Park Seed Garden Journal

For most of us, all of the heavy work in the garden is over– are seedlings have turned into nice mature plants, our perennials and shrubs have begun to bloom. everything is starting to look really nice. We pull a few weeds here and there, mow the lawn and then what? Sit in the shade and twiddle our thumbs?

No way! I am all about being proactive in the garden, and there is always something that can be raised, lowered, turned around, or replaced. This is prime time, we should definitely be playing in the dirt right now. Now would be the perfect time to get some mature annuals, and there are so many colors and varieties that you could never get bored. A little extra color in the garden is never a bad thing. There is always a little bare or boring spot in your garden that could use a few nice, colorful, frangrant annuals.

It is still early in the year, and many annuals will supply you with bright colors into the fall. Petunias are a very good example, they come in many colors, and they keep blooming all through the summer. And, of course, the summer classic, impatiens will never disappoint and there are so many varieties. The new shade annual, Brazillian Fireworks ‘Maracas’ would be another great summer addition with clumps of interesting blooms that will last for the rest of the season.

Thomas
Park Seed Company

Arbor Day is tomorrow, Friday, April 27, 2007 (It’s also my brand new nephew’s 1st Birthday!). Arbor Day has changed meaning and gained a new following since its original conception in 1872.

Nebraska was a new territory in 1872, and the governenment was trying to get people to move there and start new communities, but there were not many trees for buildings– Nebraska is mostly grassy plains. A journalist turned politician, J. Sterling Morton came up with clever idea to have everyone in the new territory plant a tree on the last Friday of April, simultaneously creating an international holiday and the worlds first flash mob (just kidding).

Since the first trees were planted on the first Arbor Day, the necessity for new trees have taken on a new importants. Trees do most of the atmosphere cleaning work for the rest of us, pulling out greenhouse gases and releasing breathable oxygen. So tomorrow, whether it’s because you want to build a log cabin in a few years or because you like breathable air, plant a tree.

Park Trees and Shrubs and the Park Seed Company-Buy a tree and plant it.

Thomas
Park Seed Company

I just purchase the ornamental Sweet Potato Blackie from the Park Seed garden center during my lunch break. I have never grown any ornamental sweet potato before, but this plant is very eye catching with its dark foliage and bright pink to lavender blooms. I intend to put it in a hanging basket when I get home because I was told that the cascading foliage looks really nice in hanging baskets.

They are supposed to be one of the easiest plants to grow, and the dark foliage is an excellent way to bring out those bright colors in your garden. It will do well in the garden or in a container. You can order this plant now from our online catalog or, if you’re local, stop by our garden center and pick one up, and while you are here, take a look at the other items currently available. Despite the recent freeze, everything seems to be at its peak right now.

For more information: Sweet Potato Blackie

"Sunflower" specifically referes to the species Helianthus Annuus, which is the common annual sunflower most often planed by gardeners. But, "sunflower" is also used to denote any plant in the genus Helianthus. If you have grown sunflowers you probably know where they get that name. The plants in this genus perform a little trick known as "heliotropism." In the morning, before the sun rises, the plants wailt eagerly facing the rising sun in the east. They follow the sun through the sky all day and watch it set in the west. Here’s the really neat part– After the sun sets, they face the east again to wait for morning. No wonder the Aztec used them as a symbol for their sun god.

The genus Helianthus consists of 2-12 foot tall perennial and annual plants with coarse, sticky leaves and daisy-like flowers that are 3-12 inches across. Colors vary from yellows, oranges, and reds to mahogany, browns, and purples. They usually bloom in the late summer to early fall.

You make want to grow your own sunflowers. The plants are beautful and they would make a great addition to any garden. Sunflower seeds are delicious and great for you, and you can get many seeds from just a few sunflower plants. For annuals, sow the flower seeds outdoors about 1/2" deep and 2-4 feet apart after the last frost has passsed. For perennials, germinate the seeds indoors during late winter, and place them in a cool location at night. Remember to keep them moist. After about two months they should be ready for the garden.

Take a look at a couple of our perennial sunflowers that you can purchase right now. Sunflower Marc’s Apollo Has big bright 4 inch blooms and ships in a 1 gallon pot. Sunflower Sun Gold has bis fluffy 5 inch blooms and ships in a 3-inch pot.

The Green Giant is a very fast-growing hybrid that resulted from a cross of the Western Red Cedar and Thuja standishii. It can grow 3 to 5 feet in just one summer and eventually reach heights of 30 to 50 feet tall in just over a decade. The evergreen foliage is dark green during the summer, but it will bronzen a little during the winter. Green Giant is pest and disease resistant, and deer are not fond of it either. Beyond pruning to maintain a desired size there is hardly any maintainence for established trees. Simply, prune as needed in early spring and midsummer to maintain the desired height.

To plant for hedges, set plants 6 to 8 feet apart, and for specimen plants, space 10 to 15 feet apart. Green Giants are adaptable to most average soils, both acid and alkaline, that are reasonably well-drained. They will tolerate moderately moist soil conditions but not continually wet or boggy conditions or salt spray. The most vigorous growth will occur in full sun, however your thuja will tolerate light shade.

If you’d like a to try them for yourself look here: Thuja Green Giant

Thomas Andrews
Park Seed Company

Originally from the dry grasslands in the American Southwest and Mexico, zinnias are recognized by their solitary long-stemmed flowers that come in a variety of bright colored variations. Butterflies love zinnias, and you may want to plant them as part of a butterfly garden.

Zinnias are usually grown from seed, preferably in fertile, humus-rich, and well-drained soil, in an area with full sun. They will often reseed in the spring.

A few new zinnia cultivars that have really caught my attention this year are the Zinnia Profusion Deep Apricot, a bright colored, hardy landscaping zinnia, and Zinnia Aztec Sunset a bronze and gold, double-blooming, mildew resistant zinnia that will stay in bloom all season. The Aztec Sunset is absolutely beautiful– They caught my eye in the garden center last week. They are some of the prettiest flowers out there… well, the red salvia is nice too… and those puffy yellow marigolds that look like cupcakes.

If you want sandwich tomatoes, grow Beef Steaks. If you love tomatoes in your salad, try some different cherry varieties. If your garden is the source for most of your canned goods, you should probably try to grow a few paste tomatoes. Growing your own tomatoes will give you power over selection and power over growing methods. It is cheaper than than buying them at the supermarket, and it can be much more rewarding

Your standard or slicing tomatoes are the common medium-sized round tomatoes. These will most often be used in soups or sliced for salads. You’ve seen these in six-pack trays at your local supermarket.

Beef Steak are big tomatoes, some up to 2 pounds. These are the ones that, when sliced, fit sandwiches and burgers very nicely. Beef Steak varieties are also great for stuffing and baking. They are rarely found in supermarkets because their size and tenderness makes them more trouble than they are worth for big retailers. However, they are a home garden dream, a big tasty return on the simple investment in a tiny packet of seeds. Some popular cultivars of this variety are ‘Better Boy’, ‘Big Beef’, and ‘Park’s Whopper’.

Cherry tomatoes are very small tomatoes, ranging from barely bigger than your finger tip to the size of a golf ball. They are often very sweet and perfect by themselves just as a snack. They are the sublime salad tomato because they add lots of flavor, and you don’t have to slice them. The elongated smaller and sweeter grape tomatoes are also a tasty variation of the cherry tomato. Cherry tomato plants produce a large amount of fruit, so you don’t have to plant many to get plenty of tomatoes.

Paste or plum tomatoes are, as the name suggests, often used for canning and sauces. They work well for this because they are less juicy than other varieties, they don’t have a core, and they have far less seeds than other varieties. They are usually small and slightly elongated or “pear-shaped.” They are often lumped together as “Roma” tomatoes, which is actually just one cultivar of this tomato variety.

Thomas
Park Seed Company

Stephanie Turner, Director of Horticulture for Seed Product, one of our resident experts is taking us on a tour through the Park Seed Trial Garden over at ParkSeedMemories.com. Stephanie has collaborated with Claire to provide a few little tidbits about what goes on around here. This will be a continuing project, and they have already completed a post about our blooming trees and the recent cold snap.

Park Seed Memories is devoted to sharing customer and employee stories about Park Seed. The customer stories are my favorite part, with excellent pictures and real experiences. There are weddings, record-sized vegetables, and one beautiful tree that survived two hurricanes.

If you have any fun stories about Park Seed, send to me, or head on over to Park Seed Memories and Send them directly to claire. I’m sure she’d love to put your story in the blog.

Thomas
Park Seed Company

There are a few brand new internet exclusives over at ParkSeed.com. I have picked a favorite, the dwarf dogwood, Cornus Little Princess. This little tree is a big performer in the garden with plenty to offer for its compact size. You now have the option of tucking the elegant beauty of the dogwood into any just about any tiny nook in your garden.

Full white blooms overcome this tree’s humble little branhces. Don’t let size fool you– this little tree is very hardy, even into the very hot USDA zone 9. And, it starts blooming very young. The blooms crowd along the stems in the spring, giving way to deep green foliage, and finally the classic red dogwood fruit.

If you space your brand new trees about 6 feet apart in moist, well-drained soil exposed to full sun or light shade, they will grow vigorously, growing more impressive each season. Water well at first, by the next season your dogwood will be virtually carefree.

If you’d like to read a little more, visit here: Cornus Little Princess

Most of us know the difference between annuals and perennials. Perennials either grow all year round or they come back every year, while annuals germinate, grow, and die all in one season. Many of the plants we grow as annuals are technically perennials, and they would continue to grow if they were either in a warmer climate or not harvested to be consumed.

There are a few true annuals, some whose whole life cycle lasts only a few weeks. The really short-lived plants are usually desert plants that spend most of the year as a seed, until the rainy season comes. And, there are a few true annuals that are popular for gardening, most of those being grown for food.

Annual flowers will pop up in the spring with really bright colors and loud fragrances to attract pollinating insects and humming birds. They exist only to mature to seed, then they die and start the cycle all over again. Fortunately, we gardeners, also benefit from those showy flowers and sweet aromas.

Park Seed’s Annuals and Tropicals

A couple of really great annuals
Marigold Antigua Yellow
Fresh Look Celosia

Thomas
Park Seed Company