What’s a perennial garden plant that blooms in the winter? A hellebore! It is an outdoor plant that is shocking to see blooming sometimes in the snow. There are many varieties. They are perennial which means they come back year after year.These are best planted in shady areas, but where they will get sun in the winter, for instance under leafed trees or something of that nature. What is so unusual about hellebores is that they bloom somewhere between Dec. and March. There are very few plants that do that! One variety is called a Christmas Rose. These plants usually must be puchased at a nursery. Check out your local nursery for this wonderful family of plants.

Another plant you’ll surely want to try is called Sweet Annie. This is actually an annual herb, in the worm wood family. The seed is very fine and you sow it in direct sunlight in the spring after all danger of frost is gone. Sweet Annie can get up to 6 feet tall. It’s fragrance is wonderful! My favorite use for Sweet Annie is in the fall to cut it to the ground and dry it. It can be used as wonderful, fragrant filler for dried flower arrangements, and it can also be bound with fine wire to form a wreath base of its own. Simply tuck in other dried flowers here and there around it and you’ve got a beautiful dried floral wreath with a fragrance to die for!

Another unusual one is called Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate. Yes, this really is the name of a plant! It’s official name is Polygonum orientale. It’s an old-fashioned annual knotweed used for bold effect. It has large heart shaped leaves and pendulous clusters of small pink flowers. In rich, moist soil and full sun it can go to six feet tall. Best to sow the seed in fall or early spring where it is to grow.

Lastly another unusual plant to try is the Balloon Flower. These are perennial, meaning they will return year after year. The latin name for these are: platycodon grandiflorus. They are very hardy, durable plants and very beautiful. Balloon flowers are about the size of a ping pong ball and look like little balloons. Once they fully open up they split and you can see the center portion and the bloom then resembles a star. They usually come in shades of purple, pink and white. Very cute, the plants only get about 2 feet tall. Try one!

About The Author

By Valerie Garner-Visit Home Tips & More at http://www.angelfire.com/wa/hometips

rgarner722@hotmail.com

Outdoor lighting is very critical to the function of your outdoor area when the sun goes down. There are a variety of lights available for use outdoors from simple wall mounts to intricate pathway lighting.

Wall mounts are great for patios and porches. When placed near doors that enter your home they serve as security as well, keeping the dark shadow areas to a minimum. Wall mounts are available in a wide variety of styles, from detailed and decorative wall lanterns to bright and functional flood lights. Wall mounts are great for lighting your outdoor patio or porch since they can be wired from within your house and do not require additional underground work.

Deck post lights and lanterns are another great way to bring light to your porch. This style of lighting attaches to your porch railing, as the name implies. Post lanterns bring light to the outer parts of your porch where wall mounts may not reach.

Path lights or walkway lights are perfect for lighting a sidewalk that leads to a sitting area that is not attached to your home, such as a gazebo or water garden. Solar pathway lights have become very popular since they do not require any underground electrical work. An area away from your house requires a lot of additional lighting for outdoor use since it does not have the capability of having a bright wall mount fixture as the primary source. This additional lighting can be achieved by a variety of landscape lighting techniques including accent lights, spotlights, and garden lanterns.

Without the right lighting, your outdoor time is over when night falls. But if you carefully consider your lighting choices for your outdoor areas, you can have many hours of enjoyment and entertaining outdoors even after the sun has gone down.

If viewing and making landscape more beautiful is a passion for you, rather than a hobby, then you may want to consider starting your own landscape service. There are many people out there who want a beautiful lawn but don’t have the time, energy, or the artistic ability to do it on their own. Just like people need interior designers, they also need exterior designers.

Having beautiful landscape grace their home is a priority for many because it beautifies the community along with raising property values. They want to hire a team that can get the job done right and make their yard look magnificent.

You may want to consider hiring a team to help you. This might not be all that important until you get a few regular clients, however, if your good you will need help before you know it. Having a great reputation and getting word of mouth referrals is the best way to expand your landscape business quickly.

There are other methods of advertising your landscape service. You can create flyers to post around your city, you can place an ad in your towns largest newspaper, you can hand out business cards to potential contacts, or you can try to merge with an already established local landscape service and build a clientele that way. If you have a large vehicle, or buy one specifically for your business, you will want to be sure to put an advertisement on the side of it. More people will learn about your business that way than any other.

Other things you will have to consider are: applying for a business license, whether you will run your company from home or from a small office, and getting a loan for a building, tools, and company transportation.

Remember, starting a business is hard work but, if landscape is truly your passion, then it will all be worth it in the end. Think about waking up everyday and being excited about going to work! If you need help with any landscape ideas check out your local home improvement store or simply do some searching on the internet. Your sure to find some great ideas.

David Dunlap is the founder of The Landscaping Pro and Pure Landscaping, two online resource directories designed to help with any sized landscaping project. For more information on landscape lighting or landscaping equipment , visit http://thelandscapingpro.com or http://purelandscaping.com