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IT'S TOUGH DECIDING WHICH SEEDS TO ORDER, FROM WHICH CATALOGS
The snowy New Year's weekend provided plenty of time to study the dozen-plus 1999 seed catalogs that arrived by mail in recent weeks.
Deciding which seeds to order from which catalogs is about as challenging as figuring out where to begin the fun on a visit to Disneyland.
I order flower seeds early in January for starting and growing under lights in the winter weeks and months ahead. My two primary selection criteria are: 1) plants that have performed well for me in the past; and 2) plants that have been judged as award winners by gardening organizations.
Two award designations I look for are Perennial Plant of the Year, awarded by the Perennial Plant Association, and All America Selections, chosen by the National Garden Bureau.
To be named Perennial Plant of the Year means that members have voted and selected it as a superior perennial. Flowers that receive AAS status have been tested and proven to be vigorous and floriferous - many are downright spectacular in their capacity to send forth bountiful, beautiful and long-lasting blooms.
The 1999 Perennial Plant of the Year is Rudbeckia fulgida var. sullivantii 'Goldsturm.' You may know this popular summer bloomer as yellow coneflower or black-eyed Susan. Goldsturm is German for "gold storm."
This cultivar differs from the native black-eyed Susan by having dark green foliage, compact stiff stems and long-lasting large flowers. Goldsturm can self-sow and, while we all like to increase our perennials, you may find the seedlings vary in appearance from the original plants. Goldsturm is a reliable perennial highly recommended for new gardeners.
If you're starting a flowerbed or filling in or expanding your perennial plantings, you can't go wrong by selecting any of these past Perennial Plants of the Year (purchase these as plants rather than starting from seed):
1990: Phlox stolonifera
1991: Heuchera micrantha 'Palace Purple'
1992: Veronica 'Sunny Border Blue'
1993: Coreopsis verticillata 'Moonbeam'
1994: Astilbe 'Sprite'
1995: Perovskia atriplicifolia
1996: Penstemon digitalis 'Husker Red'
1997: Salvia 'May Night' (Mainacht')
1998: Echinacea purpurea 'Magnus'
One flower seed that I order year after year is 'Wave' petunias. 'Purple Wave' was an AAS several years ago. Started in late February, wave petunias are ready to transplant to pots and flowerbeds by early May. Usually they're blooming by early June and continue blooming and spreading until frost.
My Burpee catalog lists five wave petunias: Purple Wave (the original), Pink Wave, Rose Wave, Misty Lilac Wave and - new for 1999 - Coral Wave. Another AAS petunia that I like a lot is Prism Sunshine, a large-flowered yellow form that fill containers beautifully.
Look for the All-America designation when you order flower and vegetable seeds this year. Most seed catalogs indicate All-America in the product description or flag it with an AAS symbol.
Anoka gardener recounts 'critter problems'
Think you've got problems with rabbits, moles, voles, deer and raccoons? Skip Rither, an Anoka County Master Gardener, has kept track of "critters" that he's trapped during the past 25 years on his 1-1/3 acre lot. His list began on the wall of his garage and has since been transferred to a spreadsheet on his computer.
Since 1974, Rither has live-trapped more than 290 moles, dozens of chipmunks, and numerous pocket gophers, rabbits and woodchucks.
Rither says his struggle with moles began in the summer of 1969, "the year we installed the green rug outside" (his lawn). He explains that it didn't take long to conclude that a lawn is a perfect spot for moles - "a lush, irrigated lawn with lots of goodies underground for moley and his friends to eat."
Rither's experience with suburban wildlife inspired him to develop a "critter control" class that he teaches in the Anoka area. "Homeowners landscape their yards only to find that something seemingly beyond their control is thwarting their best efforts," he explains. "The level of frustration for some homeowners is very high and the critter class gives them a better understanding of the relationship between their property and wildlife habitat, as well as some coping skills, so they can minimize the damage."
Sounds interestingÖmaybe we can entice Rither to teach his class at an upcoming gardening seminar here in the southwest metro!
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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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