Archive for January, 2010

If you enjoy the look and feel of grassy lawns, then there are some important things you should now when it comes to choosing the perfect grass for your landscape. By learning a few things, you will be able to create a lawn that is low maintenance, energy efficient and makes your lawn look the best in town.

Colors of grass to choose

The most popular color of grass is dark green. Everyone wants a deep shade of green for his or her landscape. The only problem with this is that some of your new grass will be invaded with other lighter shades of green. If you prefer dark grass but have light green grass now, choose a turf that blends well because over time, the grass you did not plant will take over the new grass. Lighter shades of green are just as pretty.

Types of grass

Native or exotic grasses will come in all sizes and shapes with a variety made fro every landscape idea and location. It does not matter if you have hot or cold weather, moist or dry, you will be able to find the right grass for you. There are grasses that grow better in the shade as well as grasses that do best in the hot sun. The key is to choose the best one for your situation.

Slender, tapering, red petals give Sprekelia an exotic aspect. It sends out but one flower to a scape, and it requires the same general care as amaryllis. The most common complaint with novice growers seems to be, “I can’t get it to produce flowers the second year.” While in active growth it must never become dry.

Too, the Jacobean lily requires constant fertilizing. I alternate fertilizers-one time a complete commercial type, next time fish emulsion. The plants are sturdy enough to stand summering in the garden, but if you live in a cold area, do not set them out until you are certain danger of frost is over. I once planted a number of sprekelias in the garden on Memorial Day; the following morning there was a freeze so hard the bulbs took the whole summer to recover, and they did not bloom the following winter.

Bulbs are reasonably priced-about 50 cents each in catalogs. Potted plants in bud or bloom bring you about $2.00 each. If you want to try for intergeneric hybrids, this might be a good plant for you to work with. There are reports of hybrids between Sprekelia and Crinum.

Zephyranthes (fairy lilies)

Of easiest culture, the fairy lilies are ideal for the indoor garden, patio, porch box, or greenhouse. The bulbs are small and can be planted singly in 4-inch pots, or several to a bulb pan. The flowers in shades of rose, white, and yellow look like tiny amaryllis. Culture, including rest period, is like that of amaryllis.

Haemanthus, better known as the African blood lily, is fast becoming a popular pot plant. This is an excellent item for collectors, growers of rare house plants, or the gardener who wants one or two “conversation” plants. One firm now lists seven species, and you can get an effective start toward stocking your greenhouse by purchasing a bulb or two of each. I have procured seeds from Africa and grown many of my haemanthus from them. Most bulbs send out many offsets, and these can be removed when they are about a year old. Since the older bulbs retail for

79. A profit-packed bench of orchid plants, ready to please all kinds of customers among the ever-expanding legions of orchid hobbyists. And there’s usually a good market for the cut blooms too. Note the super-drainage holes in the special orchid pots. (Photograph by Genereux)

$1.50 to $10.00, these offsets, especially those of the rarer sorts, are easy to sell. Almost all species are good seed setters. The usual method of pollinating is to rub your hand over the flowers every day while plants are in bloom. This insures pollen distribution of the small flowers.

While the majority of haemanthus grow best in bright light, the white-flowered one, H. albiflos, flowers only in a shaded location.

Haemanthus Katharinea produces a hundred or more tomato-red flowers and supple green leaves; H. multiflora, with its beautifully proportioned flower head, is recommended for the beginner. The neck of the bulb is speckled red, and the flower scape, 12 to 14 inches high, firmly supports the ball of red flowers. Other varieties, as H. magniftcus, and H. coccineus also are red or reddish orange, while H. albiflos and its variations have tassels of white flowers.

Haemanthus requires little rest. Some of the red-flowered varieties shed their foliage about 4 to 6 weeks before sending up bloom scapes; H. albiflos remains evergreen, shedding only some of the older leaves. I keep my haemanthus in the greenhouse the year round, never setting them in dark quarters for a dormant period.