10 Tips for a Great Flower Garden

It's finally time to start planting flowers!

Flowers are seriously my favorite thing in the world and I have several small flower gardens to prove it! I am always on the lookout for new plants and some would say I might be obsessed! As a self-taught gardener, I try to read up on everything having to do with flowers and flower gardens. I've come a long way from my early days of "just plant it and forget about it." I'm no Martha Stewart yet, but I've learned a few things along the way that have greatly helped me on my quest!

 Today I am sharing my top ten tips for a great flower garden! By the way, did you know that Martha Stewart, the goddess of gardening herself, is a self taught gardener? Proof that the master of anything was once the beginner, so even if you don't know squat about flowers, there is hope! Honestly, a lot of gardening is trial and error so don't be afraid to play around and see what works for you in your yard!

1. Start small, save money!

There is a garden shop in town that sells the most gorgeous, ginormous Hydrangeas and flowers you have ever seen. The price tag on them is also ginormous! Although they look amazing right out of the gate, there is no need to buy them! Buy a smaller version for way cheaper. It will grow up to be that large soon enough and will save you lots of money in the long run! Plus, you will get the satisfaction of seeing it grow leaps and bounds.

Flowers are not cheap and they add up very quickly, especially if you're making big changes. Save money everywhere you can!

This is same garden as the above picture, less than one year later! As you can see, the little Black-Eyed Susans and Purple Coneflowers in the front have multiplied big time! I can't wait for them to bloom this year!

Also on the start small, save money idea:

Don't plant so much that you can't take care of it. Start small and work your way up, that way you won't get so overwhelmed trying to get everything planted and taken care of. We would all love to have acres of manicured gardens but that's not possible or practical for most people.

Planting a little at a time is also a great money saver. I buy a few new plants every year. I wish I had an unlimited amount of money for my flower budget, but alas I don't. So I buy them when I can afford them. This also gives me ample time to decide where to plant the flowers and also what ones I might want to add next. 

Peonies are a great perennial for almost any garden! They are very hardy and super gorgeous!

2. Use Perennials as much as possible!

Perennials come back every year, although they usually don't bloom all season long.

Annuals are only around for one season, but they will usually flower much longer than perennials. 

You get more bang for your buck by planting Perennials because they will come back year after year (hopefully!) That also saves you a lot of time, money, and energy replanting things every year. 

Start with a few Perennials as foundations for your garden and add in annuals as needed to have a garden that is always in bloom.

Impatiens are the perfect way to add color to a shady area!

3. Sun or Shade?

Is your garden located in a sunny spot in your yard? Or is it in a shady spot along the side of your house? This is very important in gardening. Most flowers need sun to survive, but there are a lot that can't handle tons of direct sun. If your yard is very shady, look for plants that say shade on the tag. Hostas, Impatiens, and Hydrangeas are perfect for shady spots. If you plant a flower that needs full sun in a shady spot, it might not flower and it definitely will not thrive. 

The same goes if you plant a shade loving flower in an area that gets full sun. It will probably just burn up and die. Pay attention to the tags and plant accordingly.

4. Pay attention to gardening zones

Have you ever planted something that said it was a Perennial, but it never came back? Certain plants can only make it through the winter in certain zones. This is why there are no indigenous palm trees and tropical plants up North. They can't survive the freezing cold temps in the winter. 

Here in Fort Wayne, Indiana we are on the edge of zone 6 and 5. When you are purchasing plants, most should say what zone they are hardy through on the tag. If not, google it. Yes, right there in the store. I do it all the time!

If you do not know what zone you are in, google that as well! The USDA Hardiness Zone Map will tell you as will just asking "what hardiness zone is (your city) in?"

If you're okay with some of your plants only lasting one season, that's totally fine. Go ahead and plant that Hibiscus in Michigan! Just be aware that it will not come back next year.

5. Give plants room to breathe!

Plants need room to breathe! If you cram a ton of plants closely together you may notice a grey powdery substance forming on the leaves. This is powdery mildew and it is not good for your plants. It is a disease and caused partially by the plants not having enough room to breathe. Remember, your plants will grow! Don't pack them too close together.

6. Bloom Times

Not all flowers bloom at the same time. This mainly goes for perennials. At nurseries and garden centers, all the flowers are so pretty and blooming at the same time, but in real life that's not always the case. I've gotten several flowers that look awesome together only to find out the next year that they don't really bloom at the same time. Pay attention to bloom times as most will say when it blooms on the tag.

Planting a variety of plants with different bloom times will help extend the life of your garden as well. Go for a mix of some early, middle, and late bloomers and you'll have blooms in your landscape all Spring through Fall!

7. Weeding and Deadheading

Ugh. Weeds. The bane of every gardeners existence. Weeding is key to a great garden. It's as simple as this: if you see a weed, pull it out. Try to get it's root system otherwise it will come back. I like to pull weeds right after a good rain or soaking, it's easier to pull them out of the damp ground, roots and all.

There are many things people do to prevent weeds. Some people lay down newspapers or that black gardening tarp stuff, but in my experience, that can hinder your Perennials from coming back, so I don't use it anymore. 

I do use a weed killer on my flower garden that I sprinkle on the dirt, but I definitely do not use it in my vegetable or herb gardens since it says right on the box that it causes cancer! I really don't like to use it at all, but it's a necessary evil sometimes. Just be sure to read the directions thoroughly. 

While weeding, deadhead any flowers that have died. All this means is popping off the dead flower right under the bud. This will allow all the plant's energy to focus on new growth and it will look better too. You can use your fingers or gardening shears. 

8. Wear Gloves!

I am absolutely terrified of spiders. I don't like any kind of bugs at all either. Unfortunately, in gardening you will run across these creatures. Invest in some gardening gloves! I honestly feel invincible in my gloves. If it were not for my gardening gloves, I would not be able to garden. Seriously. I recommend getting a pair with the rubbery type stuff on the palms and fingers. If they get wet, no big deal. Also, if you're into clean nails or manicured fingertips, a pair of gloves will do wonders.

9. Water your plants!

This may seem like a no brainer, but above all, just water your plants! Summer rain will only do so much and most plants need more water than an occasional rain storm will provide. Try to water in the morning to avoid mildew and rot on your plants, but if that's not really possible, just do it as soon as you get home from work! I water my plants almost every day in the Summer, especially those in full sun. Most days, I don't see it as a chore. It's a chance to get out in nature and enjoy the fruits of your labor.

10. Have fun!!!

Just remember, a flower garden is supposed to make you happy! It's all really just trial and error to see what plants grow best in your yard, so don't get too discouraged if they don't make it. And don't get discouraged if your gardens don't resemble Martha's. Just keep at it, keep learning, and keep planting, and one day they just might!



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Happy planting!

A Walk Among the Peonies

My peony bushes just keep getting better and better every Summer! It always surprises me how many more blooms I get from year to year. Although peonies are actually considered a late Spring flower, they signify the beginning of Summer to me.

Peonies are among my most favorite of flowers and I wish the blooms would last more than a week! I always try to keep them well watered at the base so they don't dry out and drop their petals quickly and I think that usually helps prolong them a little longer. Of course, this year we had a major heat wave the week my peonies decided to pop out, so that didn't help. And on top of that, we then had some pretty severe storms that knocked all the flowers off. So sad! 

I was able to salvage a few peonies before the rain hit and this is the first time that I've actually had enough blooms to be able to make a bouquet! I always hate cutting them because they look so pretty on the bush, but I barely missed them outside, I had so many!

Currently, my peony bushes number six, with four blooming and two still growing. It usually takes about three years for anything planted from a root to bloom, so I am hoping next year is the year for my mystery peony that I rescued from a jobsite with only a screwdriver. I cannot wait to see what color it's going to be! It'll probably be another two years or so yet for my Coral Sunset Peony that I planted from root last summer. I am very excited for that one as well.

My yellow Bartzella is really my most prized peony. It's so unique and rare and I love the orange in the center. The blooms are huge and it just screams tropical. And I am all about anything tropical!

This is my very first bloom on my Sarah Bernhardt Peony! I'm usually more into brighter colors in my garden, but I am loving the delicate, light pink color. 

This is my first peony that I planted in my yard and one of my faves. It shows up a lot lighter in photos, but it's really a dark magenta color. I'm actually beginning to suspect it's a Karl Rosenfield Peony!

This lovely mysterious peony started as a root and it was supposed to be a red Karl Rosendfield. It most definitely is not, but I really like it. I'm still on the hunt for a red peony though!

I just love how peonies start from these closed up, tight little buds. 

The peonies really make my back deck area pop and after they are done blooming, the greenery looks good until Fall. I am thinking about putting some peonies in my front landscaping, but it's so shady that I'm afraid they will not do well. But, I think I'm willing to give it a try at least!

This might be my favorite pic ever!



Don't forget to follow me on Instagram @ sweethome.indiana for pretty much daily updates, tips, and of course, more pics of my flowers!



Happy Summer!

Spring Garden Tour

Spring is finally here!

It's a toss up between Spring and Fall for my favorite season, but I have to say, Spring may just be winning. With all it's gorgeous flowers and budding trees, it's almost no contest for a flower lover such as myself. 

Every year, I add more and more plants and flowers to my gardens for each different season. Tulips and Daffodils are often the most thought of flowers for Spring, but I've discovered that there are so many more Spring blooming flowers out there! I like to add different and new items whenever I come across them and I am very happy to report that every new bulb and plant that I put in last year has come back!

Spring came very late this year to northern Indiana and all my flowers bloomed much later than in previous seasons. I was hoping that maybe, just maybe, the bloom season would be prolonged somehow, but sadly, most of my Spring flowers are already on their way out. 

I have to say that my gardens are really rockin so far this year and I am already making plans for what to add next year! The most wonderful time of the year has begun!

New favorite flower alert! Crocuses are some of the first blooms in Spring and these tiny little flowers are actually perfect to plant in your yard since they will be gone by the first mowing. I got a small bag of them last Fall as an experiment and I will definitely be planting more in my yard and in my flower gardens next year!

I've seen yellow, white, and purple crocuses and mine were either purple or white. I love these purple ones with the white striations!

Above is my creekside garden in all it's Spring glory! My favorite thing about it is the border of purplish-blue Muscari. This is my favorite spot in my whole yard. When I moved in, it was just an overgrown eyesore filled with poison ivy. I had to work very hard to get it into shape for a garden and I am very proud of it!

Muscari make perfect garden borders and they multiply like crazy every year, so it only gets better and better!

Last year I planted a mix of Tulips that I got for free, not knowing what color they would be. I was hoping for red and luckily, most of them were! They look awesome next to the yellow Daffodils and blue Muscari.

These tiny little Daffodils came from a mix bag and I have never seen anything else like it. They are tall like regular Daffodils, but have several small clusters of flowers on them. They are very unique and I am glad they are in my garden. That's the thing with a mixed bag, you never know what you're going to get!

I think the best smelling flower may be the Hyacinth. Get around a group of them and it's absolute heaven! I am going to make it a focus to plant more this Fall. Possibly as a border somewhere. I wish I could find this exact color of purple again, it's the only one I've seen and it's much brighter than others.

Inspired by Foster Park here in Fort Wayne, it's been my goal to plant as many different kinds of Tulips in my yard as possible. I love these new orange ones that I planted last Fall and the different color variations on them.

These Lilac bushes literally began as sticks from someone else's yard. Lilacs are very easy to transplant, but they take a while until they bloom. This is the first year that all three have bloomed and I was even able to harvest a few branches to bring inside and put in a vase!

I was asked if they all have different smells and they do! The dark purple ones smell a little fruity to me and the white have a spicy smell. 

Funny thing about this tulip bed. I started it three years ago as a white, purple, and pink bed. My friend had gotten a Tulip bouquet of those colors and it was so pretty. Last year only one white Tulip came back, which I later found out that for some reason, white Tulips are notorious for not coming back like other colors. So I planted more white ones. This year, only one pink Tulip showed up to the party! I guess I'll be planting more pink ones this year! And probably some more white too, just in case!

I'm totally one of those people who can't seem to bring myself to cut my flowers and bring them inside. They just look so pretty in their natural element! But I desperately do want to one day be able to! This is my sole Daffodil, an Ice Follies, that I brought in this year and I only did it to save it because it had gotten cut off somehow. I am planning on starting some sort of a cutting garden so that I can have gorgeous floral arrangements in my home too one day!

I will wrap up the tour with my apple tree that finally blossomed this year for the first time! I am hoping to be eating some delicious Gala Apples from this tree in the Fall, but even if that doesn't happen, these blooms made it all worth it!


Thanks for stopping by and follow me on Instagram @ sweethome.indiana for daily updates on my flower gardens and all other things home!



Next up, Summer here we come!

Spring Window Box

The weather has finally gotten to the point where I can work outside and even plant a few flowers! Flowers are my most favorite things in the world and I could not wait to get planting after this long winter!

Here in northern Indiana, the rule of thumb for planting flowers (or even a garden) is nothing goes in until Mother's Day weekend. It's just not safe to plant prior to the middle of May around here. If it frosts, your flowers will die. Some flowers, such as Pansies and Violas, are fairly cold hardy and are safe to plant sooner. 

I once read that Pansies are hardy to about twenty-six degrees and then they stop flowering. There have been a few close calls, with a couple more to come. But, so far, they are looking good and growing already! Pansies come in several different colors and I chose an awesome mix this year for my window box garden!

I also went the extra mile this year and got some Miracle Grow Potting Soil. I want to see if it really makes a difference. It promises blooms twice as big, so we shall see. I'm always looking for ways to improve my gardening game!

The orange Pansies were a must and that's what I built the rest of the colors around.

I love bright, bold colors, but I felt it needed to be a little grounded so I added just one maroon Pansy and put it right in the middle. I simply alternated the rest of the colors on either side. I didn't pack the window box completely full because I wanted to give the flowers room to grow and breathe!

This Pansy mix is so pretty, I may just leave it up all Summer! It would even look very nice all the way into Fall, but let's not get ahead of ourselves!

Don't forget, you can follow me on Instagram @ sweethome.indiana!

Spring This Year Vs. Last Year

It's that time of the year when I am just dying to get outside and work in my yard! Unfortunately, the weather is not cooperating how I'd like.

This year, winter has felt like it's gone on forever and ever! With barely a decent day in months, my flowers are all way behind last year's schedule. Only last week has my little crop of Ice Follies Daffodils started to open. Many of my other Daffodils are even still waiting to get their buds and my newest batch that I planted in my creekside garden last Fall are just barely pushing through.

There are a few bright spots in these gray days and the first is that my Coral Sunset Peony that I planted last Summer from a root is growing! I had written it off since there was absolutely no activity with it all last year. This will mark year one and with any luck, in two more years I will have some gorgeous coral Peonies blooming! It usually takes about three years for plants planted from root to bloom. That also means that I am expecting my two other newest peonies to bloom this year!

Also, my favorite place to buy flowers, Main's Flower Gardens, opened last Saturday! I look forward to opening day every year because that means nice weather is here! Or, in this year's case, it's on it's way! I have yet to make it there this year though because the weather has been so bad!

The forecast for next week looks promising, so here's hoping! I am very anxiously awaiting the true arrival of Spring around here!


This was my backyard at this time last year.....

This is my backyard this year on the same day! Quite the difference!

I am so looking forward to when all my flowers are in bloom again!

I guess that just means they will last longer into the season, right?

At least it looks like I am going to have a plethora of lilacs this year! If the frost doesn't get to them too badly!