GardenBanter.co.uk - View Single Post - how to figure out what seeds to send to a friend?

16-08-2004, 05:59 PM

(Applecandy) wrote in message om...
Hi all,

I just got back from a trip to Guatemala, and the people in the guest
house I stayed in asked me to send them some flower seeds. However,
since I live in New Jersey, I have no idea what kinds of seeds would
work in Antigua, Guatemala, where the year-round temperature is
basically 60 - 80 degrees with a rainy season and a dry season. I'm
mostly looking for plants that can be grown in a container, and that
would grow well in the climate of Antigua.

How would I go about ascertaining this information? Is there a
website that I could go to, or do I need to have more detailed
information before I can order the proper seeds? The reason I want to
know is because a previous guest once sent these people a few bulbs
from Holland, and none of them ever grew, and I'd like to make sure
that I don't send plants that either won't germinate or will grow
poorly in the local climate.

Any information from some of the experts in this group would be
greatly appreciated!

Applecandy

Sorry if it's considered bad protocol to reply to my own question,
but...

Let's say I want to send my friends some marigolds. I know that in my
own climate (in central NJ), marigolds can be planted outside after
the last frost, will last one season, and will go to seed before the
first frost in autumn. For my friends in Antigua, what would I tell
them about planting marigolds in their climate, where there is no
frost to consider, and where the year-round temperature basically
never goes below 60F and rarely above 80F? When should I tell them to
plant the seeds, and what should they expect from the plants from
their growing season? How do annuals work in a climate like this?
And what about perennials, which would regenerate after a cold winter
of dormancy here?

Another question--should I look at the tropical seeds that are
available from some online catalogs? I would think of them as
something more suitable for a climate where the temperature is
regularly above the average high that occurs in Antigua, but I really
have no idea.

Please forgive my ignorance about matters of gardening, which is
pretty pathetic considering that my mom is a pretty accomplished
gardener. If I don't receive any replies to this question I'll give
her a call to see if she knows what I should do, although never having
lived in a frost-free environment she might not be all that sure
herself.

Any advice, guidance, or suggestions are highly appreciated. Thank
you!

Applecandy