Andrea’s Garden Blog

When many people think of gardening, their thoughts turn first to roses, and there is no wonder.  Roses are among the most popular, and certainly most beautiful, types of flowers there are.  In addition, roses are a huge part of both the gardening hobby and the professional flower business.  There are even rose and flowers shows were master gardeners proudly show off their lovely creations to an awestruck crowd.

Whether your ultimate goal is to take the big prize at the next rose show or just enjoy a few roses in your garden, it is important to get a feel for the many varieties of roses on the market.  Roses are among the most varied flowers on the market; they come in virtually every color of the rainbow and in blooms… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: choosing, gardening, planting, roses, varieties

Gardening methods are as varied as the gardeners who use them, and it seems like every gardener has his or her own preferred method of achieving a beautiful garden. Many beginning gardeners find that the best way to learn how to garden is directly from an accomplished garden.  One of the best ways to find those master gardeners is to join your local garden club.  These clubs can be invaluable for the beginning gardener, as the members are able to swap tips and tricks picked up through years of successful gardening.

The importance of proper watering
One of the keys to a successful garden is to water the plants properly.  A weekly deep watering is preferable to a daily spray with the hose, as most plants prefer a thorough but deep watering… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: gardening, landscaping, watering

Hardiness Zones

Knowing the hardiness zone you live in will be the difference between whether your plants come back next spring or not…unless they are annuals, of course.

I’ll never forget the time I was walking through a local Home Depot garden area, when I saw a customer ask one of the workers if the the gorgeous Bougainvillea she was eye-balling would be OK to plant here….and he said yes. Neither one of them bothered to look at the plant’s information tag to see if it was hardy in our area. The $50 price tag on this beauty was nothing to sneeze at, so I meandered over and mentioned that it wouldn’t survive the winters here.  Both looked at me with blank stares. I mean, if the local Home Depot was selling… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: climate zones, gardening, hardiness zone, microclimate, sunset, zones

When it comes to gardening, gardeners are of two minds. While some gardeners prefer to buy young seedlings and transplant them in the garden, other gardeners prefer the control and the sense of accomplishment that comes with planting flowers and plants directly from seeds.

Planting from seed has a lot to recommend it.  For one thing, although transplanting seedlings can provide a good head start for the gardener, it can also introduce problems like disease or insect infestation to an established garden plot.

Planting from seed helps gardeners to avoid these problems.  It is not difficult to plant from seed, but it is vital to read and follow the instructions on the seed packet for best results.  As with other types of gardening, it is important to follow the instructions carefully.  It… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: gardening, planting, seedlings, transfering

One of the most thrilling sights for any gardener, from the newest to the most experienced, is the first spring flowers peeking up through the last snow of winter.  Spring flowers have long been seen as a sign of new life, and gardeners certainly enjoy seeing these beautiful harbingers of warmer weather.

Whether it is the tiny, delicate blossoms of the snowdrop, the delicate petals of the econite or the subtle beauty of the Iris reticulate, it is hard to beat the beauty of spring flowers.  These first delicate blossoms of spring are a sign that the long days of winter are finally over, and that it is time to look forward to warmer weather.  Even the most jaded gardeners continue to be excited by the sight of the earliest blossoms… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: early blooms, gardening, spring flowers

Perennials are one of the most popular types of flowering plants, both for the beginning and experienced gardeners.  Gardeners of all types and abilities enjoy the beauty, hardiness and ease of planting of these find plants.

In addition, perennials come in every color of the rainbow, and in all shapes and sizes, making them a great choice for any garden.  What makes perennials special, however, is their ability to come back year after year.  While the actual life span of a perennial will vary from species to species and planting to planting, some types of perennials have been known to last for decades.

Perennials can be used anywhere in the garden, and anywhere around the home as well.  Many varieties of perennials are great as landscape plantings, and their ability to regenerate… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: gardening, perennials, popular plants

One of the things that makes perennials so attractive to home gardeners is the ability to divide and transplant the perennials.  Gardeners can use cuttings made from their perennials in order to create new growth, share their plants with family members and friends, or even to sell excess stock to nurseries, garden centers and flower stores.

There are basically two reasons why gardeners choose to divide their perennials.  The first reason is for the improvement of the health of the plants, and to encourage those plants to produce more flowers.  In many cases, an older planting of perennials will become overgrown, and this can cause the bloom quantity of those perennials to drop considerably.  The other reason gardeners divide perennials, of course, is to create new plantings.  Perennials can be divided… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: dividing, gardening, perennials, seasonal

Since we’ve experienced such warm weather lately, we can think about moving up our typical time tables on a few garden chores.

1) Aerate as soon as you can get someone out to do it. The aeration companies will start booking up very soon, so get your name on the list or go rent one and have at it yourself.

2) As long as your lawn isn’t frozen, March is the time to apply the first of the year’s fertilization’s.  I prefer an organic fertilizer from Richlawn called ProRich. It’s about $20 a bag, so if you think you see them for under $10 somewhere…they’re the wrong ones.  It’s time-released. Water it in well after you apply it (another reason why you don’t do this when your lawn is frozen). If you… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: aerate, cedar mulch, crabgrass, deep watering, denver, fertilize, gardening, mulch, prorich, richlawn, rocky mountain, spring

Perennials have much to recommend them, including of course their famed ability to regenerate year after year.  After all, while the longevity of perennials varies from variety to variety, some, especially peonies, have been known to last for decades.

Even though not all perennials are so long lived, in order to be called a perennial a plant must have the ability to come back for at least two consecutive years.  This longevity makes perennials a great choice for gardeners.

Even though perennials are generally very hardy, it is still important to get them off to the right start, and to provide them with the care they need to grow and thrive.

Choosing the most healthy perennials is the first step.  Most perennials are purchased in either four inch containers or one gallon containers… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: care, gardening, perennials, pruning

Everyone who gardens will sooner or later have to deal with common diseases of plants and flowers.  While some gardeners are luckier than others in this regard, everyone, from the smallest casual gardener to the largest commercial growing operation, has had to grapple with this serious issue.

Both flowering and non-flowering plants are prone to a number of pathogens, including bacteria, fungi and viruses.   Fungi are able to survive in the soil, independent of the plants, while both bacteria and viruses require a plant host for their survival.

Fungi
Fungi are among the most primitive of all organisms, and they are able to reproduce through the use of spores.  These spores can be extremely difficult to kill, and the spores are designed to spread rapidly. Fungi produce spores in large numbers, and some… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: bacteria, disease, fungi, gardening, healthy plants, viruses