August Flowers - It's Still Time to Plant

Who says you only plant flowers in during Spring? We're one week into August and today the Garden Nanny crew is planting a wonderful assortment of flowers.

It pays to hire Blooming Rails for your flower garden installation. Not only do you receive fabulous layout and design work by our Chief Gardener, but you also get fantastic prices on the plants.

After installation the Garden Nanny crew can keep you garden looking spectacular with a maintenance program that fits the needs of your garden. This summer has been particularly "HOT" and the Japanese beetles have been out in force.  While others suffered, gardens maintained by the Garden Nanny, flourished.

Here you see the area that will be planted today. Earlier in the year this area was overgrown with weeds and needed some good ol' TLC.

Rather than rush into planting everything at the beginning of the season. Care was given to the gardens throughout the property, creating a healthy environment for additional plants.

Deter Birds From Plundering Your Flowers and Plants

So you've got your pots planted, your flower baskets hanging, and your entry ways, sidewalks, and back porch decked out with beautiful flowers and plants. It's wonderful, now you can sit back and relax, enjoying the sights and smells in the morning with a cup of coffee and a good book...Ahhhh.

But wait a minute, looking closer at your newly planted gems. Why is it that some of your plants seem to be thinning. That nice tea plant for example has a couple leaves on the top, but is now mostly just a stick. And several flower blossoms are handing broken or missing all together.

Those dastardly birds have done it to you again.

Bird watching can be enjoyable, but it's not so much fun to watch them ruin your flowers, plants, and all your hard work making the container garden look nice. Your lush new garden is truly irresistible to birds of all kinds, as they look for a perfect nest or the material to make a nest. However, there are plenty of plants in the wild for them to choose from...elsewhere.


So now your garden becomes a battle ground. You find yourself chasing the birds off every time they swoop in for an attack, or you've armed your lawn chair with a handy new weapon called a garden hose and you're constantly on alert. This may work for the moment, but it's not very relaxing and you can be certain, those pillaging birds will be back.

There's an easier way to battle the birds, it's simple, inexpensive, and does all the work for you. Go out to the store and get yourself a few nice shinny pinwheels. Birds don't like the reflection and motion of these guardians of the garden and they work amazingly well. In no time, your garden hose will be back where it belongs, and you'll be back to the serenity of your garden with your coffee and book.

Unfortunately on the horizon there lurks new enemies of the garden. Pinwheels don't do anything to keep away aphids or Japanese beetles... but that's a story for another day.

Garden Technology

Do you love the idea of gardening but don’t know where to start? Burpee has developed a few mobile applications that may make this task a little easier.

http://gdncoach.mobi/mydesigner is a simple garden designer which will tell you which plants are available in your color scheme and suggests how to plant them in either a garden bed or container. It’s limited but a great start to help you know which plants can work together! Alternatively, you may also choose a favorite plant, add that to the garden designer and they will suggest companion plants. It’s a great little gadget…

http://gdncoach.mobi is a garden coach service that you can submit questions and get great advice from the experts at Burpee. You can also sign up for their newsletter and seasonal reminders for garden tasks and ideas.

Did you know?

That many plants in your favorite nursery’s now have Q Codes or QR Codes which you can scan with your smart phone and get instant access to information about that plant? It may save you a lot of headaches and a bit of money by helping you select appropriate plants for your different growing zones within your garden.

Find more great gardening ideas at Blooming Rails Garden Nanny.

Floriculture Affects All of Your Senses

Floriculture design can create a space which affects all of your senses.

The scent of the soil combines with scent of the plant, while the aromas of the flowers leave you feeling at peace. The colors of the leaves provide the perfect backdrop to brilliant flowers and bright berries. The coolness of the leaves and the textures of their branches create an escape from the harshness of brick and mortar, or screen you from a world or less than perfect environment like nothing else can. It’s your deck, balcony or garden…it’s your escape.

No matter how limited your space, you can create a container garden that can meet your needs and enliven the senses. A simple plant in a beautiful container may be all this it takes, but if you have the “obsessive” qualities I have towards plants, you may wish to consider the information I have below. It’s all about feeling good. We submit these ideas for those of you who would like to explore the “dark side” of obsessive plant compulsion in your private environment.

Taking Stock of Your Environment

When creating your perfect space, it is vital to make sure you understand the environment in which you are growing. Each plant chosen will need to be able to survive/thrive in your given location.

What are the zone conditions of each season?

How much sunlight and wind will your space receive?

How much pedestrian traffic will the area have?

Are there pet or children who will access to the space?

How will you display or attach each garden?

How will you interact with your garden – once a day? Week? Month?

There are countless considerations and sometimes it’s best to consult a professional, in the next few days I will upload a semi-comprehensive pdf that you can use when determining what will work best in your situation.