Sunflower Wallpaper

Some folk see a Sunflower as a flower. Others, see it as a vegetable. It is, of course, both a beautiful flower, and a great vegetable! Healthy, nutritious and attractive, Sunflowers have it all. That is probably why sunflowers have spread from their native home in North America, and are now grown around the world!
As homeowners, we adorn our yards and gardens with our choice of dozens of sizes and varieties. We use it to attract birds to our homes. We also enjoy eating the seeds. They are high in protein. Sunflowers are popular as a cooking oil, too.

Sunflowers are also great for kids. The seeds are big and easy to handle, and they require minimal attention. Kids like to grow big things, so a sunflower fits the bill. The end product is not only eye appealing, but makes a great snack. We put Sunflowers, along with pumpkins, as the top two plants for kids to grow.

Varieties of Sunflowers:
There are many types of sunflowers. And, gardeners like to grow a wide variety of them. Sunflowers are basically separated by size. The giant varieties grow over ten feet. Regular sunflowers typically grow from six to ten feet. Miniatures are gaining in popularity as borders. They are very popular in Asia, and grow two to four feet.
Some varieties of sunflowers have one big head or flower. They are usually the giant sunflower varieties. Other large headed varieties, have a few much smaller heads that form on lower branches. Some varieties have multiple heads. These are typically mid sized sunflowers, and are perfect for flower gardens in attracting birds.

Sunflower seeds are usually a dark brown to black, or large, grey and white striped. The latter is the most popular for eating due, to their large size. Don't worry over selection. The birds will eat ample quantities of both, and so will you. Whether you are feeding the wildlife or not, there are plenty of wildlife that enjoy sunflower. They include all sorts of birds of course, squirrels, and rodents.
Giant Sunflowers - Many people find growing these to be addicting. A giant sunflower can be either a very tall plant, or an enormous flowerhead.
Tithonia, or Mexican Sunflower- Grow 4-6 feet tall, with daisy-like flowers. Blooms summer to fall.If you have a pet hamster,mouse, gerbil or bird, adding a few sunflower seeds in their diet as a nice treat.
The sunflower is indeed a remarkable flower. It's brilliant colors, it's towering height; they exude a sense of cheer and a reminder of summer. This page is dedicated to the enjoyment of their wonderful blooms.
You'll find sunflower pictures to enjoy, and to purchase if you wish, as well as some tidbits to help you enjoy them in your own yard or home. Take a look around the page and your day may be better for it!

Flower To Choose To Plant In Your Hanging Basket

Hanging baskets containing flowers are always considered as best way to decorate your garden or patio. They not only add colors and fragrance but also give an elegant look to your outdoor parties. If you also want to decorate your garden or terrace with hanging baskets then you will have to choose flowers which all have same growth requirements so that it may become easier for you to take care of these flowers. Here I am providing you a list of flowers which you can choose to plant in your hanging basket.
Scaevola
It is an annual self-cleaning plant and produces flowers in different attractive colors and varieties including New Wonder and Purple Fan. These fan-shaped flowers are purple in color. These flowers are best for hanging baskets as they grow only 12 to 18 inches long. Moreover they can grow well in all conditions including full sun, partial sun and shade.
Calibrachoa
These flowers are considered ideal for hanging baskets as they trail over the edges of baskets and can hang up to three feet below basket. It is very easy to take care of these flowers because they shed their dead flowers themselves so there is no need to prune them. These annual flowers are also called million bells and they come in different colors like yellow, orange, violet and bluish-orange. They require full sun to grow and hence do well in summer.
Lobelia
These are tiny white flowers having a splash of navy blue. Trailing habits of these flowers make them ideal for hanging baskets for decorating patios and gardens as well. They are very easy to grow and have a long flowering period. These are also summer flowers as their growing period continues from June to October.
Trailing Sweet Pea
I personally like these flowers for their sweet fragrance. These flowers grow in smaller baskets because they manage to grow 7 inches only. Although they also grow best in summer, they continue to grow in winter also and produce flowers in colors like pinks, whites and purples. As far as growth and care requirements are concerned, these flowers need to be pruned when they are spent in order to encourage new blooms.
Begonia
Most suitable varieties of begonia that grow best in hanging baskets include Fragrant Cascading, Trailing Peach Melba, Fireball Cascading and Lemondrops. Begonias are found in colors including yellow, peachy pink, orange yellow and yellow.

Tropical Orchids Are Actually Uncommon Pants

Tropical orchids are actually uncommon plants whose structure distinguishes them from other plants. Tropical orchids are actually ornamental plants that are considered hard to care of. But you can make the process of taking care of orchids easy if you try to understand their nutritional requirements and habitat. Here I am going to provide you with some basic instructions that will help you take care of tropical orchids:
Most common tropical orchids are usually Dendrobiums, Cattleyas, Oncidiums and Vandas. Some of the species belonging to the above types are terrestrial but you will find that the majority of these are either epiphytic or lithophytic. Here I feel necessary to describe that epiphytic grow on tress while lithophytic grow on rocks while terrestrial grow on normal soil. Taking care of terrestrial tropical orchids is easy but to take care of epiphytic and lithophytic orchids is difficult. Most of these plants come from damp tropical rainforests of Asia, Australia and South America. You will have to keep in mind the natural habitats of tropical orchids before making a plan of their proper care.
Tropical orchids need bright light but too much exposure to sunlight may be harmful for them. Tropical orchids mostly grow under the shade of trees in rainforests so they don’t like direct sunlight. Vanda orchids require strong sunlight because they have small leaves. They can tolerate south-facing exposure with 30% shade while Dendrobiums, Cattleyas and Oncidiums require shadier conditions or morning sun.
Water and humidity is also required by tropical orchids but you should avoid wet conditions. Orchids like high humidity but they don’t want to be constantly wet. The ideal humidity level for tropical orchids is 50 to 75%. The best time to water tropical orchids is when you feel that the soil or growing medium has become dry. Only Vanda orchids require a humidity level up to 80% but other epiphytic and lithophytic orchids like to be dry in between watering. If you will leave your tropical orchids constantly soaked, it will be harmful for them as roots will rot and plants will suffer from various fungal diseases.
Tropical orchids should be protected from wind chills and at the same time, they should be provided with warm temperatures. Daytime temperature should be between 75 to 90 degrees F while night temperature should be not lower than 55 degrees F. If you are expecting that temperature will drop below 50 degrees, bring your tropical orchids indoors.
Air circulation is also a basic requirement of tropical orchids. Ventilation is necessary to keep the plants roots dry. Tropical orchids naturally grow among tree branches where there is much air circulation so you will be required to provide them the same conditions. So hang orchids in well-ventilated areas keeping in mind that too mush of wind can also lead to dryness.

Flowering Plants Which Bloom Fast?

Flowering plants which bloom fast are liked by every gardener because they bring beauty and fragrance to your garden in very short time. Are you also looking for some fast growing flowering plants? If yes then you are reading the right post as I have made a list of some fast growing flowering plants.
Yellow Flag
Yellow Flag is a perennial having, of course, yellow flowers and gray-green foliage. It is an easy-to-grow plant which requires full sun and damp soil to thrive properly.
Morning Glory
It is again a perennial vine which produces bright green leaves and trumpet-shaped flowers in different colors. Flowers of morning glory bloom only in morning. Most probably, this vine is so named because of this feature. These vines may grow up to 10 feet in length and require ample sunlight and well-drained damp soil to grow.
Forsythia
It is a flowering shrub producing yellow gold-like flowers. Growing up to 10 feet high, this shrub has a fountain-like beautiful look making it ideal for your garden. Lighting requirements of this shrub include either full sun or light shade and as far as soil is concerned, it should be well-drained and have additional water.
Lavatera
Lavatera is mostly grown for its ostentatious and cup-shaped beautiful flowers. They are also fast growing plants giving excellent look to your flowerbeds. Lavatera grows in rocky and sandy soil and can also tolerate drought. Growing requirements include well-drained soil with full or partial sun.
Common Sunflower
Common sunflowers are easy-to-grow annuals which are capable of capturing butterflies and songbirds to your garden. They have heart-shaped leaves and bright yellow flowers. Growing up to 15 feet high, these plants need well-drained as well as acidic soil to grow. Other requirements include full sun and habitual watering.
That was a list of fast growing flowering plants with their growing requirements. Choose any one of these to add color to your garden quickly.

A List Of Bushes Which Produce Blue Flowers

You will find several flowering bushes and shrubs around you which produce blue flowers. Do you want to know names and details of such bushes? If yes then you are reading the right post because I have made a list of bushes which produce blue flowers.
Wedgewood Blue
Wedgewood blue is a flowering bush that is a variety of lilac bush. Although lilac refers to a color having a purple shade, blooms of this shrub are of blue color having a lavender margin on their boundaries. You need a sufficient space to grow this bush as it grows 6 feet in height 8 feet in width. Its leaves are thin and have a spade like shape. Flowers on this bush bloom in the month of May and at this time of year blooms are at their full swing.
Russian Sage
Russian sage is a perennial shrub that grows between 3 and 5 feet in height. This shrub produces light blue fragrant flowers. Found in central Asia and Russia, this flowering shrub is not only grown for its beautiful flowers but people also use these flowers as herbal remedy.
Nanho Blue
Most of the people know this shrub with the name of butterfly bush. Having more than 100 varieties, these bushes are rich in nectar so they are ideal to grow if you want to attract butterflies and hummingbirds to your garden. This bush can grow up to 10 feet and produce small flowers having indigo blue color. These flowers beautifully hang in bunches from the end of stems.
Nikko Blue Hydrangea
These bushes produce cluster of flowers with four petals. Growing up to a height of 10 feet, nikko blue produces deep azure flowers. This deep blue color depends on the acidity of soil in which this bush is grown. A highly acidic soil turns the flowers to blue color. These bushes start growing from late spring and continue growing until early fall.
That was a list of flowering shrubs which produce blue blooms. If you wish to see flowers in blue color in your garden, you can grow anyone of these.
 

Grow Orchids In Greenhouse

A greenhouse can proved to be a good and ideal place to grow many plants including orchids. Light, temperature and humidity are some of the conditions which can be maintained very easily in a greenhouse. Greenhouses are of different types and sizes so before purchasing a greenhouse, you should be sure that you understand the conditions which you are going to provide to your orchids.
Light
First element which needs special consideration is light. You will have to control light conditions in your greenhouse according to the type of orchid you have grown. For example, Cattleya orchids like sunlight while Phalaenopsis orchids require bright light but not direct sunlight. They like to be placed in west. In general, orchids should be placed in an area where they can get six hours of light but not direct sunlight.
Temperature
Since orchids are tropical plants, they need heat and humidity to thrive and both of these elements are present in a greenhouse. To make orchids bloom, you will have to make sure that temperature in greenhouse varies. Orchids will bloom only if there would be a difference of 10 degree F between day and night temperatures. For maintaining such temperatures, you need to have a thermometer in your greenhouse so that you can take readings and adjust temperature accordingly.
Humidity and Ventilation
Orchids like to stay in humid conditions but they do not like to sit in water at all. Water should not pool up in leaves or in soil as it may result in diseases like rot and fungi. Moreover orchids need good air circulation so place a fan near your plants. But fan should be kept clean to avoid spread of diseases from one plant to others.
Fertilization
Orchids need to be fertilized one time a month whether orchids are grown in gardens, greenhouses or in the house. Orchids should be fertilized by a fertilizer having equal amounts of Potassium, Nitrogen and Phosphorus.
These are some necessary requirements or conditions which need to be fulfilled to grow orchids in greenhouse. Growing orchids in greenhouse is beneficial as it allows you to grow plants throughout the year. So control above given conditions in greenhouse and have a healthy orchid greenhouse to provide you pleasure in your leisure time.