Prairies have a beauty that makes them stand out. They are full are native plants and different types of grasses. A variety of flowers are found in prairies that can adapt to different types of soil and climates variations. This makes what is called a prairie flowers an asset for difficult or unique growing conditions.

Prairies are also located all over the United States and are divided into three categories; dry, mesic (medium) and wet. These categories are based on the soil moisture available to the plants within the prairie. Many people also refer to Prairie flowers as wild flowers.

There are many types of Prairie Flowers and for more information and varieties check out Prairie Flowers.

Here are three varieties I use in my natural areas. I chose them for their ease in growing and for butterflies or crafting uses.

Butterfly milkweed, also known as butterfly weed and coral weed, is a perennial plant that can grow up to 3 feet tall. This plant is one of my favorite plants to grow. It attracts the monarch butterfly and has many herbal uses and can used in dried arrangement and fro crafting.

These plants can looks somewhat shrubby and bushy. Its leaves are dark green, 2 to 4 inches long and ¼ to 1 inch wide. The flowers are red-orange, orange and sometimes yellow. Butterfly milkweed will bloom from June to August and prefers full sun. It will also tolerate partial shade. It grows well in sandy, well-drained soils and rocky limestone prairies. In my zone 5 climate I grow it in rocky soil where other plants will not grow as well.

Being a taller plant I use it my garden areas in the back with other wildflowers in the front.

The USDA hardiness zones for butterfly milkweed are 4 through 10.

The Indian paintbrush is also known as painted cup and Indian blanket. It is a short plant that only grows up to 18 inches tall. The plant has hairy stems, and the greenish-yellow flowers are hardly noticeable. This plant has a bright red – orange bloom that appears in April through June. The bloom may also be yellow.

Indian paintbrush prefers full sun and only slight shade. Soil conditions should be mostly dry, but this plant can tolerate partially moist soils. This is another plant I grow in rocky soil.

The USDA hardiness zones are 3 through 10.

The yellow prairie coneflower is a perennial that will grow up to 3 feet tall. The daisy-like flowers are yellow and have a brown center. These flowers will return each spring from the same roots and will bloom the second spring from seed. The yellow prairie coneflower prefers full sun and nonacid, dry soil. I have grown this plant both from seed and from a transplant.

It is native to the plains regions, but can grow in all regions. Its USDA hardiness zones are 3 through 9.

The purple coneflower is a stunning perennial flower with herbal uses and makes a perfect garden accent flower. Once started it is easy to grow and low in maintenance. It is used both as prairie flower and in many flower gardens. It’s one of my favorite flowers.

One last favorite for prairie gardens is the Shooting star. It is also called prairie pointers and American Sweet coneflower. Growing to a height of 6 foot, if planted in moist soil, it makes a great background plant or flower for a fence.

Adding a prairie garden to the backyard oasis will give you that open feel and will also be a benefit if you have an area that has soil that other plants do not thrive in. You will also attract butterflies and other beneficial insect to your garden areas.

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While looking for gardening ideas I found a different gardening technique I had not heard for before. It’s a rather unique garden structure that looks like it would work well in small garden areas or a backyard that has certain uses if different areas of the yard.

photo credit: Cait Vaughn

The following you tube shows this garden and how it was laid out.

I see a lot of different uses for this style of gardening and think I may have to add a garden design like this just to try it out and see how it works.

There were also some nice tips for garden layout, planting certain vegetables, herbs and flowers and why certain plants were planted where they were.

Technorati Tags: backyard gardens, flowers, garden tips, gardening, herbs, vegetables

These are a few tips that will help you create a new flower garden area. Using a few tips to get the flowerbed started properly will help create a successful and easy to care for garden.

photo credit: bortescristian

Direct sun flower gardens

For example, if your flowerbed is in direct sunlight for the majority of the day, you will want to choose hardy, heat-resistant plants. Some of the better choices for full sun are marigolds, zinnias and petunias.

Choose a variety of heat-resistant plants, as some of these full-sun varieties are prone to diseases, especially marigolds. Your garden center will be able to help you choose the proper plants. You will want several types of flowers in your flowerbed not only for contrast and interest, but in the event that one variety does poorly or becomes diseased, you can simply pull the plants (roots and all) and cultivate your remaining varieties.

Keep in mind that if any of your plants are diseased, you should pull them immediately. This prevents the sick plant spreading the disease to your other plants or the soil. A new plant can always be added to fill in an empty space in a garden. I keep a few extra plants on hand in a hold garden or container garden for just such an emergency.

Also consider using what many refer to as “naturalizing flowers”. These are wild flowers that are natural to your area. In my zone daisies and black-eyed Susan’s are two plants that hold up well to heat and almost any weather condition.

One other consideration for a garden located in direct sun. Locate the garden  near a source of water. Gardens in full sun will require more water. The use of a mulch in a direct sunlight garden will also help with moisture retention.

Partial to full shade gardens

For areas that are in partial to full shade, consider impatiens, begonias, and vinca. These flowers come in a variety of colors and grow quite well in shady areas. In choosing the colors for your flowering plants, remember that red colors make the plant seem closer and larger, while blue will give the illusion of smallness and distance. And pastel colors seem to blend a garden area together.

Planting a single color of flowers will draw more attention to your flowerbed. Moonlight theme gardens are often flower gardens that are all in white or silver colors. Moonlight gardens are stunning at night and really make a statement if night lighting is used to accent the garden, garden art and walkways.

If you want several colors in your garden design make sure the flowers compliment one another. Purple goes well with pink and white will blend in nicely with any other color. Also, red goes very well with violet as odd as this may seem. Silver plants and foliage accent other plants and bring out color.

Flowerbeds need not be large to create a wonderful focal point in your backyard or patio area. They just need a little planning and hopefully easy to maintain plants. After all you want to be able to enjoy your gardens.

Technorati Tags: create a new flower bed, flower garden tips, flowers, landscaping, naturalizing flowers, successful flower garden

photo credit: lissalou66

There are several advantages to wildflower gardens.

• They have a delicate beauty and seem to fit into any landscape.
• Once established wildflowers are easy to maintain and use less water, a plus in areas that suffer from droughts.
• They seem to adapt to whatever weather conditions that you have even if your summer is cold, damp or too dry.
• Wildflowers are usually flowers native to the area and they grow strong with little insect or diseases.
• Bird love wildflowers and will provide entertainment with their activity.

Planting wildflowers is also good for the environment and for wildlife. Wildflowers feed the birds naturally and will provide safe cover for rabbits and chipmunks.

Perennial wildflowers will come back year after year and provide an easy way to have a beautiful garden of flowers with less work and expense. Add rocks to the garden area or old root pieces and you have a rustic look that will add peace and tranquility to a section of your backyard oasis.  I like to tuck wildflowers in small corners that are usually overlooked.
photo credit: DTraveler

When planting your wildflower garden, make sure all weeds are out of the garden area you have selected. This will give you wildflowers a better chance of establishing themselves.

You can purchase wildflower seeds at a gardening store or nursery. You might even be able to gather some yourself to use the following year or ask friends who collect seeds if they any extra wildflowers seeds.

I try to pick seeds that are perennial flowers. Your garden will take less work with perennial wildflowers and will save you money and time.

And make sure you buy enough seeds to cover the area of land you wish to use. The seed packets will give you this information or ask an employee for advice. And in many stores you can get the roll out mats with seeds embedded in the mat. I have used these and they work very well.

How to plant a wildflower garden

Prepare the soil by loosening it with a rake or shovel. I add compost to ensure it is rich soil that will help flowers to grow well for years to come. And make sure all weeds and weed roots have been removed for the soil.

Loosen the soil again on the day you plan to plant the flower seeds. Dig a small hole, and drop in one or two seeds for wildflowers. Continue this process until the area is planted. I like to sprinkle some seeds about the area and then use the rake to mix them into the soil. You get a more natural look using this method.

Water the seeds frequently. Keep the area lightly moist until seedlings appear. This is usually a week or 10 days. You may wish to add a protective border around the area where you have planted seeds to protect you newly planted wildflower garden from children and pets.

Wildflower gardens are beautiful and once they start to grow you will be able to enjoy their color and fragrance for many years to come.

Technorati Tags: Backyard Garden, backyard oasis, flowers, wildflower garden

When you set out to landscape your back and front yard, you should take all the elements into consideration.
photo credit: TheLawleys

Your overall year round climate will determine what type of landscape will work well and flourish. You will have to think about whether you live in a windy place, a hot climate, a rainy place, or a dry one and then figure out what to plant. When you construct the right type of area in combination with planting the right kind of plants, you will have a garden area that looks spectacular.

Any landscaper should know a thing or two about the flora and fauna of the area and what type of soil is in the ground. Plants perform differently in different types of soil and some research should be done to find out what might work best.

You have to take into consideration the pest that might be a problem as well as the weather conditions. After you think about all those things, then it is time to plan how everything will be put together.

Designing a garden will allow you to pick from a wide spectrum of colors, shapes and sizes of plants and flowers. There are plants that have purple, yellow, blue, pink, and red colors and of course there are also vines and shrubs that have all sorts of looks.

You will also need to decide whither you want your trees and plants to be evergreens where they always stay green or whether you want ones that lose their leave at winter time.

Plants and trees can be chosen for functionality as well as looks. Big shrubs and trees can help shade a house from the sun during the summer and hedges can be grown that serve to provide privacy.

Natural walls built of plants and shrubs always seems to look better than a wood fence that will grow old and worn looking over time.

For backyard landscaping, lots of other ideas come to mind. Front yards are often designed to be pretty while backyards get more use from kids and pets. If you have a young family with children, your backyard will be a private place where they can play in the grass and throw a ball around.

You will want to make sure you keep enough free space for those activities while surrounding the yard on the edges with pretty plants. Landscaping for an older couple with no children might be completely different, as you might want a stream or some type of running water in place of the play area.

Backyard landscaping ideas will be different for every person and every couple depending on their needs at that moment in time.

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