roy

Article: Yes, Slipper Orchid Care Is Little Tricky But Read On and You Can Do It

Slipper orchid care for these orchids is a little more difficult than cattleyas but you can be successful. To me slipper orchids are one of the prettiest orchids around. They have this waxy sheen to them and the petals and lips are thicker than most orchids.

The one feature that sets slipper orchids apart from others is the lip. It forms a cup like pouch . Another part of the slipper orchid that sets them apart is the uppermost sepal which looks like an inverted heart. The lower sepals may be almost completely hidden from view by the pouch.

Slipper orchids bloom singly for the most part. They generally flower from autumn to spring although there are now hybrids that can bloom at anytime during the year. As beautiful as these orchids are I need to tell you about slipper orchid care.

These paph orchids have no water storing features on them. And they are generally terrestrial,soil growing, growing in the shade of the forest floor where they can always be moist. So watering needs to be available constantly. Paph orchid care requires that they be moist and never dry or soggy.

Paphs are unique, they are both warm growing and cool growing plants. Slipper orchid care will alter a little because of the two different types of paphs.The warm growing need temperatures from 60 - 65 degrees to 75 -85 degrees. Whereas the cool growing orchid paphs need temps from 50 - 55 all the way up to 75 - 80 degrees. These orchids can also do well with a constant temperatures and the cool growing ones can stand temps into the 40's if needed for a short time.

Those paphs which have green leaves are usually the cool climate ones, whilst those with mottled leaves are warm growing ones.

As most orchids, slipper orchids require humidity between 40 - 60%, remember they usually grow on the rain forest floor. This may need to be augmented by using humidity trays. You can get a flat tray with sides. Fill the tray with stone pebbles and then add water about half way up. Place the plant on the tray making sure that the slipper orchid roots are not touching the water. If it does there is a good chance for root rot.

Because they grow in shade on the forest floor they should not be left in sunlight for very long. They do prefer shade, under a tree or near an east window. This is one of the nice elements of slipper orchid care.

Fertilizer is needed and I recommend 1/4 strength given on a weekly basis. The fertilizer should be high in nitrogen so one with30-10-10 ratio is best. Monthly rinse the slipper orchids with water alone to prevent the fertilizer from building up on the root and potentially burning them.

One final point on slipper orchid care, you should re-pot infrequently, that is, about every second year is fine. You should use a mixture which has an excellent moisture retention like fir bark with perlite and some sphagnum moss.

Following these rather straight forward rules will give you years of enjoyment with you slipper orchid.

See our beautful paphs,

now that you feel more comfortable with slipper orchid care, treat yourself.

About the author: Bob's website is devoted to orchid plants. There is a great deal of information on the website, orchids-plus-more.com, as well as a large selection of stunning orchids.