Brookfield actress hits big screen - Quaboag Current

I
N THE
GARDEN
Roberta McQuaid
A Turley Publication • www.turley.com I Thursday, July 19, 2012 PAGE 9
- outdoors -
East to grow summer annuals
I
know of very few people who
start their own annuals, in
place, in the garden. Yet it
wasn’t that long ago that folks did
just that, and with great success.
You can too….read on.
Bachelor’s Button - Also known
as cornfl ower, this one and a half
inch thistle-shaped fl ower is a care
free choice for the cottage garden
or wild meadow. Best known in
bright royal blue, it also comes in
other pretty shades of blue, pink, lavender, maroon and
white. Plants can grow anywhere from one to three feet
tall and are rather lanky in appearance- for that reason
they can be spaced at just six inches apart. They often
peter out in the heat, but by removing spent blooms and
watering you can prolong the plant’s demise. Make
your fi rst sowing of seeds in mid-April, and resow in late
June for blooms well into the fall- even through the fi rst
frost. Seeds can be sown one-quarter inch deep, two
inches apart and then thinned to the above spacing.
Calendula or Pot Marigold - Despite the recent
bought of heat, this cool-loving annual has been performing
well in my garden for the past couple of weeks
now. I grew an heirloom variety called ‘Flashback’ this
year. It is a mix that contains orange, apricot and rosetoned
fl owers, many of whose petals are backed with
maroon. The contrasting tones shimmer and sparkle in
the sun! Depending on variety of calendula grown, the
fl owers on these beauties can be single, semi-double or
fully double, and can have contrasting dark eyes. Most
fl owers are two to three inches wide; the plants top off
at a foot and a half tall. They are subtly fragrant and the
stems and foliage are uniquely sticky to the touch.
Sow seeds in place one-half inch deep, three inches
apart, thinning to eight to ten inches apart. Deadhead
regularly to keep the plant blooming. If your plants start
to look ragged in midsummer, consider cutting them
pack to a point of new growth at the base, then water
and fertilize- with any luck you could see a new fl ush of
fl owers that, like bachelor button, will last well past the
fi rst cold snap. Do let a few fl owers fade on the plant,
and when they are completely dry pull apart the tightly
packed seed cluster. Put the apostrophe-shaped seeds
in a jar, label, and save like my mom did for sowing the
following year.
If one summer annual could win a challenge in versatility
it would be Cosmos. This amazing fl ower is
carefree yet durable, another choice for both the wild
meadow and cottage garden. Hummingbirds and butterfl
ies seek out its nectar-rich fl owers, and its seeds are
equally as important to the birds. Although their vase
life isn’t very long, the large, delicately- petaled blooms
make popular cut fl owers. The taller types are especially
suited for cutting. ‘Versailles’ has strong stems and
is available in familiar shades of pink, rose and white.
I grew a new, ruffl ed variety this year by the name of
We’re apples
to oranges
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‘Rose Bon-Bon.’ One word to best describe it: fancy!
Sow cosmos seeds one-half inch deep, two inches apart.
Thin plants to eight inches apart
Sunfl ower - I lump sunfl owers into three categories:
the tall single- headed mammoth types, the tall, multifl
owered varieties and the short single-headed plants.
While the mammoth heads make for great bird food (human
food too!), and the single heads rival those from the
fl orist, the tall, multi-fl owering varieties offer the most
bang for your seed packet buck, with lots of stems to
cut for the vase. I grew ‘Bicolor Royal Flush’ this year,
and was lucky enough to see my fi rst blossom this week
from an early May planting. Try growing them yourself
next year by sowing three seeds together in a hill one
inch deep, four inches apart, spacing hills one foot apart.
Once they have sprouted, thin to the best seedling per
hill. Provide rich soil and ample water for the tallest
(6+’), happiest plants.
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STEAMERS
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TURLEY PUBLICATIONS PHOTOS BY ROBERTA MCQUAID
Clockwise from top left; Rose Bon Bon. Calendula Flashback. Bicolor Royal
Flush.
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