VANITY: Gardeners - Help me make a flag of flowers.

self | 02/22/2003 | self

[Warren_Piece]

I know freepers are experts in everything, so any help would be appreciated.

[Cagey]

This would knock their socks off.....

Between the field where the flag is planted there are 9+ miles of flower fields that go all the way to the ocean. The flowers are grown by seed companies. It's a beautiful place close to Vandenberg AFB. Checkout the dimensions of the flag.

The 2002 Floral Flag is 740 feet long and 390 feet wide and maintains the proper Flag dimensions as described in Executive Order #10834. This Flag is 6.65 acres and is the first Floral Flag to be planted with 5 pointed Stars comprised of White Larkspur. Each Star is 24 feet in diameter. Each Stripe is 30 feet wide. This Flag is estimated to contain more than 400,000 Larkspur plants with 4-5 flower stems each for a total of more than 2 million flowers. You can drive by this flag on V Street south of Ocean Avenue in Lompoc, CA.

[apackof2]

I do a red/white/blue color scheme in my front yard. I use red geraniums, "blue" pansy's and Dusty Miller for a silvery white

There is no blue variety of impatiens that I know of and since I live in Michigan I can't tell you what variety would be best in TN

[KineticKitty]

Petunia's are fierce bloomers all summer and Autumn here in Texas, and are relatively easy to care for. I was considering doing the same thing in my yard, but I am looking into whether they have blue enough Petunia's + they can get quite bushy.

I'll definitely keep an eye on your thread to see what advice you get. Good Luck.

[upcountry miss]

Have seen this done on our water and sewer dept. lawn. They probably had more sun than you will have. It had white petunias for white stripes and red geraniums for red stripes, but I would think you could use red petunias to assure the same height. The blue was ageratum and you can get it, but I have always had to buy the seed and start my own as I haven't found it locally. It is a slow grower, so would have to start it soon. Have also seen blue lobelia and that spreads well so would be nice with a taller white flower for stars, or even white lobelia. I'm sure others will have better ideas. Good luck.

[JimVT]

Check these out

Grow

Flag

[glock rocks]

impatiens will not survive low temperature. you must be certain the temp won't frost or they will ALL turn black overnight.

[fellowpatriot]

I too have done my flower beds in red, white and blue. I use red impatients and geraniums, blue lobelia and alyssum for the white.

[Thinkin' Gal]

The area I have in mind is between two large trees, so it gets morning sun and not much else.

I would suggest red and white impatiens. Neat, compact, and continuous bloom without deadheading. For the blue, lobelia "crater lake blue" may be fine in part-shade, but check with a local nursery. It'll spring back pretty quickly and keep blooming if you give it a trim before the flowers go to seed.

I think they make a blue pansy, but pansies are hard to keep in bloom continuously, and get leggy in the summer. Dusty Miller (for the white) tends to be much greener in the shade.

[Tarheel]

Forget pansies--you are too far south for them to do much after the end of May. (I live in the Piedmont of NC and am very familar with weather/growing conditions in the mid south).

Impatiens, white and red will stay nice until frost.

The Tarheel

[garden variety]

I would choose Petunias. They come in a large variety of rich colors and they have a long blooming season. You might want to use Lobelia for the blue color. Make sure you apply a nutrient to keep them blooming. You can use the granules that go in the soil or the liquid that you mix with water.

[Nubbin]

You are probably in zone 6 or 7 in Tennessee. I garden in zone 8b so I don't know how much help I can be but here goes;

I think the blue will be the hardest to achieve as I cannot think of a flower that is truly blue. Most that claim to be blue are really more of a purple.

I would choose an annual like petunias because they offer a massive display of blooms and are inexpensive. You can replace them as they bloom out. Most annuals need a lot of sun though, impatiens being the exception. I don't think impatiens would be a good choice though because they have small blooms and won't make the same impact that the larger bloom of a petunia would. I think if you can get sun for at least 4-6 hours in the morning you could use petunias. In the south most plants actually appreciate some shade in the afternoon, even those that claim to require all day sun.

PS...There is an ornamental grass called Blue Fescue that you might check out for your blue. It grows well here but don't know about your zone.

Good luck!

[firewalk]

impatiens will not survive low temperature. you must be certain the temp won't frost or they will ALL turn black overnight....

I didn't know this, thanks glock

[Thinkin' Gal]

Don't laugh, but another trick you might try for the blue (that will be your trouble spot)...

Check out your local "big" craft store, somewhere where there is a large selection of artificial flowers cheap. Look around for tiny silk flowers sold in "bunches", e.g. forget-me-nots. Then you can separate/spread/thin the clusters and "plant" them evenly among your real flowers, pinning them down with heavy gauge wire bent in a U-shape (they sell that stuff in a roll; I've found it at Wal-Mart over by the closeline). That way it still looks blue when your real flowers are limping along.

The smaller flowers will look real from the road, unlike say, big fake morning glories, lol. You might not find anything that will work, but it is worth a look. The color will hold up in the shade, but stick with something made out of material that can get wet, like the silky fabrics. Most of that stuff will work, but I bought some fake berries once to decorate an outdoor wreath. The first time they got wet, the red styrofoam berries expanded and looked pretty disgusting!

[glock rocks]

LOL. voice of impatient experience... they frost up easier than tomatoes... absolutely no tolerance to cold.

i planted a herd of them just a week too early, but just once :o)

[mommadooo3]

Ahem....using potting soil will put you bust. Try to locate your local cattle/horse/goat 'farmer'. Their manure piles are EXCELLENT planting mediums. Just make sure you get to the 'bottom' of those piles, where the poop is aged and broken down to 'near dirt'.

The flowers you're looking for, need 'partial sun', 'well-drained/dry' growing conditions. Drought/heat-tolerant would be a plus.

Impatiens are nice. But they can be 'picky'. If it was me, I'd stick with petunias. They come in white, reds, and a 'blue'. (which is more 'blue-violet') I like petunias because they give you 'more bang for your buck'. Afer they start blooming/dying off, whack them back with scissors and they come back twice as abundant.

The only 'real blue' flower I can think of is the blue ageratum. But it's a 'pale blue'. Another blue...is the forget-me-not. Also a pale blue. A 'true-blue', is the blue flax. BUT, it won't produce those flowers the first bloom season, since it's a perennial. (unless you can find plants that are over a year old)

For anything you plant, on a hillside, it would be really 'good' to use Miracle-grow. 2x a week. Heavy on the M-G at the TOP of the 'garden' and less as you go down.

I am not a real expert. I live on relamation hills, have 'dead soil', have horses, and LOVE 'dirty fingernails'. LOL!!! I also have floral motifs and they 'live'. Last year's 'statement' was a heart with a cross in the middle. (on our horse's grave)

Here is a web-site that has el-cheapo prices and is my main supplier. Their plant materials are healthy and do well. www.directgardening.com

[jocon307]

I'm no gardener, but your idea sounds great. This thread is actually very interesting to me. Good Luck and let us know how your project goes.

[Freebird Forever]

Hope these suggestions help.

American Alpine Speedwell,  Veronica wormskjoldii

American Speedwell Veronica armena

Corn Speedwell

Austrian Speedwell Veronica austriaca

[Freebird Forever]

Here's one more.

Prostrate Speedwell Veronica prostrata

[The Mayor]

That is Beautiful!!