Gardening for Kids!

Kid Art
Favorite Flower Combinations

Colchicum

Here are some of my favorite combinations of plants:

Bearded Iris and Yarrow:
Bearded Iris and Yarrow both can withstand poor soil, they are a perfect combination for their hardiness. Try Moonshine Yarrow (a bright yellow with defined flower heads) with a Blue variety of Bearded Iris for a striking color combination. Both are tall, give them room to grow, Moonshine spreads out and Iris should be divided every 3-4 years. Iris growers I've purchased from told me that Bearded Iris are heavy feeders, be sure to fertilize them 1-2 times a year, usually after blooming and in the Fall. The tall stalks of Bearded Iris mix well with the wide mounds of floating Yarrow flowers.
Bleeding Heart and Ferns:
Ferns and old fashioned Bleeding Heart go beautifully together, they like the same shady spots and Bleeding Heart has Fern-like foliage. Plant Bleeding Heart in front of Sword Fern, which will be a perfect background for the pink heart shaped flowers. You can lift sections of your Sword Fern, dig up the new growth shoots and replant in other areas of your garden.
Crocus and Grape Hyacinth:
Grape Hyacinth peek out in early Spring, followed closely by Crocus. The many belled tops of Grape Hyacinth and grass-like leaves compliment the rounded cups and thicker grass-like foliage of Crocus. Mix blue or purple Grape Hyacinth with white Crocus for a fresh Spring display.
Minature Daffodil and Nasturtium:
I have Yellow minature Daffodils growing through Nasturtium in a large barrel, in my Zone 9 garden, the Nasturtiums overwinter except during extreme frosts. Search out Alaska Nastursium seeds, they have white marbled through the green leaves. Help your Nasturtium prosper by collecting their seeds and planting them to increase plant and seed production. The bright green dangling leaves match well with the tiny yellow trumpets that rise above in early Spring. Add yellow Appledorn or orange-yellow Jimmy Tulips for a pretty display.
Russian Sage and Lavendar:
Place your Russian Sage in the center of a mixture of Lavendars for a heavenly scent and cloud of purple flowers that rise above the Lavendars from your Sage. Plant in full Sun. The leaves of Lavendars can be sculpted or rounded, but all provide interesting foliage and garden perfume.
Thyme and Heather:
Plant Wooly Thyme around your Heath and Heather beds. The Wooly Thyme acts as a warm mulch close to the base of your plants. They cascade over raised beds and form thick green mats of leaves to act as a natural mulch and accentuate the wonderfully sculptured leaves and beautiful bell flowers of Heath and Heathers.



Kid Art by Katie


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Copyright © 1998 by D. Goetsch, Gardening for Kids