Spring flowering bulbs such as crocus, daffodils, and tulips require a cold period during the winter in order to flower. These bulbs are planted and develop their root system in the fall and bloom during the spring. The variety of bloom color, plant height, shape, and timing of flowering provides seasonal interest in the spring for many Kentucky gardens and landscapes. Continue reading
Category Archives: Flowers
Good Perennials for Beginning Gardeners
When starting a new hobby, there are tools to acquire, techniques to learn and materials to purchase. This is so true for flower gardening. The tools can be as simple as a trowel and a watering hose and as complex as irrigation systems and robotic lawn mowers. But for the beginning gardener, the vast variety of flowers, trees and shrubs can be overwhelming. (It still is for me, and I’ve been gardening for almost 40 years!) Continue reading
Planting Native Flowers for Pollinators
Need a reason to plant more flowers? How does supporting local agriculture, ensuring the availability of healthy fruits and vegetables, and protecting thousands of plant and animal species sound? By planting flowers that sustain pollinators, you are accomplishing all of this, as well as making your yard more attractive. Pollinators, which include bees, butterflies, moths, wasps, hummingbirds, and bats, make reproduction
possible for more than three-fourths of the flowering plants on earth, including many of the fruits and vegetables we eat every day. Continue reading
Forcing Cut Branches For Winter Flowers
Cut branches forced into bloom can help add sunshine to those gloomy winter days and it is not hard to coax many into flower. Branches from cherry, plum, forsythia, quince and viburnums can be forced into blooming and used in arrangements. Continue reading
Preserving Flowers
The gardening season is all but over for most of the landscape plants and flowers. Many avid gardeners who hate to see the growing season go may look for ways to keep it going by taking some of their favorite flowers indoors to keep through the winter until those warm, gardening days come around again. However, many will seek to keep their flowers around during winter months by picking those last vibrant blooms and preserving them by drying. Continue reading
Houseplants Insect and Mite Control
Many houseplants enjoy time outdoors during the summer. However, it’s a tough world out there and more than a few plants develop insect or mite infestations while they are basking in the summer sun. A few weeks indoors can allow pests to increase while the plants adjust to indoor conditions and symptoms become more apparent. Continue reading
Growing Hydrangeas in Kentucky
Primarily known as a source of summer color flowering June through August — long after most shrubs have finished. Hydrangeas’ interesting bark and flower heads can also provide winter texture when left untrimmed until spring. Four species are commonly used in Kentucky landscape plantings. Continue reading
Bearded Iris
The bearded irises are a common old-fashioned flower found in many gardens and landscapes throughout Kentucky. They are very easy to grow perennials that do best in full sun and well drained soils. Continue reading
Pansies
In Kentucky gardens pansies are grown as cool season annuals. Many pansies are planted in landscapes and flower beds in the fall, they overwinter and are the first signs of color you will see in the landscape in the spring. Once the days start to warm up and we move into summer, the plants will start to deteriorate and will be removed from the landscape. Continue reading
Orchids Make Popular Houseplants
Orchids are becoming increasingly popular as houseplants. One orchid you are likely to encounter is the Phalaenopsis, or moth orchid. It gets its name from the shape of the flower that resembles a moth in flight.
Moth orchids thrive in medium light. A window with southern exposure is ideal. You will notice that the pot is filled with a bark-type potting mix. In nature, these plants grow on trees, so they need a potting medium that is light and well drained—regular potting soil is not appropriate. Continue reading
Kentucky Hort News 
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