Flowers Ideas, Tips & Guides

Poppies (Papaver spp. and cvs., Zones 3–9) are one of the most beloved and desirable garden flowers, but they aren’t as easy to please as many sources make them out to be. While there are those who will claim that they are the easiest flowers to grow since they often self-seed around the garden with abandon, poppies—especially the annual species—remain challenging to grow for many gardeners. Below I’ll go over some common annual and perennial poppy species, some recommended varieties of each, and how to make them thrive in your garden.

The fragrant blooms of sweet alyssum (Lobularia maritima) give this flower its name. This cool-season annual is known for its profusion of white flowers. There are also lavender, pink, and purple blooming varieties available. It pairs well with other spring flowers like pansies, violas, dianthus, snapdragons, etc.

Here’s a list of some gorgeous feminine flowers that symbolize the beauty of a woman, making them a perfect gift for them!

Picking the right flowers for herb garden can be a vital to use Allelopathy, Pest Management and Polyculture. Let’s have a look at them in detail.

Popular for their striking vivid flowers, these plants also have some doppelgangers growing in the wild! Welcome to the world of weeds that look like hollyhocks!

27 of the Best Dahlia Varieties for Your Garden

If you've always wondered how to fully bring the outdoors into your home, designers are here to help. Below, pros weigh in with handy tips for how you can add natural touches to your space, whether it's large or small.

I am hoping for some coloured Heucheras for Fathers day later this year – well hope is free!

The snowdrops are over and the witch hazels finished flowering more than a month ago but hellebores, with their long season of interest, continue to make their presence felt. There are a few flashes of purple from lingering crocuses and the streamside grass is still ablaze with yellow ‘Tête-à-tête’, and now the later spring bulbs are beginning to appear – fritillaries are so pretty, with their nodding purple snakes’ heads, even more so when growing in a clump, aren’t they?

We’re just a few days away from the first official day of spring, which, in our opinion, is one of the most beautiful seasons. With its blooming flowers, sunny days, and misty rains, it really is a breath of fresh air after a dark and cold few months. But, one thing not everyone is excited about every spring is spring cleaning.

We bought an old house and have been working extra hard on a self-build extension and house renovation for the last seven months. We have installed a big fixed window pane with the idea of looking out on to a lovely green back garden, but at the moment it is just a mound of earth, derived from the dig to get foundations done. What can I place here that will green quickly and also be bee and bird friendly and give us some nice colours and view for this summer? Would a wild flower meadow be the way to go until we figure out what to do with space or what can you recommend that is eco and purse friendly? RH, Co Dublin

My book de Jour is ‘Fifty Favourite Roses’ Michael Gibson. A second reading has given me some new insights and some varieties to look out for: 5 petalled Tea Roses Dainty Bess,  Mrs Oakley Fisher (golden) and Ellen Willmott (white) rugarosa Robusta and colour changing Mutabilis

Mike Coppola / Getty Images

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How to Protect Flower Bulbs From Rodent Damage

From the eye-catching Edelweiss that thrives in the majestic Alps to bright and playful Cornflowers that are a common sight in the lush countryside, all German flowers have a story to tell, which we will discover in this article!

Though you may find it hard to believe, but there are weeds that have a similar apperance to that of a tree! Don’t be in awe! Find the below!

Be it their color, shape of the petals, patterns, or combinations – these flowers that look like butterfly will remind you of those fluttering beauties!

Repeat flowering old Rose varieties do what it says in their name however the first 5 in my Top Ten only flower once per year but still inspire.

Plant pots are a staple of the garden and are fantastic for displaying your favourite flowers and plants both indoors and out. They’re great for all types of gardens and allow those without the luxury of green space to display their work on balconies, decked areas, and conservatories.

As we bid adieu to the frosty winter, March arrives with a burst of color and a tantalising promise of warmer days. It’s the perfect time to dust off those gardening gloves and let your inner green thumb run wild (if you haven’t already).

Oxalis triangularis, also known as false shamrock, is an eye-catching bulbous perennial that makes an excellent and long-lived house plant. Bold, dramatic foliage in shades of dark purple to wine-red creates a striking contrast to blush-white flowers borne in summer. The leaves are three-lobed, hence the name of shamrock which it resembles, though is not actually related to. Oxalis triangularis is native to from Brazil. Its leaves have extra fascination because they open during the day and close at night.

What is a Patio Rose if it isn’t a rose grown on a patio? Patio roses grow bigger and bushier than miniatures and are about 14 -24 inch high, yet they are perfectly formed. H.T. Bush and Floribunda roses grow bigger but Patio roses are easy and decorative.

Vines are a great way to add vertical interest to your ornamental flower beds, and native vines have the added benefit of supporting native insects. It sounds like a win-win, but vines can also be troublesome if planted in the wrong spot. The following four vining plants are native to the Southeast and thrive in a garden setting; plant them responsibly so they can be enjoyed for years to come.

We’re visiting another garden with Cherry Ong today, one that she saw on a tour organized by the Vancouver Hardy Plant Society last summer. This is a collector’s shade garden, full of lots of beautiful and unusual plants, including a stunning collection of Podophyllum (mayapples; hardiness varies, but mostly Zones 6–9).

Here are some amazing specimens, popular for their dark, almost black foliage. You may provide a stunning contrast to other plants and flowers by growing these Best Black Grasses.

Ranging from $500 to $5,000 per kilogram, saffron, or the Red Gold as it is commonly referred to, takes a total of about 150,000 flowers to produce just one kilogram! Now you know why it would be a great idea to have its plant at home!

The flowering time of irises depends on factors like climatic and growing conditions. However, they do have a stipulated blooming period that we’ll discuss below.

How to Grow Five Spot Flowers Nemophila maculata

What if we told you that there are plants you can grow once, and then multiply for years to come with free seeds? Sounds tempting? Well, these options will put a smile on your face!

What is the tiny critter on the petal of this strawberry bloom?

Nigeria boasts a wide variety of native Nigerian flowers that are synonyms to the country’s diverse ecosystems. These blooms are also vital for bees, butterflies, and birds, which play an important role in maintaining the ecological balance.

These plants have so much resemblance to the upper most portion of a pineapple that you’ll have a tough time spotting the right one out!

Honeybees and butterflies may be the poster children for pollinator awareness, but these charismatic garden visitors actually make up a very small portion of the species that move pollen from plant to plant. Commonly overlooked creatures like wasps, flies, moths, beetles, birds, bats, and even lizards can all serve as plant pollinators. Another misconception is that most pollinator activity occurs from the height of summer and into early fall, but in fact pollination occurs during most months of the year when temperatures are within an acceptable range for insect activity and there is a pollen or nectar source available. In this article I will talk about an array of plants that feed and support pollinators at specific points throughout the growing season. As you plan your wildlife-friendly plantings, use these suggestions as a springboard for creating your own unique, multiseason plant combinations.

Sowing a seed directly into the ground, nurturing it, and reaping the rewards is one of the easiest gardening activities you can do—yet many gardeners don’t. There are many reasons to direct sow. Often, you’ll have earlier harvests because the seeds will germinate when it’s the perfect time to grow, and stronger seedlings because transplant shock isn’t an issue. Planting seeds in general (instead of buying transplants) gives you more varietal options, and you can also save a lot of money (1 packet of 30 to 150 seeds often costs less than a 6-pack of plants). And then there is the personal satisfaction factor. Ask any child who has planted a sunflower seed how they feel when that flower towers over their head, and you’ll understand what I mean.

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