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Old 02-04-2003, 09:32 PM
SugarChile
 
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Default 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