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Table of Contents
1) Editor's Comments:What a nice week. We received a number of new subscribers who were referred to us by you. It is always appreciated when our faithful readers recommend The Green Thumb Times to their family and friends. Hope this issue isn't too long. Our lead article is about climbing roses. As you all know by now, Rex has a long love afair with roses. We also continue our series on herbs, include part three of our vegetable garden planting guide, and more. As always, if you do have questions, suggestions or ideas, do not hesitate to drop us a note. Tom Krueger Rex Gregor "Exotic & Unusual Seeds from Around the World" 2) Climbing Roses:Climbing roses are the most dramatic way to enjoy roses in your yard or garden. Why? Because climbers allow you to see beautiful blooms at eye level. There are many ways to include climbing roses into your garden. You can grow them on gazebos, on lattice covered walls, on trellises or fences. The long canes produced by climbers will not automatically adhere to a flat surface - they need your assistance in getting the canes started in the right direction. You need to attach the canes with ties or give them some extra surface material to wrap themselves around. When planning to cover an arbor, for example, plant two or more of the same variety climbing rose on either side of the structure. Eventually the canes will meet at the top and produce an absolutely magnificent display. The Northern Hemisphere abounds with wild roses. And many of these are climbers. Through the generation, new types and kinds of rose plants have evolved. But one constant is there have always been climbing or bush type roses. In a scientific sense bush & climbing roses do not differ from each other except in their stature. Climbers are by far the most spectacular. The quantity of blooms by a well grown climbing rose is truly enormous. There is scarcely any plant of any genus which will equal the grace, habit, and beauty which characterizes a climbing rose (if properly cared for). Because of their vigor and general freedom from pests, climbing roses are the easiest to grow with less trouble. They flourish in most any kind of soil (if properly fed). Oftentimes, they will even grow with half the necessary sunshine or in other unfavorable conditions. After a century of hybridizing, almost half of the total number of rose species are climbers. Unfortunately, many older species have been dropped without exhausting their possibilities. Much work remains to be done in hybridizing climbing roses.
The Blaze Superior hybrid climbing rose was developed in 1954 by the growers of Jackson-Perkins, a world famous rose grower. This rose belongs to a family of plants that grow to 14 feet tall. This height means it must be tied to a supporting frame. It has a carmine-red bloom. They are medium sized flowers grouped together in small clusters. It is a beautiful eye- catching plant when grown against the wall a house terrace. The leaves are light green. Like all roses, it prefers a sunny location. During its growing period it needs plenty of moisture and likes to be fed with a water soluble rose food. Rose Seeds: We do not carry this specific rose, but we do have other climbers. See if there is something that suits your fancy at our Rose page. Click Here
3) Humor for Today:An executive was interviewing a young woman for a position in his company. He wanted to find out something about her personality so he asked, "If you could have a conversation with someone, living or dead, who would it be?" The girl responded confidently, "The living one!" 4) Vegetable Garden Planting Guide: Part ThreeVegetable Garden Planting Guide: Part Three This is now our third installment of our Vegetable Garden Planting Guide. Hard to believe, but we still have some more Cs to start with this week. Corn You should plant your corn after the soil temperature has reached 60°. If you don't, it is possible for the seeds to rot in cold ground. Plant the seeds about 4" apart covered with about 1" of soil. For larger ears you may want to thin the plants to about 12" apart. Corn, Broom Sow the seeds about 3" apart in rows 3 feet apart. Cover the seeds with ¾” of soil. Thin the plants to about 6" apart. Do not sow the seeds until the soil temperature reaches at least 60 degrees. Cucumber The soil temperature should reach at least 65°. You may start the seeds in peat pots inside, if you prefer. If planting in peat pots, start at least 3 seeds per pot -- start two or three pots per hill. Cucumber seedlings will not transplant well unless they are started in peat pots – transplant the entire peat pot in hills about five feet apart. Eggplant Start eggplant seeds 8 to 9 weeks before transplanting outside. Sow 3 to 4 seeds in each peat pot and cover with ½” of soil. The seeds need a minimum temperature of 75° to germinate. Keep the soil moist. When transplanting space the peat pots 24" apart in rows 3 feet apart. Endive (Escarole) Sow seeds very early in spring or late in summer for a fall crop. Cover the seeds very lightly with very fine soil. The plants will require a fertile, well-limed soil to produce. Thin your plants 10" to 12" apart. Fennel You should always sow a small succession of plants, so they do not all mature at the same time. Sow the seeds in rows 3 feet apart with the plants 10" apart. Cover the seeds with ½” of soil. You may want to plant the seeds closer together, then thin the plants after germination. The plants require a neutral soil - add lime to the soil if it is too acidic. Kale Kale makes a good fall crop. Start your seeds in late spring, then transplant in mid-July. Space the plants about 12” apart in rows 3 feet apart. Kohlrabi You should start your seeds in flats indoors about 7 to 8 weeks before the last frost. Transplant the seedlings into the garden about 3 to 4 weeks before the last frost. Space the plants about 6" apart in rows 3 feet apart. We'll be back with more next week. 5) Highlight on Herbs: Sage (Salvia officinalis)Sage is a decorative herbaceous perennial native to the Mediterranean area. Like many other herbs, it belongs to the Labiatea family. The plant is strongly aromatic and is most often used for flavoring food. Sage grows best in dry, well-drained soil in a sunny location. The soil is best kept on the dry side. You only want to fertilize once a month with a water soluble fertilizer. It is best to start you sage from seed. It got its name from the Latin word "salvere" which means "to be in good health." Sage is generally known as being a member of the mint family. It also has developed a close relationship with other herbs including Basilweed, Horehound, Horsebalm, Hyssop, Lemon Balm, Mint, Oregano and Thyme. This wonderful herb has been used all over the world for thousands of years. Experts the world over agree, sage is probably the best herb known to man. It is very nutritious, makes a wonderful flavoring herb, and it has been used as a treatment for many diseases. It has long been considered an immortality herb which will increase your mental capacity. Sage has been, and is still used, as an herb of purification. At one time, it was considered a "Witches Herb" having been used in conducting sacred evil rituals. Our forefathers used sage for just about every complaint there was. Sage has been used for aches, seasickness, eye problems, nerves, colds, hemorrhoids , worms, palsy, ulcers, fever, bad memory, hypertension, hoarseness, lethargy, measles, diabetes, cramps, insomnia and hot flashes associated with menopause. Throughout French history de grece (sage) was classified as a "coronary herb" because the French believed that it had antibacterial properties necessary to cleanse the inner body of germs and disease. The early Dutchmen ate a handful of sage leaves every day as a snack because of its nutritive value. Sage has long been known as a culinary condiment. It has been used in pancakes, and to flavor beans, egg and cheese dishes, sausages, gravies, salads, fish, veal, pork, and chicken & turkey stuffing. Certainly, sage is a versatile herb. Save
up to 70% at gardeners.com Outlet 6) Quote for Today:"To find the universal elements enough; to find
the air and the water exhilarating; to be refreshed by a morning walk
or an evening saunter ... to be thrilled by the stars at night; to
be elated over a bird's nest or a wildflower in spring - these are
some of the rewards of the simple life." 7) Lobelia (Lobelia x speciosia):
The perennials of this species must be protected from freezing. It will also flower less prolifically after two years, thus it is better to treat it as an annual. They prefer to be grown in a sunny or partially shaded area. It likes a fertile soil that is kept moist at all times. They are raised best from seed planted in early spring. D7959 Great Blue Lobelia 8) Ways to Direct the Eye:In a previous issue we talked about creating focal points in your garden. These are ways to direct the eyes to something you want to showcase, or simply to give the visitor something to focus on rather than just a bunch of flowers. Color changes and changes in height are focal points. In a shady, green corner, a brightly variegated plant will catch our eye. A flower border of cool blues, silvers and pinks will pop when a complimentary hot-colored orange is planted within it. An unexpected vertical plant in a border is a great focal point. We all know the rule about putting short plants in front and tall ones in back -- but why not occasionally break the rule. Many biennials (plants that grow in the first year, bloom the second year, and die) will have low growing foliage, and then their flowers are usually vertical, with some like Verbascum (mullein) sending a flower spike soaring to heights of 3-4 feet. Now, you don't want to overdo focal points - you can reach a point where too many changes can be confusing. You also want to have a natural rhythm creating a nice flow to the visual impact. Try to picture the result and think about the impact. 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 Click Here or send email to subscribegtt@rexseedco.com To unsubscribe Click Here or send email to unsubscribegtt@rexseedco.com 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.
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The genus Lobelia includes more than 300 species of annuals, herbaceous
perennials and shrubs that grow in temperate regions of the world,
especially in the United States and Africa. This plant is known for
its magnificent flowers and foliage -- producing pink, reddish-violet,
bright red or blue blooms. The blooms are borne on spikes that flower
from the top downwards.