Get More Blooms From Roses

Pests decrease the bloom count on roses in two ways: by weakening plants, and by eating the blossoms themselves. A systemic pesticide, like acephate, protects tender new growth from aphids, mites, thrips, and whiteflies. Organic options like neem oil or insecticidal soap are options for rose bushes adjacent to vegetable gardens.

million bells

Would you like an annual flower that blooms nonstop without the need for deadheading? How about one that spills gracefully over the sides of your containers and hanging baskets, but has a dense trailing habit rather than a spindly one? Million bells plants fit this description, and they attract hummingbirds and butterflies to boot.

Your grandmother probably didn’t grow million bells, but not because they didn’t exist. Petunias and million bells were exported from South America to Europe in the 1800’s. Petunias ruled until 1997, when Proven Winners licensed the up-and-coming million bells from its breeder, Sunstory Ltd.

Genus Calibrachoa, Family Solanaceae

Common Names:

Million Bells, Trailing Petunia

Zone:

Million bells plants are tender perennials hardy in zones 9-11, but most gardeners treat them as annuals.

Size:

3-12 inches tall, spread up to 2 feet

Exposure:

Million bells flower best in full sun. Bright dappled shade or afternoon shade are second choice placements in the garden, but may turn your “million bells” into “thousand bells.”

Bloom Period:

Spring through frost

Their trailing habit, low maintenance, and prolific blooms make million bells excellent candidates for containers and hanging baskets. Million bells are also somewhat drought tolerant, so you can include them in the rock garden. If you use million bells as a ground cover, keep in mind that they seldom spread more than two feet, so plant enough to ensure adequate coverage.

Valentino Iris

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fertilizer types

When you walk down the fertilizer aisle at the nursery or home improvement center, the second thing you’ll notice about the aisle (after the distinctive smell) is the array of formulations. You’ll see bags and bottles, powders and granules, sprays and concentrates. Furthermore, you’ll discover an increasing number of organic and “earth-friendly” fertilizers. Which one is best for your flowers? Make sense of these choices, and pick the best flower fertilizer for your plant’s healthy growth.

Complete Fertilizer

For most flower gardeners, a complete fertilizer is necessary to supply plants with the three major elements they require to thrive:

Nitrogen (N): Promotes healthy foliagePhosphorus (P): Stimulates root systemsPotassium (K): Aids in flower (and fruit) formation

The fertilizer label will list the nutrients in the order of NPK, with numbers representing the percentage of nutrient compared to filler ingredients. A 10-10-10 fertilizer contains 10% of each nutrient.

Chemical Fertilizer

Fertilizer manufacturers create artificial fertilizers by combining inorganic chemicals to form compounds like ammonium nitrate or magnesium sulfate. An advantage of chemical fertilizers is that the plants take up the nutrients quickly, unless the formula is designed to be a time-release fertilizer. Disadvantages include the risk of over application, which causes burning, and the absence of any soil-improving qualities.

Chemical fertilizers come in a range of formulations, including pellets, liquid concentrates, and powders. These formulas make it convenient for the gardener to apply fertilizers to containers, houseplants, or the landscape.

Foliar Fertilizer

Foliar fertilizers are liquid nutrients that plants absorb through their leaves. Not all flowers feed efficiently this way, because the waxes and hairs on leaves act as a barrier to nutrient uptake. Potassium is the most easily absorbed nutrient in foliar feeding applications, so use foliar fertilizers in the flower garden to address potassium deficiencies.

Organic Fertilizer

Organic fertilizers come from living things, like animal manure, fish emulsion, or leaf mold, and non-living things, like rock phosphate or greensand. Fertilizers from organic matter not only supply essential nutrients to flowers, they also improve soil tilth. Gardeners who don’t eat what they grow still appreciate organic fertilizers because they:

Don’t burn plantsStrengthen plants’ immune systemsAre non-toxic to beneficial insects and wildlifeRemain active in the soil for long periods

Disadvantages of organic fertilizers include their expense, palatability to some pets, and limited formulations. Organic fertilizers are not an overnight fix, so won’t correct severe nutrient deficiencies quickly.

Simple Fertilizer

If a soil test reveals a deficiency of one major nutrient, you can purchase a simple fertilizer, which contains only nitrogen, phosphorus, or potassium. Simple fertilizers can be chemical or organic in makeup.

Slow-Release Fertilizer

Technically, all organic fertilizers are slow-release, as it takes time for organic matter to decompose in the presence of soil microorganisms. The slowest acting organic fertilizers include insoluble mineral fertilizers, like rock potash and other rock powders.

Gardeners who want to fertilize once and forget it can shop for slow-release fertilizers that use coatings or capsule-like shells to control the release of the fertilizer over a period of weeks or months.

Wedding flower hub

In addition to coordinating with the wedding colors, the florist should match the reception flowers to the tablecloths and napkins. The wedding reception isn’t the place to utilize fragrant flowers that can clash with the aroma of the food, but you can ask the florist about adding decorative fruits to the arrangements, like pomegranates or figs.

Reception flowers can take up a large part of the wedding flower budget, depending on how many guest tables require arrangements. The couple can save money by putting the flower focus on the head table and buffet table, and decorating the guest tables with greenery and color-themed ribbons.

Propagate Perennials

Photo © flickr user Linda N.

Many herbaceous flowering plants form clumps over time, and dividing these clumps not only yields additional plants for the garden, but also keeps the original plants vigorous. Dividing plants is a messy affair, as you must dig up the entire plant and separate it into several smaller pieces, but the new plants are usually large enough to flower that season.

Flowers that grow and spread by means of rhizomes are good candidates for propagation by division. If you have overcrowding in the flower garden, divide these plants: