Posts Tagged examiner
Posted on September 5, 2009 with 2 Comments
Gardening has a gone a long way over the past few decades, and now garden centers have a wide variety of things to offer, for just about any garden or gardener. Here are some basic things you should know before starting your own garden.
Annuals are important for most gardeners. This category includes impatiens, begonias, geraniums and marigolds. They do not need much care and bloom for most of the summer season, almost until the first frost. Gardeners are getting creative with the containers they plant them in, using anything from sneakers, paint cans, old bathtubs, cinderblock or other planters.
Perennials are a bit more permanent – they bloom each spring, and their tops die out each autumn, but roots stay alive underground. There is a wide variety of perennials to choose from in different heights and colours, and they bloom at varying times during the year.
Finally biennials bloom a bit longer than annuals but not as long as perennials. They usually live for about two years, developing their root system and above ground stem and leaves in the first year, and flowers in the second year, after which the plant dies…
[Via: examiner.com]
Posted on September 1, 2009 with 1 Comment
This year flowers are not only a part of the center pieces in a wedding, they are now a hit item on wedding dresses, too.
Flower appliques are huge this season, with Carolina Herrera turning the bride herself into a flower, while Vera Wang has been using single flowers to accent parts of the wedding dress such as the bustline.
For those who want to go low-key, they can choose a dress like those in Susanne Neville’s collection, which uses flowers in the skirts that are short and breezy.
And for an even more simplified, you can choose a dress like the one’s designed by Lela Rose, which features small elegant flowers accented with jewels.
Whatever your taste and the style of your wedding is, you won’t go wrong by choosing a floral dress…
[Via: examiner.com]
Posted on August 27, 2009 with No Comments
Mid august has arrived and many are wondering which flowers are growing in the garden. There is a world of flowers to choose from, perennials and annuals alike. Here are just some of the flowers that can be found at this time of year.
- The Black eyed Susan is a common favourite, and now they can be found in different varieties than the usual yellow daisy with a black center. You can now find ones with coloured petals, and green or yellow centers, and there are variety of sizes to choose from, as well.
- Meadowsweet is a wildflower that is currently in bloom, but it has also been cultivated to produce different colours and sizes of flowers.
- Hydrangeas are popping up in gardens, too. The blue variety is at its peak and is quite a traditional flower that has been neglected in many gardens — but it is seeing a comeback.
- Goldenrod is also a wildflower that grows amply on it’s own, and there are cultivated varieties which are a bit smaller than the wild kind, but grow better.
- Asters are just starting to grow, and they are great choice for any flower arrangement because of their light and very delicate nature.
Finally, it’s worth point out that there is no need to feel at a loss for flower choices as there is a world of them out there starting to bloom.
[Via: examiner.com]
Posted on August 21, 2009 with No Comments
Cynthia Daniel has become a household name in East Dallas, she is well-known for her artistic work. Her large backyard is full of tree flowers, which she creates herself.
She visits garage sales nearly every weekend searching for materials, often surprising people with her enthusiasm for seemingly useless merchandise.
Where her friends see junk she sees art, even a broken wheelbarrow temps her artistic eye. The flowers she creates can fool even the best of us as – they seem to grow on the trees she puts them on.
These tree flowers are becoming ever more popular especially in Texas. They have won several awards at state fairs, so if you want your garden to have an especially artistic and modern touch try to make a tree flower of your own out of something deemed to be junk…
[Via: examiner.com]
Posted on August 12, 2009 with No Comments
If you like doing crafts and want to find a way to make a few extra bucks, drying flowers might be a good option for you.
Many craft stores will buy dried flowers, but if not then you can sell them to gift shops. It is also possible to sell them at your local market.
Nearly any flower can be dried. The amount of time needed to dry varies between flowers, so start experimenting only with similar types.
When you have picked the flowers you want to dry, tie them together just tightly enough to keep them together, but not too tight as to allow for the air to flow between the stems.
Afterwards the flowers should be hung upside down in a dark and cool area — the cellar or the attic is probably the best solution, whichever is less humid. It is also important to hang them in a place that will not be disturbed. It takes about 4 weeks for most flowers to dry properly, but this can all vary depending on the conditions…
[Via: examiner.com]
Posted on July 26, 2009 with No Comments
Flowers are planted in the garden for their beauty, whether perennial or annual. But once the buds have bloomed, the plant starts to work on producing seeds, and the only way to get your flowers to bloom again is to pick off the dead flower heads.
Deadheading is basically removing dead flowers from their stem, and it is the best way to have your flowers bloom over and over again. If you do not do this, your plants will automatically switch into seed production mode.
This process is not a difficult one, you just need to cut or pinch of a flower that has expired. Pinching just means that you take the flower and pull it off with your hands. However, you need to watch out with plants that have shallow root system, as it is possible to pull the entire plant out.
Flowers need to be deadheaded as soon as the blossom has died, so that the plant is sure to produce flowers and not seeds. It is best to clip off the flowers of perennials, as they can be a bit more temperamental.
[Via: examiner.com]
Posted on July 15, 2009 with No Comments
If you are looking for a luxurious flower to decorate your summer wedding or party, the lisianthus is a great flower to consider. For any garden-type celebration, this flower is perfect as it can be combined with many types of flowers like roses and hydrangeas in anything from bouquets to table decor.
There are both single and double flowers available and a variety of colours to choose from.
For starters you could try to create a bouquet in water using white lisianthus, mixed with blue hydrangea, pale pink roses and a stock of able blossom. Place them in a glass vase lined with some bigger pieces of foliage. This bouquet can be used as a centerpiece. It is a good idea to use some kind of patterned linen to place the vase on, as solid colours will probably draw the eye away from the beautiful bouquet.
The lisianthus is also a very durable flower and does not need any special attention. For summer looks, it is a good idea to choose the paler varieties of this flower, but lisianthus can be used for decoration in almost any season as it is available all year round.
[Via: examiner.com]
Posted on June 27, 2009 with No Comments
Often it just takes a small change in your daily life to bring forth big changes in you general mood. Flowers can be very helpful in this process.
Maxwell Gillingham-Ryan is the author of a book and website called “Apartment Therapy,” where she offers twelve steps to making your home more pleasant. Putting a new batch of fresh flowers on display in your home is one of these steps.
Summer is the best season for doing this – flowers grow in the garden, and they are readily available at flower farms. Of course, doing this makes your home more beautiful and it also gives you an activity to look forward to each week.
Flowers offer a constant beauty, no matter how bad your days are. However, it is important to remember to care for them correctly, they need fresh and clean water each day, giving them a longer life. The more well-cared your flowers are, the more of a therapeutic nature they have.
[Via: examiner.com]
Posted on June 23, 2009 with No Comments
Daisies remind of the freshness of spring and summer, their white petals can remind us only of this.
They are a favourite among perennials, Shasta daisies are at their blooming peak at this time of year. They were created in 1890 by Luther Burbank, who gave them their name after Mount Shasta, found them close to his home.
Daisies are in fact a type of chrysanthemum. The name of this flower comes from Old English, “day’s eye,” which refers to the way these flowers open and close with sunshine.
These are some of the easiest flowers to grow and they offer plenty of blooms. A bit of deadheading is needed to bring out their maximum during the growing season. Daisies are good for bouquets containing only this type of flower, and they have been known to make other types of flower wilt.
[Via: examiner.com]
Posted on June 19, 2009 with No Comments
Many people in the United have started planting vegetable gardens, some because of the bad economy and some have been inspired by Michelle Obama’s Whitehouse garden.
The problem with vegetable gardens is that they can be fairly sparse at times, making your garden look less appealing. If you plan on having a vegetable garden for the long-run it might be a good idea to look at ways to make it look a bit more appealing.
Quite often vegetable gardens are found in backyards and it is not uncommon for them to get a bit neglected with weeds growing along with the produce.
Integrating flowers into the vegetable garden is the best way to solve this problem. They will spruce up the garden and will give amateur gardeners more reason to take care of the crops.
Some combinations you can try are violas mixed with red and green lettuces, cabbages and stock, tomatoes and marigolds, or cone flowers and peppers. Of course, there is no limit to the possibilities.
[Via: examiner.com]
