Video: How To Plant A Hanging Basket

This short how-to video will show you how to plant a hanging basket with flowers such as petunias. He also gives several tips for feeding, watering, and caring for your hanging basket to keep it beautiful and blooming throughout the summer. For some helpful supplies for planting your hanging basket, see resources listed below the video.

How to Plant a Hanging Basket - Armstrong Garden Centers
Learn how to make the most out of your hanging baskets by learning...
 

Things You'll Need to Plant a Hanging Basket:
   

Planting in Fall For A Spring Garden

You might think of the autumn simply as the time to clean up, removing the previous summer's growth from your garden. There might still be some specialized flowers and vegetables growing through the fall, but the emphasis at this time of year is to wind things down, and wait for the spring to do all the new planting. Yet, for some plants, the best time to be put in the garden turns out not to be the spring at all.

An autumn ground with fallen leaves and grass (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Some plants, in fact, do much better if they are planted in the autumn rather than in the following spring. That doesn't mean they bloom and grow all winter; they'll lie dormant like many other plants through this period. However, planting in the fall and letting them start their growing season gradually as things warm up in spring works better for some plants.

Most perennials actually thrive by this process, because the soil is still relatively warm and moist from the summer, and they have time to become properly rooted throughout the autumn. If they're planted in the spring, on the other hand, the soil is still quite cool, and the plants face a few months of trying to root properly even while the above-ground temperatures are inducing them to produce leaves and flowers. An especially hot summer can place additional stress on these new plants, and particularly for some fruit-bearing bushes and trees, can even kill them. Perennials planted in the fall have a much better chance of being established and attaining their full size and growth the following summer, than do similar plants that are planted in spring.

There are a number of shrubs and trees that establish themselves better if you plant them in the autumn. Your garden center or some research on gardening websites can help you discover which other plants thrive best if put into your garden at this time of year. However, some plants that you might consider could be Siberian or bearded irises, lilies, peonies, hostas, pinks, hens and chicks, or phlox. Trees or bushes like hawthorn, maple, crab apple, pine, linden, and elm should also be planted in the fall rather than the spring.

Another thing people don't always think of in the autumn is planting seeds rather than the plants themselves. When you think of it, nature's way generally tends to be for seeds to drop and be spread in the fall, and get covered over and lie dormant through the winter, in preparation for germinating the following spring. Some actually require a spell in cold temperatures before they'll sprout. So in your own garden, too, you can plant certain seeds that will then wait through the winter and begin to grow the following spring. Try this with some of your perennials, and you can even give it a go with annuals that are described as "hardy annuals." This will also work with some self-seeding herbs and flowers, such as cilantro, Four O'Clocks, and datura ("moon flowers"). For me, I can never seem to get cilantro to grow well if I plant it in the spring or summer - it always bolts too quickly and hardly makes any leaves. If I plant it in the fall (or it seeds itself), it comes up by itself in the spring and grows large and lush before it gets too hot.

Tulips and narcissus flowers in spring (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Of course the one fall planting that everyone is familiar with is the bulbs. Tulips and daffodils, snowdrops and crocuses - all of these should be planted in the autumn before the soil freezes, at least six weeks earlier or slightly more. You might already have been doing this, but now you know that your repertoire for fall planting can be considerably wider. If you plant what you can in the autumn, you will probably end up with a thriving, growing garden much sooner the following spring than you've had before. Plus you don't have to stop gardening yet! :-)

What Kids Can Learn From Gardening

We love our children and we want to teach them to value the things that are important to us. Things such as morals, integrity, ingenuity, and an appreciation for the things in life that we consider beautiful and worth expending our energy, time, and effort in order to create. One of those things that many of us love sharing with our children is our love of gardening. Whether you are creating a spectacular garden worthy of acclaim, fame, and blue ribbons everywhere, or a simple garden that will hold pretty flowers and a few favorite vegetables, there are many lessons that your children can learn from working the earth by your side.

Kids Love Gardening (Photo credit: HiroshimaGab)

The first, and perhaps best, lesson that most children learn when working in the garden is that life works in cycles. This is an important lesson for children, as it is a lesson that will be repeated often throughout the course of their lives. Of course this is only one of the many lessons that gardening will teach but gardening is one of the kindest ways I've ever seen this particular lesson learned, and it helps ease children into those times when lessons about the cycle of life are not so kindly or gently presented.

The next lesson that gardening teaches children is that persistent effort often pays out with delightful results. Whether their gardening efforts yield sweet peppers or pretty flowers, there is often a desired result that is achieved through gardening. If you really want to capture your children's attention when it comes to gardening choose a fast growing plant for their first gardening experience. The ability to see the fruits of their labor quickly appear is often one of the greatest gifts we can give our children.

If you want to guide your children into gardening without a heavy sense of responsibility you may want to begin simply - perhaps with a potted plant or a hanging tomato plant or something similar that will yield visible and tasty results with less effort, time, or attention required.

Be sure to point out interesting facts about the different plants in your garden that may be exciting for children to learn. Remember your first gardening experiences and share them with your children. You may be surprised to find how much you have in common with your children when it comes to ideas and enthusiasm concerning gardening.

School Kids in Garden (Photo credit: Kurt and Sybilla)

When planning a summer garden with your kids you need to consider all of the things you would consider when planning other summer gardens but relate those things to pint-sized hands and sponge-like minds. Kids soak up every ounce of information we provide them at an alarming rate. Be careful that you aren't teaching them incorrect logic when it comes to gardening and growing beautiful summer plants.

More importantly, you should make a concerted effort to insure that you are teaching your children the positive aspects of gardening so that this becomes an activity they look to for enjoyment and pleasure rather than approaching with dread. You should also take great pains to insure that you allow your children to grow the things they will like in your summer garden too. Strawberries and watermelon are popular favorites for younger hands to grow because little mouths enjoy eating these delicious fruits that can be grown in most gardens. They also like to grow flowers that they can tend and watch bloom throughout the summer.

When gardening with children there are many lessons that you can teach your children along the way. Science, math, and meteorology all have roles in gardening - but you should also be on the lookout for the valuable lessons that your children can teach you about gardening and life in general when you take them out into the garden with you!

How to Plant Your Own Flower Meadow

Spring is so amazing - there's nothing like a blooming field of flowers waving in the wind! Flower meadows are so beautiful. And although you may think of a flower meadow as something that only occurs on wild, untrimmed banks beside the road - not in your own garden - they really aren't too hard to plant yourself, assuming you have some space available. Here are some tips on how to plant a pretty flower meadow of your own.

- (Photo credit: Wikipedia)1. Find out what grows in your area. You will have a much easier time and better (and more sustainable) results if you choose plants that grow well in your local climate. If possible, choose native species.

2. Interestingly, wild flowers (especially native ones) will do best in poor soil that is basically bare. Wildflower meadows work well in areas where you have trouble growing grass. This is good - there will be less competition for the wildflowers.

3. If there is already grass growing on the site, you can still plant wildflowers as long as it is not the dense, manicured sort of grass. If it is, you will need to till the ground first. This is best done in autumn or very early spring.

4. Choose your seeds. If you have checked into finding the proper species in Step 1, this shouldn't be too hard. You can actually collect your own seeds at various times of the year, too. But probably the best advice is to purchase seeds of a wildflower mix. Something to consider is blooming time - plant both spring and summer blooming flowers to have flowers for a longer period.

Also think about what you want to accomplish with the wildflowers. Do you want color? How about attracting wildlife? Do you want to provide flowers for bees or seeds for birds? Once you determine the purpose, that will help you narrow down the seeds.

(Photo credit: Wikipedia)Choose perennials that will not need to be replanted each year - unless you want to replant them each year!

5. Scatter the seeds evenly and broadly, covering the whole area in a single layer.

6. Rake the seeds into the soil, or just walk over it. These are wildflowers, after all - in nature, they simply land on the ground and sprout without any help.

7. Scattering the seeds can be done in autumn or spring, depending on the nature of your mix and how much traffic is in the area.

8. Water the area lightly, then wait. You will need to cut back some of the weed growth that first year so that weeds do not take over (weeding the whole area by hand would get tedious). But once the flowers are established, you will not have to do much of anything year after year.

What Type of Garden Should You Grow?

If you're thinking about starting a garden, the first thing you need to consider is what type of garden you will have. There are many different choices and often it can be hard to pick just one, but hopefully you can narrow it down. But by narrowing it down, you'll make the gardening experience easier on yourself and the plants. If most of your plants are similar, then it shouldn't be very hard to care for them all. So here are some of the main garden ideas for you to choose from.

Image via WikipediaIf you're just looking for something to look nice in your yard, you'll want a flower garden. These are usually filled with perennial flowers. Perennial flowers are flowers which live year-round, or which come back every year on their own. You could almost say they're basically weeds because of their hardiness, only nice looking! Different areas and climates have different flowers which are considered perennials. If you do a quick internet search for your area, you can probably find a list of flowers that will bring your flower garden to life. These usually only require much work in the planting stage - after that, the flowers mostly take care of themselves, and just require a little maintenance like watering and occasional fertilizer or mulching. The only downside to this is that you don't have any product to show for it.

Image via WikipediaAnother choice is a vegetable garden. These usually require a little more work and research than a flower garden, but can be much more rewarding. No matter what time of the year it is, you can usually find one vegetable that is still prospering. That way you can have your garden be giving you produce almost every day of the year! When starting a vegetable garden, you should build it with the thought in mind that you will be adding more types of veggies in later. This will help your expandability. Once all your current crops are out of season, you won't be stuck with almost nowhere to put the new crops. A vegetable garden is ideal for someone who wants some produce, but doesn't want to devote every waking hour to perfecting their garden (see below.)

One of the more difficult types of gardens to manage is a fruit garden. It's definitely the most high-maintenance. When growing fruits, many more pests will be attracted due to the sweetness. You not only have to deal with having just the right dirt and fertilizer, you have to deal with choosing a pesticide that won't kill whoever eats the fruits. There are a few organic pesticides, so you should do some research to find the ones that are safest for you and your family. Your fruit garden will probably not produce year-round. The soil needs to be just right for the plants to grow, and putting in another crop during its off-season could be disastrous to its growth process. If you're willing to put lots of work into maintaining a garden, then a fruit garden could be a good choice for you.

Image via WikipediaBasically, the garden type you will choose comes down to what kind of product you want, and how much work you want to put into it. If you're looking for no product with no work, go with a flower garden. If you want lots of delicious product, but you are willing to spend hours in your garden each day, then go for a fruit garden. Or for something in the middle, try a vegetable garden. And remember, you can always start small - don't let your ambition carry you away if you've never gardened before - start with something you can handle, and scale up from there as desired.

Happy gardening!

Helpful Gardening Resources for Flowers, Veggies, & Fruits:
   

Flowering Plants – Getting them to Blossom Indoors

You may have heard that it is hard to get shrubs or trees to blossom indoors. That’s because the right conditions are essential.  But if you have the patience and the correct amount of light you can be successful.  In addition to having the right conditions, you will also need to choose flowering plants that have a history of blooming in indoor gardens.

Image via WikipediaIf you purchase a flowering plant or tree at a greenhouse, be aware that the plant will be acclimatized to the optimal conditions found there.  You may have better luck purchasing at a nursery or bringing an outdoor plant indoors – they will be hardier and used to changes in weather.  Look into your garden center’s return policy too - many will guarantee the life of your new plant for a certain period of time.  They will also give you important information on the care and maintenance your flowering plant will need.

Humidity is important too; you can purchase a humidifier to help or you can simply place a tray of water close to the plants and as it evaporates it will create more moisture in the air.

Some of the best plants to buy that have been proven to easily flower indoors are:
*    Camellias
*    Azaleas
*    Crimson Bottle Brush
*    Gardenias
*    Zebra Plant

Keep the soil moist, fertilize well approximately twice per year and provide plenty of direct, bright light, and you are likely to see blossoms on your trees or shrubs.  Also be careful with open windows - if you do not have screens, bees and other pollinating insects may find their way inside your home. However, although they aren’t always the best house guests but if they show themselves back out they are great for the flowers.

About Butterfly Gardening

What is butterfly gardening? Simply put, butterfly gardening is the art of growing flowers and plants that will attract these colorful and dainty creatures to your garden. Delight your family and visitors with beautiful butterflies, but be sure to create a safe habitat for them. For example, if you own cats, you may want to rethink your plans for a butterfly garden, because it would be a shame to attract these lovely insects to their death.

Image via WikipediaThe design of your butterfly garden is a matter of personal preference. Typical points to consider are the size of your garden and the types of flowers and plants you want to grow. Pick a style of garden that appeals to you, but ensure it also contains the plants and flowers that appeal to the butterflies you wish to attract.

It is important to find out which plants and flowers will attract the species of butterflies that live in your area. (More information on this can be found online (see some good butterfly gardening resources here) or at your local library.) To create the kind of environment butterflies find attractive, you will also need water of some kind. A birdbath will look attractive and keep the butterflies up off the ground, away from stray cats or mischievous puppies. A shallow dish on a post or hung in a tree will do just as well.

Image via WikipediaWhen planting your butterfly garden be careful how you coordinate the colors you choose for your flowerbeds. Although butterflies do not care about your choice of color, you don't want your garden to be a hodgepodge of unrelated colors and textures. Butterflies are attracted to those flowers that have nectar rather than pollen, like honeysuckle, milkweed, summer lilac, Valerian, daisies, Purple Coneflower, Yellow Sage, day lilies and lavender.

Some people find it helpful to draw and color a layout of their butterfly gardening plan to see what the finished product would look like. Keep in mind that warm colors like red and orange are flashy and showy. These colors have a greater impact against a strong green background. Cool colors such as blue and purple are more soothing and toned down and would work better with a white contrast to create a look of freshness and brightness.

Butterfly Gardening Resources:
   

Sustainable Gardening: Choosing and Planting Perennials

If you’ve been growing a vegetable garden for a while, you might be wanting a bit more showiness, as vegetable gardens alone can sometimes look rather plain (although you can certainly grow some colorful vegetables to add some contrast). The use of perennial flowers is a great sustainable gardening technique that can also be a great way to liven up your garden without adding a lot of extra work.

Image via WikipediaPerennial flowers are strong, local or native flowers that come back every year without having to replant or do any extra work. During their off seasons, the flowers and stems die back and you can hardly even tell the plant is there. When it’s time to bloom, entirely new flowers shoot up where the old ones were.

Before deciding whether to put in perennials or not, you need to make sure that your soil has proper drainage. If the soil stays saturated with water for long periods of time, you should build a raised bed. To test, dig a hole and fill it with water. Wait a day, and then fill it with water again. All traces of water should be gone within 10 hours. If the hole isn’t completely dry, you will need to build a raised bed.

Picking your perennials can be a complicated process. The goal should be to have them flowering as much as possible during the year, so you should create an outline of the year. Research the different types of flower you want, and create a timeline of flowering. If you plan it right, you can have a different type of flower blooming at any point in the year. Getting just the right mixture of seeds can give your yard a constantly changing array of colors.

Image via WikipediaWhen you go to buy the seeds from your local florist or nursery, you might be able to find a custom seed mixture for your area. This takes the really tough research part out of the job. Usually these blends are optimized for the local climate, and thus may be grown very sustainably - practically on their own. If one of these isn’t available, you can ask the employees what they think would be a good mixture. They should be happy to help you put something together which will be optimal for whatever you desire.

You should definitely use mulch when planting perennials. This will reduce the overall amount of work you have to do later on, by reducing the amount of weeds and increasing the water retention. Bark or pine needles work great, I have found, and depending on the rest of your yard you might have them on hand at no charge. As for fertilizer, you should use an organic fertilizer only sparingly once your plants start to come to life.

When you actually go to plant the seeds, you should put them in small, separate clumps according to the directions. This is because they tend to spread out, and if you have too many too close together then they will end up doing nothing but choking each other out. As you plant them, throw in a little bit of weak fertilizer or some compost. Within a few months, you should have a well-established variety of perennials, which will continue to decorate your garden year after year in a natural and sustainable way.