by Peter Finch

Gardens, employing flowers as their primary elements, are called flower gardens. Plants, shrubs, trees and the other contributing components are present as well, but the focus is on flowers. These flower gardens are usually cultivated for ornamental purposes.

How Did The Idea Evolve?

Todays flower gardens have an interesting history behind them : While pruning, some farmers noted a few colorful weeds. They liked the colors and so left them there. The concept of tolerating these beautiful weeds, gradually caught on and led to the culture of cultivating flowers.

Knot Gardens

Flower gardens arranged artistically, are known as Knot gardens. Knot gardens are designed by a systematic composition of plants, herbs and shrubs. The plants are planted in a pre-calculated way so that when they grow, they end up forming a desired design. Most common ones are rectangle-regions or square-compartments. The edges are given shape with herbs planted in queues, with almost no space left in-between. These are also cut accordingly to maintain the width of the edges throughout in synch. The fence in this fashion, often brings paths in flower gardens, for the visitors to walk through.

These paths derived by boundaries, are sometimes filled with sand, gravel or concrete, and the trend of growing lawn in the regions traced is now on the rise. The number of square regions a Knot garden can carry, depends on the size of a garden and varies in the range of one to ten. These types of flower gardens were first designed in the times of Queen Elizabeth I in UK.

Plants used to form Knot flower gardens are lemon balm, hyssop, costmary, germander, marjoram, acanthus, mallow, chamomile, rosemary, calendulas, violas, thyme, southernwood, santolina etc. Such flower gardens are also called parterres.

Herb Gardens

The gardens with plants used for medicinal and cooking purposes are known as herb gardens. Some flowers are edible, one can eat them freshly-cut, while some others may only be eaten when cooked or baked. Flower gardens are at times, cultivated to grow medicinal plants too, such as aloevera. In ancient times, there were no modern physicians, just the nuns and monks, who were said to heal pain by using extracts of plants.

Aloevera is still widely used today for skin treatments, especially for treating acne. The others herbs falling in this genre are : rosemary, parsley, sage, marjoram, thyme, mint, rue, angelica, bay, basil etc.

Tips For Your Domestic Flower Gardens

Flower gardens need that extra attention from their creators:

- The color, aroma, height, leafage are all attributes of the plants, should be studied carefully before sowing their seeds in your flower gardens. One thing to be kept in mind is that no two plants with similar colored blossoms should be placed beside each other.

- Spacing between the plants should also be worked out in advance.

- A well-examined flower-seed-mix can be used to take care of the arrangements and designs of the flower-plants.

- Different plants bloom in different seasons. Paying due attention to this fact, the plants should be grown in such a way so as to make the flower gardens look colorful throughout the year.

Azaleas are a flowering plant with a lot of panache. They put off an impressive show, and if done right, will continue to do so for years to come. However, like any plant, you need to give them a good start for good results. Planting them in the proper spot, giving them the right amount of water and food and providing the appropriate maintenance will help you have perfect azaleas. Following is a guide to ensuring the success of this beautiful flowering shrub.

Most azaleas are store bought. When choosing the azalea in the store, be sure to choose a plant that has green leaves and lots of flower buds. If the plant is at all weepy or the leaves are limp, this plant will probably not do well and may be diseased. A good choice will produce a rewarding plant.

When you are ready to plant your azalea, you must first prepare the soil. Azaleas prefer an acidic soil and need to have good drainage. Therefore you must loosen the soil that it will be planted in about six to eight inches down. Also, be sure to test the acidity of the soil and adjust it accordingly. When creating the hole that it will be planted in, be sure to give it just enough room so that the root ball will be even or just above the earth. If planting more than one bush, be sure to space them with a few feet between to give the roots ample room to spread.

Azaleas prefer to be fertilized after they’ve had a chance to establish their roots. When the plant has successfully been put in the ground, water it thoroughly; about five to ten minutes with a garden hose, but do not fertilize. When it’s been in the ground for a week or two and it’s obvious that it’s taking root and flourishing well, then fertilize and water regularly. When there’s very little precipitation outside, water with a garden hose daily for five to ten minutes.

In the fall, prune the bush back to promote new and full growth for the following spring. Be sure to allow for fresh spring growth when pruning. The second growing season tends to have small amounts of growth, but in the third and thereafter the plant will really take off. Keep that in mind when pruning. Be sure there’s enough room for growth above the ground as well as below.

Have you ever wondered what exactly is up with perennials in the garden? This informative report can give you an insight into everything you’ve ever wanted to know about Caring for perennials in the garden.

Truthfully, the only difference between you and Caring for perennials in the garden experts is time. If you’ll invest a little more time in reading, you’ll be that much nearer to expert status when it comes to Caring for perennials in the garden.

Perennials have long been one of the most popular classifications of flowering plant, and this is likely to continue for some time. There are many advantages to using perennials in the garden, not the least of which is their ability to regenerate year after year. The ability to plant once, and enjoy season after season of beautiful flowers, is one of the things that make perennials so popular with beginning and experienced gardeners alike.

Another great thing about perennials is that they are usually very easy plants to care for and to work with. Most perennials have needs that are quite undemanding, requiring little more than good soil, sufficient water and adequate sunlight. Even so, perennials also have their own issues, and one of the biggest issues is that perennials, due to their nature, are more prone to insect infestation and disease infection than are annuals, which have a much shorter life span. The very fact that perennials remain in the ground season after season means that infection can gain a foothold, even in the off season.

The best way to combat infection is to stop it from starting in the first place, and one of the best ways to accomplish that goal is to buy only the healthiest most vibrant plants. It is important to pay careful attention to the plants you buy at your local nursery, and to reject any that show signs of damage, disease or insect infestation. That is because healthy plants are better able to withstand any pathogens that may exist in the soil. A healthy plant will be able to withstand and fight off an infection that would kill a weaker one.

In addition, many perennials have been bred to be resistant to common diseases and pest infestations, so if these disease resistant varieties are available it is a good idea to seek them out. Perennial growers have spent many years using selective breeding to choose those plants that are best able to withstand commonly seen garden problems.

After the plants are in the ground, it is a good idea to check them often for any signs of problems. The best time to examine your plants is often when you are weeding the plants or watering them. This is a great time to look at the plants for any problems. Note any plants with wilted leaves, holes in the leaves, spots on the leaves or flowers, wounds on the stems or other possible problems. If you notice any problems, be sure to diagnose it accurately, using either a guide book or the eye of a more experienced gardener. Diagnosing the problem accurately is the first step toward curing it.

How you water perennials can have a big impact on their health. Overhead watering encourages water spots to remain on leaves, and these wet spots can be conduits that allow infection to spread from one plant to another. It is best to water deeply, using either drip irrigation or a soaker hose. Not only will this avoid standing water on the flowers and leaves, but it will also allow much needed water to reach the roots.

Of course, proper care for perennials does not end when the growing season is over. It is important to care for these plants the right way after they have finished blooming. It is important to trim and prune is variety of perennial according to the recommendations for the species. Some perennials need to be radically trimmed back, while other varieties should be trimmed only lightly or not at all. It is important to pay attention to the needs of each variety in your garden.

Don’t limit yourself by refusing to learn the details about Caring for perennials in the garden. The more you know, the easier it will be to focus on what’s important.