Finally A Gardenia Blooms!!

Gardenia Plants have Dark green leaves and beautiful scented flowers that range from white,cream and also yellow in color.Gardenias belong to the Coffee family.Gardenia plants like soil that is well drained, acidic and needs fertilization too. Too much water and the plant can get root rot disease.Gardenia plants like sunny climate.Pruning the plant helps in new growth case if you grow the plant  in pots or containers.However some Gardenia plant species are hard to grow.The scent of the Gardenia flowers are magnificent and last for two or three days on the plant before turning brown and gradually drying off.The flowers also turn brown if you water them so be careful while watering the plant stay away from the blooms.

                                                     New Growth of Leaves on the Plant

                                                      Side View of Gardenia Jasminoides

       

                                                               Gardenia Jasminoides

Gardenia finally bloomed

                                                 
                                             My first Gardenia blossom and it smells so sweet


                                                          Happy Gardening !!!

How to Grow and take care of Hibiscus Plants.

Hibiscus Plants have beautiful showy flowers in an array of colors like red,pink,white,orange,yellow,and many more shades of colors.The Plants belong to the mallow family.The flowers of the Red hibiscus can be used as a natural dye and they also make a refreshing drink, dried flowers can be added to pure coconut oil and heated a bit once it cools down a bit this warm oil can be used to massage you hair and scalp.Hibiscus flowers with stamens and pistils removed can also be dipped in tempura batter and then deep fried and served with a chili dipping sauce,or they can also be added to salads.Always make sure you use organically sourced flowers.White hibiscus flower paste is know to reduce mensuration cramps in women according to Ayurveda.In Hindu religion the Red Hibiscus flowers  are symbolic to Goddess Kali and Lord Ganesha and are used as offerings.

Hibiscus plants can be easily grown in Pots and Containers. Hibiscus plants love the summer sunshine and heat.And grow well in full sunlight and needs to be water in moderation.The plants are susceptible to mealy bug attacks,one way to fight them off is to is to remove the parts of the plant that have been infected by the mealy bugs and spraying a diluted mix of Listerine mouth wash and water,Then spray off with clean water,how ever i do not guarantee that this method would work all the time.I happened to buy an orange hibiscus sapling from a nursery and did not realize that the plant was already infested with mealy bugs its only when they started to show up as small white little particles after a few days on the new leaf growth that i realized what a blunder i had made by not checking the plant thoroughly before buying it.So this maybe a new lesson to learn always inspect a plant before purchasing it will help in saving  you from all the trouble later.None the less the plant is doing well now just got to keep and eye on the mealybugs just in case if I've missed out on any.

 

                                               

                                                                  Red Hibiscus Plant

Fertilization for hibiscus plants:- Hibiscus plants require some nitrogen in the soil in order to grow well,you can place little bits of dry cow-dung pats on the soil or you can also place it in the base of the pot before planting the sapling which is what i generally do.Fish emulsions are great too,you don't need to go that extra mile and follow the complete procedure involved in make fish emulsions but instead you can use the water in which you have washed and cleaned your fish.

                                                                 
                                                         Orange Double Petaled Hibiscus

Bud on the plant

Just about to bloom 

Unveiling of the beauty

Hibiscus flower in full bloom 

So if you have any tips or suggestions on growing hibiscus you can feel free to share your thoughts with me!! I'm all thumbs up for it !!Till the its happy gardening from sue.

Power of Pink in my Potted Garden.

Yes the whole world knows it that women and the color pink happen to go hand in hand ,and im no exception either.There are so many plants in the garden with pink blossoms.I am a complete sucker for plants with pink flowers.So I thought why not write a little bit about all pinkness that exists in my potted garden.



                                                             
                                                                          Balsam

Balsams are so delicate and pretty.My Balsams were grown from seeds in a plastic paint bucket,they took about three weeks to germinate.And from one single flower to the stem completely being covered in pink balsam flowers i managed to grab some pics of the transformation.And also saved the seeds so i can replant the balsams again,to add more pink in the garden.

                                                           
                                                                        Portulaca  

I managed to take of a small piece of the stem from my Moms plant,and now its thriving in the summers and is loaded with gorgeous tiny pink flowers  portulaca makes a wonderful sight in the morning.Its easy to propagate by seeds or by just placing the stems in some water and transplanting them once they root.They can be grown in hanging baskets or in pots.Here are some pics below.

Petunias

Petunias again like portulaca's can be grown in hanging baskets or pots.They need at least five hours of sunlight,and seem to love soil that is moist.My petunias were got from the nursery and within a month of planting them,they grew so vigorously and flowered.I planted different shades of pink in one single pot.

                                                                           Perwinkles

 

                                                                             
                                                                          Roses

                                                               Sweet William

  

                                                                        Pentas 

So my dear friends knowingly unknowingly ive got pink power in my potted garden.
Happy Gardening !!

DIY How To Paint Lady Bugs On river Stones

There are many fun things that you can do with river stones. Painted Stone Lady Bugs can make a great decor for you garden,you can also use them as paper weights,as a knick knack for you center table .etc .All you need are a few acrylic paints,some paint brushes and round river stones and we are in for some fun  and creativeness.

Start by selecting round river stones and give them a good wash so that you get rid of any sand or other material stuck on the stones.Dry them out either by wiping or air drying which should'nt take  long.Get together some brushes and acrylic paints in white,black and red colors.

Dip the brush in some black paint and coat all the stones with a layer of black color make sure you get the dodgy spots on the stones.Allow to dry completely before we proceed to the next step.

With the help of a brush dipped in red acrylic paint,paint an oval circle on one side of the stone.

Do the same thing on the other side of the stone making sure there is a black line between both the oval shapes.Wait for the paint to dry.

With white paint make two eyes for the lady bug,two small round circles just below the wings.Allow to dry completely.

Then with a small brush dipped in black paint make two tiny black dots in the center of the white circle,the eyes are now done.

Now the final touch on the lady bugs that  is dotting the iconic black spots on with black paint,paint small black dots all over the red wings of your lady bugs and that's it, after  the paint has dried off its time to send the lady bugs straight to the garden.And do not worry about the paint peeling of if the stones get wet cause it doesn't trust me.

 Puppytoe  posing with the lady bug.

Pumpkin does not like the lady bug!! grrrrr !!

You can create other fun bugs like honey bees,dragon flies,etc.or simply change the colors used to the colors of your choice.Simple stones turned into things of awe and beauty that liven up a dull corner in your home or garden.Happy Gardening