American Meadow Wildflower Seeds

I have a small slope area in my backyard with a small retaining wall at the bottom. Even though its covered in landscape fabric and mulch I have terrible erosion on the sidewalk next to the wall. I have concluded the only thing to do is to get some roots in the ground ASAP. So I'm seriously considering wildflowers.

I have found an excellent source at http://www.americanmeadows.com/. They have a very easy option to get to different regions. For the midwest, they have a mix as well as individual seed packets including one of my favorites Echinacea pallidia pictured above. So I'd like to start this fall but simply have too many fall projects, so I'll wait until next spring.

Patrick's Picks -- Annuals

Patrick’s Picks: Versatile Annuals for Bedding and Contaners

Annual plants can provide a wealth of flowers and color impact in your garden quite inexpensively during this tough economy. I had personal experience with gardening on a tight budget when during my childhood I used my allowance to buy annuals. Since I couldn't afford perennials, I had no idea what I was missing. But consider using annuals on their own merit when you need fast growth and color in your garden.
‘Boxwood’ Basil was bred in France for a highly flavored pesto ingredient. But Alan Stevens of Kansas State Extension believes Boxwood’s real value is as an excellent ornamental plant. “Boxwood is a great new plant for the gardener’s palette,” says Stevens. “It has enormous potential for use in a variety of garden designs. It may become a “line” plant in geometric garden designs much like its woody namesake. As a bonus, it also has the aromatic basil scent

‘Calico’ and ‘Purple Flash’ are two new ornamental peppers hitting the market in 2009. Calico is unique with its leaves of white, purple and green while Purple Flash has primarily bright purple leaves with contrasting flecks of white color. “While Black Pearl has been a model of good vigor and dramatic foliage; it now has company with the introduction of Calico and Purple Flash,” says Stevens. “Both of these new ornamental peppers are highly branched, vigorous plants of great color.” Calico comes in at 12-14 inches wide by 14-16 inches high and Purple Flash comes in slightly largerCalico comes in at 12-14 inches wide by 14-16 inches high and Purple Flash comes in slightly larger.

Gary Leuckenotto of Rosehill Landscaping works with outstanding clients such as the Country Club Plaza and Town Centre Plaza. Dichondra ‘Silver Falls’ in pots or as a ground cover sports cascading silver foliage resilient to foot traffic. In sun or in partial shade locations, this variety develops into a 3”- 4” high plant with a spread of 2’ in a typical growing season. "We have been looking for a border plant to provide contrast and durability while not overwhelming container arrangements. This is a gem as it behaves and does not look “tired” midway through the growing season " Gary says ‘Silver Falls’ was displayed beautifully as a curbside edging last season at Ruth Island on the Country Club Plaza, located at Wyandotte and Nichols Road.

‘Big’ Series Begonia performs in sun or partial shade with waxy, bronze-green leaves and pink-coral blooms as large as golf balls. This 2-1/2- to 3-foot plant works well in both garden soil or containers and doesn't need the dead heading of spent blossoms. You can use this Begonia with Diamond Frost Euphorbia and Scaevola for a fantastic pot combination. "The coral-pink is our favorite in the series,” explains Leuckenotto. “It does not have a washed-out bloom color and blends with other colors in borders much better than the red-orange of typical Dragon Wing Begonias.”Leuckenotto predicts that the “Big” Series Begonias will be a popular choice this season. “We did not have a large supply of the “Big” Begonias in 2008, but with their proven performance this year as centerpieces in pots we plan to step up their quantities considerably in 2009" he said.

potato A true breeding breakthrough from my native Australia is Ptilotus ‘Joey'. Rita Arnold of Arnold Greenhouses in Leroy, KS describes ‘Joey’ as “an annual flower sporting a compact habit of 12-18" wide and the same around. The large conical flower spikes are glistening silver with darker neon pink color near the tips.” Arnold says, “This variety performs well as an accent in combinations such as Eucalyptus cinerea, Pentas 'Butterfly Light Lavender’, and Salvia 'Evolution'.”

All six of these annuals provide the versatility of use as a container or bedding plant. Consider using these varieties in both containers and as bedding plants in the same garden to provide a repetition of bloom and foliage. So use your budgeted dollars wisely for annuals this season and pray for our economy to turn around by next spring in time for larger investments of perennials and beyond.

Patrick's Picks: Cut Flowers 09

If you are looking for ways to stretch your limited dollars this year, you may want to consider learning the potential of a simple packet of flower seeds. One packet can supply bucket loads of high-quality cut flowers to grace your family home and provide friends with unexpected surprises all summer long.

Renee Shepherd has been running the specialty seed company Renee’s Gardens since 1997. I have long admired their cut flower offering and the beautiful illustrations on the seed packets as seen in area garden centers. As you can imagine, Shepherd reviews many new introductions before offering in her catalog. This season two of the most exciting are new varieties of classic cut flowers.

‘Apricot Blush’ zinnias sport gorgeous quality cut flowers in soft hues of apricot- rose through salmon-blush. Their densely petaled flowers make beautiful and long-lasting bouquets when they are continually cut through the season. Apricot Blush is a selection of the famous Benary's Giant zinnias, known for superb garden performance in tough summer conditions. The multi-branched, 31⁄2 foot tall plants yield armfuls of long-stemmed flowers perfect for eye-catching garden displays all season long. Renee says “the soft and subtle color changes as the flowers unfold making them especially beautiful for bouquets."

Ever since I saw them waving in the opening frames of “The Color Purple", I have been intrigued how such a delicate flower can appear on such a rigorous growing plant. June Dancing Petticoats Specialty Cosmos takes this simple daisy and creates a new level of the load days ago and I name the new think you a mud bulletin boards at 99 and is known for it's about to get those pictures of the mall sophistication for this old-fashioned favorite.

Renee’s Garden’s custom blend of special cosmos dance and sway above lacy foliage. We've combined "Seashells," with dainty tubular petals, "Psyche," whose semidouble frilled blossoms are like softly ruffled crowns, and "Versailles," the aristocratic florist cosmos with perfect form and rich color. Dancing Petticoats paint a color collage of apple blossom pink, deep magenta, soft rose and pure white, some with deeper colored centers. These easy-care, 3 ½ - 4 feet tall flowers bloom nonstop throughout the summer. I love them for casual but romantic, country bouquet."


The last recommendation from Renee’s Garden is an outstanding new Monardo named ‘Bergamo.’ This plant has intense, rose-purple flower spikes whose blossoms whirl in clusters around the stems. Bergamo flowers earlier and longer than any other Monarda varieties. Plants are compact, 2 1/2 feet tall, heat-tolerant and mildew resistant. Renee says "These lovely flowers are true butterfly magnets, bloom abundantly for several months and make wonderful bouquets. ‘Bergamo’ is a beautiful new cultivar of old-fashioned cottage garden flowers."

Closer to home, Alan Stevens of Kansas State University highly recommends
Cramer’s Burgundy Crested Celosia. "This impressive plant exhibits excellent vigor, great stem length and strength; with large, bright burgundy colored, deeply textured flowers." The fresh stems have a 7-10 day vase life and excellent dried flower qualities. The center bloom reaches 4-5 inches across with many more versatile side stems. With approximately 15 to 20 stems, this variety is a strong work horse in the cutting garden.

Stevens surprisingly recommends Rocket Cherry Snapdragon. Stereotypically a cooler season annual, "this is one of the most heat tolerant snapdragons we have tested in our K-State trials. We have planted them out in May and had them bloom all summer. The stems must be harvested or cut back a little more than just deadheading to keep them productive. At 32 inches tall by 16 inches wide, the 8-12 inch cherry red flower spikes sit on top of high quality, strong stems with excellent vase life.

Frequent, light applications of nitrogen fertilizer are required for all these annual cut flowers to keep them producing new flowering stems and for the stems to grow to an optimal length. And come late July when you have some great specimens, you may consider exhibiting at area flower shows or even the Missouri State to, if you're feeling kind of cocky.. Just bring your entry and a clear tall vase to the show and organizers will help you prepare your flower for exhibition. A word of warning, after you enter your first show your competitiveness may bloom into a wonderful new obsession.

Welcome to My Garden

Thanks for visiting patricksgarden.com, home of Patrick's Picks column in Kansas City Gardener. The objective of my columns, website and blog is to provide bite-sized information for today's fast-paced communications consumer.

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Patrick

Excellent Strawberry Flavor

It has been years since I last grew strawberries. But on one side of my walk way in the backyard there is a perfect spot for a ground cover. So if I'm going to give that space to a ground cover, why not hand it over to one that will give me fruit as well. So I contacted Kansas State extension, to find out the best rated varieties. Sorkel Kadir wrote an excellent Horticulture Report in 2003 where 'Earliglow' and 'Sparkle' were the only varieties to receive an excellent flavor designation. So I bought 25 'Earliglow' plants from Stark Brothers and I am looking forward to the results.

For more information, check out:

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2006/03/01/AR2006030100574.html

He

Vegetable Varieties for Gardeners

I just discovered a valuable website for those of

you vegetable heads. This site is from Cornell University. You just input a variety name and you'll find a chat room that provides feedback about that particular plant. Today, they have over 5000 varieties. It is interesting that the top 10 rated varieties are all tomatoes. The top variety, Sungold is pictured on the left. So anyway take a look at http://vegvariety.cce.cornell.edu/. Enjoy!

Rare Morning Glories

There is a fantastic company specializing in rare morning glories named Summer Hills in Whittington, Illinois. 'Heart's and Honey' pictured left is a miniature growing only 5-6 feet and the Yellow Morning Glory are just some of the thirty varieties. I'm planting 'Hearts and Honey' and 'Mount Fuji' Mix among others this spring.

Emeritus Plants of Merit -- MOBOT

The Missouri Botanical Gardens in St. Louis is one of the most beautiful gardens I've seen personally. They have a fantastic program to recognize outstanding plants named Plants of Merit. Anything off the basic list is highly recommended for the St. Louis area which is pretty true for the Kansas City area.

The superstars of this program are classified as Emiretus Plants of Merit. I was enthralled at each of the categories especially so with the shrubs. So many times you find a shrub named in gardening media, their ultimate size is way too large for the average sized garden. But so many of the shrubs were compact and I know I will use many of them in future landscape projects. So check it out before next spring!

Origarnum 'Kent Beauty'

WOW! I found this image of Origarnum 'Kent Beauty' on the Missouri Botanical Gardens website. It's one of their Emeritus Plants of Merits Selections. it's an ornamental not culinary oregano. I remember savoring the plant the first time I saw it and ordered it through High Country Gardens. However, the rabbits seemed to like it just as much as I did.

But MOBOT recommends treating it like an annual in container gardening. And based on the performance of their other Plants of Merit, I look forward to images like this on my back deck.

Repotting House Plants

If you're going through some serious gardening withdrawals, you may want to consider repotting some of your house plants this winter. But wait until mid-February when the days are becoming longer and the plant begins to go into an active growth cycle again. Then be sure the pot is no more than 1'' wider than the existing one. You may think I'll wait until Spring when you send them outdoors. But get let's get real. With the flurry of Spring activities, worrying about house plants is not going to be on the shortlist. So take the time when you have time on your hands to get the plants ready for a very productive outdoor season.

If you are into house plants, you should know about http://www.logees.com/ for new varieties.

Baptisia a.k.a False Indigo

The first time I saw False Indigo was in the perennial border at the Missouri Botanical Garden in St. Louis. It was approximately 4 foot tall by 3 feet wide. It gets its common name from the blue flowers that someone must've compared to indigo a long time ago.

I was surprised when working on my Patrick's Picks perennials column, two different professionals named two unusual colors for their picks. 'Carolina Moonlight' is a soft yellow nominated by Duane Hoover from the Kaufmann Memorial Garden, just off the Country Club Plaza. I noticed on the web images that the lower branches seem to lose their foilage. Duane poetically referred to this as "a tendency to show her ankles" which allows for the placement of compact perennials around her ankles.

'Twilight Prairie Blues' has a dark purple, almost coppery flower with yellow eyes. It was nominated by Gary Frederick of Skinner Garden Store in Topeka. The web images I found were absolutely stunning. Its large size won't fit in my garden but I can't wait to see it in person.

Karen's Plum Pudding Poinsettia

Traditions are a great thing during the holidays. One of my old secretaries, Karen Summers has been a great friend of mine for over 15 years. And each year, we go to Family Tree to pick her out a high-quality poinsettia. I always try for something different and this year it is 'Plum Pudding'. It's like a smoky dark purple. I've never seen anything like it. I think Karen will love it.

River Birch 'Little King'

You see river birch specimens all over town. Most often it is used as a tree for foundation purposes. But if you have ever seen one that's about 30 years old, you'll never plant one close to the house again. There is an alternative to the big whopping river varieties. 'Little King' measures out to a mature size of 10-15' high by 10 to 15' wide. I think these dimensions make 'Little King' a more flexible option when siting a river birch anywhere need a house. This is just another reason why Skinner Garden Store in Topeka has the best selection of trees and shrubs in the area.

Cut Flowers

One of my sources for an upcoming Patrick's Picks column was Renee Shepherd of Renee's Garden Seeds. Her company has to be the most outstanding supplier of cut flower varieties in the world. Apricot Blush Zinnia is a selection from the famous in Benary series. And Dancing Petticoats is a mix of four different types of cosmos. I wish more beginning gardeners knew how easy it is to plant these seeds directly in the ground and watch them take off many times in less than a week. Check out Renee's website for plenty of other excellent performing varieties.

Basil 'Boxwood'

KSU Extension's Alan Stevens is pumped about this new plant. Tiny mounds of tightly held small leaves resemble boxwood plants. And just like boxwood, the plants can be easily trimmed into a small hedge. 'Boxwood' was bred in France for a highly flavored pesto ingredient. So I imagine, this is the first plant whose hedge trimmings can wind up on your plate.

I'll be including this plant as part of my Patrick's Picks annual selections. This year, I'll be sharing all my picks selections with the major growers in town in January so the odds are more likely you'll find this at your garden center this spring.

Autumn Embers Ornamental Grass

I have been working on a column for the Kansas City Gardener on compact ornamental grass varieties. For one source, I contacted David Salman, CEO of High Country Gardens Santa Fe, New Mexico. They are one of the leading forces in xeriscaping today and they have many varieties suited for our part of the country. I have always been impressed by their offerings and the quality of the plants I've received.


I am not an expert at all when it comes to ornamental grasses. But I have been frustrated when I find one for my garden it is way too large for me or the average sized garden. David gave me three varieties of which the most interesting was a pink flowered muhly grass (Muhlenbergia reverchonii) named Autumn Embers. David collected the seed himself from an area west of Fort Worth last fall. Wouldn't you have loved to be there? It is a midsized variety sizing up at 24 to 36 inches tall and 18 to 24 inches wide. Well I'm throwing out my "you must in threes" formula due to its size, but I think one surrounded by broad leaf perennials could add to the texture in my garden.

Drama Queen Poppy

Pictured on the cover of Ken Druse 's new book is the Drama Queen Poppy. Based on the expected demand for the book, I was sure buy my seeds before they're not available anywhere. I got mine from the ebay vendor, One Stop Poppy Shoppe.

For cultural instructions, see below on the Iceland poppies entry.

Cleopatra Canna introduced 1895

My grandmother always hated cannas. So until Bengal Tiger's introduction I shared her disposition. Old House Gardens is a little heirloom company dedicated to saving very rare heirlooms from extinction. I've always had this thing for mottled flowers but as you can see from this image, Cleopatra also has red and yellow petal colors split down the center from time to time. I've never seen such a thing.

Our family farm in Trenton, MO is surrounded by my father-in-law's soybean and wheat fields so herbicide drift is a big issue. And lo and behold the most reliable and best-performing plants are the cannas. So in the gardens we are planning, cannas are a big part of the picture. I hope my grandmother would approve.

Iceland Poppies

I grew Iceland poppies back when I was a kid in Sydney as a winter annual. I always thought they would be way too delicate to plant here in the Midwest. But my friend Jan Vinyard recently shared with me that you should treat them just like California poppies. In late February or early March she finds a bare spot in the garden, does a little scratching around in the soil and sows some seed. This way they will begin growing as soon as possible and bloom early spring. Until you've seen the actual flower, you cannot believe how beautiful the paperlike blossoms can be. Thanks Jan.

Patrick's Picks: Take a Closer Look at Poinsettias

Poinsettias now seem synonymous with the holidays, but we owe their existence as we know it to one man: Paul Ecke. Ecke, founder of the Paul Ecke Ranch in Encinitas, CA, was single-handedly responsible for hybridizing what had been a large gangly Mexican shrub into today’s potted poinsettia. Poinsettias are now the best-selling flowering plant in the world, and Ecke Ranch remains the industry’s heavyweight. Seventy percent of all rooted cuttings ordered by U.S. greenhouses come from Ecke; the company has 50 percent market share worldwide.

One of the highlights of my career was providing marketing communication consultation services to Ecke’s company—an experience that completely changed my perception of poinsettias. I always thought of them as mangled plants in plastic sleeves sold at local big box retailers, but Ecke showcased a stunning plant in many colors and forms with a broad range of decorating possibilities. So my family began a new Christmas tradition after my visit by going to a garden center to select plants for gifts and home. My recent mission was to find the most exciting colors and forms at Kansas City area garden centers for this holiday season.

Family Tree Nursery greenhouses in Kansas City, KS grow 44 varieties in eight pot sizes, totaling more than 22,000 plants for their three retail locations. Holly Ingle, the nursery’s head grower is a big fan of an early variety series with large, oak leaf-shaped bracts and foliage named Christmas Carol. In red, pink and white cultivars, it's a dark green-leaved variety, so the bracts are really set off against it. She says “I think it's very showy."
For those of you interested in something more unusual, Holly also likes Jester. "Traditionally, it has always been an interesting red, with its pointy, serrated bracts. It looks like it's off to a party!” she says, adding that there’s now a pink, too.

The manager of operations for the Heartland Nursery and Garden Center in Lee’s Summit, MO, Kevin Keilig says his favorites include a strong, heavily branched variety named Cortez Burgundy. The flowers (bracts) may not be as large as some varieties, but there are plenty of them, they last a long time and the dark burgundy makes for a dramatic impact. Kevin’s next choice falls in the “love it or leave it” category. The Winter Rose series is known for ruffled, semi-double bracts that look something like a rose bloom. The first cultivar, ‘Dark Red,’ generated a lot of excitement at its introduction because it retains colorful bracts for up to six months. Winter Rose Peppermint has the ruffled flower form with red and white speckled bracts. Any in this series could be an intriguing choice, good as a party conversation starter or a distinctive gift.

Heartland is also following the recent trend of combining poinsettias with euphorbia Diamond Frost. Proven Winners branded this combination of two plants in one pot as DiamondPoint™, and Kevin says both will flower well past the holidays. You can also bring in your Diamond Frost from the garden next season, shear it back and enjoy a beautiful houseplant all winter.