Flowers and Herb Gardening

1. Flowers and Herb Gardening

2. Learning Objectives • Identify five perennial flowers popular in the area. • Explain the difference between a summer and a winter bulb and give examples. • Know three different styles of flower gardens. • Describe the fall and spring maintenance activities of a flower garden. • List ten herbs commonly grown in an outdoor garden.

3. Types of Garden Flowers • Annuals (bedding plants) • Cool-Season • vs. • Warm-Season • Perennials • Mostly Herbaceous • Roses are woody • Biennials • Bulbs • Cold-Hardy • vs. • Non-hardy(summer)

4. Site Selection • Good soil Drainage • Raised bed provides drainage in poor soils • Sunlight • Most flowers prefer full sun but some will tolerate part or full shade • Viewable site

5. Flower Bed Styles • Flower Border • Designed to be viewed from one side • Freestanding Bed • Designed to be viewed from all sides • Formal Bed • Style is Symmetrical • Cottage Garden • Informal massing of flowers and other plants

6. Plant Selection Criteria • Height and width potential • Knowing the ultimate size of plants is critical to proper placing in the landscape! • Sunlight required • Continual bloom • Proper planning ensures season-long bloom • Disease and pest susceptibility • Water requirement • Match plant needs to climate

7. Preparing and Planting Steps: • Loosen soil 18 inches deep • Incorporate amendment (compost or peat moss) • Spread ½ cup balanced fertilizer per 10 sq. ft. • Edging can prevent invasion from lawn grass • Transplant flowers at the same depth originally planted • Annuals planted from seed must be thinned to final spacing

8. Flower Garden Maintenance • Watering • Mulching • Fertilizing • Annuals every 6 weeks • Perennials annually in spring • Pruning • deadheading • Division • Staking/supporting

9. Rose Gardens • Types of Roses • Hybrid tea • cut flower favorites • Floribundas • Bear flowers in clusters • Grandiflora • cross between hybrid tea and floribunda • Climbing • Tree rose • grafted • Miniature

10. Rock Gardens • May use rocks already present • Plants placed in cracks and crevices • Often dwarf cultivars used • Low maintenance • Mulch over winter

11. Container Gardens • Great for small areas and apartment dwellers • Soil should be optimal quality –lots of Sphagnum peat • Daily watering is essential • Frequent fertilization due to leaching • Plants must be sheltered over winter to protect roots

12. Cut- and Dried-Flower Gardens • Gardens specifically cultivated for cutting flowers and bringing indoors • Large industry based on cut flowers • Only certain flower varieties lend themselves to cutting • Tall sturdy annuals and perennials • Must last long • Dried flowers are field-grown then cut and dried at peak bloom • Has been a global market but trending towards local production

13. Herb Gardens • Ornamental, culinary, and medicinal uses • Herbs develop most flavor and potency in full sun • Many are adapted to poor soils • Slow-dry out of direct sun • Cut and hang stems upside down • Bag to collect seeds

14. Review Questions • _________ flowers are often used to bridge the gap between blooming of different perennial flowers. • Which of the flower bed styles requires the most maintenance? • Deadheading is a type of _________ for flowering plants. • Flowers in containers need to be _________ and _________ more frequently than flower beds.