The modern lupin has only been around since the 1930's. It was bred by George Russell, a recluse, by crossing the blue lupin from North America, with tree lupins and annual lupins. Thanks to his work, the modern perennial flowers now seen in our lupins, have bigger flower spikes and richer colours.

His secrets were reluctantly passed on to another nurseryman, James Baker, when George Russell was in his late 70's and the two of them worked together until Russell died aged 94, in 1951. When James Baker retired, a few dedicated plantsmen improved the perennial flowering lupin, still further. Today, hybrids are being bred which suit modern tastes for subtler single colours and stronger bi-colours.

Of course, the flowers of these modern hybrids cannot be reproduced from seed. But unless they are protected by plant breeders' rights, you can raise them from cuttings.

Basal cuttings should be taken from the mature plants in the early summer, as the side shoots start to extend to 3 to 4 inches. Run an old knife blade between the side shoot and the main stem, severing them from each other, below the soil level. Remove the lower leaves from the shoot and the tip. Dip the bottom of the cutting in hormone rooting powder and put it into a pot filled with equal parts of grit or sharp sand and peat, or one of its alternatives. Firm the cutting in gently, water it well, drain and place the pot in a plastic bag. Blow into the bag and seal it and place it under the greenhouse bench.

The cuttings should take 2-3 weeks to root. Pot them up into proprietary compost when they are well rooted, keeping them cool and watered. Plant outside in the following spring into your perennial flower garden, where they will make a stand of noble, heavyweight lupin spires, to stand guard over your garden.

These particular perennial flowers are happiest in full sun, with a well draining, slightly acid soil. Do not over feed them, especially with farmyard manure, which many people think they need. This common misconception will result in soft growth which rots the crowns. This in turn will attract the attention of the lupins arch enemies - THE SLUGS AND SNAILS. Just a few of these hungry creatures will devour rows of young lupins in just one night, so make sure you protect them with adeterrent which really works.

Are you looking for help with your garden? Have your perennials failed to flourish?

By: Florrie Bunda
Florrie bunda writes on gardening matters and many of her articles, tips and advice can be found at:
Perennial Flower Garden Ideas

Dendrobium orchid care is no more involved than caring for any other species of orchid. They are a common choice to use as cut flowers because they have a very beautiful and distinctive color and a very string stem. Making the a little Dendrobium orchid perfect for occasions like weddings or a good romantic gift.

But enough with all the waffle, you want to learn how to take care of Dendrobium orchids right? Well, you can't fail with the following tips:

Lighting

These particular orchids love light, and it is important so that they can maintain healthy growth. Provide Bright light, to 50 percent sun. In the home, an east, west or lightly shaded south window. In a greenhouse, about 30 to 50 percent of full sun. Under lights, four 40 watt incandescent bulbs directly over plants. Plants should be naturally erect, without need of (much) stalking, and of a medium olive-green color.

Temperature

The temperature for your Dendrobium orchid care is important as well. Temperature is directly proportional to the amount of light so both should be looked at carefully. As a guide temperature below 50F and above 90F are not a good idea. Ideally there will be a difference of about 10 degrees between night and day.

Watering

Keep evenly moist while in active growth. Allow to dry between waterings after growth is mature (indicated by terminal leaf). The trick is to keep in wet, but not too wet. For adivce on how to do this visit the site mentioned at the end of this article

Humidity

Dendrobiums need 50 to 60 percent. In the home, place on trays over moistened pebbles. In greenhouse, use a humidifier if conditions are too dry. Humidity trays can be purchased from gardening stores but its much better and cheaper to just make your own.

Potting

Should be done every two to three years before mix loses consistency (breaks down). Pot firmly in medium, giving aeration and ample drainage, allowing enough room for two years' growth. Dendrobiums grow best in pots small for the size of the plant. For the best Dendrobium orchid care though, don't repot unnecessarily as this will do more harm than good.

By: Jeremy Sleigh
There is much more to learn about Dendrobium orchid care and this article is just the beginning. There are factors such as fertilizer, humidity and general orchid care to be considered. To discover all the secrets about caring for you Dendrobium orchids just click here.

Growing chilies is relatively simple and can be achieved by anyone, no matter how small a space you have even if you only have a small balcony or even only a windowsill. Below are a few tip to help you increase your crop.

1. Extend the growing season

Chillies need time, especially if you are growing in a relative cool climate. In order to get a head start on what can be a short growing season all you need to do is plant your chillie seeds and germinate them indoors. By doing so you're able to plant the seeds before the risk of frost passes as Spring arrives. By the time you can put plants outside, you should already have seedlings a few centimeters tall, giving them a good head start on the summer.

2. Use artificial lighting

Chillies love light. Again while you wait for summer to fully kick in you may find that your chillie seedlings get rather leggy (tall and spindly). This is very common amongst chillies planted too early as they grow tall and thin while trying to stretch for light. To combat the problem you could try using artificial lighting to boost their growth until you can put the plants outside.

3. Pinch out young seedlings

It is well known amongst gardeners that pinching the tops off small plants (about 15cm tall) encourages them to grow more bushy and focus less on growing tall and slim. This may seem a harsh act to commit however in the long run a bushier plant will generally produce more flowers, and that will lead to the plant producing more fruit.

4. Feed the chillies

There are many weird and wonderful feeds on the market. Though none of them are essential you may find they help. In general growing chillies can be thought of as very similar to growing tomatoes. When your plants start to fruit, feeding the with a tomato food (high in nitrogen) will help the plant increase its yield.

5. Pick the chillies

It may seem obvious but you should pick the chillie fruit as soon as they are ripe, or even just before to allow them to ripen off the plant. Picking the fruit will encourage the plant to produce more.

By: James C Kerr
For further information click here for growing chillies, grow lights or any other chilli pepper information, please visit the author's website.

What can be better than picking a fresh tomato for your salad? Or maybe picking a fresh tomato and stuffing it with something fresh and lively? Many people would say nothing!

Fresh fruits and vegetables are incredible in both color and flavor, and none are better than a tomato. In the past, people who lived in apartments found it impossible to plant or maintain a garden because of lack of space.

Creative people discovered a way to grow tomatoes in limited space, and tomato container gardening became an instant success.

Growing tomatoes in a container means , planting tomato in a containers of any size. They are especially handy when space is limited. You can plant a tomato container garden in small buckets, or large containers, it depends on how much space you have.

If you have a balcony, a tomato container garden would grow very well, the only thing you have to remember to do is water it and turn the container so all of the plants receive the benefit of sunlight.

To plant a tomato container garden, all you need is a container, preferably non-metal, potting soil, and a few small rocks to insure proper drainage.

The soil can be purchased at any home improvement store, or even in department stores. Spread the rocks over the bottom of the container and add the soil. Poke holes with your fingers and plant the seeds. Water and you are done. Your tomatoes will start growing and in a few weeks, you will have delicious, nutritious tomatoes.

One of the greatest benefits to planting a tomato container garden is that they are portable. If the weather turns cold or it is raining too much, you can bring your tomato container garden indoors to protect it from the elements.

You do not have to have a balcony to plant a tomato container garden, if you have a large room, or even a sunroom, you can turn it into an instant nursery for your newly planted garden, and the best thing is that you can have fresh, red, ripe tomatoes all year round. For some people, nothing is better.

By: Tracy Ballisager
Tracy Ballisager is stay at home mum. To read more about gardening tips and idea go to http://www.gardening-tips-idea.com