Love Those Orchids!

Paphiopedilum Orchids

Recently I was looking at some old photos that I had taken of some orchids. I have always been fascinated with orchids. They are exotic, different and very beautiful. In my years of gardening, I have grown orchids and found them to be very enjoyable to grow. Orchids have always been considered hard to grow, very expensive to buy and difficult to find. Over the years, all that has changed. Orchids can be purchased at nurseries, hardware stores and retail discount chain stores at very reasonable prices. I just purchased a Phalaenopsis for $5.00 at the grocery store yesterday. They are not that difficult to grow and you do not have to have a greenhouse to grow orchids in. Orchids can be enjoyed in your home just like any other house plant. If you want to grow orchids or receive one for Christmas, take the time to learn about your plant. It is important to know the needs of your orchid plant. Different plants have different temperature, lighting, fertilization and watering needs just like other plants in your house or garden. If you provide your plant with what it needs you will enjoy beautiful flowers in your home or garden for years to come.

Miltonia Orchid

Cattleya Orchids

Do you grow orchids?

Please share your thoughts on growing orchids in the "comment" section.

Happy Gardening!

The Creative Gardener

Add Some "Spring" to Your Containers

 

Spring is coming and now is the time to start getting that landscape prepared for it's arrival. You can start cleaning up the garden beds, picking up yard debris and pruning different plants in the landscape. Garden maintenance needs to be done early before many of the spring flowering plants and bulbs start to break ground and grow.

 

As you start the process of spring cleanup, consider adding some color to that drab winter garden with some colorful containers of spring flowering plants and bulbs.  Many local stores will be receiving in pots of tulips, daffodils, hyacinths, ornamental cabbage and pansies that can be planted in containers to give some much needed color to the garden. 

 

 

When selecting containers look for ones that compliment the plants that you will be using.  Containers can be ceramic, cement, wood or other types of materials.  They should have good drainage, color and be frost proof. When planting your containers, use a quality soil designed for containers.

 

 Use a thriller, spiller and filler method for planting.  If you have not heard of this method, a thriller would be something big and attractive like the tulips in the picture above.  The filler would be a smaller plant to fill in the pot and the spiller would be a plant that hangs down the sides of the pot. The ivy in the picture above is serving as a filler and a spiller. You can have multiple plants for fillers. Remember to select plants that can withstand changing weather and temperatures based on the zone that you live in.

 

Here are a few examples of  containers and window boxes decorated for spring. You might notice that all the containers used ivy for the spiller plant.  When your containers need to be changed you can remove the spring plants and continue to use the ivy with summer and fall blooming plants.

 

Azalea and ivy

 

Daffodils, spikes and ivy

 

Tulips, daffodils, ivy and a houseplant

 

Azalea and ivy

 

Assorted spring bulbs with ivy

 

Cyclamens and ivy

 

Assorted spring bulbs with ivy

 

Tulips, pansies and ivy

 

Tulips, ivy and pansies

 

 

When preparing your containers for spring, add some moss or wood mulch on top of the soil for some added protection for the plants from the cold.  Use one or group several containers together for added color and balance. Don't forget to add some colorful containers inside your home to enjoy.  Now get out there and start getting that garden ready for spring!

 

Happy Gardening!

Debbie