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SEED ORDER ARRIVAL MARKS OFFICIAL START OF GARDENING SEASON
How do you gauge the start of gardening season? For me, gardening season begins the day my first seed order arrives. So far I've received orders from both Burpee's and Jung's. I hope you're planning to order and start at least some seeds indoors in the weeks and months ahead. It's a terrific way to extend the gardening season.
Once again, I'll try to grow the new world record pumpkin. I ordered a package of Dill's Atlantic Giant pumpkin seed. I think the weight to beat is only about 1,050 lbs.
I ordered a package of small gold hybrid tomatoes and intend to raise this year's tomatoes in tubs and pots, rather than in the raised bed I've used in recent seasons. Tomato performance definitely deteriorates due to tomato blight when plants are grown in the same space year after year.
I'll be planting two award-winning annuals this year - Prism Sunshine petunia and Victorian Rose double impatiens.
Prism Sunshine received both the 1998 All-America Selection and the 1998 Fleuroselect Gold Medal awards. It is an improved yellow grandiflora petunia "that produces luminous golden-yellow 3-inch blossoms with creamy edges that shimmer in containers and landscape plants, holding their rich color throughout the summer."
Victorian Rose is said to be one of the first impatiens to produce consistently semi-double blooms "in seemingly endless supply...the flowers are like small roses with old-fashioned rose color, a soft muted shade that combines easily with other plants." Victorian Rose impatiens also received both All-America Selection and Fleuroselect Gold Medal awards.
My 8 ft. square raised garden that has held tomatoes in previous years will be devoted entirely to cut flowers this year. I'll plant zinnias, cosmos and some smaller-size sunflowers. My goal is to produce plenty of blooms for season-long flower bouquets.
Another experiment this year will be several species of annual flowering vines planted on an arbor I constructed last fall. The arbor is partially shaded so the vines might not bloom as prolifically as they would if planted in full sun.
One of the vines is hyacinth bean - "the most beautiful of all ornamental beans...it produces abundant sprays of white-to-purple flowers by midsummer. Its deep purple bean pods and blossoms are edible."
Another vine is cobaea, "a vigorous, lush climber with 3-inch flowers that open from exotic, balloon-like buds and bloom for weeks to months."
The third vine is asarina Satin Mix, "a stunning vine up to 10 ft. with 1-1/2 inch pink, white and blue bells that bloom until frost."
"Wave" petunias will again be part of my garden this year. Purple Wave, the first of the Waves, has been out for about five years. It was followed by Pink Wave; this year two new Waves were added - Rose Wave and Misty Lilac Wave.
My order included the two new Wave varieties. Rose Wave is described as "a deep rosy red" and Misty Lilac Wave "produces hundreds of 3-inch blooms in a delicate lavender that fades to silver. It's a color that harmonizes well with almost anything you plant near it."
The thing that's so amazing about the Wave petunias is their ability to spread. One plant can cover as much as 4 sq. ft. and bloom until frost. Past year's experience has shown that Pink Wave is somewhat bushier than Purple Wave, which can get leggy in hanging pots by the end of the season.
Another flower project this year will be two varieties of salvia (S. farinacea) - Victoria and White Porcelain. I was attracted by the photo in the Burpee's catalog that showed these purple and white varieties planted together.
Finally, I ordered a package of Dwarf Jewel Mix primrose as a substitute for the shady pots of begonias I've planted in the past. I like begonias but begonia seeds need to be planted in late January in order to have plants large enough to bloom in early summer.
Well, as you can see, I have my work cut out and I didn't even mention all the seeds I've collected from other gardeners during the past year.
I've written several columns in past years on starting seeds in the late winter and growing them under fluorescent lights. If you would like a copy of these columns, send me a post card at the paper and I'll be happy to mail or fax these columns to you.
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PUTTING DOWN ROOTS:
A Delightful Blend of
Gardening Wisdom, Wit
and Whimsy
$10 + $2 for shipping
by Cliff Johnson |
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