Posted on 03/05/2009 11:52:48 AM PST by Diana in Wisconsin
One way to rein in your plant purchases this spring without putting a damper on your dream garden is to use annuals — especially those you can start from seeds sown directly into the garden. For $15 to $25 — the price of one or two flats of flowers or hanging baskets — you can buy a fistful of seed packets that will produce hundreds of plants in a rainbow of colors and shapes.
Some annuals, such as morning glories, hyacinth bean, cardinal climber and moonflower, climb by leaps and bounds. Sunflowers, in shades of red, cherry, gold or white, turn their “faces” throughout the day to follow the sun. Some annuals are fragrant, such as the night-scented tobacco flower, and others can add zing to a flower arrangement.
Unlike perennials, which typically return every spring, but usually flower for just a few weeks, annuals tend to bloom their little heads off from late spring right up until frost.
When they finish flowering, they produce seeds and then head for that garden in the sky.
You can collect the seed for freebie flowers next year and rearrange where you use them for a new look.
By sowing annuals from seeds, “your world opens to plants you never knew existed,” said garden designer Patti Kirkpatrick of Joliet, Ill. “My advice to newbies and other gardeners is to just try it.”
Each spring, she sows seeds of Chinese forget-me-not (Cynoglossum), which offers shades of blue and pink and will bloom in full sun to light shade. “It’s a must for those tiny little flower arrangements.”
Some annuals, such as four o’clocks (Mirabilis jalapa) will self-sow in spring if you let the seeds drop in the ground come fall.
“Four o’clocks are excellent for nighttime pollinators, like the hummingbird moth,” said Nancy Kuhajda, Master Gardener coordinator for the University of Illinois Extension in Joliet.
Among Kuhaida’s favorite annuals for sowing each spring are zinnias, larkspur, love-in-a-mist (Nigella), cosmos and cleome, also called spider flower for its wispy petals.
“Cleome is great for sunny places where nothing else will grow,” she said.
And there are annuals to suit every garden style. The uniform shapes of marigolds, begonias and salvia make them excellent edging plants in a formal or geometrical planting bed.
But the more willowy and wild-looking annuals, such as cosmos, sunflowers and amaranthus, are best for a loose or more natural-looking flower bed.
“A lot of annuals look garish in a natural border,” said Jill Selinger of the Chicago Botanic Garden in Glencoe, Ill. “You see geraniums or petunias in a natural planting and they just don’t jibe.” In her own garden in the conservation-minded Prairie Crossing subdivision in Grayslake, Ill., Selinger sows seeds of the tall, fragrant tobacco flower (Nicotiana sylvestris) and Italian White sunflowers. The heirloom morning glory, called Grandpa Ott reseeds on its own each year, with a slight vengeance.
“It comes back great and they were coming up everywhere, but you can get your little trowel and flick out the ones you don’t want.” Or give them away to those other gardeners who are watching their wallets.
SUCCESSFUL SOWINGS
Many gardeners who try seed-sowing outdoors for the first time get frustrated when few or no plants germinate, says Nancy Kuhadja, Master Gardener coordinator for the University of Illinois Extension in Joliet. Here are her tips for getting seeds off to a good start.
“Wait for soil temps to warm,” Kuhajda said. “Seeds planted in cold soil often rot or succumb to disease before they can germinate.”
Prepare the planting area. Loosen the top few inches of soil with a trowel and rake it smooth before planting.
Read the seed packet. “Most people plant seeds too deep. The depth should be only double the size of the seed,” Kuhajda said. Some seeds need light to germinate, so sow the seeds on soil surface and press them down with the palm of your hand.
Show ’em the light. Most annuals require six or more hours of summer sun. However, many will tolerate light shade — the result being fewer flowers.
Water deeply and slowly. “Just like a baby, the tiny seedling is vulnerable,” Kuhajda says. Use a water-soluble balanced fertilizer once the plants are 4 inches or taller.
Thin out seedlings. “Either mix seeds with sand for better spacing or prepare to pull some seedlings out. Crowded plants are not healthy plants,” Kuhajda said.
Mark the area with a labeled stick or seed packet so you don’t accidentally pull out the new seedlings.
SEED SOURCES
There’s usually no shortage of seed packets this time of year at garden centers, hardware stores and in the seasonal aisles of food stores. However, if you’re looking for heirloom flowers or unique new varieties, check out these mail-order sources.
Burpee Seed, (800) 333-5808, burpee.com
Renee’s Garden, (888) 880-7228, reneesgarden.com
Park Seed, (800) 213-0076, parkseed.com
Select Seeds, (800) 684-0395, selectseeds.com
Thompson & Morgan, (800) 274-7333, tmseeds.com
Last year I had to rip out some overgrown bushes in my front yard. I’m replacing them with perennial herbs. If I have to plant something, might as well make it edible. They look quite nice too.
And Willhite Seed. For the best watermelons & cantaloupes I have ever eaten. And vegies.
I worked for them for seven of the happiest years of my workin’ life. :) Good people.
Seed Sales up
Local 8 Idaho | March 4th | Hailey Higgins
Posted on 03/05/2009 6:21:11 AM PST by Halfmanhalfamazing
http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2199784/posts
I have the front of my lodge-in-the-(wild, not cultivated or planted) woods covered with wild grape vine--I didn't plant it, it just came up on it's own. South-east-facing, I'll plant morning glory's, to climb up the grapevine arbor, for a touch of color.
My hummingbirds need more sweet flowers, the morning glory should be a treat for them.
Consider the perennials that grow in wild (I have these here): Ginseng, Yellow Root, Blood Root, May Apple, etc.,---all can be harvested and sold for cash. I'm set to start growing tobacco this spring---and that's an annual.
I love this topic, post more...
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