THE DIRT CHEAP GARDENER
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Flower Gardens
| Meaning of Flowers: Alstromeria: Wealth, Prosperty and Fortune Alyssum: Worth beyond beauty
Amaryllis: Pride, Beauty Apple: Symbol of Perpetual Concord
Aster: Daintiness, Symbol of Love
Astilbe: I'll be waiting for you Azalia: Fragile and Ephemeral Passion
Baby's Breath: Happiness, Innocence
Begonia: Fanciful
Bittersweet: Truth
Blue Bell: Humility, Delicacy and Constancy
Bouquet of Withered Flowers: Rejected Love
Buttercup: Gratitude, Riches, Childishness
Cactus: Endurance, Warmth and Bravery
Camellia--Red: My heart's aflame for you.
Canterbury Bell: Warning and Steadiness
Carnation: January' s Birth Flower, Divine Love, Fascination
Chrysanthemum: Cheerfulness, Truth, Longevity, Optimism, Friendship. November's Birth Flower
Clematis: Intelliectual, Clever, Artifice and ingenuity. 8th Wedding Anniversary Flower.
Columbine: Wisdom and Strenght
Coreopsis: Cheerful
Crocus: Cheerfulness and Attachment
Cyclamen: Resignation and Goodbye
Daffodil: Unrequited Love, Eternal Life, New Beginning. 10th Wedding Anniversary Flower. March Birth Flower.
Dahlia: Dignity, Good Taste. 14th Wedding Anniversary.
Daisy: Innocence, Gentleness, Loyal Love. 5th Wedding Anniversary
Dogwood: Durability
Fennel: Strength
Forget me not: Hope, True and Faithful Love, Memories
Forsythia: Anticipation
Foxglove: Insincerity. Freesia: Thougtfulness and innocence. Fuchsia: Amiability. 3rd Wedding Anniversary.
Gardenia: Joyfulness, Luck, Sweet Love, Secret Love.
Gladiola: Strength of Character, Sincerity,
Admiration. Name originates from the Latin word Gladius (Sword)
because of its leaves shaped as blades. August Birth Flower.
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Flower Gardens
As in any garden, after taking into consideration light and water, your soil is your key to a successful garden. The best soil composition for your garden is loamy--loose, fertile and well-drained (deeper down as well as on the surface)--a fertile mix of sand, clay and organic matter such as composted leaves, manure, sawdust, peat, or bark.
Planning
If you plan your garden you are much more likely to be pleased with the results.
Designing your garden is a bit like interior decorating--it will look better if applied in layers.
The basics of layering involve providing a basic framework and then adding the accessories (the flowers).
First LayerPopular Annuals
Trees, large evergreens, shrubs and hedges. This gives the garden structure.
Second Layer
Decorative shrubs and ornamental grasses.
Third Layer
Finally...FLOWERS -- bulbs, perennials and annuals.
Begonias--Popular for their hardiness and versatility, they will thrive in both sun and shade.
California Poppies--Love hot, dry conditions. Will self-seed.
Cosmos--Dramatic, showy blossoms range from two to five feet and come in different shades of purple, white and pink.
Geraniums--Prefers full sun, and is deer resistant.
Heliotrope--Attracts bees and butterflies. Tall perennial to 20 inches.
Impatiens--Impatiens will thrive in partial shade.
Marigolds--A favorite of vegetable gardeners, this fragrant blossom does double duty working as a natural deterrent for a variety of garden pests.
Nasturtiums--Another favorite of vegetable gardeners, nasturtiums are prized for their beauty, edibility, and pest control properties.
Pansies--Also an edible flower, pansies can be planted in early spring because of their ability to tolerate cooler temperatures and light frost.
Petunias--Will bloom all summer and comes in a wide array of colors.
Phlox--Hardy plant that prefers full sun. Works well as a cutting flower. Comes in red, white, blue and pink.
Salvia--Deer resistant. Prefers full sun.
Sunflower--These showstoppers can grow as tall as 8 feet. Prefers full sun.
Zinnia--These bright flowers come in a variety of colors and can grow beyond 2 feet in height.
Popular Perennials
Bee Balm--attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds. Deer resistant.
Bellflower (Campanula)--Long lived and easy to grow, this hardy perennial prefers partial shade and cooler temperatures.
Daylilly--Will bloom from early summer to fall, but each blossom lasts only a day. Hardy perennial. Prefers hot and dry environment.
Iris--This spring bloomer comes in a wide variety of colors, from pale white-yellow to deep rich purple.
Red Valerian (Centranthus)--Prefers dry, poor soil, but will bloom longer in cooler temperatures.
Yarrow--Very hardy, can thrive in hot, dry environments with lean soil.
MAKING POTPOURRI
