Master Gardener Flower Gardening Unit

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Introduction to Flower Gardening
A Unit of the MSU Extension Master Gardener
Volunteer Training Program
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More than 6 out of 10 U.S. households have some
sort of green thumb urge, and enjoy making things
grow, from rolling expanses of lawn to flower
pots on apartment balconies.
Profile America Thursday, April 11, 2002
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Flower Gardening

• Herbaceous ornamental plants
• Typically grown in borders, beds or some form of
  container.

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Flowering Herbaceous Plants
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Annuals

• Seed to seed in one growing season.
• Commercially, annuals are sold as part of a group
  called bedding plants, which include tender
  perennials.
• True annuals cannot be kept indoors through the
  winter like tender perennials.

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Advantages of Annuals

• Instant and season long color.
• Large selection.
• Few if any pest problem.
• Change from year to year.

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Uses for Annuals

• Mass plantings in beds and borders
• Containers
• Cut Dried flowers
• Filler in a perennial garden.

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Mass Plantings
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Containers
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Cut Flowers
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Filler
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Biennials

• Two year life cycle
• Common Examples
• Foxglove
• Sweet William
• Dames Rocket

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Advantages of Biennials

• Many commonly grown varieties bolt

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Perennials

• A lifespan of more than two years.
• Foliage dies back after heavy frost
• Survives as underground structures

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Advantages of Perennials

• Wide variety of forms, colors, textures sizes.
• Fit variety of soil types or light conditions.
• Sequence of changing colors.
• Provide winter interest.

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Uses of Perennials

• Beds and borders
• Groundcover
• Rock Gardens

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Mixed Borders
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Mixed Beds
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Groundcovers
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Rock Gardens
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Bulbs

• Type of herbaceous perennial.
• Underground food storage.
• Types
• Tunicate
• Scaly
• Corms
• Tuberous roots

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Advantages of Bulbs

• Spread out flowering season
• Easy to grow
• Colorful
• Flexible
• Compatible

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Vines

• Two Categories
• Annuals
• Perennials

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Using Flowers in the Landscape
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Design Criteria

• Beautiful flower gardens rarely happen by chance.
• Basic Design Criteria
• Line
• Texture
• Mass

• Form
• Color

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Line

• Straight Lines
• Curved Lines

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Formal
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Informal
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Informal vs. FormalWhich is better?
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Texture

• Course Texture
• Medium Texture
• Fine Texture

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Course
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Fine
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Mass
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Form
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Plant Forms

• Rounded
• Columnar
• Open

• Upright
• Spreading
• Prostrate

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Monotonous - Restful
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Contrasting - Excitement
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Color

• Hue
• Value (Light Dark)
• Warm vs. Cool

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Color Wheel
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Color Schemes

• Monochromatic
• Analogous
• Complementary
• Polychromatic

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Monochromatic
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Analogous
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Complementary
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Polychromatic
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Site Selection
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Sun Exposure

• Full Sun
• Part Sun
• Part Shade
• Full Shade

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Drainage
Standing Water
Perk Test
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Soil pH
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Soil pH
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Air Movement

• Positive
• Dries plants quickly
• Reduces relative humidity
• Negative
• Increased need for staking

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Site Preparation
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Site Preparation

• PLACEMENT OF FLOWER GARDEN.
• Choose a style.
• Outline the shape
• Remove existing vegetation.
• Soil preparation.
• Raised or mounded soil.

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Site Preparation

• Placement of the flower garden.
• CHOOSE A STYLE.
• Outline the shape
• Remove existing vegetation.
• Soil preparation.
• Raised or mounded soil.

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Informal
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Formal
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Garden Shapes

• Borders
• Beds
• Naturalized Areas

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Borders
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Beds
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Naturalized Area
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Site Preparation

• Placement of the flower garden.
• Choose a style.
• OUTLINE THE SHAPE
• Remove existing vegetation.
• Soil preparation.
• Raised or mounded soil.

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Site Preparation

• Placement of the flower garden.
• Choose a style.
• Outline the shape
• REMOVE EXISTING VEGETATION.
• Soil preparation.
• Raised or mounded soil.

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Remove Existing Vegetation

• Herbicides to kill vegetation
• Smother vegetation
• Solarization

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Site Preparation

• Placement of the flower garden.
• Choose a style.
• Outline the shape
• Remove existing vegetation.
• SOIL PREPARATION.
• Raised or mounded soil.

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Site Preparation

• Placement of the flower garden.
• Choose a style.
• Outline the shape
• Remove existing vegetation.
• Soil preparation.
• RAISED OR MOUNDED SOIL.

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Raised or Mounded Soil
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Plant Selection Criteria

• Color
• Invasiveness
• Maintenance
• Hardiness

• Plant Height
• Season Duration of Bloom
• Texture
• Form

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Height
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Season Duration of Bloom

• Annuals
• Biennials
• Perennials
• Bulbs
• Vines

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Texture
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Form

• Vertical
• Horizontal

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Color Schemes

• Monochromatic
• Analogous
• Complementary
• Polychromatic

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Invasiveness
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Plants with an Invasive Growth Habit
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Maintenance Level

• Cultural
• Environmental
• Insect
• Disease

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Hardiness
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Installing the Plants
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Available Forms

• Seeds
• Bare-roots
• Cell Packs
• Small Pots
• Gallon or Larger Containers

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Seeds
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Bare-root
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Cell Packs
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Small Pots
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Gallon or Larger Containers
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Care Maintenance

• Watering
• Mulching
• Weed Control

• Fertilizing
• Deadheading
• Staking

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Plant Health Care
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Pests of Flowering Plants

• Insects
• Diseases
• Biotic
• Abiotic
• Animals
• Weeds

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Plant Health Care

• Start with healthy, pest free plants.
• Purchase known resistant varieties
• Proper maintenance sanitation.
• Educate yourself for informed decision making.
• If needed use appropriate control measure.

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Common Insect Pests

• Caterpillars
• Plant Bugs
• Leafhoppers
• Beetles

• Aphids
• Spider Mites
• Thrips
• Whiteflies

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Aphids
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Spider Mites
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Thrips
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Whitefly
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Caterpillars
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Plant Bugs
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Leafhoppers
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Beetles
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Diseases

• Aster Yellows
• Botrytis Blight
• Damping-off
• Mosaic (Virus)
• Powdery Mildew
• Rust

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Aster Yellows
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Botrytis Blight
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Damping-off
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Mosaic (Virus)
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Powdery Mildew
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Rust
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Animal Pests

• Deer
• Rabbits
• Slugs

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Deer
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Rabbits

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Slugs
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Weeds

• Any Plant growing where its not wanted

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Weeds

• Annual Weeds
• Perennial Weeds

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Propagation of Flowering Plants
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Sexual Propagation
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Seeds
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Asexual (Vegetative) Propagation
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Divisions
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Cuttings

• Tip or Stem cuttings
• Root cuttings

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Layering

• Tip layering
• Air layering

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Bulbs, Corms Tuberous Roots
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Tissue Culture
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Annuals
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Coleus x hybridus (Coleus)
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Cosmos bipinnatus (Cosmos)
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Senecio cineraria (Dusty Miller)
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Nicotiana alata (Flowering Tobacco)
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Pelargonium x hortorum (Geranium)
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Impatiens walleriana (Impatiens)
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Tagetes patula (Marigold)
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Portulaca grandiflora (Moss Rose)
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Viola x wittrockiana (Pansy)
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Petunia x hybrida (Petunia)
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Antirrhinum majus (Snapdragon)
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Begonia x semperflorens-cultorum (Begonia, Wax
Begonia)
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Zinnia elegans (Zinnia)
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Perennials
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Astilbe arendsii (Astilbe)
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Asclepias tuberosa (Butterfly Weed)
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Aruncus dioicus (Goats Beard)
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Clematis (Clematis)
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Cimicifuga racemosa (Snakeroot)
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Liatris spicata (Blazing Star)
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Dicentra spectablilis (Bleeding Heart)
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Euphorbia polychroma(Cushion Spurge)
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Geranium sanguineum (Cranes Bill/Geranium)
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Heuchera (Heuchera)
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Anemone x hybrida (Japanese Anemone)
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Eupatorium maculatum (Joe Pye Weed)
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Helleborus orientalis (Lenten Rose)
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Paeonia lactiflora (Peony)
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Pulmonaria spp. (Pulmonaria)
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Perovskia atriplicifolia (Russian Sage)
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Sedum (Sedum)
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Helenium autumnale (Sneezeweed)
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Perennials - Ground Covers
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Aegopodium podagraria(Goutweed, Bishops Weed)
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Ajuga (Bugleweed)
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Cerastium tomentosum (Snow-In-Summer)
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Ceratostigma (Leadwort)
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Convallaria majalis(Lily-of-the-Valley)
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Epimedium (Epimedium)
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Hemerocallis (Daylily)
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Hosta (Hosta)
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Iberis sempervirens(Candytuft)
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Lysimachia nummularia(Creeping Jenny)
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Pachysandra terminalis(Japanese Spurge)
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Sedum (Sedum)
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Vinca minor (Myrtle/Periwinkle)
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Bulbs
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Colchicum autumnale (Autumn Crocus)
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Crocus vernus (Crocus)
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Narcissus spp. (Daffodil)
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Iris reticulata (Dwarf Iris)
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Muscari armeniacum (Grape Hyacinth)
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Lilium (Lily)
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Allium aflatunense (Ornamental Onion)
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Galanthus nivalis (Snowdrop)
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Tulipa tarda (Species Tulip)
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Leucojum aestivum (Summer Snowflake)
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Tulipa (Tulip)
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Anemone blanda (Windflower)
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Fritillaria meleagris (Checkered Lily)