Gardener’s Alphabet – M Through Z

Marigolds flower from June until frost time and look great in outdoor planters or window boxes. They are one of the garden favorites in America today. Marigolds may be divided into three major classes, the African, the Mexican, and the French: The African Marigolds are ideal as cutflowers, being the tallest of the three, while the French and Mexican varieties are better suited for borders and in beds. The Crown of Gold, an African Marigold, is the only Marigold with entirely odorless foliage and sweet, fragrant flowers that are nearly 3 inches in diameter. The flowers are golden-orange in color, and the plant stands about two feet tall. The Golden Harmony, a French marigold, is a bushy little plant, standing about is in. The flowers are golden yellow, bordered with red.

Peonies are hardy perennial plants that bloom in June and will increase the beauty of your garden. The most common types of peonies are the single, Japanese, and double peonies. The most popular of these types are the double peonies, although you should have at least one representative of each of the other two groups in your garden. You will surely want a pink, and dark red. Most nurseries sell one-year field roots (the best kind). The time to buy is in the early fall, and the time to plant is as soon as you receive them. Plant your peonies roots in a semi-shaded spot away from shrubs or trees. Dig holes a feet wide and a feet deep, fill the hole with a mixture of good plant food, and loamy garden soil. Set roots about 3 inches below the surface, roots straight down.

Roses are considered by many persons to be the most beautiful plants in cultivation. You can find a lots of accurate rose care information on the care and planting of your rose garden. The time to plant roses is in the early spring or in the late fall. Nurserymen supply dormant plants up to April 15th. They are easy to plant, and cost only a few dollars or so a plant. Less if you buy by the dozen. There are many everblooming varieties. You will surely want the one with brilliant red flowers, and rich green foliage. Many large clusters of small flowers, an ideal Polyantha rose or a climbing American Beauty is just the thing for the arbor, it makes shoots from to to 15 feet in a season.

Sweet Peas grow from six to ten feet in height. The giant “Spencers” are most popular, due to the frilled, dainty blooms, three or four to a stem. For best results sweet peas should be planted about eight to ten inches apart. The “Spencers” are ideally suited for outdoor planting in the flower garden as a background for low perennials or annuals. Planting a following collection will give you sweet peas in almost every color of the rainbow. Ask at your nursery or garden center for a Sweet Pea collection for only a few dollars.

No garden is complete without at least one bed of colorful tulips in it. Tulips should be planted in beds or in borders with a trowel in a hole four to six inches deep and spaced four to six inches apart. Be sure to always plant them in a good, loose soil, that has been thoroughly cultivated. It is not necessary to dig up your tulip bulbs each year and replant them the following spring. In the winter time cover your tulip beds with leaves and other garden trash. That is all that is necessary for you to do.

Vases are only one of the many types of decorative containers that may be used to hold flowers for display in the house. Bowls, baskets, brass or copper kettles, pitchers, and various types of pottery may also be used. Be sure to have a variety of containers on hand at all times for your cutflowers. Your collection of containers should include at least one large and one small howl, one round and one flat basket, a brass or copper kettle, a tall and a squatty pitcher, and three or four kinds of colored pottery vases. Imagine an open end glass block used as a flower vase. Its cuboid shape permits its use on narrow ledges and sills. These may be secured through the local building supply house.

Water Lilies are the favorite of all aquatic plants. These colorful white blooms with the green leaves against a background of blue water make an ideal picture for your garden. Water lilies should be planted in pots filled with soil and set into the pool. Don’t make the mistake of planting too many water lilies in your pool. A few well spaced plants are enough. To keep the water clear it is advisable to cover the top of the box with about two inches of crystal white sand, before putting it in the water. The water in the pool need not be changed more frequently than every eight months; new water must be added from time to time, however, as the old evaporates.

Zinnias comprise one of the most magnificent classes of flowers available in America today. Zinnias have the added advantage of being easy to grow, either from seeds or plants, thriving in almost any sunny spot you put them. The blooming period extends from the beginning of summer until fall. You can start your seeds indoors during April, or plant in the garden about May 15th. The plants will produce flowers 3/4″ to 6″ in diameter, according to the variety, in about eight to ten weeks. Try some of the many varieties in your garden this year: everything from long stemmed, lemon yellow in color, dwarf varieties with orange petals, and a bright white. Your favorite local garden center should have Zinnia seeds for at very low cost.

Related Articles Of Interest:

• Gardener’s Alphabet A – L
• Water Lilies – Gardener’s Alphabet
• Pea
• Bean