Wednesday, April 4, 2012

Not a Master Gardner

I am not a master gardner by any means, but from experience I've learned how to finally get a bed full of big beautiful flowers.  In Oklahoma we need to plant heat tolerant flowers and begonias and impatients are my favorites beccause they are so easy to care for. 


Tip one is to turn over soil in flowerbed and mulch with compost. 


Tip two is to dig a hole big enough to hold a six pack of flowers and add Osmocote (plant food) to the bottom of the hole.


Tip three is to add the whole six pack of flowers to the hole and cover and water.


Tip four is to use your garden spade to measure the distance between each planting. 

By planting a six pack in each hole you will end up with huge clusters of flowers and it will take just a few weeks to fill in the bed.  Yes, this procedure is a little more costly but well worth it. 

Speaking of costly, I have noticed a jump in prices this spring in bedding plants. Seems like I spend more each season on annuals even though I use the same amount of plants each year.  So, what else is new????

Have fun.
Christine

8 comments:

Carol said...

Great tip to put a six pack in one hole, I have never thought of that!

Smiles,
Carol

Vee said...

Super tips! I'll try it with the few annuals I'll purchase this year. I think Osmocote is great stuff.

BlueShell said...

wow...I did not know that!
Thank you!
It turned lovely!
BShell

Sush said...

OH I've missed visiting you in Blogland, Christine! It sounds like your gardens will be blooming in no time. We've had a really mild winter and everyone is putting their beds together here as well. I just heard on the news last night we might get a 'frost' next week so I'm guessing I better haul my plants back in I just hauled out.
Oh well...
Have a great Easter and HUGS to you~

Inger said...

Great advice -- I am curious to see what we may do here this spring. Well, it isn't spring yet, but when it comes.

Ina in Alaska said...

I think we will have a short growing season this Spring/Summer- as you know we have had lots of snow & the melt will take a while. Although the long daylight hours may speed up the melt of snow. The days are already getting longer, hooray!

Anonymous said...

Great tips. It will be a while before I will be planting anything - I can't wait.

{Bellamere Cottage} said...

Hi Christine... and Happy Easter!

Great tip on the bedding plants. Oh my, they do get more and more expensive, don't they? I usually spend about two hundred dollars getting the plants for my pots.... but I enjoy them so much I can't imagine doing without them. Guess I'll just have to give in again this year... Everything's going way up, isn't it? I'm just shocked at the prices of everyday things.

Hope you have a wonderful Easter..

Huggies,
Spencer

PS.... your home is just yummy!