Can someone please help me? I'm a beginner gardener and I have a few questions:?

Question

I'm new to gardening, but I have a about 12 flower beds with a couple here and there flower pots and other things. I really like gardening/growing flowers and plants, I have a few questions: Oh, and I live in zone 5, Ontario Canada.
1: After my potted fuschia's flowers fall off, there is this green stub, that turns into a burgandy berry type thing, can I plant it
somewhere else, and will it grow? And how?
2: I planted some Fireweed wildflowers in the bush. How much will they spread and when? They are invasive.
3: I bought some seed packets of Stocks, Larkspur, and Snapdragon, but they are all perannuals. When should I grow them next year? They are annual right? Thats what it says on the packet. And someone told me they wouldn't bloom at all.
4: I bought bulbs of Gladiolis, Lillies, and about 4 other flowers all coming up in mid to late summer. When should I plant them next spring.
5: What is are some good wildflower seeds I can buy, and what flowers are in it?
Thanks so much!

Hey Tam. Thanks for your answer! You'll be getting the best answer definietly. I've never heard of a Hosta, but I will look up on them. I have a Endless Summer Hydranea too! i just planted it this spring. Its still small though. I tried to dry one of its flower in my closet in my basement but it didn't workout very well. Maybe you will have more luck. Thanks again for the great answer.

Answer 1

Wow I live between Toronto and Ottawa...Im zone 5 too and mostly I checked stuff on-line or read the packet, I planted seeds I bought from the dollar store in my planters in May and they are all just starting to flower this week.Mind you we have had a cold spell lately. Want to plant a berry thing...do it and see what happens. My snapdragon usually comes up every year but I didnt get anything this year...if you already planted your lillies...leave them where they are, maybe it was that hot spring we had...but my lilies didnt last long. Ive had no luck with wildflower seeds. The best things I have planted have been given to me by co-workers when they have had to thin out their overly healthy plants they have given me some to plant. You know they will thrive in our climate and they are free!! Hostas that were given to me last year are beautiful this year. I also planted carnations last year...and didnt get any flowers...but this year I have carnations everywhere and they are gorgeous!! The plant I was most excited about this year was endless summer hydrengea...it grows great in Ontario and blooms from spring to late fall. Flowers look great cut in the house and apparently you can dry them too...I havent tried that yet...They start white...turning pinkish and then finally blue!! Loblaws has nice flowers and I found the prices are cheaper than the local nurseries in my town.

I love gardening too...but its trial and error sometimes I think...I usually given plants a year or two and if the spot is wrong then I move them. For instance, my endless summer hydrengea is great and the flowers are lovely...but I didnt plant them in morning sun and afternoon shade...I dont know what I was thinking...and I want to move it next year so I get an even bigger plant, because apparently it can be very big!!

Answer 2

1) Berry like thing is seed pod. You will get better flowering of the plant if you snip them off. If you allow them to mature, enlarge and dry out, you will find seeds inside. You can plant them but the plant may not resemble the mother plant. Fuschia are not hardy outdoors in Ontario, if you plant them you will need to treat them like a house plant.

2) Fireweed will spread slowly in shade, it really would rather grow in sun.

3) Stocks, Larkspur and Snapdragon are annuals in Ontario. You should start the seeds indoors next March/April and they will be ready for planting outdoors in late May.

4) Glads are tender in Ontario. You plant the tubers in late May, they flower and then you dig up the tubers in late Sept and store over the winter. Most (but not all) lilies are winter hardy and can be left in the garden. Need the name of the other bulbs to offer advice.

5) Best to buy wildflower seed as individual species, not as a mix, the commercial mixes are often disappointing. Buy from a native plant specialty grower as wildflowers have special germination requirements and the specialty growers will send specific instructions. See the links below for Wildflower Farm an Acorus Restoration, two southern ont native plant seed suppliers.

Answer 3

Depending upon the discipline in which you are living, you'll be able to have extra luck with targeted forms of crops. I are living in a prime desolate tract atmosphere and feature discovered that peppers of a wide variety develop relatively good, however tomatoes want designated resorts to thrive. See when you've got a regional horticultural society that prints up a gardening consultant for that discipline. They regularly have lists of the crops which can be going to do good in which you are living. The excellent recommendation I have on gardening is construct the soil so it's irresistibly yummy for the crops. It will have to be lightened with sand if it is filled with bloodless clay, or enriched with humus whether it is too sandy, and many others. Any plant will cling on bigger in the event you create stipulations of nice happiness for it. You could have the soil established and discover out what pH it's. Some crops like evergreens want for acid soil, a few others want for alkaline soil, however so much might simply be joyful within the core. Good success! Gardening is likely one of the finest lifelong joys.

Answer 4

Another wonderful plant for zone 5 beginners is the Daylily ... costs range from $5 to quite expensive. Here's a couple of websites with TONS of pictures of them:

http://www.mariettagardens.com/Catalog/PageA1.htm

http://beulahsdaylilygarden.com/daylily_gallery/new_for_2007.htm
(check out the rest of the Daylily Gallery)

Also...be sure to check the regular on-line retailers for daylilies:

http://www.WaysideGardens.com
http://www.Brecks.com
http://www.Springhillnursery.com

But my favorite place to buy them is from Jerry Vandermeer of Dutchmill Gardens:

http://www.gardeneureka.com/DUTCH/

I've done business with him for about 5 years now and have always been VERY pleased with his stock. And ... he always throws in a "bonus" daylily just for buying from Dutchmill Gardens. If you see one of the pictures on the other sites of some daylilies you would like ... check out his price list too ... sometimes he's a tad cheaper than other folks.
(here's a picture of one of Dutchmill's daylilies, "Calgary Stampede" ... http://www.gardening-quick-n-easy.com/daylilies.html)

*~ Good luck 'n ENJOY!! ~*