Amaryllis belladonna

August 30th, 2009

100_1818

An interesting late summer flowering bulb that is not a common sight is Amaryllis belladonna a.k.a. Naked Lady.

Its tall stem is crowned with a ring of pale pink trumpet shaped blooms similar in to the indoor Amaryllis, but the flowers are smaller and finer looking.

An oddity of Amaryllis belladonna is its habit of producing leaves in the spring which then die off before the flower stems form.

If you are looking for height, late summer flowers and something out of the ordinary, consider putting a Naked Lady in your garden!

Bulb

Hardy in zones 5 – 9

Height 24” – 30”

Flowers – 6 – 10 pale pink cluster of 3” wide trumpets in mid to late summer

Leaves – lance shaped medium green

Light – full sun to part sun

Planting Season – late summer or early fall

Soil – well drained soiled amended with compost or manure

Depth – plant at least 9” deep in northern areas

Fertilizer – use a water soluble 15-30-15 when the leaves appear or top dress the bed with compost or manure

Propagation – remove bulblets from larger bulbs

Other – do not disturb the bulbs unless you intend to propagate them. Amaryllis belladonna resents being disturbed
May also be grown in containers

Tags:
Posted in Bulbs | Comments (0)

Curb Appeal

August 16th, 2009

Recent studies indicate that a homeowner who has a nicely landscaped property can expect to sell their homes for 12% – 15% more than a similar property that is not landscaped well. That means even a modest home valued at $100,000 could possibly see a sale price $12,000—$15,000 higher than their neighbour’s!

The news gets even better. It doesn’t have to cost anywhere near that to landscape your property! The catch, if you can call it that, is to do the work yourself and, keep your landscaping well maintained, yourself.

Many people think landscaping is beyond their capabilities, but they would be surprised how much they can accomplish with a small budget and the willingness to get their hands dirty. If you are already groaning at the mere thought of landscaping, let the increased sales value of your home be your inspiration.

The key is, keep it simple! Do a bit of research at your local garden centre so you invest in the right plants – ones that grow well in the type of soil type (clay, loam, sandy etc.) on your property and, ones that are appropriate for the amount of sunlight available.  Purchase the largest plants your budget will allow. Nothing looks odder, or says “quick fix” more than tiny shrubs planted around a large house.

Start at the front of your home and think curb appeal.  Add simple entrance gardens or foundation plantings. A few containers placed on the porch or at the end of the walkways give a welcoming feel.

Remove dead, dying or overgrown shrubs, trees and plants.

Trim the shrubs and trees to give them shape and remove dead branches and stems. 

 Keep the plants watered and the beds weeded.

 

Sweep the sidewalks and porch daily. You never know when someone will drive by just to take a look, so you need to grab their attention by presenting a well maintained property.

 

One of the most important things you can do to keep your property looking its best, is mow the lawn regularly and at the right height – two and a half to three inches will make your lawn look lush.

Once the front of the house is landscaped, move around to the back. Tidy up the backyard. Remove any materials you’ve been “storing” for a while. Pick up the kids toys and clean up after your pets. Repair pet damage in the lawn by covering the area with topsoil and planting grass seed. If the deck or patio needs cleaning a pressure washer and plain water does wonders.

Place more container gardens on the patio or deck or add a border of annuals around the deck or patio. Keep the gardens in the back yard weeded. Edging the beds will give them a polished look.

Curb appeal is what grabs buyers attention first and gets them to come through the door. By sprucing up your landscape and keeping it maintained, you’ll have a solid edge over other sellers.

Tags: ,
Posted in Garden Trends, HOW TO GARDEN, Landscaping | Comments (0)

A Gardener’s Best Friends

August 3rd, 2009

What should every gardener have? Some best friends! Here are my top five:

 

1). Gardening friends that you can share plants, experiences and knowledge with. You can learn so much from speaking with other gardeners. And, you can change up your gardens by giving and receiving plant divisions, cuttings and seeds.

 

2). Three good gardening books:

  • One should be an encyclopaedia of plants (Reader’s Digest A – Z Encyclopedia.of Garden Plants
  • One should be a reference book on landscape design (Taylor’s Master Guide to Landscaping).
  • One should be a really good “how-to” book that covers planting, pruning, deadheading fertilizing, watering, insects and diseases etc. (Rodale’s Encyclopedia of Gardening and Landscaping Techniques)

 

3). Good tools: Purchase the best tools you can afford and keep them maintained. Sharp hand pruners, sharp shovel and spade, sharp loppers, sharp hoe and, files (rasps) to sharpen them with make gardening so much easier.

 

4). Compost Pile: Why purchase soil amendments when you can make your own? Composting is a must for every serious gardener whether you purchase a small bin, build your own or do it the real old fashioned way and simply make a pile somewhere in the back yard. There is no better way to dispose of garden clippings and kitchen waste than composting them. Once the compost is ready you can use it to top dress your gardens, or add it to planting holes. You will be adding slow release nutrients to the soil and improving your garden soil at the same time.

 

5). Patience: Gardening is not a hobby for those who seek instant gratification. Plants take time to develop and mature just like the gardeners who tend them. Every year your garden changes, providing new surprises and new challenges. As your garden grows, so will your knowledge and enjoyment of this most wonderful hobby.

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

« Older Entries
Newer Entries »