Can anyone really predict the weather? Well, we know most years it can get hot and dry during July and August in Minnesota. So why fight watering bans or spending all your free time trying to keep the plants alive? Or worse, give up on having beautiful flower gardens? You know we will have hot spells so plant your gardens that are furthest from the hose with drought-tolerant annual flowers. Once these annuals are established they
will need little attention from the hose. Besides selecting drought-tolerant plants, consider the soil. Adding organic material such as compost or peat moss will help retain moisture. Look at the list below and plant a drought-tolerant garden this spring-it’s one
more “green” thing to do.
Good annuals that tolerate hot/dry conditions:
• Cosmos, daisy-shaped flower, bloom all summer.
• Creeping zinnia, low-growing mounds are covered with bloom until frost.
• Cuphia, these come in a variety of colors and flower forms.
• Dahlberg daisies, dainty yellow flowers that grow 6” to 8” tall.
• Dusty miller, silver foliage creates nice contrast with other flowers.
• Gazania, this bright daisy-shaped annual comes in a variety of colors.
• Geranium, large colorful blooms do best in drier soil in full sun.
• Globe amaranth, mound-shaped plant with purple clover-like flowers.
• Marigold, these plants come in a variety of sizes.
• Melampodium, robust yellow daisy flowers cover this plant all summer.
• Moss rose, this low-growing succulent thrives in a sunny, dry place.
• Petunia, these produce a blanket of color all season long.
• Spider flower, hardy annual plants growing to 3’ with an abundance
of flowers over the season.
• Sunflower, new sunflowers come in amazing variety of colors and sizes.
• Zinnia, great butterfly plants as well as providing summer color.
Feed Them Right
Did you know that there is quite a bit of difference between the
fertilizer preferences of our garden plants? Flowering plants do
best with a formula that is higher in phosphorus. A few plants,
such as tropical hibiscus, tuberous begonias and Wave petunias, not only need higher phosphorus, but need more frequent feeding to keep performing as the showstoppers they are. Bachman’s Mighty Bloom™ fertilizer can help you provide for maximum flowering this summer. It is a water-soluble fertilizer with an analysis of 10-54-10. On your fruiting vegetables, more flowers means more fruit, so
try Mighty Bloom™ on your tomatoes too.
Not all plants need as much phosphorus. Grass needs a fertilizer higher in nitrogen and no phosphorus. Herbs, nasturtiums and most succulents, on the other hand, prefer almost no fertilizer of any kind. Plants grown mostly for their foliage, such as Hosta and many houseplants, do best with Bachman’s Excel-Gro™ 15-35-15 formula or an all purpose formula such as 10-10-10 or Bachman’s Garden Food 10-20-10. If you have questions about fertilizers,
just ask a Bachman’s horticulturist.
Cannas are Back in Vogue
There was a time that cannas were considered old-fashioned. That has all changed; some of the finest gardens in Minnesota are embracing the canna lily. Cannas are easy care tropical plants that like full sun. They provide a bold, dramatic look to any garden. Besides their bold foliage the new hybrids offer exotic orchid-like bloom. Read the tag; there are dwarf and tall varieties. The plants have a rhizome type root system so they tolerate dry soil, but they would prefer moist soil during the growing season. Fertilize them regularly with a granular 10-20-10 fertilizer for strong growth and more bloom. When the flower spikes are done blooming remove the flower head leaving the canes to provide food for the plant. Cannas take time to bloom, for earlier bloom start with large plants. These large plants will be in bloom sooner and the plant will continue to bloom until fall. Dig and save the tuberous root system or buy new plants in the spring.
Look for:
Tropicana, it has a tiger-striped leaf and a bright orange flower.
Black knight, dark red leaf with a red flower.
Liberty pink splash, dwarf green leaf with a pink flower.
Yellow King Humbert, a tall green leaf with large yellow bloom.
Rosemount Cole, large orange bloom.
City of Portland, with its large pink flower
Tips
Grow vine vegetables on fencing to save space in the garden.
At the hardware store, ask for wire fencing used to reinforce
concrete, it comes in a variety of widths (choose one at least 4’ wide). Cut off the length you need for your vine crops and use heavy-duty stakes to hold the fence vertical. This is a great way to grow things like cucumber, pole beans, and other vine crops.
Plant Gladiolus bulbs every 7 to 10 days to have blooms over
a longer period of time.
Did you know?
In the United States about 25% of potatoes are
consumed as French Fries.
Flowers and gifts from Bachman’s make any day a special one. When you order your flowers or gifts online, you know you’ll be getting a beautiful fresh floral arrangement from a trusted florist known for outstanding floral design, plus quality and service.
If you’re sending flowers or gifts out of town, you can rely on us to choose the best florist from either the FTD or Teleflora nationwide flower network. Florists who can be counted on to deliver the best fresh floral arrangements and gifts, even when doing a same day delivery.
