Do you know the basics of gardening? Before you don your gardening garb and head out to the front/backyard to plant, make sure you are “in the know”!

 Types of Flowers

 -Annuals are flowers which grow from seed to flower and seed again in a year’s time.

-Biennials take two years to grow from seed to flower and seed again.

-Perennials go on year after year once planted. They generally need a year to settle in, as they won’t be at their best during the first year.

-Bulbs are embryo plants packed with their own food supply, and go from year to year, producing baby bulbs (also referred to as offsets). Tulips are an example of a bulb plant.

-Corms are similar to bulbs but last for only one season, during which time it makes a replacement corm for the next year. Examples of flowers that develop from corms are crocuses and anemones.

-A tuber is a swollen root used for food storage. Dahlias come from tubers.

 Tulips

 -Tulips tend to be at their best in their first year, after which they show a decline.

-When it comes time to save tulips, lift the bulbs when the leaves have turned yellow and store them in a shed for planting the next November.

-You know the offsets (baby bulbs) that can be found at the bottom of a lot of bulbs? These can be carefully removed, saved and planted to grow on into full sized bulbs. It’s a smart idea to put them in an odd corner for the first year so that they do not flower while still very young.

 Climbers

 -Climbers grow up a fence or wall in three different ways- by hanging on with their tendrils (such as clematis), by twisting themselves around uprights (like honeysuckle), or by clinging to the walls with aerial roots (like ivy).

-Take care to fix supports in place for climbers before you begin planting.

-Of all climbers, ivies are the simplest to grow. They are very hardy as they grow in almost any kind of soil and in any location. Another advantage is that they climb enthusiastically by themselves (with little care or maintenance from outside help) and give year-round cover for walls. They come in a number of variegated types and have leaves that are dabbled with white or gold. The colors appear the most dazzling when the ivies are planted against south or west-facing walls.

-For north-facing walls, consider the climber garrya elliptica, which produces green tassel-like beads.