Sweet Pea

Sweet pea flowers come in both bush and climbing types. Both types are
vines, but the bush types dont grow as tall and can support themselves
without the aid of a trellis. If you are growing climbing sweet peas, have
your trellis in place before planting the sweet pea seeds so that you dont
damage the roots by trying to install it later. Avoid planting them near a
wall where air cant circulate freely. Plant sweet pea seeds in spring
while there is still a chance of light frost or in late fall. The seeds have a
tough coat that makes it difficult for them to germinate without a little
help. You can soak the seeds in warm water for 24 hours to soften the
seed coat, or nick the seeds with a file or sharp knife to make it easier for
water to penetrate the seed. Choose a sunny or lightly shaded site and
prepare the soil by working in a 2-inch layer of compost to improve soil
fertility and drainage. Sow the seeds an inch deep, spacing climbing
types 6 inches apart and bush types 1 foot apart. The sweet pea seeds
usually emerge in about 10 days, but it can take two weeks or more.
Care of Sweet Peas Pinch out the growing tips of the plants when they
are about 6 inches tall to stimulate lateral growth and bushiness. This is a
good time to mulch the plants as well. Water the soil around the plants
often enough to keep it moist, applying the water slowly and deeply.
Fertilize with half-strength liquid fertilizer twice during the growing
season. Too much fertilizer encourages an abundance of foliage at the
expense of sweet pea flowers. Pick off spent flowers to encourage new
blossoms. Caution: Sweet pea seeds resemble edible sweet peas, but
they are toxic if eaten. If children are helping in the garden, make sure
they dont put them in their mouths

Read more at Gardening Know How: Care Of Sweet Peas How To

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et-pea/care-of-sweet-peas.htm

Snapdragon

After planting snapdragons in a full sun location with well-draining soil,

snapdragon care should include a few well-placed clips to manipulate
this plant into a bushy, filled-out specimen. Clip the top stem and any
long side shoots to encourage more flowers and a more attractive
planting. Tall varieties of snapdragons may require staking to remain
upright. When blooms begin to fade due to summers heat, clip the plant
by one-third to one-half and expect more blooms when temperatures
begin to cool in fall. Intermingle plantings of snapdragon with heat-
loving Angelonia for a similarly formed plant in the summer flower bed.
Further care of snapdragons includes appropriate watering. When
growing snapdragon, keep moist for the first few weeks. Once
established, snapdragon care includes regular watering. Provide
approximately an inch of water per week in times of no rainfall. Water
near the crown of the plant and avoid overhead watering to keep your
snapdragon healthy. Once established, let soil dry about an inch deep
before watering. Snapdragon care includes the removal of spent blooms.
Mulch is appropriate when growing snapdragon. Though mostly sold as
an are actually a short-lived perennial plant.
Read more at Gardening Know How: Planting Snapdragons In The
Garden: How To Grow
Snapdragonshttps://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/s
napdragon/growing-snapdragon.htm

Geraniums

Grow Geraniums Depending on where or how you grow geranium

plants, their needs will be somewhat different. Indoors, geraniums need
lots of light for blooming but will tolerate moderate light conditions.
They also need indoor temps of around 65-70 degrees F. (18-21 C.)
during the day and 55 degrees F. (13 C.) at night.
Grow Geraniums Depending on where or how you grow geranium
plants, their needs will be somewhat different. Indoors, geraniums need
lots of light for blooming but will tolerate moderate light conditions.
They also need indoor temps of around 65-70 degrees F. (18-21 C.)
during the day and 55 degrees F. (13 C.) at night. These plants need to be
grown in well-draining potting soil as well. When growing geraniums
outdoors, they require moist, well-draining soil similar to that of indoor
potting soil with equal amounts of soil, peat and perlite. Locate your
geraniums in an area with at least six to eight hours of sunlight. Since
these plants must be protected from cold, wait until the threat of frost
has passed before planting. Space plants about 8 to 12 inches apart and
around the same depth as their original planting pots. Mulching the
plants is also recommended to help retain moisture. Care of Geraniums
Whether indoors or out, geranium care is pretty basic. In addition to
watering, which should be done deeply and once the soil begins to feel
dry indoors or at least weekly outdoors (though potted plants may need
daily watering in hot weather), fertilizing is usually necessary. Use a
water-soluble houseplant fertilizer or a 5-10-5 fertilizer with additional
organic matter every four to six weeks throughout their active growing
season. Indoor or potted plants may require repotting once they become
overgrown, usually noted by wilting between waterings. Regular
deadheading of spent blooms will also help encourage additional
blooming. When watering outdoor plants, its best to avoid overhead
irrigation, as this can lead to pests or disease issues. Geranium plants
root easily from cuttings and can be propagated in fall for overwintering
of outdoor plants. They can also be dug up and brought inside.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Growing Geraniums: Tips For The
Care Of
Geraniumshttps://www.gardeningknowhow.com/ornamental/flowers/ger
anium/geranium-care.htm

Sunflowers

Information About Adding Sunflowers to Your Garden If you decide to

add sunflowers to your garden, there are a few things you will want to
keep in mind. First of all, sunflowers are called sunflowers for a reason.
They need sun. Make sure that the location you choose for your
sunflowers gets full sun. Second, you do not need to worry about soil too
much. Sunflowers are not picky about the conditions of the soil, but they
are plants. They will do better in better soil. Third, sunflower seed shells
do contain a substance that is toxic to grass. So, you will need to either
harvest the sunflower heads before the seeds begin to fall out or you will
need to plant your sunflowers in a location where you do not mind any
nearby grass being killed. Fourth, keep in mind the height of the
sunflower variety you have chosen. A giant, twelve foot variety will end
up acting very much like a small tree and may shade the surrounding
flowers. As mentioned above, sunflowers can also help you to attract
local birds to your garden. When the growing season is coming to a
close, you can harvest your sunflower heads and use some of the seeds
to feed the birds over the winter. You have two options when using
sunflower seeds to feed the birds. The first is that you can simply leave
the sunflower heads outside for the birds. This option is the easiest but
be warned that the birds will make a mess when pulling the seeds out of
the sunflower head. Your other option is to remove the seeds from the
head and to put them in your bird feeder. This method is a little more
work but will be neater in the long run. Also, putting the seeds in a
birdfeeder will also help to keep your feathered friends safe as the
birdfeeder will be up off the ground and out of reach of many of the
animals that eat birds. So, while you may have fond memories of tall
yellow sunflowers that you planted as a child, give this old garden
favorite a new try and rediscover the world of sunflowers.

Read more at Gardening Know How: Sunflower Plants Growing

Sunflowers in Your
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wer/growing-sunflowers-in-your-garden.htm

Morning Glory

Growing morning glories is easy. Theyre great for containers when

provided with a trellis or placed in a hanging basket. Morning glories
prefer full sun but will tolerate very light shade. The plants are also well
known for their tolerance to poor, dry soils. In fact, the plant can easily
establish itself in any slightly disturbed area, including garden edges,
fence rows and roadsides where the vine is commonly seen growing.
Even with the plants tolerance of poor soil, it actually prefers well-
draining soil that is moist, but not soggy. When to Plant Morning Glories
Morning glory plants are easily started by seeds sown directly in the
garden after the threat of frost has passed and the soil has warmed
up. Indoors, the seeds should be started about 4-6 weeks before the last
frost in your area. Since morning glories have relatively hard seed coats,
you should soak the seeds in water overnight or nick them before
sowing. Sow the seeds of morning glory about inch deep and give
them about 8- to 12-inch spacing. Once plants have reached about six
inches or so in height, you may want to provide some type of support for
the vine to twine around. Those planted in hanging baskets can simply
be left to spill over the containers edge. Care of Morning Glory Plants
The care of morning glory plants is also easy. In fact, once established
they require little attention. Ideally, the soil should be moist, but not wet.
Water them during dry periods, once or twice per week. Container plants
may require additional watering, especially in warmer regions. To
reduce re-seeding and control unwanted spreading, simply remove spent
blooms as they fade or all the dead vines after the first killing frost in
fall. More Information about Morning Glory

Read more at Gardening Know How: Growing Morning Glories: How

To Grow Morning Glory
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-glory/growing-morning-glories.htm