Products: The 'Believability' Factor

Products: The 'Believability' Factor


Subtitle: Why some products cannot be given away successfully (especially behind the word 'FREE')

There are many elements discussed in marketing articles regarding how best to garner sales success for products or services. However, one element I have rarely found discussed, if ever, is the factor of 'believability'. Here is a case in point:

A while back, I discovered a unique angle being marketed to the public regarding a certain product that I was certain would be incredibly successful since the product is one that, virtually, everyone already uses, regardless of their financial status or position in life.

And, with a price range that expands from $0 to as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on your choice and what you can afford, the version being marketed by this company is FREE to the public.

And, I'm not speaking of a product that attempts to please all the people all the time, so to speak, but a product that almost falls into the realm of being a 'vital necessity' for just about everyone, and on a worldwide basis. This product is one that, if it was not what it was, the 'believability' factor would be so incredibly high that virtually everyone would rush out to get one, especially since it will be FREE.

And, I would also lay 10 to 1 odds that you currently own, at least, one of these products right now.

So, what is this product? Is your curiosity up yet?

Well, I'm not going to disclose the product for several reasons, and because my own personal jury is still out with the verdict on it (sorry, no tease intended). But, I will say that if the verdict is returned favorably, there will be no side of earth that you will not learn about it.

So, what is my own reluctance with this particular product?

Well, my answer is found no farther than the title of this article...the 'believability' factor and it being made available for FREE. Not because this particular product isn't as it is presented, but because people are simply not accustomed to being able to obtain this product freely.

And, when (and if) this product is, indeed, released to the general public, even though it already affects most of the people in the world who are already utilizing it, I can guarantee that it will also come with a 'Catch-22' factor for its distributors and sales persons.

People are simply going to have an extremely difficult time believing that it will be available with 'no strings attached'. Many people have been jaded in all kinds of shady deals, both offline and online, with many ending up having spent thousands of dollars with nothing to show for it.

And, even when an offer that is possibly legitimate comes along, it is suspect, to say the least. Perfect examples are the 2-minute-long commercials often seen on the independent stations, i.e., TNT, USA Network whereby the product is being promoted by a 90-mile-per-hour speaking voiceover announcer.

At the end of the commercial, the announcer states that if you call right now (or within the next 15 or 30 minutes), you will not only receive the product at the unheard of low price, but you will also receive a second of the same product absolutely free. In respect to this type of television commercial, this is the point at which my own wheels start to turn, usually wondering about the quality of the product, and if it is as great as the fast talker has presented.

Also, most of these commercials, along with their infomercial counterparts, air in the early mornings, generally, around 2:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m., and on, which also makes other wheels of wonderment turn in my head. I'm wondering:

1. Is the commercial airing in this time slot because this is a special short-lived promotion and the company does not wish to be overrun with orders at the low price and risk running out of product while losing on the profit end?

2. Is this a discontinued item that I will not be able to easily obtain parts for if it happens to break?

3. Is the commercial airing in this time slot because the advertiser cannot afford prime time slots?

4. If the product is so great, why does the company give away another complete version of the same product, instead of a lesser-priced item?

5. If there is a P. O. Box, how do I know this isn't a fly-by-night rip-off operation?

See how the 'believability' factor has quietly arisen and crept into play here?

So, aside from the fact that you might have a great product, service or information take a good look at your own marketing, promotion and advertising copy before presenting such to general or specific publics, asking yourself:

1. Are people going to believe this item will do what my copy says that it will?

2. If I place myself in my intended customer's spot, would I believe this?

3. What can I do to make my offer sound more credible, thus, warding off any possible doubt from prospects?

4. Will my price for this product be perceived by prospects as too low (or too high)?

5. Am I easing the emotional pains of prospects by offering a strong and solid guarantee?

By the way, it is generally accepted in the business arena that, the longer the guarantee for your offer, the better overall sales will be, with fewer returns. I suppose that longer guarantees, i.e., 6 months or 1-year, appeal to the prospect who reasons that if the product was not everything as presented, the shorter the guarantee would be in the interest of the advertiser escaping liability a lot sooner.

So, after your great headline has been punched out, the great ad copy as been written and the appropriate media have been selected for your product, service or information, take one last moment to review what you now have before you, completely addressing the 'believability' factor. Now, upon your completion of doing so, would you buy this item from you?

Copyright 2002 Kenny Love Enterprises All Rights Reserved




Subtitle: Why some products cannot be given away successfully (especially behind the word 'FREE')

There are many elements discussed in marketing articles regarding how best to garner sales success for products or services. However, one element I have rarely found discussed, if ever, is the factor of 'believability'. Here is a case in point:

A while back, I discovered a unique angle being marketed to the public regarding a certain product that I was certain would be incredibly successful since the product is one that, virtually, everyone already uses, regardless of their financial status or position in life.

And, with a price range that expands from $0 to as much as hundreds of thousands of dollars, depending on your choice and what you can afford, the version being marketed by this company is FREE to the public.

And, I'm not speaking of a product that attempts to please all the people all the time, so to speak, but a product that almost falls into the realm of being a 'vital necessity' for just about everyone, and on a worldwide basis. This product is one that, if it was not what it was, the 'believability' factor would be so incredibly high that virtually everyone would rush out to get one, especially since it will be FREE.

And, I would also lay 10 to 1 odds that you currently own, at least, one of these products right now.

So, what is this product? Is your curiosity up yet?

Well, I'm not going to disclose the product for several reasons, and because my own personal jury is still out with the verdict on it (sorry, no tease intended). But, I will say that if the verdict is returned favorably, there will be no side of earth that you will not learn about it.

So, what is my own reluctance with this particular product?

Well, my answer is found no farther than the title of this article...the 'believability' factor and it being made available for FREE. Not because this particular product isn't as it is presented, but because people are simply not accustomed to being able to obtain this product freely.

And, when (and if) this product is, indeed, released to the general public, even though it already affects most of the people in the world who are already utilizing it, I can guarantee that it will also come with a 'Catch-22' factor for its distributors and sales persons.

People are simply going to have an extremely difficult time believing that it will be available with 'no strings attached'. Many people have been jaded in all kinds of shady deals, both offline and online, with many ending up having spent thousands of dollars with nothing to show for it.

And, even when an offer that is possibly legitimate comes along, it is suspect, to say the least. Perfect examples are the 2-minute-long commercials often seen on the independent stations, i.e., TNT, USA Network whereby the product is being promoted by a 90-mile-per-hour speaking voiceover announcer.

At the end of the commercial, the announcer states that if you call right now (or within the next 15 or 30 minutes), you will not only receive the product at the unheard of low price, but you will also receive a second of the same product absolutely free. In respect to this type of television commercial, this is the point at which my own wheels start to turn, usually wondering about the quality of the product, and if it is as great as the fast talker has presented.

Also, most of these commercials, along with their infomercial counterparts, air in the early mornings, generally, around 2:00 a.m. - 3:00 a.m., and on, which also makes other wheels of wonderment turn in my head. I'm wondering:

1. Is the commercial airing in this time slot because this is a special short-lived promotion and the company does not wish to be overrun with orders at the low price and risk running out of product while losing on the profit end?

2. Is this a discontinued item that I will not be able to easily obtain parts for if it happens to break?

3. Is the commercial airing in this time slot because the advertiser cannot afford prime time slots?

4. If the product is so great, why does the company give away another complete version of the same product, instead of a lesser-priced item?

5. If there is a P. O. Box, how do I know this isn't a fly-by-night rip-off operation?

See how the 'believability' factor has quietly arisen and crept into play here?

So, aside from the fact that you might have a great product, service or information take a good look at your own marketing, promotion and advertising copy before presenting such to general or specific publics, asking yourself:

1. Are people going to believe this item will do what my copy says that it will?

2. If I place myself in my intended customer's spot, would I believe this?

3. What can I do to make my offer sound more credible, thus, warding off any possible doubt from prospects?

4. Will my price for this product be perceived by prospects as too low (or too high)?

5. Am I easing the emotional pains of prospects by offering a strong and solid guarantee?

By the way, it is generally accepted in the business arena that, the longer the guarantee for your offer, the better overall sales will be, with fewer returns. I suppose that longer guarantees, i.e., 6 months or 1-year, appeal to the prospect who reasons that if the product was not everything as presented, the shorter the guarantee would be in the interest of the advertiser escaping liability a lot sooner.

So, after your great headline has been punched out, the great ad copy as been written and the appropriate media have been selected for your product, service or information, take one last moment to review what you now have before you, completely addressing the 'believability' factor. Now, upon your completion of doing so, would you buy this item from you?

Copyright 2002 Kenny Love Enterprises All Rights Reserved

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Kenny Love owns and manages Kenny Love Enterprises, a self-improvement cybercenter. He also publishes The Tipster, a unique proactive self-improvement newsletter. Read the premier issue at http://www.kennylove.net/march02.html. Also, get 2 FREE informational gifts, just for subscribing.

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Tree Capital Of Pennsylvania is Doylestown

Highland Hill Farm farm is located 1 mile west of Doylestown in Central Bucks County, Pennsylvania,( at 5275 W. Swamp Rd.) whose name is not at all derived from the many deer to be found (that would be too easy), was established, wa-a-a-y back in 1681 when the king of England, Charles II, owed one of his old admirals 16,000 pounds Sterling. (That's about 4 million of our 2006 dollars.) For payment of the debt, it became the admiral's son who was given a ract (a parcel, a piece) of land in he New World, on the northern continent of the western hemisphere before it got the name America.

When William Penn saw just the eastern edge of the 40,000 square miles he had gotten he was most pleased, understandably so, with a forest that seemed to never end. Dad's woods, he thought, deciding to name the place where he would start a democratic sort of Quaker colony, Pennsylvania, Penn, -sylv (a Latin word root meaning woods), -ania (Latin suffix for land). So that's why our home sounds like Count Dracula's (Tran -sylv -ania, tran for etween, as in, between the Carpathian Mountains and the old Principality of Wallachia in what is today's Romania, there's a land which is woods. Maybe Newfoundland should have been named Newfoundania? Naah.

William Penn established just three counties at first, all in the southeastern corner of his wooded land, all with names from mother England. Philadelphia County surrounded the original village there, Chester County was to the south, and Bucks County to the north.

In England, Buckinghamshire was, and still is, a county just northwest of London that forms an irregular rectangle running from the southeast at the edge of London, northwesterly. BUCKinghamShire, was shortened to Bucks in conversation. So William Penn named his land's similarly sized, irregular rectangle county, which ran northwesterly from Philadelphia's edge, Bucks county. Of course when you come to our farm be prepared to visit our county and experience its diverse culture and history.

When you come to visit us at Highland Hill Farm in Fountainville, an interesting place to visit is Haycock Mountain. It is a cooled 130-million year old almost a volcano that didn't get to come out of the ground. It stayed below, but made the ground bulge upward, and the hot, liquid magma cooled to form coarse-grained diabase rock. Ayres' Rock in Australia and Wyoming's Devil's Tower are world-famous examples of what is called a laccolith. Milk is lacco in Latin and lith means stone. Haycock Mountain is a laccolith, Buck's County's highest point at 959 feet above sea level.

Haycock Township surrounds the mountain. Haycock Elementary School is having their annual band concert at the nearby high school in the town of McLean on Tuesday, December 20, this year. You don't think that Bucks County has a town named McLean? You're absolutely right! Although there's the Haycock Elementary School we know on Old Bethlehem Road (Route 212), there's another one at the intersection of Haycock Road (Route 703) and Westmoreland Street, in McLean, Virginia just a few miles across the Potomac River west of Washington, D.C. Then, there's Haycock Mountain, in the southwestern part of the state of Utah, not to be confused with Haystack Mountain, Utah. Haycock Mountain, Alaska deserves mention, as well as Haycock Mound in Kansas. What's in a name?, Shakespeare observed over 400 years ago.

So you get the point; haycock is a common word, but just what is a haycock? Before the days of baling machines, cut grasses for haying were spread out in the sun to dry (gotta make hay while the sun shines) and then collected to be taken to where it would be stored. That dome-shaped mound, that pile, that heap, that stack of hay, will have a rounded top exactly like our Haycock Mountain in Bucks County.

If there's no barn with a mow (pronounce it like Chairman Mao) to store the hay out of the rain and snow, an extra large haycock can be piled up and this hayrick will have a protective outer layer of hay that will be used for bedding the farm animals, or for composting, etc. If a roof set on poles can be created to cover the hayrick, much less of the hay will have to get wet and subsequently rot... So there's a Hayrick Mountain in Texas and another Hayrick Mountain in Oregon. What's in a name? Try, Highland Hill Farm? And guess what we Raise? Highland Cattle and Nursery stock. Our most popular tree is the Green Giant arborvitae. Here is why:

The hardiness zone the Green Giant Arborvita tolerates is from zone 5 to zone 8. That's where extreme cold temperatures get down to a temperate level of about 15 or 20 degrees in the winter (Zone 8), but also as low as a frigid level of 15 or 20 degrees BELOW zero (zone 5). Green giants are evergreens, being cedars. Their rapid growth rates can in ideal conditions reach 3 feet per year. Site requirements for the Green Giant Arborvita are sun to partial shade, moist well drained soil preferred (but still does well in clay), and protection from wind, at lest when young.

The Green Giant is a beautiful tree. It has an aesthetically fine form. It's conical, being narrow to broadly pyramidal, reaching from 50 feet to 80 feet in height in southeastyern Pennsylvania. The width at the base of the cone is usually about 15 feet to 20 feet. The leaves are rich green making graceful foliage.

Green Giants make a superb privacy screen and living fences. They keep their foliage color year 'round, great for brightening bleak gray winter days with snow on the ground. The cinnamon bright red bark when young turn rich russet brown with time crating a strong contrast with the needle leaves.

Green Giants' flowers, their fruit are pretty little light brown half-inch female cones. (Just so you know, Green giants are females, so its okay to call the cones pretty.) The Green Giant is also a wonderful shade tree, casting a dark, dense shade. The wood is strong too, once the tree is beyond its youth.

This is an arborvita that should outlive even your grandchildren. There are Green Giants out west documented to be over 300 years old. Just don't plant these too close to the ocean, or roads in areas where there's a lot of salt used for snow removal. If you get over 100 inches of snowfall and more per year, no roadside Arborvita planting where salt is used, PLEASE. The greatest soldier of ancient Greece in the Trojan war had his one little weak spot, what proved to be a fatal flaw, and the Achilles Heel for Green Giant Arborvitas is hypersensitivity to salt. If you plants this Arborvitas just keep away from the splash of road salt and it will make a great living fence.

So when are you coming to visit Bucks County?

http://www.zone5trees.com , http://www.highlandhillfarm and http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.greengiantarbs.com

About the Author

James Ryan has a large nursery in Bucks County Pa near Doylestown. He has thousands of Green Giants and writes about there uses. His web sites include http://www.seedlingsrus.com and http://www.digatree.com/Living Fences

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Moving Tips Help the Stressed Buyer

Moving is a horrible thing to go through after all the stress of buying a home. I absolutely hate to move. This is partly due to the fact that we've never been able to work out the move out of the home we sold right into the new home scenario. We've always had to move twice with each purchase of a new home. From old home to rental, from rental to new home. It really doesn't make for a happy family.

There are some ways to help with the move. And they aren't the traditional, call the moving company. Here are my top tips for eliminating stress from your move.

First, start with getting rid of stuff. We always laugh and say that we get rid of half and move half. There is no reason to hang onto things that you will never ever unpack. Have a yard sale and get rid of it. Plus, you might make enough money to treat your family to something special -- like a day at the zoo. Or don't mess with the stress of a yard sale and give it all to charity. That's a tax deductable gift, if you get a receipt.

Getting rid of extra stuff not only saves you money in moving, but saves you a lot of time in packing and rearranging stuff. I go through everything as I pack it. Clothes, dishes, toys and papers are all purged. It really feels good -- you know you are starting off more organized and with less clutter.

Move room by room if possible. Don't try to tackle everything at once. If you and your friends are moving you, have them take items by room. This is a great way to move. It is also quite faster. There is no confusion and no moving of boxes into the correct room.

Don't forget to take care of a few things before you even start packing. Arrange for the utilities to be transfered. You don't want to get to your new home and have no water or lights. You should make sure that your insurance coverage will cover your belongings and both properties for the adequate amount of time. Don't cut off the insurance for the home you are leaving until you are actually gone. This is especially important if you have people helping you to move.

And finally, if you are moving a distance -- make sure you know where you are going. Have a map and a route planned. Plan where and when you will stop and how long it will take you to get to your new home. If it is a long trip, make it fun. Stop and see things along the way. Take the time to enjoy the country. Make it an adventure -- not just a move.

Martin Lukac represents http://www.RateEmpire.com and http://www.1AmericanFinancial.com, a finance web-company specializing in real estate and mortgage rates. We specialize in daily updates, mortgage news, rate predictions, mortgage rates and more. Find low home loan mortgage interest rates from hundreds of mortgage companies!

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No Fuss Perennial Flower Gardening2 10

America has become hectic. Most people work well over forty hours each week to make due. With all this time spent working, it's only natural not to have the time to garden. Or maybe, you have the time, but just don't want to spend your days digging in dirt in order to have a great looking garden.

There are easy ways to have a good looking garden without working hard or maintaining it. If done right, your garden will largely take care of itself. Instead of poring over it day in and day out, you'll be able to leave it alone. The most you'll have to do, once planted, is leave the sprinkler on every once in a while.

Perennial plants and flowers are perfect for the busy person's garden. Perennials keep growing back every year. Once you plant them, you can just leave them alone. Annual flowers have to be replanted every year. This makes perennial flowers and plants ideal for those of us who don't have the time to work in the garden, but who still want our yard to look nice.

The first thing to do when making your no fuss perennial garden is to prepare the space. This can be a flower box, pots, or just a patch of land. Dig at the soil in your designated area to make it loose enough for planting flowers. This is just about the only preparation you need to do. Make sure that there aren't any rocks or weeds in that area of land. If there are, they can hinder or halt the progress of your plants. This step shouldn't take more than a half an hour depending on how big the plot of land is.

Can't think of where to put your garden? There are some beautiful spots that look perfect on anyone's lawn. For a nice accent to the front of your yard, surround the base of your mail box with plants and flowers. Just dig a little circle around the base and plant there. Another good planting area is around the border of a walkway. If you have a little walkway that leads from the driveway or sidewalk to the front door, this could be a good idea. Dig up an area about a half a foot wide on each side of the cement walkway and plant your flowers and shrubs there.

Once you have your area ready and the soil aerated, now is the time to plant seeds. Go to a flower or hardware store and pick up some seed packets. Make sure that they say 'perennial' on them as opposed to 'annual.' Some good choices for low maintenance flowers and plants are poppies, shasta daisies, and lamb's ear. Once these are planted, you won't have to worry about them. Plus, they spread like crazy, filling up empty spaced in your garden.

Once you purchase the seeds or plant cutting, simply follow the directions that come with them in order to plant them. This usually comes down to digging a few inches deep, setting the seeds in the hole, and covering them back up. Easy! After the seeds and plant clippings are planted and covered in soil, set up the sprinkler to water them for about a half hour. Now your perennial flowers and shrubs are planted. Most of the work is already done. Now you just need to worry about maintaining the garden.

Maintenance can be pretty easy if you picked the right plants. Most of the perennial flowers, especially the ones I listed above, will do well with just the annual rainfall. If your area is experiencing a bit of a drought, turn on the sprinkler for a while. Mostly, you should be able to leave the plants alone. If you notice a bunch of weeds in the garden, pull them. You may even get by without doing that.

Imagine pulling into your driveway, stopping the car, and stepping out into a beautifully flowered lawn. Daisies and poppies line your walkway, ushering you in to your home. Do you stop to water your flowers or pick some weeds? No, you have more important things to do.

This can be the kind of garden you have if you follow the steps listed above. By choosing perennial plants, you'll only have to do the planning and planting process once. The plants will stay in your garden year after year. Happy gardening! Or, more accurately, happy watching your garden grow without you.




By Trisha Bartle

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Flower Identification Guide

Comprehensive flower identification guide for flower lovers and the bride-to-be. Flowers have such exotic flower names, their hues range from paper white to yellow, orange, blue, purple, pink and red.

Flowers are even more stunning in the form of bridal bouquets held by a beautiful bride wearing her magnificant bridal gown.

Before you set your heart on any type of floral arrangement, you should take into account; Fairy Godmother tip! choose flowers that are in season, they are less expensive, are readily available and do not need to be imported.

The perfect colour can enhance your mood and help you find balance physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

Things to consider when designing your bouquet;
1. What's your favourite flower?
2. What colour does it come in?
3. And is the flower in Season?

If you already know your wedding colour scheme, check out the colour flower guide links below to find which colour your favourite flower comes in and whether the flower is in season.

Flower identification guide in each flower colour.




by perfect-wedding-day

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Planning a Perennial Wildflower Garden

While I have always loved wildflowers in a garden or just growing wild in the woods, such flowers can help enhance the natural wild setting in your backyard or front yard. A wildflower garden is low maintenance if you enjoy flowers but do not have enough time for gardening should you have a busy schedule. Back east, where I used to live, it was not uncommon to walk through the woods and see purple coneflowers, daisies, black eyed Susans and columbines growing randomly in clusters on the ground. You can of course plant your wildflowers to appear as if they just grew there naturally without any pre-planning. Below is a list of some of my favorite perennial wildflowers:

Columbines. This is the state flower of Colorado but they can grow well in any part of the nation during the summer and fall months. They come in purple, purple-white, pink, pink-white, yellow, white. They grow an average of 18 to 20 tall and they reseed themselves each year. Columbines belongs to the ranunculus family. These flowers are frequently bicolored. Each flower shape resembles a bonnet. Columbines like well drained soil and can tolerate partial shade. These flowers grow in the summer through the fall.

Black eyed Susans. These flowers do not require a lot of care. They likes full sun, and grow well in moderate soil. Black eyed Susans grow from 18 to 25 in height. These flowers have yellow petals with dark brown or black centers. Black eyed Susans belong to the aster family and grow during the summer and fall months.

Daisies. As with the black eyed Susans, daisies also belong to the aster family. These popular wildflowers have pretty white petals with yellow centers. They grow in moderate soil and like full sunlight. Daisies grow an average height of 18 to 22 tall. Daisies will last from the early summer through the fall.

Echinacea, or purple coneflower. These pretty wildflowers have orange-brown centers with daisy-like petals in the color purple. Purple coneflowers grow between 18 to 25 tall. This flower also belongs to the aster family and grows well in moderate soil. Echinacea blossoms during the summer and fall months

Asters. These flowers are a vibrant blue-purple in color with yellow centers but there are other varieties of asters that come in other colors, such as the golden asters and Bigelow's aster. They bloom late in the summer season. Asters grow from 18 to 24 inches tall. The flowers have many petals, that are oblong in shape, forming stars. They like the full sun and grow well in moderate soil.

Lupines. These flowers are a member of the pea family that bloom during the summer and grow from 2 to 3 feet high. In shape, the plants are spiked with the flowers forming round shapes and come in a wide range of colors. Lupines like full sun to partial shade. If you choose to plant lupines from seeds, soak the seeds in warm water the night before planting them to encourage germination.

Gayfeather. This is a spike-shaped flower that grows from 24 to 48 tall. Gayfeathers are purple or white in color, like full to partial sun, and prefers to grow in moist soil. Gayfeathers also tolerate humidity if you live in a climate that is prone to humidity during the summer and fall months, such as Connecticut. The flowers on this plant resemble fine bottle scrubbing brushes. This flower will also attract butterflies.

Blue flax. This common roadside flower belongs to the flax family and grows from18 to 30 tall. Each flower has five petals of a beautiful blue color. This flower likes the full sun, and well drained soil. Blue flax can survive droughts but does not grow well in humid climates. This flower blooms during the spring and summer seasons.

Lance-leaved coreopsis. This flower grows 1 1/2' to 3' tall and has bright yellow flowers. This plant prefers soil that is sandy and dry. Lance-leaved coreopsis can survive droughts and prefers full to partial sun. This flower blooms during the summer months and will attract butterflies and birds.

Moss verbena. This variety of verbena grows to 1 foot tall, and has five-petaled blue flowers clumped together forming a ball. Moss verbena blooms in the early spring through the summer. This plant likes the full sun and well drained soil.

With the exception of the lupines which grow from legumes, these other flowers can easily grow from seeds, or plants purchased at your local nursery. The flowers belonging to the aster family can be combined together along with the lance-leaved coreopsis to create a natural, wild growth look to them. As with any other garden, these can be planted in a designated boundary area with natural grass remaining beyond the boundary. Keep weeds under control as these can inhibit the growth of wildflowers. Compost can be added once a year to your wildflowers. Water the flowers once a week but do not over water those that thrive in dry conditions, such as the aster family flowers. The wildflowers listed above all make beautiful cut flowers for a vase. Best of all, these flowers, once planted, will come back year after year in your garden




By Garna

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Planning a Perennial Wildflower Garden

While I have always loved wildflowers in a garden or just growing wild in the woods, such flowers can help enhance the natural wild setting in your backyard or front yard. A wildflower garden is low maintenance if you enjoy flowers but do not have enough time for gardening should you have a busy schedule. Back east, where I used to live, it was not uncommon to walk through the woods and see purple coneflowers, daisies, black eyed Susans and columbines growing randomly in clusters on the ground. You can of course plant your wildflowers to appear as if they just grew there naturally without any pre-planning. Below is a list of some of my favorite perennial wildflowers:Columbines. This is the state flower of Colorado but they can grow well in any part of the nation during the summer and fall months. They come in purple, purple-white, pink, pink-white, yellow, white. They grow an average of 18 to 20" tall and they reseed themselves each year. Columbines belongs to the ranunculus family. These flowers are frequently bicolored. Each flower shape resembles a bonnet. Columbines like well drained soil and can tolerate partial shade. These flowers grow in the summer through the fall.Black eyed Susans. These flowers do not require a lot of care. They likes full sun, and grow well in moderate soil. Black eyed Susans grow from 18" to 25" in height. These flowers have yellow petals with dark brown or black centers. Black eyed Susans belong to the aster family and grow during the summer and fall months.Daisies. As with the black eyed Susans, daisies also belong to the aster family.

These popular wildflowers have pretty white petals with yellow centers. They grow in moderate soil and like full sunlight. Daisies grow an average height of 18" to 22" tall. Daisies will last from the early summer through the fall.Echinacea, or purple coneflower. These pretty wildflowers have orange-brown centers with daisy-like petals in the color purple. Purple coneflowers grow between 18" to 25" tall. This flower also belongs to the aster family and grows well in moderate soil. Echinacea blossoms during the summer and fall monthsAsters. These flowers are a vibrant blue-purple in color with yellow centers but there are other varieties of asters that come in other colors, such as the golden asters and Bigelow's aster. They bloom late in the summer season. Asters grow from 18" to 24" inches tall. The flowers have many petals, that are oblong in shape, forming stars. They like the full sun and grow well in moderate soil.Lupines. These flowers are a member of the pea family that bloom during the summer and grow from 2 to 3 feet high. In shape, the plants are spiked with the flowers forming round shapes and come in a wide range of colors. Lupines like full sun to partial shade. If you choose to plant lupines from seeds, soak the seeds in warm water the night before planting them to encourage germination.Gayfeather. This is a spike-shaped flower that grows from 24" to 48" tall. Gayfeathers are purple or white in color, like full to partial sun, and prefers to grow in moist soil. Gayfeathers also tolerate humidity if you live in a climate that is prone to humidity during the summer and fall months, such as Connecticut. The flowers on this plant resemble fine bottle scrubbing brushes. This flower will also attract butterflies.Blue flax. This common roadside flower belongs to the flax family and grows from18 to 30" tall. Each flower has five petals of a beautiful blue color. This flower likes the full sun, and well drained soil. Blue flax can survive droughts but does not grow well in humid climates. This flower blooms during the spring and summer seasons.Lance-leaved coreopsis. This flower grows 1 1/2' to 3' tall and has bright yellow flowers. This plant prefers soil that is sandy and dry. Lance-leaved coreopsis can survive droughts and prefers full to partial sun. This flower blooms during the summer months and will attract butterflies and birds.Moss verbena. This variety of verbena grows to 1 foot tall, and has five-petaled blue flowers clumped together forming a ball. Moss verbena blooms in the early spring through the summer. This plant likes the full sun and well drained soil.With the exception of the lupines which grow from legumes, these other flowers can easily grow from seeds, or plants purchased at your local nursery. The flowers belonging to the aster family can be combined together along with the lance-leaved coreopsis to create a natural, wild growth look to them. As with any other garden, these can be planted in a designated boundary area with natural grass remaining beyond the boundary. Keep weeds under control as these can inhibit the growth of wildflowers. Compost can be added once a year to your wildflowers. Water the flowers once a week but do not over water those that thrive in dry conditions, such as the aster family flowers. The wildflowers listed above all make beautiful cut flowers for a vase. Best of all, these flowers, once planted, will come back year after year in your garden By Garna

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Perennial Flower Garden Ideas

The perennial garden is one way to beat the necessity to redo the garden each year and does tend to decrease the labor that is involved in gardening since perennial gardens for the most part, with the right care, will proliferate themselves. Perennial gardening ideas are as plentiful as the gardeners who grow them.Some perennial flower garden ideas tend to stand out more than others. One which we find personally very appealing is the injection of herbs as the flowering plant since they tend to proliferate well, so offer something aside from beauty and to grow in many cases in the least favorable conditions.There are multiple types of herbs you might use in your perennial flower garden. Ideas might include Cone Flowers (Echinacea), and several other flowering herbs such as Bee Balm, which is also known as monarda, and bergamot, the flavoring that is used in Earl Grey tea.Bee balm comes in many different colors, and can range from a deep burgundy red, which is an attractive choice and will also gather hummingbirds and butterflies.Nearly all varieties of bee balm are quite hardy and will grow well in any climate, however there is one which is not recommended.
The Cambridge Scarlet variety is not recommended for your perennial garden ideas list because it tends to be prone to what is called powdery mildew. This makes it less a good selection for your herb garden. Interestingly enough tea made of bee balm was a staple in the kitchens of colonial American, especially after the Boston Tea party when actual tea was a rarity.Another perennial that is flowering and will provide you with some wonderful separator plants as well as lovely flowers and a super scent is lavender. Lavender is hardy, will tolerate many climates and colder or quite warm weather and is useful for a great many home herbal projects. You can use the dried blossoms to make some wonderful home products such as hair rinses, carpet sprinkles and astringents. Lavender is a great plant to include in your perennial flower garden ideas because it has some additional benefits aside from beauty and its use in home cleaning. It does tend to be antiseptic and in addition one of the benefits of growing lavender in your garden is that it tends to repel pest insects, keeping your garden a much more pleasant place to sit.There are many such herbs that will bear inclusion in your perennial flower garden. Ideas for plants that will repel insects might include May apple, marigold as well as Roman chamomile. Roman chamomile gives off a lovely light scent and does help a great deal in repelling mosquitoes. By Ian Pennington

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No Fuss Perennial Flower Gardening

America has become hectic. Most people work well over forty hours each week to make due. With all this time spent working, it's only natural not to have the time to garden. Or maybe, you have the time, but just don't want to spend your days digging in dirt in order to have a great looking garden.There are easy ways to have a good looking garden without working hard or maintaining it. If done right, your garden will largely take care of itself. Instead of poring over it day in and day out, you'll be able to leave it alone. The most you'll have to do, once planted, is leave the sprinkler on every once in a while.Perennial plants and flowers are perfect for the busy person's garden. Perennials keep growing back every year. Once you plant them, you can just leave them alone. Annual flowers have to be replanted every year. This makes perennial flowers and plants ideal for those of us who don't have the time to work in the garden, but who still want our yard to look nice.The first thing to do when making your no fuss perennial garden is to prepare the space. This can be a flower box, pots, or just a patch of land. Dig at the soil in your designated area to make it loose enough for planting flowers. This is just about the only preparation you need to do. Make sure that there aren't any rocks or weeds in that area of land. If there are, they can hinder or halt the progress of your plants. This step shouldn't take more than a half an hour depending on how big the plot of land is.

Can't think of where to put your garden? There are some beautiful spots that look perfect on anyone's lawn. For a nice accent to the front of your yard, surround the base of your mail box with plants and flowers. Just dig a little circle around the base and plant there. Another good planting area is around the border of a walkway. If you have a little walkway that leads from the driveway or sidewalk to the front door, this could be a good idea. Dig up an area about a half a foot wide on each side of the cement walkway and plant your flowers and shrubs there. Once you have your area ready and the soil aerated, now is the time to plant seeds. Go to a flower or hardware store and pick up some seed packets. Make sure that they say 'perennial' on them as opposed to 'annual.' Some good choices for low maintenance flowers and plants are poppies, shasta daisies, and lamb's ear. Once these are planted, you won't have to worry about them. Plus, they spread like crazy, filling up empty spaced in your garden.Once you purchase the seeds or plant cutting, simply follow the directions that come with them in order to plant them. This usually comes down to digging a few inches deep, setting the seeds in the hole, and covering them back up. Easy! After the seeds and plant clippings are planted and covered in soil, set up the sprinkler to water them for about a half hour. Now your perennial flowers and shrubs are planted. Most of the work is already done. Now you just need to worry about maintaining the garden.Maintenance can be pretty easy if you picked the right plants. Most of the perennial flowers, especially the ones I listed above, will do well with just the annual rainfall. If your area is experiencing a bit of a drought, turn on the sprinkler for a while. Mostly, you should be able to leave the plants alone. If you notice a bunch of weeds in the garden, pull them. You may even get by without doing that.Imagine pulling into your driveway, stopping the car, and stepping out into a beautifully flowered lawn. Daisies and poppies line your walkway, ushering you in to your home. Do you stop to water your flowers or pick some weeds? No, you have more important things to do.This can be the kind of garden you have if you follow the steps listed above. By choosing perennial plants, you'll only have to do the planning and planting process once. The plants will stay in your garden year after year. Happy gardening! Or, more accurately, happy watching your garden grow without you. By Trisha Bartle

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Blooming Perennials

As far as perennial flowering plants go, there are a few that shine in the home landscape. Many perennials bloom for a short time without a stunning show, but the following blooming perennial flowers put on an amazing show of blooms, year after year. Read on for my top picks of blooming perennial plants to place in your home landscape or garden.First is the Black-Eyed Susan. The Black-Eyed Susan is a daisy type flower with bold, bright yellow petals and a black center. They prefer full sun, and will bloom for most of the summer. A Black-Eyed Susan plant is scientifically called the Rudbeckia serotina. The Rudbeckia family has several varieties, but the Black-Eyed Susan has the most beautiful of yellow colors. This flower may also be called the Yellow Coneflower and the Yellow Daisy.Another amazing blooming perennial is the Purple Coneflower. The scientific name for the Purple Coneflower is the Echinacea purpurea. It loves sunny areas and will set large flowers with purple petals and a dark golden center. They grow rather tall, reaching a height of up to 3 feet.

The make a great choice for a border garden and can be separated easily as they grow each year. Once you have one Purple Coneflower in your garden, you may never have to buy another!Daylilies are another favorite for many home gardeners. They beautiful blooms can be seen throughout most of the summer, and each year the plants get bigger and have more flowers. They triangle shaped flowers come in almost any color, but yellow shades and red shades are the most common. They are very hardy and can withstand many conditions. Many gardeners begin to collect daylilies and have an entire portion of their landscape devoted to showing these beautiful plants. The scientific name for a Daylily is Hemerocallis. Daylilies are one of the most commonly bred perennials. There are many new hybrid varieties each year.Tall Phlox is another one of my favorite perennials. The plants spread fairly well, but may be difficult to establish. Also in the Phlox family is the creeping phlox, a favorite in many rock gardens. The scientific name of Tall Phlox is Phlox paniculata. Tall Phlox have a shorter blooming season, but the flower heads that form on top of tall plants are beautiful for even a short time. They may a great choice for any border or edge garden and will compliment many other plants you place it near.Chrysanthemums are a fall favorite for almost every gardener. After the blooms of summer have faded, the "mums" produce an award winning show! They begin blooming in late August to early September, and often bloom through the first few frosts of the year. If you want some fall color around your home, plant a few Chrysanthemums for some beautiful blooms. You can find them in many colors ranging from white, yellow, orange and red. The scientific name for this family of plant is Chrysanthemum.For all these perennials you will need to provide them with rich soil, water and sunshine. They will delight you with their blooms for many years, and you can keep your collection growing! By K Jolin

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