(I) Types of flowers suitable for garden planting

1. Types of ground-planted flowers

If the front of your courtyard is open and has good light and ventilation conditions, or the distance from the front row of buildings is more than 30 meters, and the soil has been improved to a certain extent, you can plant some flowers that like light and have high requirements for the growing environment. Ground-planted flowers and trees include: white magnolia, ginkgo, osmanthus, purple magnolia, Michelia, two-sister magnolia, papaya, stalked crabapple, weeping crabapple, western crabapple, viburnum, snowball, persimmon, hibiscus, magnolia, plum blossom, rose, fig, camellia, crape myrtle, peony, pomegranate, wisteria, cherry blossom, grape, peach, bamboo, red maple, bauhinia, hibiscus, Canary date palm, etc. If your yard is relatively shady and humid, you should choose some types of flowers and trees that are adapted to shady and humid conditions, such as palm, heather, peach-leaved coral, French holly, privet, broad-leaved magnolia, magnolia, camphor, cypress, durian, podocarpus, star anise, cypress, cedar, wintersweet, banana, and bamboo.

No matter what the light is like in your courtyard, or how dry or wet it is, you should pay attention to the following points when choosing to plant flowers and trees: First, the lowest temperature that flowers and trees can tolerate should not be lower than the local lowest temperature to avoid frost damage; second, they should adapt to local soil and water conditions to avoid acclimatization; third, they should have fewer diseases and insect pests, longer flowering and fruiting periods, a fragrant smell, and auspicious flower names; fourth, the number of flowers and trees should not be too many, a small courtyard can have 1 to 2 trees, and a large courtyard can have more trees; fifth, the height of adult trees should not exceed the windows and balconies on the second floor, so as not to hinder the lighting of the upstairs residents and affect the relationship with neighbors; sixth, avoid planting types of flowers and trees that cause human allergies or contain toxic substances; seventh, large-sized plants that grow slowly but have basically taken shape should be selected, so that the greening and beautification effect can be achieved as soon as possible, such as ginkgo, Japanese fir, osmanthus, plum blossom, Podocarpus, etc. The height should not be less than 2 meters; eighth, some free space should be reserved for planting flowers and flowers and placing potted ornamental plants.

There are many types of grass flowers and ground cover plants suitable for ground planting. Those that like the sun and light include dianthus, snapdragon, kale, pansy, salvia, cockscomb, globe amaranth, step by step high, marigold, hollyhock, impatiens, lupine, daisy, calendula, poppy, onion orchid, dahlia, etc. The grass flowers and ground cover plants that are more shade-tolerant include: ophiopogon, large-leaf ophiopogon, lucky grass, hosta, purple calyx, amaryllis, dieffenbachia, purple-backed dieffenbachia, spider orchid, iris, calamus, saxifrage, etc.

2. Types of potted flowers

There are many types of flowers suitable for potted plants in home courtyards. If the conditions are good, you can choose to plant some types of flowers that require more sophisticated management, such as plum blossoms, Milan, camellia, poinsettia, wintersweet, Belgian azalea, Araucaria, Brazilian iron, money tree, king coconut, white orchid, pearl orchid, jasmine, fortune seed, bromeliad, money tree (dragon and phoenix wood), gray lily (commonly known as African jasmine), cinnamon (commonly known as peace tree), calla lily, primrose, cymbidium, anthurium, Jianlan, Phalaenopsis, anthemum, cyclamen, Oncidium, Vanda orchid, Rieger begonia, bulbous begonia, strelitzia, hibiscus, Clivia, green ivy, spiderwort, croton, little angel, syngonium, bergamot, daisy, lemon, tulip, hyacinth, purse, fishtail palm, areca palm, bottle palm, etc. For courtyards with relatively poor conditions, you can plant some species that require less extensive management, such as Nandina domestica, Dracaena, Bamboo palm, Chrysanthemum, Spring orchid, Cymbidium, Amaryllis, Winter jasmine, Admiralty, Goldfinch, Serissa julibrissin, Begonia, Osmanthus fern, cactus, Asparagus fern, Rubber tree, Epiphyllum, Euphorbia, Monstera, Spring feather, Schefflera, Pilea, Osmanthus fern, Bougainvillea, Macrothorn, Camellia, Camellia sasanqua, Rhododendron, Banyan, etc.

(II) Propagation of Garden Flowers

1. Planting

The types of garden flowers that can be sown in March are: crape myrtle, bauhinia, wintersweet, summer wintersweet, red maple, and lily of the valley. The seeds of the latter five need to be soaked in cold water for 24 to 36 hours before sowing, and then sowed after they absorb water. The types of flowers and trees that can be sown and raised after sand storage and germination are: cycads, ginkgo, bamboo cypress, podocarpus, fan palm, purple magnolia, Michelia, osmanthus, horse chestnut, nandina, holly, pomegranate, and viburnum. The herbaceous flowers that can be sown are: impatiens, marigold, globe amaranth, zinnia, sage, cockscomb, colorful pepper, winter coral, four-season primrose, mallow, mirabilis jalapa, strelitzia, clivia, asparagus, etc. Some cold-resistant species should be sown in plastic sheds.

2. Cuttings

Types of flowers and trees that can be propagated by cuttings in March include: hibiscus, geranium, epiphyllum, Euphorbia, purslane, jewelweed, stone lotus, hydrangea, nandina domestica, crabapple, silver willow, Hypericum, Podocarpus, pomegranate, fig, star anise, gardenia, admiralty, forsythia, cypress, daphne, and torch fruit. Cuttings of cold-sensitive flowers should be carried out in a shed or indoors.

3. Grafting

The types of flowers and trees that can be grafted in March include: using 1-2 year old black pine seedlings as rootstocks, belly grafting to propagate five-needle pine, Osaka pine, and brocade pine; using 1-2 year old white magnolia and purple magnolia seedlings as rootstocks, cutting grafting to propagate Michelia, Magnolia ovata, etc.; using 1 year old peach and apricot seedlings as rootstocks, cutting grafting to propagate plum blossoms, longevity peaches, peach blossoms, and red leaf peaches; using finger-thick seedlings of wintersweet as rootstocks, when its leaf buds grow to the size of wheat grains, select fine varieties of wintersweet spikes, graft them, and bag them for moisture retention, with a high survival rate; using three-edged arrows as rootstocks, grafting Schlumbergera and various cacti, which are preferably carried out in greenhouses. In addition, camellia, cherry blossoms, osmanthus, red maple, etc. can also be grafted in March.

4. Layering

The types of flowers and trees that can be propagated by layering in March include: camellia, sasanqua, plum, wintersweet, red maple, Podocarpus, cypress, cypress, Michelia, crabapple, snowball, gardenia, osmanthus, purple magnolia, etc.

5. Division

The types of flowers that can be propagated by division in March include: orchids, peonies, spider plants, asparagus ferns, cycads, nandina domestica, mahonia, begonia, tiger tail orchid, purple triangle-leaved Oxalis, canna, Alpinia galanga, dahlia, and Strelitzia reginae, etc.

(III) Management of Garden Flowers

1. Management of ground-planted garden flowers and trees

(1) Transplantation

March is the best time to transplant and plant ground-planted flowers and trees. Transplantation of plum blossoms, white magnolias, purple magnolias, two-tree magnolias, horse chestnut trees, and red maples should be arranged as far as possible before the plants sprout and unfold leaves. When transplanting evergreen flowers and trees, some pruning of branches and leaves should be done to reduce transpiration and increase survival rate. Transplantation of wintersweet, crape myrtle, bauhinia, hibiscus, horse chestnut, peach, red leaf plum, cherry blossoms, etc. is fine even after sprouting, but appropriate pruning should be done. Whether it is an evergreen tree or a deciduous tree, it is necessary to bring enough soil balls when transplanting. Generally, the diameter of the soil ball should be 6 times larger than the diameter of the trunk.

(2) Fertilization

For ground-planted flowers and trees that are not given buried fertilizers in winter, you can dig a circular ditch around their root system before they sprout, with a depth of about 15 to 20 cm, and apply fermented cake fertilizer, stable manure, chicken manure, pigeon manure, etc., or multi-component fertilizer, to lay a good material foundation for their growth throughout the year.

(3) Pruning

For plants that have not been pruned yet, especially plum blossoms, wintersweets, golden bells, and winter jasmines, in addition to pruning dead branches, diseased and insect-infested branches, and long flower branches, annual branches can be cut off at 2 to 3 cm from the base of the branches, leaving only 2 to 3 buds. After intensive pruning, more new branches will sprout in the spring and more flower buds will form in summer and autumn, which is conducive to flowering next year. For camellia and camellia sasanqua, branches that damage the plant shape can be pruned after flowering, and some thin branches and cross branches in the inner chamber can be pruned. For pomegranates, hibiscus, osmanthus, etc., which form flower buds and bloom on new branches that grow that year, they can be pruned in March to adjust the plant shape and improve the ventilation and light transmission of the plants.

(4) Prevention and control of pests and diseases

Branches and leaves infected with diseases and insects on the plants should be cut off and destroyed in time, which can reduce the occurrence of diseases and pests in that year; for some flowers and trees that are susceptible to diseases and pests, such as roses, wood claws, crabapples, grapes, weeping crabapples, etc., spray them with fungicides such as Jihe , Xinzhi (flowers and trees) , Bordeaux mixture , etc. after the leaves unfold, which can prevent the occurrence of powdery mildew, rust, etc.

2. Management of ground-planted garden flowers

The types of grass and flowers that can continue to be transplanted and planted in March include: dianthus, snapdragon, calendula, daisy, hollyhock, mallow, silver-edged ophiopogon, onion orchid, chive orchid, iris, lucky grass, book belt grass, ophiopogon, red flower sorrel, etc. For grass and flowers transplanted before February, or transplanted before the New Year, if the plants have resumed growth, such as kale and pansy, you can weed and loosen the soil first, and then apply low-concentration liquid fertilizer, such as fermented odorless cake fertilizer water, 0.5% urea solution, or fast-acting compound fertilizer liquid for New Year flowers.

3. Management of garden potted flowers and trees

(1) Repotting

For potted wintersweet, plum, weeping crabapple, stalked crabapple, pyracantha, five-needle pine, bamboo, elm, maple, oak, and fraxinus chinensis placed in the open field, you can repot them before they sprout and leaf out, and replace them with loose, fertile, and organic-rich fresh culture soil to lay a good foundation for growth in spring and summer.

For plants placed indoors, such as white orchid, Milan, jasmine, rose, jasmine, hibiscus, strelitzia, cycad, poinsettia, camellia, Belgian azalea, fortunella, dahlia, bergamot, lemon, monstera, spring feather, Clivia, little angel, syngonium, and arrowroot, they should be repotted before moving out.

(2) Exercise

In the areas north of the Yangtze River Basin, most potted flowers are still being maintained indoors in March, and both cold protection and ventilation must be given equal importance. Due to the unstable weather this month, cold currents occasionally move southward, so insulation and cold protection must continue in early and mid-March. In late March, the doors and windows of the room can be opened during the day for ventilation, and closed at night, so that white orchids, Milan, pearl orchids, jasmine, hibiscus, poinsettia, monstera, cherubs, rubber trees, Araucaria, etc. can gradually accept exercise and adapt to the outdoor environment to avoid premature germination that affects the growth and normal flowering of the year. Potted flowers in the areas north of the Yellow River still need to continue to do a good job of insulation and cold protection this month, and must not be taken lightly.

(3) Pruning

For indoor hibiscus, fuchsia, clovers, jasmine, pearl orchid, white orchid, cycad, rubber tree, fishtail palm, areca palm, croton, asparagus fern, and begonia, necessary pruning should be carried out in combination with repotting, including cutting off diseased and insect-infested branches, dead branches, disordered branches, weak branches, and some yellowed leaves. For the main ornamental tree stumps, maple, cypress, yellow mountain pine, black pine, elm, white ash, oak, and red nan, they can also be coiled and pruned before germination in March to further improve their shape. For plum blossoms, wintersweets, roses, peach, winter jasmine, and bells, intensive reduction pruning can be carried out after flowering and before germination. After pruning, you can apply the happy forest callus cream to the cut and sawed mouth to avoid excessive water loss and disease infection.