Advice For First Time Gardener?

This will be my first time planting a flower garden and I have several questions and things I need help with. I bought many seeds of plants I liked and planted them in one of the mini greenhouse things that you put the peat things in and plant the seeds in them.





Some of the more tiny stemmed delicate ones that grew began to get a web like thing around them and died. what caused it and how can I prevent it from happeneing? The ones most affected were the poppies, Columbine, snapdragon, and the foxglove once I took it out of the greenhouse.





I planted Foxglove,Cockscomb, sweet William, Forget-Me-Nots, Larkspur, Oriental and Iceland Poppies, Sweet Pea, Columbine, Red and Yellow Sunflower, Canterbury Bells, Snapdragon, Red Hot Poker, ect.





It has been very warm and then this week it dropped off to freezing suddenly for like a week. How can I make sure it will not freeze again so I can plant them?





Can you reccomend any other flowers, tips, ect that will be good for shade/par. sun?

Advice For First Time Gardener?
Welcome to the wild and wicked world of gardening! Since your temp dropped, along with most of the east part of the country, and they were grown in a greenhouse, assume a large death rate. Remove any dead or diseased plants immediately!


I'm going to make a few suggestions for you. #1 is to contact your local County Extension Agent for information on the last frost date and plants for your area (phone in government section). #2 is to have the Agent or local Nursery do a soil test for you to determine what you may need to have the plants you want to grow properly. #3 most flowers and seeds should not be planted before Mother's Day! #4 Use the info from the Agent and Nursery and begin with baby steps in using hardy flowers for your area. #5 Use container or flats plantings.


This time of the year is for preparing not planting. Get the soil ready and your planting arrangement in a diagram. Begin purchasing your ferts and pesticide agents. Buy the mulch you will be using (hardwood shredded). I would suggest trying the Preen fert with weed prevent for your weed control and Safer Inscticidal Soap for your insects.


With the materials on hand and the bed preperation done you are ready to go in early-mid May. Most of the expense is out of the way. Go to a Nursery, not the Box Stores, and purchase your flowers. Plant, mulch, Preen, water and you are off and running. Hope it Helps.
Reply:When i first started gardening, I first checked out some of the local garden clubs,everyone I talked with were more than happy to share advise, plants,and seeds.They all had excellent advise that was pertinent to the area.They were also very pleased to welcome a younger, (than many of them) curious, person to the knowledge they had. The freeze question is something none of us can forsee, so, I advise a light scattering of bedding straw,(Very cheap at feed and ranch stores) or a tentlike newspaper over tender seedlings at night. Some nice flowers for sun/shade...try helleborus, (lenten rose)!.There are 1000's of ideas at the numerous gardening websites.Good Luck! and, be sure of what are annuals,perennials,and biennials.
Reply:you have spiders around. you might want to dust. your plants. also check your weather if in Michigan we all know not to plant outside before memorial day. you could ask the feed and grain store around area or a good nursery. if you know any farmers they would be glad to tell ya. i don't see any hollyhocks listed or calalillies, lillies, daisies.Jasmin or morning glory. how about a butterfly bush for added touch.
Reply:Check out garden.org for your last frost date. The last frost date is ONLY a recommended date to plant in your area. You should also watch your local weather forecast and make sure it will be relatively warm in the near future. Planting too early usually means disappointment and added cost of replanting. Don't " jump the gun" and have regrets. Better late than dead! good luck!

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