Come See My Flower Garden
I have always wanted a flower garden. One vibrant with colour and humming with the sounds of insects.
For a long time, the dream has remained just that, a dream due to renting and then living in a van.
But now I live with my parents. Not ideal, but one postive is that I finally get that flower garden.
I want to share with you some of my favorite flowers this season.
Zinna
This annual flower is a great addition to the garden for colour. They come in many different colours. The ones in my garden are hot pink. Pollinators also love them, so bees will be buzzing to come visit your garden with these guys in there. They are also very easy to grow - making it ideal for those who do not have the greenest of thumbs. These guys were the first flower to be grown successfully on the International Space Station in 2006. If they can grow up there, you can grow them down here.
Watering: They need to be watered around once or twice a week during the warm summer months. But they wont freak out and die on you, if you forget to water them.
Maintenance : Cut off dead flowers to promote more flowers. You can feed it fertiliser to promote more flowers, but I never do.
Other Notes: Plant in Summer. It will continue to flower until first frost. It does not like the cold. Collect the seeds, replant in the warmer months.
Rudbeckia hirta - Black Eyed Susan
We put this flower in the garden, mainly because my mum’s name is Susan and she felt drawn to that flower for the name. This is an American wildflower, loves the heat and looks good in the garden.
Water: Once or Twice a week. Does okay with being forgoten about, making it an ideal flower for people like me. Aka person who constantly forgets to water the garden.
Maintenance: This flower doesn’t really need any maintenance. Simply plant it, water it, forget about it.
Other Notes: Plant in the warmer months. It will continue to flower into Autumn. Very long lasting flowering plant. Pick a few and dry them or put them in a vase inside for a pop of sunshine in the home.
Ivanetti Dahlia
A couple of years ago, or maybe it was last year, I really got into Dahilas. I was infected by what some horticulturists call Dahila-itis.
I found a website. Ordered just two tubers. And because Dahilas are kind of popular, those two tubers cost me around $50. Anyway. One of these tubers was this guy, a Ivanetti Dahlia.
They are a puff ball dahila, a deep purple colour, and l think they are simply delightful.
The cool thing about dahilas is when it comes to the end of the season. You dig up the garden, and you have many more tubers, that you can replant next season, or gift to friends. Quite cool really. So think of a dahila tuber as an investment plant.
Water: Water deeply around once or twice a week.
Maintenance: Snip off dead flowers to promote more blooms. For storing Tubers, keep somewhere dry, cool and dark. I personally kept mine in an old shoebox. When you plant the tubers, plant them when it is warm enough, they hate the cold. Dig a hole, place tubers sprout facing up. And wait. And before you know it, you will have a beautiful plant.
Other Notes: The awesome thing I love love love about Dahilas is all the different kinds you can get. Hundreds. Just check out this website .
Echinacea or Coneflower
This flower has quickly become my favorite flower in the garden. I just love the brillant orange hue and the the cone like shape. Echinacea come in all different colours, purple, yelllow, pink and orange to name a few.
Butterflies and bees love them and I often see monarchs perched on top of them.
My one started off as a small plant and quickly went a little wild, becoming a great bush with many flowers. Definetly a highlight of my garden.
Water: They do not mind being a bit dry, water around once a week.
Maintenance: They like a position in the garden that is nice and sunny. Feed with fertilizer once a year in spring. Cut off dead flowers - promote more flowers. Cut back the plant in Autumn.
Other Notes: This flower is a perennial- so will come back next season. The flowers bloom, spring, summer and autumn. You can make tea out of this flower.
To make Echinacea tea:
- Add 1 teaspoon of finely cut leaves to 1 cup of boiling water
- Let stand for around 5 minutes, strain and enjoy..
- Do not ingest the tea when pregnant or breast feeding.
Alyssum (Lobularia maritima)
A cute litte flower that is great as a ground cover in the garden. I planted mine from a wild flower seed mix and they have all popped up and are doing well, with very little work from me. This is my kind of flower.
They enjoy being in full sun and I planted them in spaces that looked a bit bare in my garden, making a carpet of pretty sweet smelling little flowers.
Water: This plant does not enjoy being too dry, so put a note in your calendar to water once a week. Especially during the warmer months.
Maintenance: Prune to keep bushy and not straggly. Pruning after flowering will also prevent it from going to seed and dying off, as this flower is an annual.