The warm weather we’ve been blessed with over the past few weeks has kept many of my annuals alive and full of late-season blooms. As I marvel over these sturdy hangers on, I am reflecting on what went well and what didn’t go so well with my plantings over the past few months.
I don’t plant a lot of annuals in my perennial gardens, but every year I use a few to cover bare spots. My favorites for this job are “Profusion” zinnias. They provide generous but tidy mounds of cheerful flowers non-stop through the season. They come in a variety of colors and blend effortlessly with shrubs and perennials.
Another workhorse I rely on to fill in holes in the front of the border is Vinca catharanthus roseus. These are not the lovely trailing vines I favor for my pots, but mounding plants with glossy, dark green foliage and flowers that resemble impatiens. They thrive in full sun and don’t need a lot of water. Some of my snootier garden friends might refer to these as “gas station plants” but I love them.
I also do several large pots on the patio and by the front steps. My strongest and most satisfying plants this year were “exotic fusion” impatiens. These full blooms come in many lovely colors that range from apricot to peach to salmon as well as white and lavender. I leave them alone all summer and they flower tirelessly. Sadly, the first frost did them in.
Another planter all-star, clusters of mid-sized snapdragons in a variety of colors, are still going strong. I deadhead these periodically and they reward me with rebloom after rebloom. By now the shoots are shorter and more compact. I cut some of them for a punch of color indoors.
My biggest thrill of the summer came from a curving band of ‘Tidal wave red velour’ petunias I planted outside the kitchen window that frames a view I see often. I interplanted these with classic ‘blue wave.’ The ‘blue waves’ did fine, but the ‘Tidal waves’ were spectacular. I did not encourage tall growth by providing supports, but the plants spread and reached around 18 inches of height on their own.
I cut them back hard a couple of times and they bounced back better than ever. I also followed the advice of a professional plants person and gave them a good dose of fertilizer every few weeks. They’re still blooming as I write this.
OK, now for the season’s big mistake. This was not a problem of poor plant selection, but imprudent pruning. I put several blue-flowered annual salvias in pots because I’m always a sucker for bright blue blossoms. I have had good luck with these in past years. This year, however, I mistakenly deadheaded immature flower stalks, thinking they had already bloomed. So what should have been a soaring rush of blue never materialized. Oh well, there’s always next year.
Speaking of next year, the Hilltown Seed Saving Network is holding its 5th annual Seed Exchange Nov. 19 from 1 to 4 p.m. at the Community House in Cummington.
The event will begin with demonstrations and activities facilitated by experienced seed savers. This part of the day is especially for beginning seed savers, but there should be something of interest for everyone.
At 2 p.m., seed-saving expert Tevis Robertson-Goldberg of Crabapple Farm in Chesterfield will speak on saving the best seed from a variety of popular garden crops and answer questions from the audience.
The seed exchange itself will begin at 3:15 p.m. and there will be plenty of time to browse and help yourself to the dozens of homegrown varieties of tomatoes, beans, kale, wildflowers and many other crops. This year you can come to the Community House as early as 11:45 a.m. to drop off seed.
Please note that you don’t have to bring seed to come to this event. People at all levels of experience are welcome, including those who have never saved seed before.
The suggested donation for this event is a sliding scale of $5 to $10. For more information, visit hilltownseeds.wordpress-.com; or contact Sadie at 475-2692, or Michael at 358-6919 or alterman@speakeasy.net.
Mickey Rathbun can be reached at foxglover8@gmail.com.