I am ready for flowers!!

When your garden is prepared for flowers it may not truly be ready for flowers! Make sure before running to the nursery to buy some flowers you do a little homework. Here are the 11 questions you need to answer for your homework:

1. When is the last and first hard freeze this year?

2. What zone am I in?

3. Do I live in a micro climate area or does my garden have micro climates?

4. Do I have a watering system set up?

5. What colors do I love?

6. What flowers to I love?

6. What is my anchor plant going to be?

7. I need filler for floral arrangements, what other plants do I need?

8. Do I know how to read a plant tag?

9. What percentage of Perennials or Annuals?

10. Do I need to worry about poisonous plants?

11. Am I ready to plant? Do I have the time and tools needed?

Why do you need to know your last and first hard freeze dates. Nothing is more heartbreaking than spending money at the nursery, planting, and dreaming of the beautiful flowers you will have to have Jack Frost visit you garden. If you are planting in the Spring make sure you look at the last hard freeze or that the are prepared to watch the new to cover your tender plants. Now most everyone is wondering why on earth you need to know the first freeze date. Yes, I know this happening in the fall when plants are dying back for winter. Most people do not plant at this time of year. Why not? If you go to your local nursery this is a time to save yourself a lot of money. Perennials and bushes go on deep discounts. You can get a lot of plants for a little money. I like to have the plants in the ground at least 2 to 4 weeks prior to the first hard freeze. This gives me a better survival rate.

Why do I need to know and understand my Plant Hardiness Zone? The hardiness zone map is a guideline to help people understand what plants will survive in the geographical area in which they live. The climate can either help plants thrive, stunt there growth, or can kill plants. Many big box stores will bring in plants which are not suited for the climate of your area. They bring them expecting that customers will pot them and take them into the house during winter. Two examples are Blueberries and Jasmine. To find your Plant Hardiness Zone in the United States go to https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov . Canada http://sis.agr.gc.ca/cansis/nsdb/climate/hardiness/index.html England https://www.plantmaps.com/interactive-united-kingdom-plant-hardiness-zone-map-celsius.php Australia https://www.anbg.gov.au/gardens/research/hort.research/zones.html

What is a microclimate? A microclimate is a change in the climate which can occur in a zone and does not fit the area as a whole. I live in a microclimate area. The only way to know this is either by speaking with neighbors who have lived in your area for years or by observing the pattern. How do I know I live in a microclimate? When it snows I often get less or no snow, possibly rain, but as I drive up the bluff just above our neighborhood snow will be thick. The area I am in is closer to the Great Salt Lake and it seems to have a temperature buffer. The temperature is slower to cool down and heat up. The lake creates the microclimate. It will also bring snow or rain to our area when other areas do not get the same weather. I also have microclimates which exist within my yard. The northwest corner is hot and extremely sunny. It has a hard time keeping plants unless they love sunny and heat. The best plant for this area we have found is melons or squash as long as they are well watered they grow like crazy. The north side of the house is shaded and moist. Raspberries grow the best in this area. They love shade and moist areas. Review you yard for microclimates and take advantage. Sometimes it takes some experimentation to find the right plants.

Plants need the right amount of water to survive. Do you have a watering system set up? Can you use the lawn sprinklers? This has been my choice and plan. It works well for me. Other watering systems are drip hoses, automatic timers on hoses, PVC pipe sprinkler systems, or hand watering. I have found there is a direct correlation between the more simple I make watering and the survival/growth of my plants. This is the most important item for me.

Picking flowers and plants for your garden is a personal decision. Decide what colors you prefer, but do not limit your choices only to one color or color family. This is a good start to find some of the flowers you want to put into your garden.

What flowers do you love? If you live in certain zones the flower you love may not grow well, however there are some flowers which will mimic or are similar. An example is Orange Tree flowers there is a bush called Mock Orange. There are often many varieties of the same flower, do your research and see which one is the right variety for you. Some varieties of flowers look drastically different. If I want to grow a magnolia in Utah it is recommended I grow a Star Magnolia. A Star Magnolia looks drastically different from a Southern Magnolia. Remember you could also plant your favorite in a pot and bring inside during winter.

In any garden, you want an anchor or multiple anchor plants. A plant or set of plants in the middle which will focus the attention to areas in you bed. In a garden box you want one large woody plant in the middle. While looking through the nursery focus on finding the anchor plant first. By focusing on the anchor plant it will help you start to structure you garden. The anchor plant can have large flowers or small flowers. It is really a matter of choice. I chose a flowering bush which has small, fragrant flowers. Fragrance is important to me. I want to use all my senses not just my sight.

When thinking or shopping for plants look for plants that will give you filler materials in floral arrangements. Fillers are normally babies breath, ferns, palm leaves, etc.. These plant materials fill in the floral arrangement between flowers to accentuate the flowers. Look for flowers which not only have beautiful flowers, but have beautiful or unique leaves. I always try to get plants that are not only green, but purple or gray leaves.

Reading a plant tag is an important skill. Don't be intimidated by plant tags. They are there to help you make good decisions. The front of the tag should have 4 items. The name of the plant, a picture of the mature plant, the mature size of the plant, and the sunlight exposure recommendation. Full sun means that the plant needs at least 6 hours of sun per day. Full shade means the plant can't tolerate direct sun light for more than a couple of hours a day. On the back of the tag it will give you further information such as watering directions, shape of the plant upon maturity, hardiness zone, blooming timing, and special features. Special feature are resistance to animals or toxicity. If you need further information on reading tag go to the following links: https://www.bhg.com/gardening/how-to-garden/understanding-information-on-plant-tags/ or https://www.hgtv.com/design/outdoor-design/landscaping-and-hardscaping/how-to-read-a-plant-tag .

What percentage or perennials and annuals do I want in my garden? I am lazy when it comes to gardening. I prefer perennials, but at 15% of my plants are always annuals. Annuals such as pansies , petunias, marigold, ornamental grass or palm plant give continuous color and structure to the garden. Annuals are cheaper, but generally will only survive one growing year. Some annuals may reseed themselves, but do not count on them re-growing very year.

Do I need to worry about poisonous plants? If you have pets or children please be careful plants like Hollyhocks and Foxglove are poisonous to plants and humans. They are very beautiful, but can be dangerous. I love them, but have chosen not to add them to my garden because of safety concerns. Please also be careful not to purchase plants like the Japanese Yew which are poisonous to wildlife. Hundreds of elk and deer die every year while eating these plants during the winter.

Am I ready to plant? If the answer is yes then go shopping.

By the way if you chose to skip the homework, like any other homework if you skip it you can pass.