Can you help me get my neighbor's flowers?

We live in zone 5 and my neighbor has the most gorgeous flowers every year and she won't share her secret. Every year she plants either impatiens or petunias. Both of our yards are in full sun all day long and her flowers explode in size and color. I try miracle grow but that doesn't do it. Anyone have a trick?

Can you help me get my neighbor's flowers?
Get a soil sample and take it to local Agriculture Testing. They will tell you what your soil is MISSING and you can get the right formula of nutrients to get EXPLODING flowers as well.
Reply:Chances are good that your neighbor is doing several things to get her results. Start in the soil.. a previous answer said to have your soil analyzed.. great advice. Most counties have an extension service that can have a soil test done for you and the charges are usually pretty modest. The test will advise what would optimize the soil for plant production. Sometimes soil needs it's pH raised or dropped (sweetened/acidified), sometimes it needs more organic content, sometimes it's just a matter of fertilizer (N, P, K).





I have clay soil at my house that is alkaline and it needs a LOT of N (nitrogen) to be productive. I prep all of my soil beds with sphagnum peat and pine bark. This raises the organic content and helps acidify. Further, I add garden sulfur to further acidify and gypsum to break up the clay. This is all spaded or tilled in to blend into a good, friable soil. Finally, when I plant I topdress the bed with Osmocote, a controlled release fertilizer. I try to find the highest first number in the analysis (nitrogen). Then, I plant my plants and mulch around them. I water them in with a water soluble plant food (like miracle gro) and wait. Normally, I get very good results.





Proper plant selection is important, too. Impatiens need mostly shade and a good bit of water. Petunias need a lot of sun. Both varieties like to eat, so fertilizer is a necessity.
Reply:She may be using a product called "Spray N Grow" which I've never used, but have seen adds claiming that is just what it does to all flowers, plants etc.





She may also be using compost or other soil amendments each year, or she is using some other kind of fertilizer.





Your best bet is to stick around when she is putting the beds in and try to see exactly what she is doing.
Reply:Impatiens like shade. Use MiracleGro (1 tablespoon per gallon of water) every week. You can make a diluted mixture for use at every watering (instructions on packaging)





Add Osmocoat to your flower bed when planting -- right in the bottom of the hole. Compost your flower bed, add peat moss, commercial manure, any thing to increase the amount of organic matter in your soil.





Try different plants; gerbera daisies, dianthus, carnations, whatever you love looking at.