This cultivar of the clematis was introduced in 1903, and has become one of the most popular clematis ever raised. Clematis may be planted and trained to cover walls, trellis, posts, fences, arbors or to cover rocky sites and can be very useful in these locations to add a touch of color and greenery. This clematis produces masses of 4-6′ beautiful rosy-pink flowers with white stamens July - August. A quick summary of this flower is that it is easily Grown. The plant grows to a height of 2.4 meters. This is a vigorous, bushy plant.

Properties:
Sun Requirements: Full Sun, Partial shade
Hardiness Zones: 4,5,6,7,8
Soil: Grows best in a fertile, well-drained, alkaline soil with a pH of 5.6-6.5. A choice site is key to the success of establishing this perennial; roots should be kept cool and moist.
Clematis do best in neutral or slightly alkaline soils, but they are somewhat adaptable. If you have very acid soil, try to add some calcium when you plant.
Support: It will need support.
Planting: Roots should be planted when the environment is cool and moist, while the vine itself should be in the sun.
Watering: Comtesse de Bouchard requires 1″ of water a week.

Pruning: Pruning late-flowering clematis is easy, and this clematis is no exception. Before the growth happens in early spring, cut back on the stems to a pair of strong buds 15cm to 20cm (6in to 8in) above ground level. An added advantage of this technique is that the clematis growth is removed each spring and so never becomes too much of a burden on its supporting plant, and as a result, the late-flowering clematis becomes useful for training into shrubs, trees and climbing roses.

Here is a great blog with some good links. People use kitchen gardens either as a hobby, to feel some closeness with nature, to get some food that they are sure is free from chemicals, or generally to supplement their grocery purchases with some self-grown vegetables. This blog (link) talks more about self-sufficiency through the purpose of a garden.
As a result, you learn more about how to grow a garden more suited for growing more food (in these times of recession, would you rather have a garden with a large extent of green lawn, or the same space being used for growing vegetables? - a lawn might look more aesthetic, but a garden built on the process of self-sufficiency would be more useful). You read the whole research paper on this subject, built around efforts in Melbourne. Here are some extracts from the article:

Community food security has emerged as a key response to broader environmental and socio-political issues. This research paper explores an important aspect - the ability of community members in the metropolitan Melbourne area to grow their own food and beneficial herbs, plants of self-sufficiency or productive value, while practicing sustainable gardening methods.
The research found a large majority of respondents believed there were increasing community trends toward self sufficient gardening and sustainable gardening. The research findings discovered substantial evidence of diverse educational opportunities. It found confirmation on communal and individual benefits of self-sufficient gardening, and some setbacks to healthy growth in Melbourne’s gardens.

While browsing and looking for some tips about growing kitchen vegetables, I found this excellent article. It takes a look at how to grow 10 common vegetables with relation to the amount of sun / shade needed, and changed a few of the impressions that I had; I also learned something new from this article (link). Some of the things I learned were:
- You really don’t need your vegetable patch to have full sun all the time
- The amount of sun required depends on the type of vegetables; if you are growing a vegetable from which you harvest the fruit or the root, then you need full sun; if you are growing a vegetable from which you take leaves, the stem or buds, then it is fine to grow them in some shade
- You cannot grow vegetables in full shade, you need some sun
- You need to research about which vegetables need how much shade, since you may have over-looked that the small shaded area that you otherwise overlooked could be useful to grow a specific vegetable
Here is an extract from the article:

The following crops will produce with three to six hours of sun, or fairly constant dappled shade, per day.
Salad Greens, such as leaf lettuce, arugula, endive, and cress.
Broccoli
Cauliflower
Peas
Beets
Brussels Sprouts
Radishes
Swiss Chard
Leafy Greens, such as collards, mustard greens, spinach, and kale
Beans

If your garden needs a riot of colours, growing the flower known as Hollyhocks may just be the best option. With its white, pink, cream, yellow, red and purple flowers, the hollyhock is a visual delight wherever it is planted — at a key position by the front door, the garden gate or back of borders. Hollyhock produces tall and showy, heart shaped blooms. Some varieties will grow 8-10 feet tall. Single or double blooms come in white, yellow, crimson, pink, purple, rose, and red.
Hollyhocks come in a number of different varieties, and each variety will have different features including height, longevity, and color. Depending upon the variety, hollyhocks can either be annuals, biennials or perennials, although the perennial versions can sometimes be fairly short lived compared to other perennials. Hollyhocks tend to reseed themselves and if let go can develop into hollyhock patches over time. Botanically, there are two plants listed as Hollyhock. The first is the Althaea – better known as Mallow while the plant more commonly known as a Hollyhock is an Alcea. The tall showy ones are Alcea. Althaea are shorter.
Originating in the Mediterranean and Western Asia, Hollyhocks have been grown in the west since the mid 1500’s. Reaching upto 6-8 feet ( 60-250cm) in height, Hollyhocks are used in many cut flower gardens and borders, forming an integral part of these gardens. The plants can spread to 24” ( 40-60cm) with large rough leaves that feel slightly prickly to the touch. The large, inviting blossoms are held up in large spikes.
Full sun and fertile soil will do nicely for this plant. The plant may have trouble with clay soils if those soils are wet during the winter. Hollyhocks do best in moist, well-drained areas. They prefer a rich soil with abundant organic matter and in rural areas often bloom profusely in old, moist manure piles. Add fertilizer as needed in early spring to help the plants flourish. The plants are hardy form Zone 3 thru 8. They also are heat tolerant and bloom during the hottest part of the summer. Plant them where they are in full sun, as the plant dislikes shade of any kind.
As biennials, they will not usually flower the first year from seed. They need to grow that first year, survive the winter and then send up those huge flower stalks the second year. Unfortunately, the mother plants then die after flowering is finished, although this does not always happen and many plants continue to thrive.
The easiest way to establish hollyhocks is from seeds. All of the old-fashioned varieties produce viable seed that you can collect in the fall and plant in your garden or share with friends. Seeds germinate in 2-3 weeks at 60°F.
Try spring sowing or plant in August to produce flowering plants next year. If you have the right growing area, start seeds started indoors as bedding plants for bloom the following summer. Add a general purpose fertilizer once a month. Keep soil moist, especially in dry weather.
Early in the season, pinch back the plants to promote bushier growth. But, allow plenty of air circulation to minimize the risk of plant disease. After the plants have bloomed, simply cut off the flower stalks (after the seed pods have gone brown and are splitting open). Then crush the pods to separate the seeds out and scatter them throughout the garden for next year’s blooms.
Hollyhocks must establish a root system first, and then they can produce the stalk(s) of flowers you love so much. Often they are planted in the fall to give them a chance to establish a system during the winter months. While other plants are loafing and going into dormancy, the hollyhock foliage is still green! When spring arrives, your fall planted babies will burst into growing and produce blooms that summer. This is why most people plant them in the fall, but it is not a must. It is vital that you keep your baby hocks watered regularly to ensure a strong and healthy root system to carry it through the winter cold.

Lobelia is a genus of flowering plant comprising 360–400 species, with a subcosmopolitan distribution primarily in tropical to warm temperate regions of the world, a few species extending into cooler temperate regions. English names include Lobelia, Asthma Weed, Indian Tobacco, Pukeweed, and Vomitwort.
Lobelia is an ideal plant to be grown in containers, after all, the extremely beautiful blue or white petals cascading over pots and out of windowboxes give a great look. Lobelias are profuse summertime bloomers. Try these compact plants as border edging, along creekbeds, in containers, or in windowsill planters. They look great in hanging baskets, too. As a matter of fact, these cool weather flowers will bloom all the way to frost. They are a popular, easy to grow annual (grows only for one year) flower native to a wide range of regions in North and South America. There are many varieties, some of which are perennials, but the most used ones in gardening are annuals. It grows 4-8 inches high and sprawls over the ground or over the sides of containers.
In terms of sun, Lobelia plants like full sun to partial shade and the plants prefer cool weather. In terms of soil conditions, Lobelias like rich, wet soil. Lobelia plants will thrive in moist to wet soil along creekbeds and streams, or in natural wetlands. Avoid frost conditions.
Established plants need very little attention. You need to keep the soil moist to wet, and if there are dry spells, water frequently. For peak performance, add a general purpose fertilizer once a month. Around mid-summer, your plants will begin to produce flowers, and will continue to do so up to the first frost. You do not need remove dead flower blooms, except for appearance. When summer’s heat or humidity causes lobelia to stop blooming, just shear the plants back by half. As long as you keep the soil moist, they’ll bloom again when cooler weather hits.

How to grow from seed: 2 ways. First method is very simple and non-time consuming, all you need to do is to scatter the seed in the area that you wish for them to grow; or you could raise them in seedling trays. Raising them in seedbeds is the best way to get uniformity of plant and also you are more able to control exactly the position that they will grow in, but takes more effort.

Medical Uses: Native Americans used lobelia to treat respiratory and muscle disorders, and as a purgative. Today it is used to treat asthma and food poisoning, and is often used as part of smoking cessation programs. It is a physical relaxant, and can serve as a nerve depressant, easing tension and panic. The species used most commonly in modern herbalism is Lobelia inflata (Indian Tobacco).
Because of its similarity to nicotine, the internal use of lobelia may be dangerous to susceptible populations, including children, pregnant women, and individuals with cardiac disease. Excessive use will cause nausea and vomiting. It is not recommended for use by pregnant women and is best administered by a practitioner qualified in its use.

Delphinium is a genus of about 250 species of annual, biennial or perennial flowering plants in the buttercup family Ranunculaceae, native throughout the Northern Hemisphere and also on the high mountains of tropical Africa. The common name, shared with the closely related genus Consolida, is Larkspur. Other names are, lark’s heel (Shakespeare), lark’s claw and knight’s spur. The scientific name is taken from Dioscorides and describes the shape of the bud, which is thought to look like a (rather fat) dolphin.
Delphiniums are treasured and sought after as planting plants because they are so beautiful. Short delphiniums can be used in the front of a garden, the Belladonna hybrids in the middle, and the tall Pacific Coast hybrids in the rear. They are excellent cut flowers, too. Tall spires of delphiniums add colour and drama to summer borders during their short flowering season. As classic cottage garden plants, they also give a strong vertical accent in groups of mixed perennials. The brilliancy of the blue color of some of the flowers cannot be surpassed. However, these plants start to lose their flowering potential after about three years, hence it is important to take cuttings.
They need full sun and a good, deep, well-drained, evenly moist soil that has a high humus content. If the soil is too acid, agricultural lime should be added. They are hardy feeders that must be supplied with compost or well-rotted manure, benefiting from feedings of a 5-10-5 fertilizer every year.
Tall cultivars need support. Have three to four stakes per plant, put in place around the plant in spring, as a starting point and monitor how fast the wind blows. Add new ties as the plant gains height.
Delphiniums and larkspur are normally harvested with one to two open flowers on the spike. Avoid flowers with mildew-infected leaves. At least one to two flowers per stem should be fully opened at the time of purchase with no sign of flower fall. Make sure stems are rinsed prior to re-cutting and arranging, so as to remove dirt and debris.

Problems with the plant: All parts of the plant contain an alkaloid delphinine and are very poisonous, causing vomiting when eaten, and death in larger amounts.
Larkspur, especially tall larkspur, is a significant cause of cattle poisoning on rangelands in the western United States. Larkspur is more common in high-elevation areas, and many ranchers will delay moving cattle onto such ranges until late summer when the toxicity of the plants is reduced.

If you are interested in getting Calla Lilies for your garden, and are unable to get some friends or a neighboring garden to get you bulbs, then you may consider growing these White beautiful Lilies from seed. Here’s a complete article that describes how to grow the Lilies from seed (link). Here are some extracts from the article:

Before even thinking about planting the calla lily seeds one needs to sort out the best ones by pregrowing them a little. This is done simply by placing a folded damp paper towel on a plate and then spread out the seeds upon it.
There are a lot of reasons not to plant the seed straight out in the garden among birds and mice, there are a lot of dangers still out there for a little seed so the best thing is to preplant it in a small pot so it can grow strong and healthy in peace.

Read the rest of the article at the original link.

Nearly every single plant, or seed requires a growing zone it will grow in. You read about different types of plants, and almost every good information site will provide the hardiness zones that it will grow in, but you don’t know which zone you are in. This map will provide this information to you, either by clicking on a zone in the map, or in the list of state abbreviations below the map.

Link to the site (opens in a new window).

How to Use the New Map:
Zones 2-10 in the map have been subdivided into light- and dark-colored sections (a and b) that represent 5 F (2.8 C) differences within the 10 F (5.6 C) zone. The light color of each zone represents the colder section; the dark color, the warmer section. Zone 11 represents any area where the average annual minimum temperature is above 40 F (4.4 C). The map shows 20 latitude and longitude lines. Areas above an arbitrary elevation are traditionally considered unsuitable for plant cropping and do not bear appropriate zone designations. There are also island zones that, because of elevation differences, are warmer or cooler than the surrounding areas and are given a different zone designation. Note that many large urban areas carry a warmer zone designation than the surrounding countryside. The map-contains as much detail as possible, considering the vast amount of data on which it is based and its size.

Adding some white vines to your garden adds a lot of value, and adds a lot of variety. Some of the benefits that vines bring to your garden include:
1. Vines cover the space between fences and grills and bring a sense of privacy to your garden
2. Vines bring a good green effect to the boundaries of a garden, when grown on the edges
3. A flowering vine makes the place seem much more full of flowers and colors
4. Vines can cover an area that is otherwise dull and ugly, or where vegetation finds it difficult to take hold
5. Vines, when grown carefully and allowed to cover the upper part of a garden, bring a sense of a live roof to your garden (you can use them over wooden slats that cover potions of a garden). In times when the sun is harsh, a vine covered roof brings some shade to plants underneath
6. A vine can take a very small root space on the ground, but otherwise reach a much larger footprint over the ground
7. Mixing different types of vines ensures that the garden is always full of flowers; thus making the garden look better and attracting the butterflies and bees to your garden

There must be many more advantages, so if you can suggest more, please let me know.

I got these tips in email, without any attribution. These seemed interesting, so am posting them here; if you have further feedback or more tips, please let me know through comments.

Fish Emulsion (5-0-0) is incapable of damaging roses even if you use too much. If you have a fisherman in the family or as a neighbor? You could safely add 1 or 2 fish heads to each rosebush per year, buried 6 inches deep below dripline.

Epsom salts (Magnesium sulfate) help roses to have good basal growth. Use after soil has warmed, frost is over. 2-3 oz per established tender roses, up to 1/2 cup per hardy shrubs.

Banana Skins: Tomatoes as well as roses love bananas…buried just below surface of soil they provide potassium, calcium, magnesium, sulfur, phosphate, sodium and silica, all of them useful stuff.

Alfalfa: Meal (2 cups) pellets (1 cup) per plant gives N, Ca, Mg, Cu, Zn, P, K, Fe, Mn and Boron. If you have rabbits - use their pellets to enrich soil.

Egg shells: Crushed eggs shells…Lilacs and Tomatoes love calcium….During the fall and winter my crushed egg shells go to my lilacs and during the vegetable growing months they are carried out to my vegetable garden and scattered around the base of my tomato plants.

Coffee For Your Flowers: After your morning coffee, remove the filter and grounds and set them aside to dry. When the grounds are thoroughly dried, scatter them around the garden as an organic plant food. Don’t use too much in one area because coffee grounds tend to raise the acidity of the soil. Use the filter to line the bottom of flowerpots to keep the soil from falling through the drainage holes. I have used them for my rhododendrons, evergreens and some to my roses.

Mulch: Add organic matter to soil- Hay or leaves, straw, or corn cobs ground up, pulverized tree bark, old or rotten sawdust. Add 3″ deep mulch by first of June if summer warm.

There are 25 different rose scents. The healthier your rose is, the more fragrant it will be. As a rule, darker colored roses have more fragrance than lighter ones except that the more petals a rose has the stronger the scent. Heavy petals with velvety sheen are more fragrant than thin ones. There is a connection between color and scent. Red and pink have typical rose scent, Yellow and white have scents of lemon, violet, nasturtium, Orange colored-fruity or clove scents. Some of the most fragrant varieties-Angel Face, Sunsprite, French Lace, Tiffany, Double Delight, Tropicana and Puppy Love.