Archive for November, 2010

Dish gardens

If you plan a retail business-no matter how small-you will want to feature some dish gardens. Perhaps you have a friend who designs interesting and colorful ceramic bowls. If so, why not team up with her? She’ll earn money from the sale of the bowl, and you will earn some from the sale of the plants, as well as from planning and planting the tiny garden.

Landscape schemes for dish gardens are plentiful. Use material of a size to suit the container. Also, be sure to use compatible plants, that is, those which thrive under the same general conditions. Remember-most of these little gardens will go into homes where they will lack the special care you have given them.

Saxifraga, the strawberry begonia, baby tears (Helxine), small-leaved ivy, or plectranthus, are all nice to trail over the edge of a dish. Succulents, wax begonia, pilea, echeveria, kalanchoe, peperomia, and bromeliads are some of the accent materials I have used in dish gardens.

Since the dish is without drainage outlet, place pebbles and charcoal in the bottom, then add the right type of soil for the plants you are using. If you carry a line of figurines in your shop, you may be able to sell more of them by including them in the dish garden.

Seeds of royal poinciana germinate in a few days and within a matter of 2 to 3 weeks make enchanting trees for dish gardens.

The price you charge for your dish garden will, of course, depend on the type of materials and accessories you use. A friend of mine made several hundred dollars from the sale of succulents planted in gilded, individual aluminum-foil pie pans. Each planting had a “clinker” from the furnace to add interest at the base. This was touched lightly with green, red, and bronze paint. Three tiny sedums of varied height made up the living material. This man sold these dish gardens at the wholesale price of 39 cents each; they retailed for more than twice that amount.

Evergreens

Evergreens, such as junipers, yew, and arborvitae, are good profit-makers. Start them in the fall by making any of the three types of cuttings; simple, heel, or mallet. The heel cutting has a slice of the parent stem with it. Make cuttings 2- to 8- inches long.

Builder’s sand makes a splendid rooting medium. Insert the cuttings about to 1 inch apart. After planting, moisten well to settle the sand. Grown in a cool house (55 to 65 degrees) with slight bottom heat, cuttings root rapidly. Do not have ventilators open during this rooting period, nor is it necessary to shade the greenhouse. Shade will not be needed until April or May.

In the spring, the rooted cuttings can be moved to a sheltered place in the outdoor garden or under a lath house and the vacated greenhouse benches can be used for growing flats of started annuals or other material. At 18 months, evergreen cuttings can be lined out in the garden for further growth, or placed with other nursery stock to be sold as seedlings at a lower price.

Specialties for dried arrangements

Flower shows frequently call for the inclusion of dried material in at least one of the arrangement classes. While those with gardens may plant strawflowers, coxcomb, and perhaps amaranth, seldom do they grow the red-fruited love apple (Solatium integrifolium).

You can purchase seeds from several specialists. Since love applies are a relative of the Jerusalem cherry, a start from seeds is recommended. These plants, however, grow to two feet. As soon as the weather is reasonably warm, plant them in the outdoor garden, if you have room. Otherwise, carry them on in the greenhouse or lath house. If started sufficiently early, they will show their large tomato-like fruits in August or September. After the first frost, cut the stems and hang them upside down to dry. They will shed their leaves and the thorny stalk will gradually turn gray. Florists are particularly eager to buy this material.

From a 25 cent seed package one grower realized 25 dollars in the sale of the dried plants. This is a wonderful item for the roadside market. Martynia louisiana, whose pods look like birds, is also exotic material for dried arrangements. Culture is like that of the love apple. Any of these four plants-statice, lunaria, loosestrife, or Chinese lantern-started in the greenhouse and grown on in the outdoor garden for dried material, will also prove to be moneymakers.

Family Friendly Backyard

If you are someone who wants to use your backyard for the family and friends to come over and enjoy barbeques and spend time together, then there are many choices for you. Extending your patio will give you more entertaining space and more room for extra seating at dinnertime. You may even consider adding a roof to your patio. This will allow you to enjoy the outdoors even when the weather is not so nice.

A great way to get the whole family in on the backyard landscaping is to plant trees or flowers together. Have the kids help with the flowers. Let them each choose a special flower or even a tree and let them plant them in a special place. This is a great way to create memories and a family backyard at the same time.

A great backyard-landscaping project can be done in one or two weekends. Make it special and make it reflect your own personality to create your own sanctuary and getaway from the rest of the world.

Themes

There are so many different themes that you can go with for your backyard. If you are dreaming of a tropical getaway, line your backyard with fruit trees, and coordinating flowers. Put a hammock between two trees and swing in the warm summer breeze. Throw some candles around your patio and some tropical throw rugs on the floor. You will be surprised what props can do to add feeling and warmth.

Romantic Themes

If you want to go back to your honeymoon days, just go to the backyard. Put in a privacy fence and maybe a Jacuzzi or hot tub. Add in some soft colors and sweet smelling candles and you have a honeymoon getaway in your own backyard. Add in some exotic flowers to your design to give your backyard some tropical accents.