The Giant Book On Growing Flowers

Table of Contents Introduction Choosing the Right Soil Soil Color and Fertility Humus Preparation of the Soil Best Time for Seed Sowing The Thinning Process Staking Your Annuals Why Mulch? Cultivation and Maintenance Watering your Plants List of Hardy annuals Half Hardy Annuals Annuals Suitable for Cutting Purposes – Annuals for autumn blooming – Half Hardy Annuals for Edging Your Border Knowing More about Biennials Sowing the seeds Preparing the Ground List of Popular Biennials Choosing the Plants Permanent Plants Bougainvillea Hibiscus Cannas Asters The Jasmine Family and Plumeria Lilies Sowing Time Summer Plants Chrysanthemums Winter Plants Sweetpeas Phlox Hollyhocks Sunflowers Gladiolus Perennial Plants Dianthus Cosmos Periwinkles- Vinca Petunias Useful Gardening Tips Appendix Propagation through Buds Preparing a bud Grafting Benefits Wedge Grafting Grafting Wax Solutions Grafting Wax Orchids Collecting Orchids Natural Conditions Division of Species Terrestrial orchids – Epiphytic Orchids – Cultivation of Orchids Cultivation of Orchids at High Altitudes Propagation of Orchids Blossoming Orchids Making an Orchid House Types of Popular Orchids Varieties Dendrobium Epidendrum Cattleya Bletia Vanda Phalaenopsis Vanilla Odontoglossum Cypripedium – Lady Slipper Orchid genus Appendix Why Re-Pot a Plant Roses How To Grow Roses Types and Varieties of Roses Preparation of the Soil Planting Why Stake Your Roses Organic Manure for Roses Pruning Your Roses First pruning Hard pruning. Subsequent Pruning – Other Types of Roses Ramblers Climbing HTs Rose Standards Weeping Standards Floribundas General Management of Rose Plants Disbudding Roses Rose Pests and Diseases Appendix How to Make Rose Water How to Make a Rose Potpourri Rhododendrons Knowing More about Azaleas Ghent Azaleas Cultivation of Rhododendrons Soil for Your Rhododendrons Shade and Shelter for Your Rhododendrons Effect of Wind and Sun So How Do You Get the Best Shade for Your Rhododendrons? Shade Plants to Avoid Best Sheltering Plants Pests and Diseases Rhododendron Types and Hybrids Flower Borders Planning a Border Preparing Your Border Lime Application Manuring General Cultivation Tips Planting of Shrubs List of Different Color Plants Multicolored Plants Borders of Just One Color Getting a Period Border Narrow Borders Aspect Borders General Herbaceous Borders Choosing the Right Background Staking and Supports Growing a Shrub Border Using Bulbs in Your Border Bulb Selection Planting Your Bulbs Border Bulbs – Hyacinth and Crocus Management of your Borders Traditional Control of Slugs Author Bio Publisher Introduction There are far too many people out there who are under the impression that you cannot have a beautiful garden without spending huge amounts of money. That is so not true. A little bit of planning and this fallacy is going to fall to pieces by the wayside. Those who are grown annuals for years are going to give this statement the lie gladly. Their initial investment must have been just a packet of seeds. The next year, the plants were grown from the seeds collected from the previous years’ crop. Do not forget that the life of an annual is limited to just 12 months and so you must not expect them to grow up and bloom again the next year, unless of course you allowed the seeds to lie in the bed without collecting them. That is when they are going to bloom up just like weeds with a little bit of rain, and with the coming of the spring. One of the great advantages of annuals is that they are quite easy to grow and flourish in your garden over a long period. The most common are well known to even amateur gardeners who can recognize a cornflower, nasturtiums, Virginia stock and Candytuft. These are very beautiful in themselves, but every gardener is growing them in his garden.

Table of Contents Introduction Choosing the Right Soil Soil Color and Fertility Humus Preparation of the Soil Best Time for Seed Sowing The Thinning Process Staking Your Annuals Why Mulch? Cultivation and Maintenance Watering your Plants List of Hardy annuals Half Hardy Annuals Annuals Suitable for Cutting Purposes – Annuals for autumn blooming – Half Hardy Annuals for Edging Your Border Knowing More about Biennials Sowing the seeds Preparing the Ground List of Popular Biennials Choosing the Plants Permanent Plants Bougainvillea Hibiscus Cannas Asters The Jasmine Family and Plumeria Lilies Sowing Time Summer Plants Chrysanthemums Winter Plants Sweetpeas Phlox Hollyhocks Sunflowers Gladiolus Perennial Plants Dianthus Cosmos Periwinkles- Vinca Petunias Useful Gardening Tips Appendix Propagation through Buds Preparing a bud Grafting Benefits Wedge Grafting Grafting Wax Solutions Grafting Wax Orchids Collecting Orchids Natural Conditions Division of Species Terrestrial orchids – Epiphytic Orchids – Cultivation of Orchids Cultivation of Orchids at High Altitudes Propagation of Orchids Blossoming Orchids Making an Orchid House Types of Popular Orchids Varieties Dendrobium Epidendrum Cattleya Bletia Vanda Phalaenopsis Vanilla Odontoglossum Cypripedium – Lady Slipper Orchid genus Appendix Why Re-Pot a Plant Roses How To Grow Roses Types and Varieties of Roses Preparation of the Soil Planting Why Stake Your Roses Organic Manure for Roses Pruning Your Roses First pruning Hard pruning. Subsequent Pruning – Other Types of Roses Ramblers Climbing HTs Rose Standards Weeping Standards Floribundas General Management of Rose Plants Disbudding Roses Rose Pests and Diseases Appendix How to Make Rose Water How to Make a Rose Potpourri Rhododendrons Knowing More about Azaleas Ghent Azaleas Cultivation of Rhododendrons Soil for Your Rhododendrons Shade and Shelter for Your Rhododendrons Effect of Wind and Sun So How Do You Get the Best Shade for Your Rhododendrons? Shade Plants to Avoid Best Sheltering Plants Pests and Diseases Rhododendron Types and Hybrids Flower Borders Planning a Border Preparing Your Border Lime Application Manuring General Cultivation Tips Planting of Shrubs List of Different Color Plants Multicolored Plants Borders of Just One Color Getting a Period Border Narrow Borders Aspect Borders General Herbaceous Borders Choosing the Right Background Staking and Supports Growing a Shrub Border Using Bulbs in Your Border Bulb Selection Planting Your Bulbs Border Bulbs – Hyacinth and Crocus Management of your Borders Traditional Control of Slugs Author Bio Publisher Introduction There are far too many people out there who are under the impression that you cannot have a beautiful garden without spending huge amounts of money. That is so not true. A little bit of planning and this fallacy is going to fall to pieces by the wayside. Those who are grown annuals for years are going to give this statement the lie gladly. Their initial investment must have been just a packet of seeds. The next year, the plants were grown from the seeds collected from the previous years’ crop. Do not forget that the life of an annual is limited to just 12 months and so you must not expect them to grow up and bloom again the next year, unless of course you allowed the seeds to lie in the bed without collecting them. That is when they are going to bloom up just like weeds with a little bit of rain, and with the coming of the spring. One of the great advantages of annuals is that they are quite easy to grow and flourish in your garden over a long period. The most common are well known to even amateur gardeners who can recognize a cornflower, nasturtiums, Virginia stock and Candytuft. These are very beautiful in themselves, but every gardener is growing them in his garden.

Table of Contents Introduction How to Lay Out a Herbal Garden Thinking of Layout Plans Making Paths Best Flower Choices Making a City Herbal Garden Making Leaf Mold Making Natural Organic Compost Feeding the Soil My Way of Planting Making Soil Beds Wooden Boxes as Plant Containers Window Boxes Other Containers Herb Growing Project for Children Suitable Herbs for Your Garden Perennials for herb borders and for beds Culinary and Beauty Uses of Herbs Elderflower Water Conserves Herbal wines Herbal Force Meat Stuffing Apple and Mint Jam The Power of Herbs Which Herbs to Grow Where Do You Grow Herbs? Best Soil for Herbs. Planning Your Garden Chessboard Garden Propagation of Herbs Growing through Cuttings Test – Have Roots Been Formed? Herb Plant Division Plant maintenance Harvesting Your Plants Root Plants Whole Plant Harvesting Leaves Harvesting Herbal Harvesting Flowers Harvesting Seed Harvesting Drying Your Herbs Herb Storing Using Herbs Herbal tips Bouquet Garni Omelet aux herbes fines Making Herb Tea Growing herbs on your window sill Knowing More about Herbal Plant Culture Some Important Herbs and How to Grow Them Basil [Ocimum basilicum] Chives [Allium schoenoprasum] Horseradish [Armorecia rusticana] Horseradish and Applesauce Root Cuttings Sweet Marjoram [Origanum majorana] Parsley Petroselinum crispum Fish Parsley First Method Second Method Fennel [Foeniculum vulgare] Mint Mint Chutney Herb Harvesting Herbal Teas Basil Tea Mint Tea Lavender Chamomile Medicinal Chamomile Tea Sweet Woodruff [Gallium odoratum] Sweet Cicely [Myrrhis odorata] Beneficial Herbs Knowing More about John Innes Compost How to Make Leaf Compost A Little Rant about Outdated Agricultural Practices Growing Herbs in Pots Marjoram- Origamum omites- leaves Thyme – Thymus vulgaris-Leaves Thyme Vinegar Chives –Allium choenoprasum –leaves Tarragon - Artemisia dracunculus – leaves. Fennel -Foeniculum vulgare–F.officinale – Leaves, Stem and Seed Shrub Permanents for Your Garden Lavender – Lavandula angustifolia Rosemary – Rosmarinus officinalis Sage – Salvia officinalis Roses Rue –Ruta graveolens Artemisias –Artemisia pontica – the Roman wormwood Hair Growth Recipe Bay – The Roman Laurel –Laurus nobilis Winter Savory – Satureja Montana Medieval Sciatica Remedy Other Herb Garden Favorites Sorrel – Rumex acetosa Traditional Sorrel Sauce Tansy – Tanacetum vulgare Poppy – Papaver Orientale Clove Carnation – Dianthus caryophyllus Borage – Borago officinalis – leaves, flowers, and stems Conclusion Author Bio Publisher Introduction The moment you hear the word “Herb” you visualize a soft stemmed plant, which is normally used in cookery, as well as in alternative medicine. These herbs used for millenniums have been an important part of our social traditional and religious fabrics all over the world. No one, without an interest in nature is not going to know more about Rosemary, sage, lavender, thyme, hyssop, basil, and other herbs put into use down the centuries.

Table of Contents Introduction Which Fruit to Grow? Fruit Production Charts Cold Hardiness zones Buying the Right Trees and Bushes Soil Conditions Nitrogen Fixing Crops Planning your garden Natural Weedkillers General Planting Supporting Your Fruit Trees Bird Protection Frost Protection Planting Fruit Trees against Walls What Are Espaliers? Keeping Your Bushes and Trees Healthy Fertilizers and pesticides – Cow Manure – the Best Organic Fertilizer/Compost Base John Innes Compost Basic Healthy Compost Mixtures How to Make Leaf Compost Natural Pesticides Neem Pesticide Preparing Neem seeds Chilis Tobacco Bougainvillea Leaves Fungicides for Soil Onion – Garlic Antifungal Solution Papaya Cure – Using Cow Manure Ash as a Pesticide Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Plants Spraying Garden Pests Pollination Fruit Plant Propagation Harvesting your fruit APPLES Growing Apples Time to plant Choosing the Right Tree Planting Tips Feeding Your Trees Pruning an Apple Tree Root Pruning and Ringing Ringing Popular Varieties of Apples Preserving and Storing Apples Pests and Diseases Apples in Cuisine Traditional Applesauce Traditional Apple Cake Traditional Dutch Schnitz Un Knepp – Apples and Buttons These are made by sifting together the flour, baking powder, salt and pepper. Appendix How to Make Traditional Apple Butter Conclusion CHERRIES Growing Cherries Budding Choosing the Right Plants Best Varieties of Cherries Maintenance of Cherry Trees Pruning Your Cherry Tree Root pruning Sour Cherries Planting Sour Cherries Feeding Sour Cherries Pruning of Sour Cherries Mulch cultivation Rejuvenating Cherries Diseases and Pests Cherries in Cuisine Two-Step Cherry Pudding Conclusion CUCURBITAS (MELONS) Cucumbers Soil Requirements Planting Cucumbers Planting in “Hills” Harvesting Pumpkins Pumpkins Sowing Harvesting Pumpkin Curing and Storage Watermelons Soil Requirements and Climate Watermelon Planting Harvesting Muskmelons Paper Plant Protectors Planting Conclusion Strawberries Planting Your Strawberries Mulching Strawberries. Propagation Feeding Strawberries Protecting Your Strawberries. Growing Strawberries in Barrels Citrus fruits Sweet Oranges Blood oranges Growing Oranges Planting Oranges From Seeds Propagation of the Tree How Far Should You Plant Trees? Orange planting in a Nutshell. Pruning Pruning for Rejuvenation Flowers and Fruit Setting How to Get a Good Harvest Uses of the Rind Storing of Oranges Enemies of Oranges Conclusion Natural Remedies Cures by Oranges Pain in the chest – Constipation Nausea Swelling in Your Belly? Tomatoes Sowing of Seeds OLIVES Growing Olives Olive Propagation Popular Varieties Table and Mill Olives Soil Conditions Soil Moisture Pruning Harvesting of the Fruit Olives for Taste Extracting Olive Oil Conclusion STRAWBERRIES Planting Strawberries Straw and Sedge Peat Mulch Selecting the Right Plants Feeding Your Plants Protecting Your Strawberries Strawberry Pests and Diseases Aphids – Fungi and Viruses – Soil pests – Popular Strawberry Varieties Remontant Strawberries Climbing Strawberries – Innovative Ways of Growing Strawberries Polythene Covered Frames Traditional Gardening Soil Mix The Best Organic Fertilizer/Compost Base Conclusion Author Bio Publisher Introduction When Mother Nature blessed the new born earth with life forms milleniums ago, the diversity of one celled creatures took up different lines of evolution due to climatic changes and mutations. That is when plant life evolved along with animal life. And that is how the surface of the earth was covered with lush fruitful vegetation, which flourished and evolved in different climates.

Table of Contents Introduction Which Fruit to Grow? Fruit Production Charts Cold Hardiness zones Apples Citrus fruits Buying the Right Trees and Bushes Soil Conditions Nitrogen Fixing Crops Planning your garden Natural Weedkillers General Planting Supporting Your Fruit Trees Bird Protection Frost Protection Planting Fruit Trees Against Walls What Are Espaliers? Keeping Your Bushes and Trees Healthy Fertilizers and pesticides – Cow Manure – the Best Organic Fertilizer/Compost Base John Innes Compost Basic Healthy Compost Mixtures How to Make Leaf Compost Natural Pesticides Neem Pesticide Preparing Neem seeds Chilis Tobacco Bougainvillea Leaves Fungicides for Soil Onion – Garlic Antifungal Solution Papaya Cure – Using Cow Manure Ash as a Pesticide Nutrient Deficiency Symptoms in Plants Spraying Garden Pests Pollination Fruit Plant Propagation Harvesting your fruit EVERGREENS AND SHRUBS Planning Your Garden – Evergreens for Screens Evergreens – Planting Tips Recognizing the “Right” Evergreen Why Would Not I Choose a Conifer Tips for Planting Evergreens Choice of Evergreens Arbutus – The Strawberry Tree –Arbutus menziesii Camellia Heath Plants – Erica Gorse– Ulex Bottlebrush – Callistemon Magnolias Daphne – the Spurge Laurel Family Box [Buxus] Mimosa Lavender – Lavandula Holly – [Ilex] “Gold” and “Silver” Hollies – Rhododendrons CONIFERS Growing Conifers Tips before Choosing Your Conifers The Scots Pine [Pinus species] Growing a Scots Pine Successfully Silver [white] Firs The Douglas Fir Spruce [Picea] Cypress – Cupressus Junipers Cedars Planting Your Conifers Conclusion Author Bio Publisher Introduction When Mother Nature blessed the new born earth with life forms milleniums ago, the diversity of one celled creatures took up different lines of evolution due to climatic changes and mutations. That is when plant life evolved along with animal life. And that is how the surface of the earth was covered with lush fruitful vegetation, which flourished and evolved in different climates. As time went by, climatic changes also changed the nature and the appearance of these plants. From multicelled algae and fungi, they became huge multicelled giant trees, like the Sequoia, which are remnants of those glorious days of giant Green trees gone by. And soon man found out that trees were very useful to give him shelter, to give him food, and to provide him with essential fruit, leaves, and seeds to supplement his diet. That was because he was imitating the animals around him. They nibbled at leaves, he did the same thing. Sometimes he ended up with a tummy ache. Sometimes the animals ended up sick while he was left hale and hearty. But down the ages, and through lots of trial and error, he found out that every single plant out there could be put into use, even those plants we consider weeds today. The mythological and historical hanging Gardens of Babylon, which were supposed to have been built by Nebuchadnezzar, but in actuality were built by Sennacherib in Nineveh, Assyria, about 300 km away from Babylon. These were lush with green trees from all over the world. And historians who are not really bothered about historic authenticity and the names of kings, did not bother much about the locality or the creator of one of the seven wonders of the ancient world. First-hand accounts of that time were not available, and when Babylon conquered Assyria, they called it the new Babylon. And so centuries later historians wrote about the wonders of marvelous trees and green vegetation, growing in Babylon. So that is the reason why since ancient times, trees, especially fruit trees have been an important part of cultured and civilized landscaping. They were and are planted in gardens for the pleasure of the general public or for your own private enjoyment.

Table of Contents Introduction Time of Planting Vegetable Crops and Cold Resistance Planting Seeds Depth Why Are Rows Necessary? Planting Methods Planting Rate of Seeds Thinning of Your Plants Transplanting Setting Plants by Hand And Machines Watering Your Plants Puddling Using Plant Protectors Conclusion BEANS Cultivating Beans Using Poles Lima Beans Climatic requirements Planting Harvesting Broad Beans Planting and Cultivation Harvesting Soybeans French Beans String Beans and String Less Beans Planting Mung Beans Mung Beans Sprouts – How to Make Sprouts Peas Drilling Tips for a Good Pea Harvest Dwarf Beans Hardening Off Tips for Good Dwarf Beans Harvest Runner Beans Runner Beans Supports Getting a Good Runner Bean Harvest Bean Harvesting Tips Root Vegetables Celery Seed sowing Trench Growing Knowing More about Earthing up Onions Spinach Summer Spinach Winter Spinach Leeks Asparagus Preparing Your Asparagus Bed Conclusion Cabbages and Savoys Spring cabbages Tips for Growing Cabbages Harvesting the Crop Summer and Autumn Cabbages Winter Cabbages Red cabbages Savoys Carrots Tips for Carrot Care Harvesting Your Carrots Clamping Lettuce, Mustard, and Cress Cos Lettuces Mustard and Cress American Cress Onions Garlic Harvesting Health Benefits of Garlic Weight Loss through Garlic Antiviral and Antibacterial Skin Protector Garlic for Your Liver Blood Sugar Reduction Cholesterol Reduction Onions Soil Preparation for Onions Seed Propagation Planting Thinning Proper cultivation of Onions Harvesting To Top or Not to Top Storage Shallots Growing Shallots Harvest Growing shallots for Bulbs Leeks Leek Propagation Conclusion Author Bio Publisher Introduction It does not matter whether you are an experienced gardener or are just a newbie, beginning to learn a brand-new field of growing your own fruit and vegetables – growing vegetables in your own garden, especially in the open depends on a number of factors. This book is going to tell you all about how you can plant vegetable crops, in the open, and especially give you a number of tips about the other necessary factors which are going to help you get a plentiful harvest at the end of the growing season. The time and the method of planting seeds and plants of a particular species, especially in the open, is going to determine – up to a certain extent – of the success or the failure of your particular crop. This is also going to rest on a number of factors, which may be influencing the rate of growth, and other factors which monitor your plant growth from germination to harvest. Even with a good seed or a good plant, satisfactory and prolific crops are not going to be produced unless the planting is done at the right time and in a proper manner.

Help students in grades PK–K make connections and reinforce learning while keeping the classroom manageable using Giant Book of Preschool Activities. This 304-page book provides practice for the skills and functions needed for early childhood development. With more than 26 themes and 500 activities, this book makes it practically impossible to run out of ideas for teaching social, motor, memory, and auditory skills. The book includes ideas for movement, rhyming, circles, counting, games, and centers and comes with reproducibles, literature selections, Web site suggestions, and an index of activities by skill. This book supports NAEYC standards and aligns with state, national, and Canadian provincial standards.

Growing flowers from seed is one of the easiest and cheapest ways to supplement your borders, bringing instant color to tired gardens. Many of these flowers are also ideal for cutting, so within a single growing season you can produce armfuls of beautiful blooms to cut and bring inside the house. Author Clare Foster and photographer Sabina Rüber have been experimenting with growing flowers from seed for several years. In this book they pass on that invaluable experience, explaining how and when to sow and grow a huge range of flowers from Aquilegia to Zinnia.