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Plants that require a lot of water: If you have plants that require a lot of water such as tomatoes,
watermellon, sapplings, etc. But you don't have the time to water them so frequently, then, here's what you do before
you plant them. Tear apart an unused baby diaper or sanitary napkin and mix the inside part of it in with your soil,
etc. Now, get your pots or dig your holes. Now, put some of this mixture into the bottom of the hole or fill your
pot with it. Add your plant and cover the roots of the plant with this mixture. What it is, is a gel that captures
water and expands. What happens is the roots of the plant grow through and around this gel, and they get the water out
of it. Also, when you water your plants, or when it rains, both the plant and the gel absorb the water.
Creating your own breed of plants: Plant seeds of
open-pollinated plants. Progeny (kinds of seed produced) varies wildly in plants that are open-pollinated. Bees go from flower
to flower, pollinating at random. That means that each seed germinates into a slightly different plant. If you notice
a new plant that appeals to you, collect its seed and take cuttings.
You can also crosspollinate flowers yourself, provided you know what's the male and female parts of plants. You
can also help plants to crossbreed into new hybrids by planting them together, or propogating them together. This way,
when bees go around doing their business, they will pollinate the plants for you!
Feed your garden regularly and your plants will reward you with plenty of flowers and strong, healthy growth:
Growing a garden full of brightly colored flowers is easier than you think. By feeding flowering perennials once
every two weeks you give them the nutrients they need for vigorous, lush foliage and an abundance of blooms.
How to Build a Beautiful Border: Start with the backbonetrees and
shrubswhich give the border structure and shape. Add medium-sized plants to fill out the
borders skeleton. Make a plan. Sketch a rough diagram to decide where to place the plants
you have selected. Think about the shapes, fragrances, foliage and flower colors. Give
the border an irregular, rounded or scalloped edge rather than sharp, straight lines. Check
flowering times of plants so that the combinations you want do, in fact, bloom at the right time. Fill
in with annuals and flowering bulbs to add color and fragrance when perennials are out of season. Besides the usual spring
flower bulbs like daffodils and tulips, summer flowering bulbs such as lilies and cannas will add interest. Include
spreading, upright, rounded, symmetrical or irregular plant shapes. A variety of plant forms and textures will make a border
more interesting. As a general rule, place tall plants at the back, intermediate near the
center and smaller ones at the front. But, to avoid a step-like effect, plant a few stand-alone tall shrubs in front. Choose colors that suit your personality and your garden.
Promote more blooms: To encourage continuous blooms on your flowering plants be sure to "dead
head" them when the blooms are spent. In other words, cut off the dead flowers. Do this to your plants like rose
bushes, and you will see many, many more blooms.
Make a Leggy Plant Bushy: Cut off the stems and flowers where the stems emerges from the branch.
What this does is stimulates new growth of the entire stem. Thus, over time, making your plant a bushier more attractive
plant.
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