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#1
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Question about bloom Longevity
I was considering planing snapdragons, gerber daisies and pansies in my
small garden this year however, the nursery hand told me that these plants bloom early in the spring and do not remain in bloom for the entire summer. Is this correct? I really liked the look of these flowers and wanted to add them to the mix of marigolds and impatient that I plan to plant in a bed and a pot but if they do not stay in bloom for the majority of the summer, I have no interest in investing in them. There is already plenty of greenery in the area, so color is what i'm looking for. Any suggestions out there? Thanks Darby |
#2
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Question about bloom Longevity
In article , Darby Wiggins wrote:
I was considering planing snapdragons, gerber daisies and pansies in my small garden this year however, the nursery hand told me that these plants bloom early in the spring and do not remain in bloom for the entire summer. Is this correct? Snapdragons can bloom all summer if the're in a somewhat shady spot. Pansies are definitely a cool-weather bloomer. (I haven't grown gerberas.) cheers, Marj * * * Marj Tiefert: http://www.mindspring.com/~mtiefert/ Marj's Mini Mall: http://stores.tiefert.com/ Coleridge shop: http://www.cafeshops.com/coleridgestore Marjorie's Morning Star: http://newsletter.tiefert.com/ science editing services: http://science.tiefert.com/ |
#3
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Question about bloom Longevity
You don't say what zone you're in. In our southern zones, the person who
told you that these plants bloom early was absolutely correct. In fact, we plant pansies, snapdragons, dianthus, kale, and cabbage in October and they pretty much grow a little in winter and then go crazy in early spring. As soon as May arrives, they start to fizzle out from the heat. Impatiens in our zone also go in a shady spot, while marigolds do best in full sun. Which situation do you have and maybe I can help recommend some plants that are very pretty and hardy to your zone. Penny Zone 7b - North Carolina "Darby Wiggins" wrote in message ... I was considering planing snapdragons, gerber daisies and pansies in my small garden this year however, the nursery hand told me that these plants bloom early in the spring and do not remain in bloom for the entire summer. Is this correct? I really liked the look of these flowers and wanted to add them to the mix of marigolds and impatient that I plan to plant in a bed and a pot but if they do not stay in bloom for the majority of the summer, I have no interest in investing in them. There is already plenty of greenery in the area, so color is what i'm looking for. Any suggestions out there? Thanks Darby |
#4
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Question about bloom Longevity
Pansies are a cool weather bloomer, so it partly depends on where you live
and what the conditions are like in your summers. Personally, I consider them a good investment, because they can be planted now, long before I can put out most other annuals. They will be cheerful for months before the heat does them in. There are few, if any, plants that will give you continuous color over three seasons. The reason plants bloom is to reproduce sexually, and to do if for 9 months straight is asking a lot 8-). Hybridization and plant breeding has extended the display times of many plants; giving them optimal conditions also helps. "Wave" petunias are a good example. They might be a good choice for you. And you can't beat salvias for bright color, which is why you see the red ones everywhere; there are also some newer pastel shades that are quite nice. Impatiens bloom very reliably; they are also self-cleaning, meaning they drop the spent flowers without any fuss. They need shady conditions. Marigolds need a lot of sun, and they also need to be dead-headed--you need to clip the spent flowers, so that the plant continues to put its energy into flower production, not seed production. The snapdragons and gerbera daisies also benefit from deadheading. And then in the fall, when, frankly, you'll be getting a bit tired of looking at marigolds and gerbera daisies, it's time to plant pansies again. If your winters are mild, they will overwinter and give you a bonus of flowers in the spring. Cheers, Sue Zone 6, Southcentral PA "Darby Wiggins" wrote in message ... I was considering planing snapdragons, gerber daisies and pansies in my small garden this year however, the nursery hand told me that these plants bloom early in the spring and do not remain in bloom for the entire summer. Is this correct? I really liked the look of these flowers and wanted to add them to the mix of marigolds and impatient that I plan to plant in a bed and a pot but if they do not stay in bloom for the majority of the summer, I have no interest in investing in them. There is already plenty of greenery in the area, so color is what i'm looking for. Any suggestions out there? Thanks Darby |
#5
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Question about bloom Longevity
Oh, sorry. Not sure what zone i'm in, but I live in Arlington VA, just outside
of Washington DC Thanks Darby Penny Morgan wrote: You don't say what zone you're in. In our southern zones, the person who told you that these plants bloom early was absolutely correct. In fact, we plant pansies, snapdragons, dianthus, kale, and cabbage in October and they pretty much grow a little in winter and then go crazy in early spring. As soon as May arrives, they start to fizzle out from the heat. Impatiens in our zone also go in a shady spot, while marigolds do best in full sun. Which situation do you have and maybe I can help recommend some plants that are very pretty and hardy to your zone. Penny Zone 7b - North Carolina "Darby Wiggins" wrote in message ... I was considering planing snapdragons, gerber daisies and pansies in my small garden this year however, the nursery hand told me that these plants bloom early in the spring and do not remain in bloom for the entire summer. Is this correct? I really liked the look of these flowers and wanted to add them to the mix of marigolds and impatient that I plan to plant in a bed and a pot but if they do not stay in bloom for the majority of the summer, I have no interest in investing in them. There is already plenty of greenery in the area, so color is what i'm looking for. Any suggestions out there? Thanks Darby |
#6
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Question about bloom Longevity
In article , Darby Wiggins writes:
I was considering planing snapdragons, gerber daisies and pansies in my small garden this year however, the nursery hand told me that these plants bloom early in the spring and do not remain in bloom for the entire summer. Is this correct? I am not sure about those daisies, and think they may be right about the pansies but have 'the knack' for stapdragons. Here is a recent post regarding keeping them in bloom: Snapdragons are one of the flowers that you can keep in bloom by removing the spent blooms. Once the petals fall, snip off the flower at the stem. I usually just use my thumb and first finger as the shears. You want to remove the flower's ovary as well. Usually by the time the flower falls some bee has pushed it's way into the dragon and fertilized it, and that causes a round swelling (the ovary) at the base of the flower. You want to be sure to remove this too! Once a few of these appear, the plant thinks that it's work is done and happily goes to seed, and dies. If you are good at keeping after the old flowers, you can keep them blooming partially till the next freeze, though the flower stalks can get to look a little leggy after a while, but you can snip them off and others will appear too. David Giunti email: unity What is the question? Gertrude Stein's last words No one mouth is big enough to utter the whole thing. Alan Watts On Display in the UK http://www.web-gallery.co.uk |
#7
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Question about bloom Longevity
On Wed, 02 Apr 2003 11:19:37 -0500, Darby Wiggins
wrote: I was considering planing snapdragons, gerber daisies and pansies in my small garden this year however, the nursery hand told me that these plants bloom early in the spring and do not remain in bloom for the entire summer. Is this correct? Pansies will fail in summer heat. They are best planted in the fall, and will often flower throughout a mild winter and into early spring. Many (most?) annual flowers benefit from regular cutting. This means getting out there and snipping spent blooms (or cutting for indoor display.) There was a meticulous gardner in my neighborhood (SE Virginia) who had *something* blooming 11 months of the year, but she was out working at it nearly every day. I really liked the look of these flowers and wanted to add them to the mix of marigolds and impatient that I plan to plant in a bed and a pot but if they do not stay in bloom for the majority of the summer, I have no interest in investing in them. There is already plenty of greenery in the area, so color is what i'm looking for. Regular Impatiens flourish in part shade (a little sun in the morning, shade in the afternoon) except for specific sun-tolerant varieties. Marigolds are full sun flowers. Both do, however, have flowers for a long time. For color, I always think Zinnias and Cosmos -- easy to grow from seed and very generous bloomers ('though Zinnias generally get mildewy after a while). I've successfully grown 2 crops of Cosmos here -- seeds from the early ones have time enough to come up and bloom later. |
#8
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Question about bloom Longevity
Okay, so pansies are out but I've gotten mixed messages on the
snapdragons.....some say if you deadhead them they will stay in bloom all summer and some say they don't.....which is it??? I live in N. Virginia, just a stones throw from DC....don't know what zone that is.....I don't want to invest in the flowers, if they are going to just "go green" on me... Also, out front where I get morning sun and then in the afternoon, the building shades the area, I have some bushes (not sure what kind) and wanted to plant some flowers. Money is tight but I do have asylum and forget-me-not seeds and thought about planting them. How deep do I plant them and would they work here? I'm looking for a "carpet" affect so how much area does a packet of seeds cover and how long till I see results? Thanks for all of your help....I'm really enjoying reading about the various plants Darby Darby Wiggins wrote: I was considering planing snapdragons, gerber daisies and pansies in my small garden this year however, the nursery hand told me that these plants bloom early in the spring and do not remain in bloom for the entire summer. Is this correct? I really liked the look of these flowers and wanted to add them to the mix of marigolds and impatient that I plan to plant in a bed and a pot but if they do not stay in bloom for the majority of the summer, I have no interest in investing in them. There is already plenty of greenery in the area, so color is what i'm looking for. Any suggestions out there? Thanks Darby |
#9
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Question about bloom Longevity
Darby Wiggins expounded:
Okay, so pansies are out but I've gotten mixed messages on the snapdragons.....some say if you deadhead them they will stay in bloom all summer and some say they don't.....which is it??? I hate to see you give up on pansies, they're one of my favorites, and if you give them some afternoon shade and plenty of water they last fairly well, cut them back in the heat of the summer and they'll bloom again for you in the fall. As for snaps, yes, keep them deadheaded and they'll bloom all summer....and since they're a half-hardy perennial, they may overwinter for you. They have for me a couple times, although not this past winter.....way too many sub-zero and single digit days. -- Ann, Gardening in zone 6a Just south of Boston, MA ******************************** |
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