Shrubs in mixed borders (1)

Posted by Giedra, 16 November, 2:23 pm

The flower borders require constant attendance from early spring to late autumn. There are bulbs to be planted and replanted, or herbaceous perennials that require dividing every 2 to 5 years. Then there is fertilizing, mulching, watering, thinning, pruning, deadheading. Besides, many herbaceous flowering plants look good only for a certain period of time, while they are in bloom. After the flowers fade, they only sit there providing with greenery or go dormant until the next season.

Baths of clay and paraphine for dahlias (0)

Posted by Giedra, 14 October, 12:47 pm

One of the most spectacular of autumn flowers – dahlia – unfortunately is not hardy enough to overwinter outside. However, be in no rush to lift them – many late-season blooms will still be produced during warm autumn days; while minor frosts cause little damage to dahlias, if their tubers are mounded.

Colours and fragrances to attract insects (2)

Posted by Giedra, 16 September, 3:40 pm

Insects fascinate us with their colours, variety and fragility. They are mostly beneficial to the garden, with only 2 percent out of 2000 species of butterflies, native to Lithuania, being harmful. The good news is that these useful insects can be attracted into the garden with some simple techniques. Most butterflies are pollinators, especially of night-flowering plants, while their caterpillars feed mostly on plants of little value.

Dinosaurs from China (1)

Posted by Giedra, 16 September, 3:26 pm

Dawn redwood has proved to be an easy tree to grow in the gardens of climate zones 4 to 8. These plants have already endured a couple of winters in my garden with no setbacks. Recently they have become available in garden centres. Young dawn redwoods are susceptible to winter damage. Before the winter sets in, mulch young trees thickly and wrap up in horticultural fleece. Mature dawn redwoods withstand severe winter cold, sometimes even down to -32oC.

A miniature rock garden (0)

Posted by Giedra, 11 August, 11:30 am

A small garden is not easy to plant well. However, you could always decorate your patio, terrace or even a balcony with a miniature portable rock garden. A miniature Japanese garden, a rockery or even a water feature with water lilies would look superb, installed in a rectangular stone or clay container. Abroad, it is a common practise to plant miniature rock gardens in large troughs of tufa or hypertufa, which is a mixture of peat, cement and sand.

Summer beauties (0)

Posted by Giedra, 11 August, 11:22 am

Water lily rhizomes come in a multitude of sizes and forms (those of a finger, a pineapple, a tuber, etc.). Usually, divisions of water lilies are sold when they are 10-15 cms long, while their diameter varies by the cultivar (from that of a finger to that of a small ‘pineapple’). Rhizomes of miniature water lilies are tiny, only 4-6 cm long. Depending on a variety, a division can weigh from several grams to a few hundred grams.

Growing and propagating delphiniums (0)

Posted by Giedra, 5 July, 10:41 am

Seedlings start flowering same year after sowing, in their fourth month. The growth of delphiniums halts, when seeds ripen, so inflorescences are best removed after the flowering is over. Delphiniums may flower repeatedly in autumn, if the spent blooms have been removed. Bear in mind that this wears the plant down, as it does not have time to set new buds, which may result in less than spectacular flowering next year.