Andrea’s Garden Blog

While many types of insects, birds and animals seen in the home are unwanted intruders, others play a vital role in pollinating plants and moving seeds from one place to another.  In fact, without these animal and insect helpers, most plants would be unable to reproduce.

Even though most gardeners understand how important this cycle of pollination and seed disbursal is, few fully understand why it occurs, or how it benefits both the plants and the animals.

The rewards of pollination and seed disbursal to the plants are easy to determine – they get to spread their seeds far and wide, and start new plants in far off locations.  The rewards the insects, birds and mammals derive are many as well, and they include:

• Nectar – nectar is actually a sugary solution, and

Tags: birds, gardening, insects, nectar, pollen

One of the many advantages of growing perennials is the ability of these beautiful flowers to return to full bloom season after season.  While this ability to bloom repeatedly is one of the things that makes perennials so special, it also introduces a number of important factors into your gardening plan.  One of the most important of these is a proper pest control regimen.

While a garden full of annuals starts each season as a blank slate, the perennial garden is essentially a work in progress.  The fact that the plants stay in the ground through winter makes things like proper pruning, disease management and pest control very important.  If the garden bed is not prepared properly after the current growing season, chances are the quality of the blooms will suffer… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: gardening, healthy plants, perennials, pesticides, plant breeds

To many people, fall is the time of year when the gardening season is drawing to a close, and it is time to close the flower bed and prepare for winter.  Even though most gardeners are ready to hang up their garden tools and get ready for the next season, gardeners can continue to enjoy the beauty of the fall season, since there are a number of beautiful flowers blooming all through the autumn of the year.

There are many fall bulbs available to the average gardener, and it is important to choose the right ones.  When initially planting the bulbs, it is important to take care to choose the best location within the garden.  It is important to choose a location where the delicate fall bulbs will not be overshadowed… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: fall flowers, gardening, planting, varieties

Gardening is a wonderful, relaxing hobby for many people, and it continues to top surveys of favorite leisure activities.  Most of the time a garden provides a soothing, relaxing environment, and healthy, attractive plants.  As with any living thing, however, flowers and plants are prone to a number of diseases and pest infestations.  It is important to use commercial fungicides properly to banish disease from your garden.

Simply paying attention to the condition of the plants in your garden may be the best way to keep disease outbreaks at bay.  After you have been gardening for awhile, you will develop a feel for what is normal, and that will make it much easier to spot any outbreaks before they spread throughout the garden.

In addition, simply keeping the plants in top condition… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: diseases, fungicides, gardening, healthy plants

Sunflowers are certainly stars of the gardening world.  It is hard to miss the beauty of sunflowers standing tall, either on their own or edging a bed of more traditional flowers.  Few who have seen these stunning beauties can deny their stunning beauty and attractiveness.

The family of sunflowers, known scientifically as genus Helianthus, includes both annual and perennial varieties of sunflowers.  As their name implies, sunflowers generally prefer full sunlight, so it is important for gardeners to choose the sunniest part of their garden when planting these stunning plants.

It is also important to take the adult size of these plants into account when planting them, and to space them accordingly. Most varieties of sunflowers are quite large, so it is important to space them widely so they will not crowd… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: fall blooming, gardening, large flowers, pests, sunflowers

Dahlias are among the most beautiful and most exotic residents of any garden.  The large blooms of the dahlia are impossible to ignore, and they stand out in any garden in which they are planted.  The sturdy, large blooms of the dahlia are available in a variety of colors, and in sizes ranging from as small as an inch to as large as a foot.  In addition, the flowers themselves come in a variety of shapes.  Some dahlia blooms are shaped like baseballs, while others curve back on themselves to where they nearly touch their stems.

Dahlias are known as sun loving plants, and they definitely do better with sufficient sunlight.  Gardeners recommend providing dahlias with at least a half day of sunlight every day.  In addition, dahlias need enough water… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: dahlia, gardening, planting, sunlight

Organic gardening is steadily gaining popularity, and the good news is that virtually every kind of plant and flower can be grown organically.  It is important, however, to choose the plants and flowers that are best suited to your own environment.  Choosing plants that are suited to the environment in which they grow is one of the best ways to reduce the use of fungicides, pesticides and other chemicals in the garden.

For example, it may be difficult to use organic gardening methods to grow tropical variety of plants and flowers in a cold climate, just as it would be difficult to grow cold climate plants in the tropics.  That is why it is best to use the flowers and plants that are best suited for your own environment.

One great way… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: gardening, organic, planting, selecting flowers, transferring

Annuals are among the most varied, most beautiful and most colorful flowers on the market.  The sheer variety of annuals, the many colors, shapes and textures they come in, has made them a favorite among gardeners for many years.

With so many different annuals on the market, their ability to resist common plant diseases and insect infestations can vary quite a bit.  While some types of annuals are virtually impervious to disease and insects, others require much more care to remain trouble free.  When choosing varieties of annuals, it is always best to choose disease and insect resistant varieties when ever you can.  Doing so will allow you to use less pesticides, and they will generally be less trouble in the long run as well.

It is also a good idea to… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: annuals, fungicide, gardening, healthy plants, pesticides, pests

Lilies are one of the most striking and beautiful plants in the garden, and most gardeners will work with these beautiful plants at least once or twice in their lives.  Lilies can add beauty and drama to any garden, and they are very popular flowers for indoor display as well.  Lilies are popular in many contexts, from giving a beautiful contrast to a winter rock garden, to providing a beautiful accent to surrounding shrubs and trees.

No matter how the lily is displayed, and whether it is enjoyed indoors or out, there are some important things to know about these wonderful plants.  This article focuses on some of the most frequently asked questions about choosing, planting, caring for and enjoying lilies.

When should I plant my lilies?
The best time to plant lilies… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: Easter lilies, gardening, lilies, planting, tips

Perennials are favored by many gardeners, not only for their ability to bloom for several seasons, but for the wide variety of colors, shapes and sizes they come in as well.  Whereas annuals must be planted anew every season, perennials can be left in the ground to bloom for several seasons.  This makes gardening with perennials less costly and means that the perennial garden can be easier to maintain.

In addition, most perennials are very easy to work with, and the demands they place on their gardeners are usually quite low.  Sufficient water, good soil and abundant sunshine are all most perennials need to provide beautiful blooms all season long.

There are several important considerations with perennials, however, given the nature of their growth.  Since perennials remain in the ground year after… Continue reading the rest of this article...

Tags: gardening, healthy plants, perennials, pruning, year-round