|
[ Past Issues Index ] [ Rex's Seedco Home ] [ Our Seed Catalog ] [ About Us ]
|
||||||
|
Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:You folks are just great. We continue to get such nice comments on Green Thumb Times. We truly appreciate it. This week we start to take a look at annuals. We've also included some shorter articles regarding vegetables; a submission from one of our readers; and a reader mailbag question we'd like to share. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor 2) Why Grow Annuals?
Perennials are plants that come up every year, and bloom at specific times of the year - such as Tulips that bloom in the spring, or Foxglove that blooms in the summer, or Asters that can bloom in any season depending on your location. Simply put, annuals are plants that only grow for one season. But why would you only want plants that grow a single season? There are many reasons. You can ask a dozen gardeners why they grow them, and you might get a dozen different answers. Gosh, you can get some great cut flowers from annuals; they add so much color to the garden; they're easy to grow; or, every year you can have a brand new garden to look at and enjoy. And how can you argue that plants that flower all the time aren't great. This continuous flowering is why annuals only grow one season - they don't have to store up energy in their roots to be used to rise from the ground next year. Annuals perpetuate the species by producing seeds, and often in great quantity. And, in order to produce a great number of seeds, they need to produce many flowers. If you cut the flowers, the plant won't produce seed - thus, when you do cut the flowers, the plant tries again and again to attempt to produce seed. The more you cut, the more it blooms. We don't know about you, but we like our plants to try and produce more and more and more seed because we get to enjoy more and more and more flowery beauty. Annuals are also great for temporary plantings, such as if you live in rental property or trying to beautify your summer cottage. They are wonderful in your perennial beds as filler - or they can give your bed color while you wait for the perennials to bloom. Did you know that most annuals have small root systems? You can take a spade, dig up an annual (along with a large amount of soil), and move it to a new location where your spring blooms have been spent. Annuals also work great in containers to provide some color where you might want it around the yard, whether it be the patio, the deck, the front steps, or in a hanging basket. You can also plant flowering annual vines to hide an eyesore in your yard, or to use as a vertical feature in a bed next to the house. Here in Minnesota morning glories can only be grown as annuals - last year I (Tom) planted them to grow on a trellis next to the house. They looked great. Annuals are so versatile. Next week we'll look more in depth at annuals - planning your garden and perhaps about growing conditions. *** 10% savings until May 15, 2003 *** Sunflower Seeds Sunflower seeds are an American original. They became
an important agricultural crop in the 1950's starting in North Dakota
and Minnesota. The confection sunflower seeds are normally black with
white stripes. Those, when hulled, are the ones you generally eat.
This is the fastest growing market in Garden Seeds. http://www.rexseedco.com/sunflow.htm 3) Humor for Today:When my husband and I showed up at a very popular restaurant, it was crowded. I went up to the hostess and asked, "Will it be long?" The hostess, ignoring me, kept writing in her book. I asked again, "How much of a wait?" The woman looked up and said, "About ten minutes." A short time later, we heard an announcement over the loud- speaker: "Willette B. Long, your table is ready." 4) Gardening and Your Health:One of our readers was kind enough to share the following with us and wanted us to share it with our readers:
It's true. Gardening is a weight-bearing activity, which may help prevent bones from becoming brittle. A preliminary study of 3,000 women found that those women who participated in various dirt- digging activities, such as raking leaves, mowing the lawn, or whacking away at weeds, at least once per week, had greater bone density than the women who jogged, swam, bicycled, danced, walked, or did aerobics. RealAge Benefit: A physical activity program that builds stamina, strength, and flexibility can make your RealAge as much as 8.1 years younger. --- 5) History of the Tomato:
The venerable tomato originated in South America in the 1500s and was domesticated by the Incas. They bred the tomato so it had many ruffles and ridges. The Spanish Monks cultivated the tomato, but it was not accepted by the Europeans who believed it to be poisonous. Not until about the 1860's was it accepted as being edible in both Europe and the United States. Thomas Jefferson was known to be a connoisseur of the tomato and did a great deal to remove the myth. In the early 19th century the tomato was affectionately called the love apple or in French as - "le pomme d'amour". At that time, a gardener decided he did not like the ridges and ruffles of the Inca tomato and he spent twenty years in breeding them out of the fruit; he produced the Paragon, the first formal variety of the tomato as we know it today. Today, the tomato is the most widely grown "vegetable" in the United States. Cold Climate Gardeners are passing
up an excellent resource if they don't take a look into the Minnesota
State Horticultural Society. Visit them today. We recommend them
highly. 6) Quote for Today:"Why should people pay good money to go out and see bad
films when they can stay at home and see bad television for nothing?" 7) Reader Mailbag:Last week we heard this from a reader: "I found a packet of these seeds about 25 years ago. All white, 3-4" high mound fragrant and spreading. I moved and did not take any seeds nor transplants. Can you help me? Extremely and truly grateful" We suspect the plant is likely: "Ornathogalum Umlbellatum" - Star of Bethelhem. This is a plant that produces spring flowering bulbs with narrow, linear leaves and a white or pale- green vein in those leaves. It will have a six-petaled white flower standing on top of the stems. It is commonly found in the Piedmount Region of the Southern United States. This plant also belongs to the same family as the Campanula isophylla Kristal Hybrids (Falling Stars Campula). The Campanula variety produces a large star-shaped periwinkle-blue flower on a low growing plant with a heart-shaped leaf and vein like stem. This a vast group of plants in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. The handsome blooms of this flower are typically bell shaped and blue in color. It blooms from spring to fall. The campanulas are a diverse variety of plants often used in rock gardens -- they also make great ground cover and are excellent for hanging baskets. The plant prefers a rich, well drained soil. It will grow in full to partial sun. One variety we carry is Tussock Bellflower (Campanula carpatica). This is an upright perennial that will grow to about 16 inches tall. It has a delightful lavender-blue bell shaped flower and it will bloom all summer. (#D9549) A package of several hundred seeds is $2.90 8) Rotation in a Small Garden:It is always a good idea every year to rotate where you plant things in your vegetable garden. We won't go into a full discussion on the topic of why, but suffice it to say that it is done to protect the plants from disease and to allow the soil to renew itself. But, how far apart do you have to go for this rotation in a small garden? Lets look at a three-year plan. Where you plant your "crop" should form the corner points of a triangle. As an example, consider a garden 10 feet by 10 feet. This year you might plant the tomatoes in the south-west corner. Next year plant them due east in the center of the garden. The following year you move to the north-west corner. The next year you start the process all over again. Doing this will make both your plants and soil happier. 9) Subscribe/UnsubscribeThis newsletter, the Green Thumb Times, is sent out only to those who have requested a FREE subscription by signing up at http://rexseedco.com or specifically asked to be added, or are a valued customer of Rex's Seedco. PRIVACY: Your email address is held in the strictest of privacy. It is never traded or sold to anyone else. To subscribe to The Green Thumb Times To unsubscribe Tom Krueger, Editor and Publisher Rex Gregor, Contributing Editor Please feel free to forward The Green Thumb Times to a friend. Rex’s Seedco has searched the world for quality
growers of garden seeds. Many of these farmers bring together ancient
wisdom and modern science so people everywhere may have good health
and enjoyment in life. We are dedicated to providing the best wherever
they are found.
|
||||||
|
[ Past Issues Index ] [ Rex's Seedco Home ] [ Our Seed Catalog ] [ About Us ]
|
||||||
Before we get too far into the discussion of annuals, I suppose we
better make sure we're all on the same page. There are times folks
can forget the difference between annuals and perennials.
Did you know the Tomato is actually a fruit, but we all consider it
a vegetable. It is a vine like plant that belongs to the nightshade
family.
