Grandma's Flower Gardening Tips - Eva Varga

Is there a better way to spend Mother’s Day than at Grandma’s gardening and exploring her flower beds? We live in a rental and do not have a garden of our own – not yet anyway. To get our gardening fix, we thereby made an excursion to Grandma’s where the flowers rival the botanical gardens. She always puts us to work when we visit and we gladly dig in.

After our visit, we always walk away with the dirt beneath our finger nails, grass stains smudged on our knees, and a passion for and greater understanding of flowers. Today, I’d love to share with you Grandma’s flower gardening tips.

1. Use good soil. You want a rich, dark soil that when grasped in your hand and squeezed, will hold together to some extent. Top soil (for garden and flower beds) or potting soil (for pots).

2. Plant in an area according to the preferences indicated on the tag (in the shade, full sun, or partially sunny).

3. Water consistently. The soil should be moist about an inch down.

4. Use rabbit pellets or steer manure for fertilizer once or twice a year, applying in the fall or early spring.

5. Plant when it is cool (early morning or evening). If it is too warm, the roots will dry too quickly and stress the plant. Any water added will evaporate almost as quickly as it is added.

Submitted to the Outdoor Hour Challenge at the Handbook of Nature Study.