Springs Gardening
By Lori Pelkowski
Sun Eight Hours Per Day
Sunflowers are a must for the novice (and experienced) seed starter. They grow so easily, and the heights and colors assure that there's a sunflower for everyone. Italian White has brown centers with creamy petals, and Teddy Bear is a big orange fluff ball. Just watch out for birds that will dig up and eat the seeds. A plastic mesh placed over the seeds for a few days until they sprout should thwart the birds.
Zinnias and marigolds may be inexpensive to purchase, but they grow so easily from seed that it's a shame not to plant the seeds yourself. And the different heights, flower sizes and colors to choose from are so mind-boggling you'll want to grow them all. Zinnias are probably the most perfect bouquet flower. They have tall stems, colorful flowers, and will last for a long time in the vase. Marigolds make an adorable short hedge around the flower garden.
The perennial gaillardia, or blanket flower, has evolved beyond the old-fashioned red-and-yellow daisy. You can grow maroon gaillardia, powder-puff shaped gaillardia, tall gaillardia, short gaillardia, and even a gaillardia with fluted petals. The blanket flower loves the sun, and is easy to grow from seed. If you leave some seed heads on the plant, you'll find them cropping up here and there next year to smile all around the garden.
Part Sun (six hours of sun)
Columbine (aquilegia) and foxgloves are biennial. Biennials do not flower the first year, but will flower and set seed the second year. Columbine flowers have cupped petals with long "spurs" in the back, making them look like alien rocket ships. And just because columbine seeds take a few weeks to germinate, that doesn't mean they are difficult to grow. Once they sprout, they grow quickly, and once they're out in the sunshine they will take off. This year, enjoy the pretty blue-green scalloped leaves. Next season, after you marvel at the fun flowers, enjoy the urn-shaped seedpods and let the plant self-sow. Soon you'll have a nice little columbine colony.
Do you like tall, stately flowers? Foxgloves are just that. Flower spikes up to three feet tall grace the garden. The name comes from the tubular flowers that could glove the paw of a fox. The tubes grow up the spike in shades from white to purple, with maroon splotches inside. Sometimes, if they love their location, foxgloves can act like short-lived perennials. Foxgloves are very showy, so let some flowers go to seed for a lovely display each spring.
Nasturtium is a vine that works equally well hanging out of a basket or trailing along the ground. Nasturtium leaves make a perfect disguise to cover fading tulip or daffodil leaves in spring. In the shade of sunflowers, nasturtium will flourish to cover the ground with big leaves and bright flowers. Plant the big seeds with children, either in the garden or in a container. They will marvel at how quickly they go from seed to seedling to plant to flower. The lily pad leaves and colorful flowers are both edible, and are lovely (and tangy) in salads or sandwiches.
Part Shade (four hours of sun)
Although it will flower better in a sunnier spot, the perennial Shasta daisy will grow and flower nicely in part shade. Hardy and beautiful, Shasta daisies can be tall or short, with single or double, large or small flowers. Some have short, rounded petals, some have long frilly petals; some have tiny eyes, some have eyes as big as egg yolks. This is an all-around fabulous perennial. Plant it with the equally fabulous perennial rudbeckia (black-eyed Susan). It has yellow petals and dark brown eyes.
Check the catalogs or backs of seed packets for the ideal planting time and place for each variety. For instance, some can be started indoors and transplanted into the garden as seedlings. Some plants resent having their roots disturbed, so plant these seeds right where you want them to grow.
Remember
Successful outdoor seed starting requires good soil, the proper amount of sunlight, and consistent moisture. All soils will benefit from the addition of lots of compost. Scratch it in around existing plants; till it in or use a fork in new beds. Try to leave some lumps – pulverizing the soil to powder will kill anything living, including beneficial organisms. For containers, use good-quality potting soil formulated for outdoor use.
Whether in containers or in a garden, be sure that the location you choose to start seeds outdoors gets the right amount sunlight each day based on the flower variety you choose. Put plants that like similar amounts of sun together – don't try to grow a sun lover with a shade lover, no matter how great the combination looks, one plant will be unhappy.
Keep seeds, seedlings and plants evenly moist. A good rule for gardens is to water deeply every other day, via either rain or hose. Soaker hoses are ideal for keeping water where plants need it most—at the roots. Pots, however, will need more attention to make sure they don't dry out completely. This is equally important during the seed, seedling and plant stages. During the hottest days of the summer, be sure to check your potted plants morning and night.
Spend a gray day with seed catalogs. Then go ahead and order some seeds to plant this spring. It's easy, it's inexpensive, and best of all—it's fun.
Lori Pelkowski, The Midnight Gardener, is a Temple University Certified Master Home Gardener.