IDEAL INTERIORS : Flower gardening

Preparing your flower garden I make a point of passing by a flower shop everyday so that I can smell some flowers on my way to the office, and thank God there is a flower shop in the building where my office is. If I had a small space in my home, I would plant flowers near my bedroom window so as to always get that fresh smell of the flowers all the time that am at home. Unfortunately urban living has not favoured me in this department. To those who can spare the little space behind your bedroom windows you can start a small flower garden- the smell of flowers will always make you feel loved, happy and rejuvenated. So if you would like to plant a flower garden, but you don’t know anything about raising flowers, don’t worry. There are many flowers that are quite hardy and easy to grow. Before planting the flowers, however, here are things you should do to make your flower-gardening experience enjoyable in the long run. Test the soil in several locations throughout the flower garden. Note the different pH of the soil on the garden diagram. There isn’t a particular pH that is preferable for growing all flowers; some flowers need either acidic soil, some like alkaline while others can grow in either pH level. Research what type of flowers you want for the garden. Take into consideration not only the sun exposure and the soil composition, but also your zone, as many flowers simply won’t grow in certain areas of the country. Note when the different flowers bloom and also how much time you have to care for a flower garden. Look for flowers in magazines, flower catalogues and in flower farms.Cut out or print the pictures and information of the flowers you like and keep them with your garden diagram and take all this with you when you go to the garden nursery to buy the flowers and gardening supplies. Mark out where the flower garden will be located. Measure it and draw a scale diagram of it on graph paper. Make a list on the back of the diagram of the supplies that you will need. Edge the garden area using either plastic edging or edging stones. You can also make edging stones using moulds. This edging will keep the garden soil from being washed away during a rain, but it will also reduce the amount of weeds spreading into the flower garden. Note how much sunlight each part of the flower garden receives and mark it on the garden diagram. This will include whether the garden receives full sun all day, partial sun in the morning, partial sun in the afternoon or full shade all day long or a mix of any of these. Getting to plant your flowers Dig up the soil in the flower garden and remove the rocks, weeds and garden debris. Test the soil and amend it with either lime to increase the alkaline level or compost to raise the acidic level, according to the needs of the flowers you purchased. Prepare the grounds by removing the unwanted stones. Get weeds to not grow in the grass by covering areas with weeds using top soil or compost and sprinkling a lot of grass seed that will overtake the weeds Plant the foundational flowers, such as roses, first. Then plant the rest of the flowers, beginning with the largest. Space the perennials according to the size of mature plants and place annuals closer together to provide a more immediate coverage until the perennials mature Water the newly planted flowers thoroughly to settle the soil and remove any air pockets. Spread a 2-inch layer of mulch on top of the soil once all the flowers are planted. This will help retain the moisture as well as nourish the plants. Place stepping stones on top of the mulch to allow easy access to flowers that need pruning or deadheading. Water and prune the flowers according to their individual needs. Wear gardening gloves when handling roses and other flowers with thorns. If the flowers require feeding, use an all-purpose plant food. Use pesticides and fungicides to fight insects and diseases. Gardening can prove to be such a tedious work, but the end results are a sight to remember. Like the vegetables garden; these flowers even though are in small quantity can be beautifully arranged in a flower vase and placed either in the sitting room, dining room or even in your bedroom or they can still be sold to earn you some little cash, in places where they don’t need much flowers like your local church . Start your flower garden today and you won’t regret it. Ends

Lifestyle

IDEAL INTERIORS : Flower gardening