Tag Archives: potting
Old-Fashioned Vining Petunias
8 MarMel’s Green Garden plays favorites. My absolute favorite annual of the summer is the Old Fashioned Vining Petunia. The flowers are very fragrant and smell great – particularly at night.
It was an accidental discovery I fell madly in love with about seven years ago when Seed Savers had a store on Monroe Street (oh how I miss that store!). I picked up a flat of mixed random plants on sale and one happened to be this old fashioned vining petunia. It is unique in that with help, it will grow very tall and bushy. Seed Savers advertises 2-3 feet of growth, but it has climbed as tall as my white picket fence.
I also love to put it in pots with obliesks. Last year I planted it in various sizes of pots with simple garden stakes tied together with a rubber band. They were fabulous. I planted just one plant per pot and then added a few seeds. This way you have color right away and when the original flower has gone to seed and is done blooming the seedlings will be up and blooming.
For my Madison friends…. you can also buy flats of the plants from Almost There Farms at the Farmer’s Market at Hilldale. Although I recommend calling ahead since Phil doesn’t always have them with him. But if you ask, he will bring them! You can also find flats of the plant at Bruce Company.
Growing Tips
- Give them a little help as they grow by staking the tallest stem and tying it to a stake or fence with a little velcro strip or twist tie.
- They will bloom for a longer period of time if you dead head them. My daughters love to pull off the flowers.
- This is also a terrific annual for collecting the seeds, my girls love collecting the seed pods with a pair of scissors.
Tip of the Day – Rooting Herbs
27 FebWhat to do with the expensive leftover fresh herbs from the grocery store? Make a fresh cut and place in a glass of water and place in a sunny windowsill; it will root up in a few weeks and then you can pot it up. The thyme Greg bought to make summertime soup a few weeks ago is ready for me to pot. Rosemary and basil root really fast.
Tip of the Day – Indoor Grass!
22 FebBetter than any toy, a fun activity for kids of ALL ages to beat any case of cabin fever: Grab a terracotta pot, cheap, 50 cents, Ace, Home Depot, Johannsen’s; let the kids paint the pots to their liking with washable paint; we like Crayola washable paint. The pots will dry very fast; then pot them up with potting soil and sprinkle on some grass seed; water well. Within just a few days, the green grass will appear. Keep scissors nearby for the kids to mow the pots; this is Emma’s favorite part. This is an especially great activity when it is so brown outside.
***Important note: Finding potting soil and grass seed free of synthetic chemicals and fertilizers can be tricky, so read the labels or ask for help at the store.
