Spring gives us a chance to use the two most popular annuals in the world: the impatiens family and the vinca roseas or Madagascar periwinkles. Vincas (Catharanthus roseus) thrive in the sun. They are, in fact, so heat-hardy that they are the annual of choice in Palm Springs in the summertime. Their colors range from pure white to purple, with all of the pinks and mauves and bicolors in between. The flowers don't need tending, as they fall off all by themselves. The leaves are a beautiful dark green, and the plants are self-branching, so very little pruning is necessary.
Are vincas the perfect annual? Well, almost. Some of the hybrids are susceptible to damping-off disease. This can commonly be prevented by not having cold, wet soil at night, so water in the morning. Bad cases can be treated with Agri-Fos Systemic Fungicide if needed. Leaf yellowing can also be a problem and is usually caused by iron, zinc or nitrogen deficiency, so feed with a complete fertilizer on a routine basis. Very little work for lots of color in the heat when everything
My other favorite annuals are a group of shady characters collectively known as the impatiens family. From the little sultana dwarfs to the big balsam hybrids, these wonderful annuals will give you more color in your shady areas than any other.
The sultana hybrids (or "regular") impatiens are the most common annual in the world. It's easy to see why, as they fit into so many situations. I've used them in beds, baskets, pots and wall pockets. Give them water, shade, and decent soil, and they're happy guys. They are always great, but hybridizers never see fit to leave anything alone. We now have dwarf ones, big ones, mixed ones, as well as straight colors in every color of the rainbow. Spend some time walking through your favorite nursery, and read some labels. Getting the perfect impatiens just makes your yard better.
A few years ago, a new group of hybrids showed up. The new varieties were bred from impatiens cultivars found in wild New Guinea. These new hybrids, with their giant Technicolor leaves and flowers, soon took over the nursery world. As popularity has gone up, prices have come down, but I don't see New Guineas being as cheap as sultanas for awhile. Look for these spectacular guys in gallon cans and sometimes four-inch pots. They're a bit more money, but well worth it as their colors and flash will brighten a corner in pots like nothing else.
Finally, we have a lesser known group of impatiens known as the balsams. Balsams are tall, lanky and sometimes woody, but they have flowers that look like small perfect roses. It was a hybridization between the balsams and the sultanas that begat the double impatiens hybrids so commonly seen at the beach. Double or rose flowered varieties do great in Redlands until it gets really hot and the days get long. They then start showing the rangy growth habits of their balsam parents, and lose all but their tip leaves.
All in all, the impatiens family has everything you need to be "made in the shade." Check them out - you will be happy you did.
I found this quote on the Internet the other day. It seems to be a good way to properly start a section on the most commonly planted vegetable in the garden, the tomato.
"Its difficult to think anything but pleasant thoughts while eating a homegrown tomato." - Lewis Grizzard
First of all, I must admit that I've never met a tomato that I didn't like. That being said, the tomato has got to have the most variety of colors and sizes of any vegetable. Yellow ones, red ones, big ones, small ones and on and on. Then you have what are known as the heirloom varieties. Many of these open-pollinated cultivars are more than 100 years old, and man, do they give us some weird and wonderful colors.
One of the heirloom tomato Web sites lists more than 400 varieties. Everything from white to purple, and dime-sized to 4-pound monsters. As you flip through the pages, it's hard to believe that these all are tomatoes.
If you like to grow tomatoes, you owe it to yourself to try heirlooms. Their rich taste and fun colors will give you great satisfaction. Your local nursery will have some of the most popular varieties, so look around and use your imagination to decide which varieties you want to grow. Just be sure that you plant some Better Boy, Champion or Celebrity just to make sure that you have good fresh tomatoes all summer.
Tomatoes are easy to grow, but there are some tips to make them easier. Calcium deficiency can cause blossom end rot, a black dead spot around the bottom of the fruit. Adding calcium helps, and is cheap and easy. Simply add two or three calcium-based antacid tablets per plant after planting. The local old wives' tales also recommend a heaping tablespoon of Epsom salts dug in under each plant. Bigger leaves, less sunscald and more consistent fruit set are the claims. And you know, it works. Finally, plant your tomatoes deeply. Don't be afraid to put 75 percent of the plant underground. Tomatoes are unique in that they will grow roots all along their stem, promoting faster growth of the plant.
The Redlands Horticultural and Improvement Society is having its 95th annual Flower Show and Garden Tour from 2 to 6 p.m. April 28 and 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. April 29. This is a great way to see some of Redlands' finest landscapes, as well as a great flower show at the ESRI Café, 370 New York St.
This year's theme is "Garden Harmony." Get a copy of the flower show schedule. This lists the different categories in which you can enter. It is available at Redlands City Hall, A.K. Smiley Public Library, Redlands Chamber of Commerce, Gerrard's Market, Precious Times Antiques, Redlands Daily Facts, Redlands Estate Sale Consignments, and Cherry Valley and Newell Nurseries.
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