My Flower Garden

This is only the 2nd time since '94 that I've been blessed with some of the migrating Monarch butterflies taking a rest in my flowergarden! In '08, they stayed 3 days, rested and fed on my flower blooms, then left for warmer weather.

Late last year I watched a public tv broadcast of the monarch butterfiles. It stated that they even cross the ocean to go home each year. 'Home' is in Mexico, where there are festivals welcoming the monarch back for the winter.


Find Out What Flowers Butterflies Love With My New Page Butterfly Garden Plants

I'm very partial to the color purple, so I have many purple Clematis in my backyard flower garden.

How My Flower Garden Design Started

I bought my home 18 years ago. It had a double lot with 2 trees in the back yard, and that was IT. Here in the Midwest people don't normally landscape their yards....it seems what midwesterner's think a beautiful yard is one that is huge, no fences, and growing well manicured grass. Oops, sorry.....but I lived in Calif. for 11 years, where it's a derogatory check-mark to have an un-landscaped yard. As you can see from my photos, I've been busy filling up that once plain back yard

The first thing I did was build a dog pen around the boundary. The house points to the east, so the dog pen is on the west, north, and south boundaries of my back yard, about 15 feet wide. My 2 dogs love it, and get quite a bit of exercise running from one end to the other.

On the outside fence of the dog pen I planted pampas grass in small bunches spaced 5 feet apart. It took 2 years for the pampas grass to completely fill in, but now I have a natural border!

The next step was to create my flower garden. My son lined the inside fence of the dog pen with a row of rail-road ties, and then put another row on top of the first one.

Working inward from the rail-road ties is the flower garden, which is about 8 feet wide, and it borders the whole back yard, just like the dog pen, on the west, north, and south. The house has the whole east side, so it's kind of like I'm closed into my own little oasis.

I like my privacy, and don't want or like the feeling of people watching me!

I have built a fire pit close to the center of the yard with rocks found in the country, and thoroughly enjoy sitting out there with a fire, a beer, and my 2 dogs, planning my next project.

My taste and style for my flower garden is simple and rustic. I choose wood and wrought iron. I prefer black, but will settle for dark green, as I feel that too many colors take away the focus. I think that is a very common mistake made by many that decorate their yards with flower pots, furniture, and garden accessories. Stick to one or 2 colors for everything, that way the focus will be on the beautiful flower blooms.

This is a very early photo of my garden design. The view is from the garage door, (that little brown lip in the above diagram) looking SW.

That small little bit of flower bed nearest the fire pit is now gone, making room for my desired pond! I usually have a comfy chair next to that spool table with a bucket of ice for my refreshments.

My flower garden is my joy. It keeps me busy, it gives me exercise, and it also is my special place to just 'chill' and thank God for my life.

Flowergardener's Wisteria Flower Vine

My flowergarden contains:
spiderwort light purple-tradescantia virginiana (Trinity Flower-Christian name)
spiderwort dark purple-tradescantia virginiana (Trinity Flower-Christian name)
1 climbing pink rose - 2 climbing red roses - 1 white wild rose bush - 2 white roses - 6 miniature roses - 2 peach roses - 3 yellow roses - 4 red roses - 2 large purple mums - yellow mum - 4 wisteria vines - 7 purple clematis-jackmanii - 1 pink clematis-nelly moser - 2 russian sage - 40 red lilys-montenegro asiatic - 1 white oriental lily - 1 red oriental lily - 4 beds of various lilys - 4 tall-tall lilys - 4 variagated daylilys - white hibiscus' - pink hibiscus' - red hibiscus' - 2 pink peony bush (Pentecost Rose-Christian name) - 3 red peony bush (Pentecost Rose-Christian name) - 7 hosta, 4 varigated - 4 varieties black eyed susan-rudbeckia (Golden Jerusalem-Christian name) - 30 dark leaf canna - 3 purple salvia - 3 beds of naked ladies (amaryllis hippeastrum) - 2 mint beds - 5 tall aster beds (Mary's Star-Christian name) - small staghorn tree - honeysuckle vine-lonicera (Our Lady's Fingers-Christian name) - spirea bush - rose of sharon tree/bush-hibiscus syriacus (Jobs Tears-Christian name) - large yucca (Adam's Needle-Christian name) - 4 flowering almond bush - 10 small lilac -

7 purple german iris beds (Mary's Sword of Sorrow-Christian name)

qualitynaturalmedicine, along with approx. 10 others, are .coms I own

quince bush/tree - lilac false dragonhead-obedient plants - purple false dragonhead-obedient plants - 2 sedum - 1 red carpet sedum - 1 bleeding heart-dicentra (Mary's Heart-Christian name) - 2 weigela - 2 forsythia - 30 thuga bushes-front yard (Tree of Life-Christian name) - sweet william's-dianthus' - bee balm's - moonflowers-datura - muscari's - tulips - hyacinths - daffodils - ajuga's (St. Laurence's plant-Christian name) - crocus' (Rose of Sharon-Christian name) - black hollyhock's (St. Joseph's Staff-Christian name) - lily of the valley's - lavender's - poke weeds - morning glories - woodland wild phlox's - feathered celosia-cockscomb (Jesus' Plant-Christian name) - mallow's-malva (Virgin's Bread-Christian name) - larkspurs - ferns - liatris' - purple coneflowers - iceland? poppy's - oriental poppy's - gallardia - 2 from alabama named ?? - gooseberry bush - strawberries - asparagus - rhubarb - chives - grapes - raspberries - and variegated horseradish.

This photo was taken at the same time as the above, but is a view from the south, and inside the dog pen, looking north.

My doggies in their pen helping me trim some pampas grass plumes for decorating

Most who read this may not think too highly of my flower garden, I know; because anyone can pay a landscaper to build them a beautiful garden or team up with their spouse to build one together, but let me explain, and maybe you will be inspired to get out there and get your hands dirty too!

The only help I had with my flower garden was my son and his friends, who drove the fence posts for the dog pen, and moved the rail-road ties.

98% of the flowers and plants were free. They have to be for me, because I live on a fixed income. I can't go and buy flats of flowers.

I'm a shrewd bargainer with sharp eyes when it comes to flowers. I can spot a flower that I don't have from a mile away! I trade flowers and seeds, I dig up abandoned flowers from old homesteads or ditches, and I hit the greenhouses when they're throwing away at season's end.

Planting and maintaining my flower garden takes quite a bit longer time for me than for you, because I'm disabled.

I may 'work' for 10 minutes, and then go sit down for 15 minutes.

I'm not in a wheelchair, but my different problems cause me to either change my position frequently or render me unable to move certain ways.

Yea, I know.........everybody's got some problems, right?

Ya gotta take it all with a grain of salt; if my back doesn't hurt, (I have a cracked spine from Spondylolysis, a disintegrated (gone!) L3-4 disc; Spondylolisthesis in L3-4 (L5 is the most common); spinal stenosis, arthritis in my spine, and nerve impingement)...... my hip will from hip bursitis, if they don't hurt, invaribly one of my arthritic spots does, including ankle arthritis and both knees that were damaged from smashing into the steel dash of the '57 chevy I was driving that got involved in a fatal head-on collision. I can't walk too far from intermittent claudification (I've got P.A.D.), and I get 'wrung out', hyper, then sleepy if I have to use the asthma inhaler. There's a few more things wrong with this old 'bod of mine, but what's above should be enough to give you an idea.

I sit on the ground most of the time and just scoot where I need to go when I'm working in my flowerbeds.....really comes in handy when you're weeding, much easier on your back or knees!

I really want to put a word in here about gardening and the disabled. There are foundations that help communities build gardens that the disabled can tend and grow whatever they want. It's awesome, the gardens are built for the height of a wheelchair, and spaced wide enough for easy maneuvering.

There have been studies done that prove gardening enhances the lives of seniors, disabled, and the mentally ill.

Of course, to get the funding for your community, they require a Horticulture Therapist.

Now, major learning institutions are offering courses in Horticulture Therapy.

It is very important to give those who are not physically or mentally fit and 'normal' an opportunity in their lives..
an opportunity to nuture something,
an opportunity to learn,
an opportunity to have pride,
and an opportunity to have something to look forward to.

I can truthfully state that my life would be empty and without quality if I didn't have my flower garden and my dogs.

If you have the time, check out the link below about Horticulture Therapy.
You may be just the right person to get the ball rolling, and help the seniors, disabled, and mentally ill in your community!

Through the emails I've received, I've learned that the above information and below link is valuable and starts the 'helping' chain of thought....even if you only use it for a family member. I thank you visitors, for letting me know that I've had a small part in making a difference in another's life.

Flower Gardener's Black-Eyed Susan Blooms

The Well-Designed Mixed Garden: Building Beds and Borders with Trees, Shrubs, Perennials, Annuals, and Bulbs -Illustrated-

Description from Amazon - The Well-Designed Mixed Garden is a design book with a difference. Written for gardeners who are passionate about plants of all kinds (hence the "mixed garden" of the title), it reflects decades of professional experience and artistic innovation. As with her bestselling book The Well-Tended Perennial Garden, master designer and plantswoman Tracy DiSabato-Aust provides not only inspiration but also scrupulously organized information on design and connoisseur plants - all from original research dating back to her degree work in horticulture.

Her new offering is a master class of design fundamentals, with an emphasis on often-neglected topics, such as site evaluation, color theory, and planning for maintenance. It is also a gallery of detailed design plans that show how ideas are put onto paper and then translated into three dimensions. Lessons learned in its first two parts are strengthened in an "Encyclopedia of Plant Combinations"; each entry notes the design considerations at play and provides tips on how to keep the combination looking its best. And the lifetime care needs and unique design characteristics of featured plants are summarized in the useful charts and lists that conclude the book. The result is a nearly foolproof guide to every aspect of designing superior gardens with superior plants. With more than 250 color photos and illustrations, this book is as much a feast for the eyes as it will be a trusted reference for the library shelf.

Big Book of Garden Designs -Bargain Priced

Description from Amazon - Whether you're starting from the ground up or rethinking your existing outdoor living areas and flower garden, you'll find plenty of inspiration in Big Book of Garden Designs.

With over 120 garden plans designed to fit every imaginable backyard landscape situation, this book will guide you through the issues that perplex anyone planning a garden such as - Which plants are appropriate for your climate? What species will give you the look you want? How much maintenance is involved?

Each plan includes a flexible planting list adaptable to your climate and personal style. For every space and every need, from entries to side yards to specialty color schemes, you'll find a multitude of options that will fulfill your gardening desires.

Features:
More than 120 garden plans, all with planting lists.
Ideas for specialty flower garden themes, including cottage gardens, color gardens, kitchen and herb gardens, and more.
Inspiring landscaping design ideas for every outdoor area, from the tiniest entryway to an expansive backyard.
Case Studies throughout offer in-depth looks at specific plans.
Designer Notebooks feature design tips and advice from a professional garden designer.

Part of the dog pen and flower garden in 2011

My Variegated Daylily Flower Bloom

My 6 year old dream of having a pond in my backyard flowergarden has started to come true!
I contracted someone to dig the pond after I spray painted on the grass the size and shape I wanted. The digging began June 1, 2010, and since that date my Iowa weather has given me record breaking amounts of rainfall, so as of today's date of July 15, 2010, I still haven't been able to put the liner in it!

August 12 update.. Poor Iowa! That's where I live. We've had record rainfall this season, and now are in the U.S. news for Ames (where Iowa State University is). The college is flooded. Ames is about a 2 hour drive north of me. The forcast predicts that the rivers will reach above their peak this Sunday in Des Moines. That is only a 45 minute drive north, and where I was born. The Des Moines river flows into the Red Rock Lake and Dam, which is very near me; although my home won't be flooded from river levels, it will continually have water in the basement (and my unfinished pond) from the constant rain and storms. Our ground is totally saturated.

Seems kinda silly for me to be concerned with finishing my pond right now.........when people have to buy drinking water, have lost the first floor and basement of their home from flooding, and when I personally have went without a hot water heater for 2 months and 2 weeks. Each time the water receeds in the basement I wonder if I should test my furnace to see if it is ruined also.........but I just don't have the heart or strength right now; besides the fact that the routine has been that in another 2 days there will be more water in the basement.

My Backyard Pond

The end result of digging my pond was 60 tons of dirt. I kept 4 tons, and it's in a pile in the middle of my backyard, growing of all things....corn! I have no idea where those stray corn seeds came from, as I haven't planted sweet corn this year.

Here the pond is half way dug, and the finished dimensions are 25x25x4

The pond is completely dug! What a mess of a backyard from the digger's tracks! The small pile in the backyard with dried stuff in it is my partially covered fire pit. The rocks of the fire pit are covered with dirt.

Still holding June & July's rain water

My pond liner is pieces of very tough material that I got FREE from my local Farmer's Co Op. They spend 30K each year to cover the farmer's harvest of corn that doesn't fit into their dryers for the winter. The pile of corn when harvest is over stands higher than a 2 story building! I've managed to get 3 large pieces of this material (1 piece was attained 3 years ago!), and in this photo, I've laid one out in the front yard to clean. The other side of the material is black, and when I put it in my pond hole, I'll place the black side up.

I wanted to be able to walk into my backyard flowergarden, step down into the pond, and just 'chill'. Being able to do that would mean digging a ledge around the pond. My ledge is 18" deep (for the back rest), with a seat of 14", making your legs dangle into the deeper parts of the pond.

I think I've dug out another 1.5 tons of dirt from the pond in the creation of the ledge.

Still Waiting For Rainwater To Receed

These photos were taken July 2, 2010, as you can see, a little mud just makes it all the more fun for my 4 year old grandson! Today, 12 days later, the rainwater has receeded to approx. 5 inches now! Woo-Hoo! Hoping the weather can hold off for another 5 days or so, and I'll be able to cut and treat the tree roots, finish the ledge, and get the liner in!

Well, it's now July 19th, and the pond is back to holding around 8 inches of rainwater. Dang it, I had about 6 dry days, and only had 1 inch of water to receed before the 17th's huge storm (which also knocked out my power for a few hours & others lost trees!). It's been raining on and off all day today, and expecting more tonight, tomorrow, wednesday, and thursday.

Making the Pond Level

I finally got to do some work on the pond from August 28-30. My yard slopes, so I wanted to make the water level in the pond look better by building up the ledges. There was a lot of clay in the dirt that I had dug out of the pond to make my seat, so it wasn't too hard to form the ledge around the pond by getting the dirt/clay wet.

I still haven't finished the complete job of making the ledges on the sides of the pond, but the most accessable parts of the pond is done. I decided I'd better get busy putting the liner in, since I was experiencing day 7 of dry weather!

Filling the Pond

I obtained a meter from my water/sewer department after I lined the pond so I could fill it without being charged for sewer usage, as it is about double what-ever my water usage is. On Sept. 3 I stopped filling the pond after 8,200 gallons, and still had about a foot to go to get to the top of the pond, so I'm guessing the pond will hold about 9,500 gallons. I stopped filling, because I wasn't yet done with the top parts of the liner.

September 5th was my birthday, and I discovered I must have some leaks in the liner at the top, as I had lost a foot of water in the pond in 2 days, but I didn't care. After working on the pond for 10 straight days I was too exausted to worry about leaks, and just wanted to enjoy chillin' in my backyard and let my family enjoy chillin' with me.

I'll worry about the leaks next year! Now it's the time of the season to start harvesting my flower seeds & getting my poor ignored flowerbeds into shape for next year :)

My Red Weigela Bush/Tree Flowering

It's November 21 today, all the leaves have fallen from my trees, and in 4 days it's forecasted to snow for the first time this season.

My front yard & it's flowerbeds look great & ready for the winter. The leaves in the front yard are gone, but my backyard pond and flowergarden is completely the opposite.

The arthritis, bursitis, and back pain have prevented me from preparing the pond, yard, and flowerbeds for the winter. I've really 'got my work cut out for me' when 2011 spring arrives!

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I had the 'lovely' experience in October of drunk 20-something year olds breaking through my 6 foot wire fence, climbing over the other 4 foot wire fence, trampling a part of my flowerbed, and taking a little dunk in my pond during the wee hours of the morning. I have an immature 25 year old living in his inherited house next door, that has parties every weekend.

No one, if they know what's good for them, should piss off a woman like me with an attitude and boiling point to match my red hair! I stomped over there the next morning, and again that evening. They are ALL warned. If it happens again, the police will be called & charges placed on the individuals or on the homeowner. I made them fix my fence, for what that was worth; as it was a half-assed job without tightening it. I'll have to correct that next year.

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I'm having a problem with the liner staying glued. It's come undone in 2 places. I think I'll be able to shop for a better and stronger adhesive when I go to find a waterfall pump.

April 12
There's about 1 foot of water in the pond, I spent this morning looking online for pumps, and the afternoon trying to clean out the leaves in the pond. Phew, it stinks. Managed to retrieve 3 wheelbarrows full of wet leaves before I got holes in both of my nets.

May 19
Yuk....the 2 Maple trees I have in the backyard are shedding their seeds....I call them 'whirly-gigs'. I'll have to wait until the trees are done to completely clean the pond.......then I can fill it!!

July 16 YEA!

Here's the pond filled with 3,700 gallons of water!

Not full yet, but ran out of quarters, LOL. I can fill a stock water container at my local water tower; 4 quarters per 100 gallons. My son hauled the 300 gallon stock tank through the alley, and we hooked up a hose through the fence to reach the pond.

The backyard is looking nicer......but I still have a lot of work to do! I did manage to clean & dig a new fire pit & start the rock pile for my waterfall. I patched the leaks of the liner with 'Gorilla Tape'. During the winter I was searching online for liner repair, and found tape available, but it cost $48 a roll, so I went to my local farm & home store and got the Gorilla tape for $8 a roll.

My grandchildren love playing in the pond with their tubes, floats, and little 'arms' (inflatable safety thingys that fit on the biceps).

March 26
I've decided that this year I am not going to fight the leaks in the pond liner. This week I am expecting 3 different deliveries, and am anxious to get them installed. I bought a brand new pond liner that's 36'x36', a waterfall pump, and a net cover for the pond :-D Yea! No more digging/scooping fallen leaves out of the water! I think I'll use my sump pump to remove the 1.5 foot of water out of the pond, clean the liner, & put the new liner right on top of the old one.

My Front Yard Flower Bed Of Purple Coneflower and Black-Eyed Susan Flowers

Faith in God, and God's blessings.........that's how my flower garden grows.

Yes, I believe in God. Most of society would label that belief as being a 'Christian'. Most of society enjoys putting labels, categorizing, and then filing away into their thought processes and memory the perceived classification that many times contains misconceptions.

Man's Religion has failed me many times.

Man's Many Sectors of Churches have failed me many times.

My faith in God, His Holy Word, and the Holy Spirit have never failed me.

God's Word / The Bible and the Holy Spirit are my teachers, preachers, pastor, and Father.....not man.

This image was designed for me by my Aunt Kathy in Florida in the year of 2001 for one of my websites :)

My 3 Crosses Garden Decor stands around 7 feet tall when it's securely in the ground, and can be used as a flower-pot holder, with a flower-pot on each scroll end, and one in the middle below the crosses. I have used it like that, but now I'm growing a vine on it. It is hand-crafted and made of steel.

My friend and next door neighbor passed away a few years ago. We were great flower gardening buddies, trading plants, tips, and flower seeds. His family gave me permission to dig up anything and everything I would like of his flowers, so 1 of my choices was the yellow tiger lily bulbs that grew about 5 feet tall. I had never seen anything like them before with their blooms pointing downward like an umbrella.

Besides being a special memory each year when they bloom, these yellow tiger lillies are rare. I didn't know that until I started searching online for their name! (which is Lilium lancifolium var flaviflorum) Some call my yellow lillies a 'Tree Lily' because they're huge! As you can see in the above pictures, the very tallest one's are over 8 feet tall. I believe the height of the plant coincides with the age of the lily bulb.

I've discovered that they also multiply, and each year I see 4-5 more babies break through the ground and start their journey upwards. They're planted in a spot I wasn't too happy or sure about, because it's partly in shade and has clay in the soil....but I think they like it there next to the rhododendrons, wisteria, and rose bush.

The magnolia tree isn't actually my tree. I've been lusting after it for as many years as I've owned my home, (18 years) as it sits right across the street in front of my home.

I've watched 6 families move into and out of the house across the street with the magnolia. None of them treasured it, or cared for it, as it does get messy after the flowers drop. I've even seen it cut down to a stump! I think I've tried 3 different times to propagate it, unsuccessfully :(

Ha-ha-ha!!! Oct. '08 update.........Got me some more seeds this year from the Magnolia tree! I think I have a great chance this time! Found out I had to let them soak to remove the red outer shell and pulp.....they finally revealed hard black seeds! Yea-Whoo!

March '10 update.........I still haven't taken the time to nuture those magnolia seeds, but I'm not too worried about it, as with today's economy, both of the houses across the street from me have gone into foreclosure. This is a really small town I live in, so I don't foresee anyone trying to purchase the properties.

Sept. '10 update........Looks like I'll have to dig those seeds out of my huge stash of various seeds I collect! The house with the Magnolia has been bought.

May, '11 update.........The seeds are planted! I'm anxiously waiting to see a few sprouts :)

The Ever Blooming Garden is a proven blueprint system of planning your flower garden to bloom all season. Author Lee Schneller developed her blueprint system when she began designing gardens professionally, and she has successfully applied it to more than 150 gardens in Maine since 1995.

FlowerGardeners of every level should find the techniques simple to use and blueprints fun to customize. You can choose from a list of 220 low-maintenance plants - with their images - organized by bloom month and supported by a flower catalog with basic growing information.

The Flower Gardener's Bible: Time-Tested Techniques, Creative Designs, and Perfect Plants for Colorful Gardens

This wonderful book is written with wit and authority by Lewis and Nancy Hill, who share both their joy in growing flowers and more than 75 years of combined experience.

This book covers every facet of growing perennials, annuals, bulbs, wildflowers, small trees, vines, and shrubs for season-long color and beauty.

It is organized in three sections, and the first focuses on the basics - choosing the right varieties for your zone and type of garden, and planning and planting for maximum impact.

The second section presents plans for 25 distinctively themed gardens.

The third section is a photographic encyclopedia of more than 400 species includes detailed descriptions of each plant - garden uses, susceptibility to pests and diseases, propagation methods, and more.

The Flower Gardener's Bible is illustrated throughout with more than 500 full-color photographs that are joyously informal, and charming in their simplicity.

Dozens of charts group plants by bloom time, height, color, affinity to shade, specific soil and sun needs, appeal to birds and butterflies, and more.

Flower Gardener's Pink/Red Rhododendron Flowers

Flowers always make people better, happier, and more helpful; they are sunshine, food and medicine for the soul Luther Burbank

He who owns a garden, however small it be, whose hands have planted in it flower bush or tree; who watches patiently from nutured, who thrills a newly opened bloom is very close to God Katherine Edelman

We were born to die and we die to live. As seedlings of God, we barely blossom on earth; we fully flower in heaven Russell M. Nelson

Where flowers bloom so does hope Lady Bird Johnson

Flowers are the sweetest things God ever made and forgot to put a soul into Henry Ward Beecher

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers Claude Monet

The Amen! of nature is always a flower Oliver Wendell Holmes

Flower Gardener's Bleeding Heart Blooms

Flowers are not made by singing "oh how beautiful," and sitting in the shade Rudyard Kipling

He who is born with a silver spoon in his mouth is generally considered a fortunate person, but his good fortune is small compared to that of the happy mortal who enters this world with a passion for flowers in his soul Celia Thaxter

In friendship's fragrant garden, there are flowers of every hue, each with it's own fair beauty and it's gift of joy for you Friendship's Garden

Your mind is a garden, your thoughts are the seeds, the harvest can be either flowers or weeds author unknown

All the flowers of all the tomorrows are in the seeds of today Indian Proverb

Flowers are restful to look at. They have neither emotions nor conflicts Sigmund Freud

If it's rare, we want it. If it's tiny and impossible to grow, we've got to have it. If it's brown, looks dead, and has black flowers, we'll kill for it Ken Druse

Your talent is Gods gift to you. What you do with it is your gift back to God Leo Buscaglia

The best place to seek God is in a garden. You can dig for him there George Bernard Shaw

Kind hearts are the garden; kind thoughts are the roots, kind words are the blossoms, kind deeds are the fruits author unknown

Garden: one of a vast number of free outdoor restaurants operated by charity-minded amateurs in an effort to provide healthful, balanced meals for insects, birds and animals Henry Beard and Roy McKie

The Lord planted a garden in the first white days of the world, and He set there an angel warden in a garment of light enfurled. The kiss of a sun for pardon, the song of the bird for mirth, one is nearer Gods heart in a garden than anywhere else on earth Dorothy Frances Gurney

Oh, Adam was a gardener, and God who made him sees, that half a proper gardeners work is done upon his knees, so when your work is finished, you can wash your hands and pray......for the glory of the garden, that it may not pass away Rudyard Kipling

When all the chores are done, the avid gardener will invent some new ones Anon

My Pink Lily After A Rain

Gardening is a way of showing that you believe in tomorrow author unknown

Half the interest of a garden is the constant exercise of the imagination Alice Morse Earle

Gardening is ultimately a folly whose goal is to provide delight Deborah Needleman

The great challenge for the garden designer is not to make the garden look natural, but to make the garden so that the people in it will feel natural Lawrence Halprin

Gardening is about enjoying the smell of things growing in the soil, getting dirty without feeling guilty, and generally taking the time to soak up a little peace and serenity Lindley Karstens

When the world wearies, and society ceases to satisfy, there is always the garden author unknown

Living Nature, not dull art shall plan my ways and rule my heart John Henry Cardinal Newman

Close Up View Of My Honeysuckle Blooms

Gardening adds years to your life and life to your years author unknown

There are no gardening mistakes, only experiments Janet Kilburn Phillips

Advice on dandelions: if you can't beat them, eat them Dr. James Duke

My green thumb came only as a result of the mistakes I made while learning to see things from the plant's point of view H. Fred Ale

Tickle the earth with a hoe, it will laugh a harvest unknown

Flowergardener's Dark Purple Morning Glory Bloom

Pink Flowers

Free Red Rose Images

Tulip Flower Bulbs

White Flowers

Daffodil Flower Bulbs

Crocus Flower Bulbs

Flowers For Shade

Butterfly Garden Plants

If you'd like to try your hands (and get them dirty!) at flowergardening, I've created 3 websites to help you pick out beautiful flowers a very simple way...........by color :)

You may want to also check out my favorite Nursery's Spring Flower Bulbs and Perennials

Original Comment:
I found your Iowa Christian fl. page. Enjoyed it so much I had to tell you. It's great! Been looking for a flower garden that represents a specific prayer ex., "Our father who art in heaven" represented by "star" shaped flowers etc.-looking at them prompts prayer. Ever seen that? I'd buy plans. Sally in KY

Original Comment:
Had trouble finding your page again but now it is bookmarked. Which URL? you have a complex site.I know zip about plants so I couldn't contribute much. Tried Victorian language of flowers for ideas. heather for praise Bellflower for Thanksgiving, grass for confession. No idea if they will grow tog. Sally in KY

Original Reply:
Hi Sally! I'm so glad you found me here! No, I haven't heard of a flower garden plan to represent a prayer, but if you want, I can research a list of star shaped flowers for you. Maybe we can put our creative minds together and work out a garden plan? I could list them on the Ia. website for you. Flowergardener

July '07:
Well Sally, I did some diggin' for ya. I tried to choose some flowers that you can grow in KY., and that weren't too hard to keep living! I've got a daughter in law that kills everything I give her. I'll just comment to you the same thing I say to her.."Don't worry about it, you'll get better with experience." One of my favorite quotes is "There are no mistakes in a garden,.....only experiments."

I really do have to get to that website and fix it. Half of the links aren't working to order the flowers. I agree with you, it's complex alright, and it was harder than heck to build. update April '09, That website of mine I refer to has now been deleted, but one day I may resurrect the free ebook I created of over 300 christian named flowers, and offer it here! :)

I still don't understand the significance of 'star' shaped flowers, but my spirit tells me that it would be much easier to have a prayer flower garden that would envoke prayers, by using flowers and plants that actually do have Christian names.

The flowers and plants on that website have been fully researched, beginning with horticultural recordings in 1591. There's actually around 600 flowers and plants that have Christian names, but with our so-called technology, or superior knowledge, or what ever you want to call it, THE people with the power have decided to use other names for the same flowers, and most of society doesn't know that the flower had a Christian name to begin with.

Those 1591 recordings documented the Marian and other religious names of plants with source quotes from botanical books in Latin, Gallic (French), German etc. - giving testimony that these names were widely found in medieval oral traditions as the 'then' common names of these plants and flowers. Some of the flowers were documented with 2 Christian names, and I believe you could use which ever one you prefer.

The biggest and most important tip I can give you is to choose the flowers that invoke a nudge from your spirit, and then get, or make, a name tag for that flower, and put it's Christian name on it, and place it near the flower. That way you will get used to referring to it by it's Christian name.

There's one plant that I could NOT find a current resource for, but I really want to include it. The picture is above, and it's Christian name is 'Heart Of Jesus'. The botanical name is Caladium, from the family of Araceae (Arum). Floradata actually correctly names it, but they also call it 'Angels Wings'. I will find a resource for you.

Jesus' Plant is an annual flower, Height: 4 to 36 inches. Width: 4 to 18 inches. Flower Colors: white, pink, and vivid shades of yellow, red, and orange. Bloom Time: summer-fall. Plumed forms are loose and feathery, while crested types produce tightly-clustered, fanlike flower heads that resemble a rooster's comb. That's why most people refer to them as 'Cockscomb'. Available in dwarf, medium, and tall sizes, Smaller varieties can be used as edgings. Foliage is generally glossy light green with some varieties producing variegated or purple leaves. The link on my web is outdated, but you can get this plant at any garden center by looking for 'Cockscomb'. I've got a picture of mine up above, it's the feathered type.

I would choose Mary's Tears for the back of a oblong flowerbed or center of a circle flowerbed because they're tall. Their common name is 'Delphinium'. They are in shades of blue, and you can see them HERE

Twelve Apostles and/or Ladder to Heaven are what is now called 'gladiolius'. They're tall also, and you can get them at any garden center as bulbs. I would choose colors to enhance the mostly blues and reds of the flowers in this listing, so maybe choose white or yellow?

The Pentecost Rose is a 'Peony'! Or, if you're looking to purchase one, ask for 'Paeonia'. Perennial Bush, USDA Zones: 2 - 8 Light: sun, Zones 2 to 6; partial shade in warmer regions. Height: 1 1/2 to 5 feet, Width: 2 to 4 feet Flower Colors: shades of white, red, yellow, pink; and bi-colors. Bloom Time: late spring-summer. You can see pictures of my peony Pentecost Roses above. I've got a pink bush and a red bush.

The Trinity Flower is available in a cool hot pinkish color and dark purple. I've got both pictures above. The common name is 'Spiderwort'. USDA Zones: 4-10 Frost Tolerance: Hardy to 32°F (0°C). Sun Exposure: Part shade to full shade, but will tolerate full sun. My dark purple is in full sun, and the hot pinkish is in the shade. Both do well. Perennial, clump forming, 1.5 to 3 feet tall, 1 to 1.5 feet spread; dark green leaves, up to 18 inches long, 1 inch wide. Self-sows if the conditions are right, and can be invasive. You can find them HERE
Arrow down, and look for 'spiderwort virginia'. Sorry, that page doesn't show a picture.

The Holy Trinity Plant is a shrub-like perennial that grows with clusters of 1" orange tubular blooms in the summertime. The botanical name is 'justicia spicigera'. Grows in full sun to light shade, to 3'H x 3'W. It will only withstand a minimum temp. of 45F. You can find them HERE.

Christ's Eye is HERE. The botanical name is 'Coreopsis tinctoria', arrow down on this page, and you'll have 2 choices, 'Coreopsis tinctoria Mahagony Midget', or 'Coreopsis tinctoria quills and thrills mixed'. I'd choose the Mahagony Midget, it's only 12", especially since you have a lot of tall flowers in this list.

This one I've been wanting for a long time. Crown of Thorns This is the thorn most believe to be the thorn which our Lord wore. The search for Jesus' crown of thorns has led to two shrubs known as 'christthorn'. The 'Ziziphus spina-christ', and the 'Paliurus spina-christi'. The 'Ziziphus spina-christ' is a tree. I found the 'Paliurus spina-christi' at Forest Farms. Forest Farm calls it 'Jerusalem Thorn', but it is the right botanical name. They offer it in a 'tube', which is a shipping package to hold a starter plant. It will eventually grow into a shrub. The shrubs' long, sharp thorns are curved and cause festering sores. The significance of the crown was its cruel, painful results. The symbolism of a king, rejected and mocked, emphasizes His love for even those who scorned Him.

The last in my list for you is the Flower of the Cross I don't have this one either, darn it. Otherwise known as the 'passion flower', with a botanical name of 'Passiflora caerulea'. It's an evergreen perennial vine, USDA Zones: 8 - 10, Height: 15 to 30 feet, Width: 5 to 6 feet. You get a fascinating mix of blue, pink, and white bi-colors, and you've just got to click this link to see this beauty! Flower Of The Cross.

My Pink Peony Flowers

I received an email notifying me I had a comment to approve for this page. I DID approve it, but it looks like Squidoo must be having a few bugs, as the comment didn't transfer. I'm so sorry, but the email doesn't tell me 'Who' the commenter was, and as soon as I approve comments, they disappear from my list.

Original message:
Some time ago I saw on your website a list of flowers with their given names matched to their Biblical name. (At least I think it was yours.) I'm a writer and one of my characters was going to be a gardner who talked of her Biblically named flowers. These are the 3 I remember: Black Eyed Susan is Golden Jerusalem. Honeysuckle is Our Ladyâ?Ts Fingers. Purple Iris is Swords of Sorrow. I'd appreciate a list of others if you have any. Thanks in advance.

Yes! I am the person that created iamgodsdaughter.com in '04 with an ebook available listing Biblical Named Flowers and Plants. Since then I've blown up 2 computers, but fortunately I burned a cd and saved the simple little ebook that listed all the flowers with their Biblical names.

I cannot for the life of me find the larger ebook I created that had pictures of each plant, it's growing instructions, and a link to purchase it :( ...........but at least I can give you what I have!

Just click the Biblical Garden Plants book image. It's a binary file, that you can save on your desktop. When you've saved it, you'll see a small ebook icon. Double click to open it.

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So it's kind of like my 'home' page, and very close to my heart, as I let you see pieces of my personality. I created this page on the first day I joined, June 9th, '07, which also happens to be my deceased Father's birthday. I've been tickled 'purple' with the comments I've received below, and the achievements this page has attained within Squidoo! At one time, it was ranked at #5 from a pool 500,000 lenses (pages).

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