Posted on Feb 27, 2010 under dried flowers | Comments are off
There’s a certain romanticism about flowers that one can’t do without in any wedding celebration. Maybe on a grand scheme of things they provide the aura of love in the air. What better way to say I love you on Valentine’s Day than a bouquet of flowers to send out the message loud and clear. Or even in ordinary days, they symbolize a concrete offering of intentions.
This is why there must be flowers in all bridal accessories, unless it is planned by the bride and groom not to have them at all. From the interiors of the church, tables of the reception to the bridal entourage, flowers are the most effect on the celebration in terms of aesthetics. Arrangements are mostly done by professional florists. They have a keen understanding of the different ways to utilize them. The motif of the wedding should work hand in hand with the selection of flowers to create a desired feel of the celebration. Having a professional, however, can really place a hole in the budget. Making sure how extensive this bridal accessory will be at the wedding will give the idea if a professional florist is needed of not.
All couples who are planning a wedding have an amount allotted for each aspect of their nuptials. That is why if on a steep budget, it is highly recommended to look for alternative ways to work around it. A very good suggestion is to surf the Internet for ways to create your own flowers. Lots of site offers do-it-yourself techniques to achieve this less expensive wedding accessory. They sell online books or downloadable instructional materials that prove to be effective on your saving. This can be fun work for the other members of the entourage. They can read and follow basic and comprehensive steps on which flowers to use and how to create them. This will do away with paying a professional fee for the florist.
There are downsides to this project. Lack of time, the schedule of the wedding can’t wait for these flowers to be finished. There are projects that are harder to make then others.
They might look easy but when it comes to doing them they are a handful. Precise estimation of how things will turn out can be very good for the whole planning. The other thing will be the quality of craftsmanship. The reason behind expensive florists is the magic touch they bring to the arrangement of bridal bouquets. They make them look divine and glamorous. At the end of it all, sometimes it is better to save on other things than risk the beauty of the whole setting, especially the bridal’s bouquet. Cuts on invitations, music, or rent can be done in its place to save money.
For the entourage, flowers are used in various ways. For men a simple flower corsage or boutonnière makes a perfect accent to the tuxedo. Maid of honor usually has a smaller version of the bride’s bouquet. They can be arranged in differently but the flowers used are the same, or vise versa. It can also be that they are the exact replica of the bride’s only differ in size. Bride’s maids are made totally distinct from the maid of honor. They are much simpler. Some even carry on long stem roses as a bridal accessory. Flower girls have the most put on flowers of the members. They have headpieces, arm band flowers with ribbons, and basket of confetti, also petals. Their gowns have flowers incorporated in them, no wonder they are called flower girls.
There are lots of flowers to choose from to use as bridal accessory. Bridal bouquets are usually while, calla lilies and white roses are best. For the more colorful personality, there are mumps, carnations, coral colored roses and the family of daisies. Decorations form the isle where the bride will walk on, to the reception area, including the table center pieces, contain flowers abundantly.
After the celebrations are over, these flowers are taken home by guests. The young ladies of the entourage keep them as souvenirs by drying them. Even the bride picks a flower from her bouquet to keep forever, or she keeps the whole bouquet.
So, depending on the décor and the theme of the wedding floral bridal accessories are much celebrated in many ways for years. Their participation has lead to many beautiful weddings across time in memorial. Indeed, they do bare witness to love’s highest form of affirmation.
There are lots of flowers to choose from to use as bridal accessory. Bridal bouquets are usually while, calla lilies and white roses are best. For the more colorful personality, there are mumps, carnations, coral colored roses and the family of daisies. Decorations form the isle where the bride will walk on, to the reception area, including the table center pieces, contain flowers abundantly.
After the celebrations are over, these flowers are taken home by guests. The young ladies of the entourage keep them as souvenirs by drying them. Even the bride picks a flower from her bouquet to keep forever, or she keeps the whole bouquet.
So, depending on the décor and the theme of the wedding floral bridal accessories are much celebrated in many ways for years. Their participation has lead to many beautiful weddings across time in memorial. Indeed, they do bare witness to love’s highest form of affirmation.
Posted on Feb 27, 2010 under dried pods | Comments are off
There are millions of people who love to start their day with a fresh cup of roasted ground coffee. A strong cup of coffee is the best way to liven up the senses and it can also give you adequate adrenaline to kick start your day. In fact, the mere aroma of roasted ground coffee beans brewing in the percolator can calm your senses. But getting the perfect cup of coffee is not all that easy. It takes a lot of expertise to make a delightful cup of this refreshing drink, especially if you have just ordinary coffee beans.
Brew a perfect cup with freshly roasted coffee
Fortunately, you no longer have to rely on ordinary coffee beans to make the perfect cup of coffee. You can now make home made coffee taste exactly like the ones you get at your favourite coffee store thanks to the introduction of freshly roasted coffee. But the selection of freshly roasted coffee beans is very wide as it includes numerous choices and flavours. Due to this, you can be sure that you will never get bored of drinking coffee.
The most popular type of coffee
Gourmet roasted coffee is definitely the most popular type of coffee found all over the world. This type of coffee is a wonderful treat to the taste buds. But what is it about gourmet roasted coffee that sets it apart from regular coffee? Gourmet roasted coffee includes careful selection, drying, sorting of the coffee beans. But more importantly, it is the roasting of this coffee that makes it special. It is important that the beans are roasted to perfection as over roasting would make it taste burnt and under roasting would make it weak. There are different types of gourmet roasted coffee available to suit every taste.
Of the different types of gourmet coffees, Arabica coffee beans are very popular in a number of places. This is because they are one of the most aromatic and flavourful coffees in the world. Many may not know this, but at least 70% of the coffee in the world is Arabica. There are 25 different types of Arabica coffee beans and more than 6,000 varieties of this coffee. This type of coffee is also known as mountain coffee as it is planted at higher and cooler elevations. This makes the beans grow more slowly and as a result the beans get a deep aroma and flavour.
The best thing about all kinds of gourmet roasted coffee is that they do not really need special preparation to taste great. Simply brewing them in coffee maker machines is enough to make your coffee a great way to start everyday.
Posted on Feb 26, 2010 under wreaths | Comments are off
24-Inch Weatherproof Lighted Real Touch Cedar Cone Berry Wreath
This outdoor wreath looks so realistic you will want one on every door–including the garage door!
35 mini lights makes this a bright addition to your holiday decor.
Product Description The Real Touch Cedar Cone Berry Wreath and Garland Collection are amazingly realistic–and weather proof. Decorated with pine cones, seasonal berries and cedar branches this collection is perfect for your home decor–inside and out!… More >>
Posted on Feb 26, 2010 under silk flowers | Comments are off
Flowers and plants are wonderful behavior to add ambience throughout your home or company. Live flora and plants can be a burden for a demanding homeowner or function executive however, as they must sense the good treatment to make the surroundings scenic. A stand could die for any number of reasons, and a sagging lodge or set of plants will look cheap to visitors. Additionally, plants that are cared for will grow, and you will find manually pruning and repotting your decorations a connect of period a year. Add to that the potential disaster of fallen grass and scattered dirt, and you will see why houseplants can be fully a duty even if you are able with a green thumb. Fortunately, there are alternatives to factual plants if you want to add that specially splatter of redden to your home. Artificial plants and silk plant are a seamless low maintenance addition to the home or personnel in provisos of decor. Artificial plants can be purchased almost where, as they do not indigence unique nurture or storeroom from the vendor. Artificial plants can sit on shelves for long periods of time in stores, just as they can in your home. Artificial plants and artificial grass are manufactured in all the varieties found in actual plants, and can be tailored to fit your place desires. You elect the artificial works mixture, the pot, and then pace your new décor entry out the door. The only maintenance you will necessity to do is dusting! Silk plants are an even more abundant option than artificial plants. Silk flowers can be bought in arrangements or separately, in a diversity of species replicas and sizes. There is no need to keep silk flowers in a vase- if you want to have tiny individual daisies along the edges of your bathroom, you can accomplish the charge with silk flowers! Besides their low maintenance interest, artificial plants and silk flowers do not construct any pollen or sap, so they are not a dangers for any part who might be afflicted with allergies. Artificial plants and silk flower are an exact housewarming or office decoration.
Here’s the last part of the original Electric Food Dehydrator infomercial with inventor, Ron Popeil, who says his marvelous machine “truly is the gift of health.” Bernice from New York couldn’t agree more, in fact, she thinks Ron’s dehydrator is the answer to her prayers!
Posted on Feb 26, 2010 under dried foliage | Comments are off
Birds, ladybugs and praying mantises are the gardener’s best friends when it comes to insect control. Birds can be encouraged into the garden by feeding, hanging a birdhouse providing a bird bath or by planting plants that provide berries for them to eat. Ladybugs are now for sale by the pint, quart or gallon. The average-sized garden can get by on a quart or less, as there will be about 25 to 30 thousand bugs per quart. The cost is generally less than five dollars a quart. The average adult ladybug consumes between 40 and 50 aphids a day. Praying mantis cases are also available and each one hatches up to 400 young. The cost is rather nominal for a case. A few gardeners have reported that this insect disappears rather rapidly from the garden, so you might want to experiment with just a few to begin with. They will eat any insect they can catch. Frogs and lizards can also control pests by eating them. You can make your garden hospitable for your natural allies by keeping a water source – just a dish full – nearby for them and by not wiping out the entire pest population with a pesticide, sending the beneficial elsewhere in search of food. Also, grow plants with small blossoms like sweet alyssum and dill, which attract predatory insects who feed on flowers’ nectar between attacks on pests. Organic pest control is a comprehensive approach instead of a chemical approach. Create a healthy biodiversity so that the insects and microbes will control themselves. Using natural products and building healthy soil is the best long-term treatment for pests. What are the pests you should be looking for? There are literally hundreds of common garden pests that can attack your plants and threaten the viability of your gardening efforts. We couldn’t possibly address all of them. There are, however, some that occur in more frequency than others. Aphids are probably the most common problem in gardens. Aphids are soft, pear-shaped, and very tiny (1/16 to 3/8 inch long). Two short tubes project backward from the tip of their abdomen. Aphids have long antennae. Some types of aphids have wings, which are transparent, longer than their body, and held like a roof over their back. Aphids may be green, pink, yellowish, black, or powdery gray. Nymphs resemble adults but are smaller and wingless. They feed in colonies, so where there’s one, there’s definitely more. Aphid feeding can cause leaves to curl and become deformed. Once this has happened, the aphids are protected from any treatment you give to the plant, so it’s important to attack the problem as soon as possible. Many species prefer the underside of leaves, so look there first. Ants are usually present where aphids are, so if there are ants in the garden, there are probably aphids as well. Aphids are the ant’s food source, so they will protect that food warding off predators that might threaten them. To naturally control aphids, first be sure to drench plants with strong sprays of water from a garden hose. Keep your plants as healthy as possible, and spray dormant oil to control over wintering eggs. You can also spray plants with insecticidal soap, summer oil, and homemade garlic sprays. At the end of the book, we’ll have some recipes like this for you to make yourself. If you will be growing cabbage, broccoli, or cauliflower, you could have cabbage loopers. These pests are light green in color with white stripes running down their back. The larvae can reach approximately 11/2 inches long and have three pairs of slender legs near the head and three pairs of larger legs at the rear end. The middle section is legless and is looped when the insect is moving. The larva is the damaging stage of the cabbage looper. The young larvae feed between the veins on the undersides of leaves. Large larvae make ragged holes in the foliage and move to the center of the plant where feeding generally occurs at the base of the cabbage head. Large loopers can also burrow through three to six layers of tightly wrapped head leaves. The best way to control cabbage loopers is to handpick the larvae a few times a week. Attract predatory and parasitic insects to the garden with pollen and nectar plants. If you find small holes in the leaves of your plants, you may have earwigs. Earwigs are generally dark brown, slender and elongated. They have a pair of “pincers” at the rear of their body and they run more than fly. They have a curved up abdomen and release foul odor when disturbed. In general, earwigs can be beneficial to your garden, but they can get out of control, so you should use the general spray we’ll give you later in the book. There are a number of ways to control earwigs, but trapping them is probably the best way to eliminate them from your garden. One way we like is to take a shallow dish and place beer in it. Any beer will do. The earwigs will be attracted to the beer, climb in, drink, and die. You can sift out the dead ones and reuse the beer for trapping again. They are also attracted to corn oil, fish oil, or water and vinegar. You can place these in dishes just like the beer. If the leaves of your plants are finely speckled with yellow spots or a silvery, metallic sheen, you could have thrips. Thrips are very small – about 1/16″ – and difficult to see. There are many varieties of thrips and they are of all different colors. Thrips are best controlled with sprays as we’ve described. You can also spray the plants with soapy water. Lady bugs will eat thrips as well, so attract those lady bugs to your garden! Tomato hornworms are the largest caterpillars found in this area and can measure up to 4 inches in length. The prominent “horn” on the rear of both gives them their name. Hornworms are often difficult to see because of their protective coloring which is green. Not much for the heat of direct sunlight, they tend to feed on the interior of the plant during the day and are more easily spotted when they move to the outside of the plant at dawn and dusk Hornworm damage usually begins to occur in midsummer and continues throughout the remainder of the growing season. The size of these garden pests allows them to quickly defoliate tomatoes, potatoes, eggplants, and peppers. Occasionally, they may also feed on green fruit. Gardeners are likely to spot the large areas of damage at the top of a plant before they see the culprit. The best way to control hornworms is to handpick them off your plants. They are especially susceptible to the Bt bacterial spray we described above, so we strongly suggest using this to control your hornworms. Slugs are among the most troublesome pests in the garden. They feed on a variety of living plants and decaying plant matter. On plants they chew irregular holes with smooth edges in leaves and can clip succulent plant parts. They can also chew fruit and young plant bark. Because they prefer succulent foliage, they are primarily pests of seedlings, herbaceous plants, and ripening fruit such as strawberries, artichokes, and tomatoes that are close to the ground. However, they will also feed on fruit of some trees, citrus is especially susceptible to damage. Slugs are nocturnal and come out at night. They slither under rocks and leaves in the day. Holes chomped into leaves and fruits are telltale signs of slug feeding. A more certain sign of slug activity is the silvery trail of dried mucous that these pests leave in their wake. If that’s not sufficiently convincing, go out into the garden at night with a flashlight and surprise them. Slug control is actually quite easy. They are rather large, so they can be caught by hand and disposed of. This is another garden pest that be caught by setting out a dish of beer. While possibly cruel, the most effective way to kill a slug is to sprinkle it with salt. You can trap the slugs by placing a plastic bag in the garden containing two decaying lettuce leaves, 2 cups of bran cereal, and pouring beer over the whole mess. Put the bag out before sundown. In the morning, check to see if the slugs are in there and dispose of them. Prevent slug infestation by removing dead and decaying leaves. This will remove their primary food source. Coffee grounds and egg shells will also keep slugs away. Just place them around the plants you want to protect at ground level.
Posted on Feb 26, 2010 under wreaths | Comments are off
Christmas wreath traditions date back to at least the 17th century. Displaying a wreath on the outside of your door symbolized that your home was one that was celebrating the birth of Christ. Wreaths were originally made of holly, which has several religious meanings. The sharp leaves symbolize the crown of thorns worn by Jesus during the Crucifixion. The red berries symbolize the blood of Christ. Another story tells how the berries were thought to have been originally white. They were offered to the newborn Jesus by a child. The holly pricked the finger of Christ and then the berries blushed red in shame. Wreaths decorated with red and white berries are popular for this reason. Today, Christmas wreaths are used to decorate and celebrate the holiday season in a lot of ways. They are made of all kinds of things from fresh balsam fir to teddy bears and are used as corporate Christmas gifts, retail holiday decorations, home door decorations, and more. Wreaths can be seen all over the world during the holidays and to most people symbolize peace and giving during the season. Many people are concerned with the commercialization of Christmas, but still wish to give meaningful gifts to friends and family. Fresh wreaths and table decorations make wonderful gifts for the holidays. They can be given as thank you gifts, hostess gifts, corporate gifts, and more. They can be decorated with pine cones and berries to maintain the natural look and aroma that makes a real Christmas wreath so desirable. Fresh centerpieces for the table are also very popular. Unlike flowers, an evergreen centerpiece can last for months if properly cared for. Fresh Christmas table runners and wreaths can be enjoyed all through the holiday season. Customers, visitors and passer bys will all be asking where the beautiful wreath or table accent came from. You can be proud to give a real wreath knowing that it will help get people in the holiday spirit. Living gifts are a unique and beautiful way to show your appreciation, love or gratitude for someone. Another holiday tradition related to the Christmas wreath is kissing underneath the mistletoe. One story says that mistletoe was considered sacred by the Druids and was not allowed to touch the ground. Therefore, the mistletoe was hung, and in recognition of its sacred status, people meeting underneath it must kiss. Others think that the tradition was started by the Scandinavians, who believed that mistletoe was a symbol of peace. Enemies meeting under the mistletoe had to declare a truce and seal it with a kiss. This is a fun tradition to follow and many people do. Mistletoe is pretty small and sometimes unnoticeable. Another option is to hang a kissing ball. A kissing ball is bigger and is decorated with bows, berries and pinecones, like the wreath. It is made from fragrant evergreen foliage. Kissing balls go great with matching wreaths and make an excellent gift choice for the holidays. Traditions can be spread through cultures, religions, regions or families. Traditions help us to remember the past and honor the ones who came before us. They are most often passed down from parents to children. The great thing about a tradition is that you can start one on your own. Pass down your beliefs, customs and practices to your children. Feel free to start your own traditions together. Whether it involves kissing underneath the kissing ball or giving a fresh Christmas wreath to the host of Thanksgiving dinner, your family will feel closer when practicing it.
Two little old ladies were sitting on a park bench outside the local town hall where a flower show was in progress. One leaned over and said, “Life is so dang boring. We never have any fun anymore! For five dollars I would take my clothes off and streak through that stupid flower show.”
“You are on!” said the other old lady, holding up a $5.00 bill.
The first little old lady slowly fumbled her way out of her clothes and, completely naked, streaked (as fast as an old lady can) through the front door of the flower show.
Waiting outside, her friend soon heard a huge commotion inside the hall, followed by loud applause and shrill whistling. The smiling old lady came through the exit door surrounded by a cheering crowd.
“What happened?” asked her waiting friend.
“I won 1st prize as Best Dried Arrangement!”
Many of us know that we do not have to be pushing eighty years old to suffer from dry skin, especially in the cold, winter months. When furnaces are blasting, woodstoves are roaring and fireplaces are crackling, our skin can pay the price. Space heaters and electric blankets can also dry out the skin, and so can the excessive use of tanning beds and saunas.
Dry, flaky skin is not a disease. It is a condition – brought on by a lack of moisture or water in the epidermis (the outermost layer of skin.) The epidermis is composed of tissue primarily made up of sulfur-containing fibrous proteins called keratin, the same chemical basis as hair and nails. Keratin needs water to keep it supple and pliant. When moisture evaporates more quickly, the result is dry, itchy skin.
Think of what happens when you take a fresh, soft slice of bread and put it in the toaster for two minutes. The heat removes the moisture and the bread becomes hard, dry and crumbly.
A common misconception is that the dryness is a result of a lack of oil in the skin. This is not true. It is water that the skin thirsts for and the answer is to keep that water in.
Here are eight easy home remedies for dry skin:
1. Turn down the thermostat. Try keeping the air somewhat cooler by turning the thermostat down a notch or two. Think of the dry, parched heat-baked desert floor as opposed to the smooth, malleable soil of the forest. Just like the ground we walk on, skin will react better to cooler conditions.
2. Use a humidifier. Place humidifiers throughout the house, especially in bedrooms. If you do not have a humidifier, keep a kettle of water on the woodstove.
3. Get more plants. A healthy dose of plants in each room will help to keep moisture in the air, but be sure to water them frequently.
4. Take a bath. Instead of showering every day, revitalize your skin by spending a few minutes soaking in lukewarm water every other day or at least two times a week. Do not use hot water and do not oversoak. A simple fifteen minute bath will do the trick.
5. Use the right soap. Not all soaps have the same ingredients and some are much harsher than others. Some of them contain lye, which can wreak havoc on dry or sensitive skin. Using a brand that contains lanolin, cocoa butter or cold cream will help reduce dryness.
6. Lubricate your skin. Use a moisturizing lotion to trap the water in. First, pat dry with a clean, soft towel. Do not rub because this only tends to irritate dry skin. Then apply a moisturizer. Although most lotions will work just fine for helping to keep the water in, the most effective of all moisturizers are a class called humectants, which include alpha hydroxy acids. They help the skin to maintain moisture.
7. Get your omegas. Incorporating the essential fatty acids omega-3 and omega-6 into the cell membranes is another way to combat dry skin. These can be found in nuts and seeds as well as the oils of soybean, sunflower and evening primrose.
8. Enjoy the sunshine. Get out there and frolic in the snow but be sure to cover your skin with the proper clothing and use lip balm and suntan lotion on exposed areas. Sunshine helps the body to convert Vitamin D, and exercise helps to circulate the blood throughout the body. Good circulation is crucial to good health.
While few of us are in line to win the “best dried arrangement” prize, many of us do know the discomfort of battling dry, itchy skin during the cold, winter months.
Just remember that the most effective treatment is to keep the water in. By applying the above-mentioned remedies to our daily and weekly schedules, you will not only save your skin from premature wrinkling, you will also breathe cleaner air and you will save money as well in lower heating costs and less expensive soaps, lotions and ointments.
Posted on Feb 26, 2010 under dried pods | Comments are off
The word Gourmet is used to refer to the fancier grade, cut, or quality of many of the foods and beverages we consume. Gourmet foods and drinks have long been associated as the regular fare for the rich and famous who can afford the higher pricing that often accompanies many of these finer food and beverage versions. Coffee is a beverage that has been available in cheap, regular and gourmet versions for a long time and the consumption rate of coffee among people from around the world continues to increase every year. Gourmet coffee may have once only been served in the finest dining establishments and found being served mostly in the homes of the upper class, but gourmet coffee is widely available and affordable to a variety of people and is found in a variety of settings today.
Coffee is made from coffee beans which are found within the berries that develop and ripen on a number of smaller evergreen bush plant species known as the Coffea plant. After ripening, coffee berries are harvested, and then undergo a processing which also includes drying them. It is the coffee beans that remain after the processing and drying of the coffee berries. The beans are then roasted to various degrees which cause them to change physically and in the tastes they produce. Finally, the coffee beans are grinded down into a fine consistency that is commonly known as coffee grounds, and packaged and shipped to destinations around the world where consumers can buy and brew coffee grounds to make coffee in commercial, hospitality, institutional, and residential settings. Some people prefer to grind their own coffee beans before brewing them for coffee. Packaged coffee beans that have not been ground can be purchased in stores and ground using the grinding mills that are made available in most of the stores selling them, but also with grinding machines in the home.
The two most commercially grown species of the coffea plant that produce the coffee beans used to make the coffee that the world’s population consumes, are Robusta and Arabica. Gourmet coffee is made from the top tier coffee beans from the arabica coffea plant. These top tier arabica coffea plants are typically grown at very high altitudes (above 3000ft) with ideal soil and climate conditions. The coffee beans produced have fuller flavors, are more aromatic, and have less caffeine in them than other varieties of coffee beans such as Robustas. The coffee beans of arabica coffea plants grown at lower altitudes are still noted among consumers as having richer flavors than the flavors produced by Robusta coffee beans, but it is only the top tier arabica coffee beans that are considered to be Gourmet, and thereby from which gourmet coffee is derived.
Coffee bean grounds and coffee beans that have not been grinded down need to be stored in air-tight containers and kept cool in order to protect them from losing their flavor. The containers that coffee is typically sold in are not the most ideal for storing coffee for a long period of time. When you arrive home after purchasing coffee grounds at the store, consider transferring the fresh coffee grounds to appropriate storage containers to extend its shelf life and full flavor.
Coffee can be brewed in many ways such as boiling, pressuring, and steeping. Most of us brew our coffee using automatic coffee brewing machines and percolators which use gravity to pull hot water through coffee grounds where the hot water mixed with the oils and essences of the coffee grounds empties into a liquid holding container below. Filters are used to keep coffee granules from being emptied into the carafe or liquid holding container from which the brewed coffee can then be served from because most people do not want to drink the coffee granules. Coffee granules can be very bitter once the flavor able oils and essences have been removed through the brewing process. Plants and flowers love coffee grounds though for anybody who is looking for a greener alternative of what to do with coffee grounds after brewing instead of just throwing them in the trash.
Of course, Gourmet coffee beans are only the beginning to creating a truly gourmet coffee experience for many gourmet coffee drinkers. Some people are quite content with drinking their gourmet coffee black, without adding anything like milk, creamer, sugar or other sweeteners or flavorings, to their coffee. While many others want to enhance their gourmet coffee and drinking experience with tasty additions like milk that is whipped into a froth, sweeteners, and mixing in other flavors like chocolate, vanilla, cinnamon, and mint, to name just a few. Big name coffee chains sell a wide variety of gourmet coffee with different tasty additions and flavors to appeal to gourmet coffee lovers. However, brewing gourmet coffee at home is usually much cheaper, and you can add what you want to your coffee to satisfy your refined, gourmet tastes.
Posted on Feb 26, 2010 under dried flowers | Comments are off
There are many questions that need to be addressed before you start on with your practice of flower gardening in containers. Few of those questions are as follows:
- What size of container do you have in mind? Would you prefer planting several different flowers in one large pot or you would like to use small containers for planting various flowers?
- Are you open to the idea of few hanging plants besides the stationary containers?
- Would you like to keep a provision for rearrangement in your container garden in case its looks start getting boring after a certain period of time?
- What’s purpose is your endeavor of container gardening serving?
- What type of visual appeal are you planning to give to your container garden?
- Will it be mini plants or large plants in your container garden?
Though, given the right conditions and care, almost any plant can be grown in a container, however, if you are planning to have mixed plants in your container garden, there are several important points that need consideration. For example, the strawberry plants are usually not very competent when it comes to extracting nutrients and water from the soil. Therefore, planting them with an aggressive plant can result in strawberries being deprived of all the necessary nutrients required for their growth. Thus, it will be better if a small study can be done beforehand to find out the plants that possess similar characteristics and can be planted together for equal growth opportunity.
While its feasible to grow any flower plant in a container, you will still need to provide it with necessary ingredients like water, light, soil and nutrients. You may even be required to employ a grow light (can be purchased at the local gardening store) for flowers needing full sunlight. The flowers that can survive even with indirect sunlight will fare well even near the window space. You must also be cautious that you don’t use the normal garden soil for container gardening as it will transform into compact-hard type after some time, resulting in cramped roots.
It’s better to use enhanced solutions like sterilized potting mix, soil-less potting mixtures or the prepared potting soil that can be bought at any nursery in your vicinity. In case you prefer adding some organic matter to the enhanced soil, you can use peat moss. Some specific plants like African violets and orchids demand special types of potting mixtures. All such requirements must not come as a surprise, thus, you must keep yourself updated and aware of all the needs of the plants in your container garden.
Even though you may be all geared up to create the best possible container garden right now, please remember, it’s not possible to maintain such high enthusiasm levels throughout the journey. Hence, you must carefully plan out the plants you will grow depending on your availability and effort that you will be able to spare. Plants like African violets are relatively easier to grow as compared to exotic breeds like bird of paradise that requires great attention.
Once you have figured out the plants that you will be growing in your containers, it’s time to start thinking about the designs and placements. Let your imagination take over at this point and indulge in whichever way to enhance the visual appeal of your garden. You can either consider clustering up the containers together or placing them away from each other at strategic locations. You can also think about lining them up neatly on wooden benches or adorn your bland looking stairway. Nothing looks beautiful than cute looking small containers with beautiful flowers in them giving you company while you climb the stairs. Window boxes can even be employed to brighten up the windowpanes.
Coming now to the actual planting procedure, you must start by placing some chipped wood or rocks at the containers’ base. This is a better drainage solution as compared to holes that may lead to soil loss. Now start filling up the container slowly with your soil mixture (containing organic matter) and the beneficial fertilizer. Don’t go on filling till the top as yet and stop at the level where you’d like your plants roots to settle. Place the plants root ball on the soil and start filling up rest of the container with soil up till one inch from the top. Once done, put plenty of water into the container immediately. In order to prevent the soil from drying up, you can also add dried moss or pebbles around the plants’ base.
Plants that are most optimum for growth in containers are some tender perennials and non-hardy ones like coleus, delicate bulbs, lantana and asters. Annuals are also a wonderful option for container gardens as they bloom in no time and can endure even winter conditions.
The container gardens, though relatively easy to create, need good maintenance. They require constant watering as the soil in the containers dries out swiftly as it is fast-draining and lighter in nature. Plants in the container will also require all necessary nutrients to grow naturally like their counterparts planted on the ground. If taken care of well, your container gardens can liven up your living room and keep your spirits always high.
