Hort Shorts
- Set out plantlets of annuals such as marigold, zinnia, periwinkle, cosmos, portulaca, balsam and calliopsis. These grow rapidly to maturity, replacing earlier flowers as they fade. Provide shade for a few days as new plants are sensitive to sunshine. Leafy branches of trees or shrubs can be stuck in the ground near plants to break rays of the hot sun.
- Potted geraniums often become scraggly and leggy. When this occurs, cut out older stems and head back the others. This results in more attractive plants and more blooms.
- Among good plants for growing in containers: asparagus fern, yellow coneflower, daylily, fuchsia, geranium, bleeding heart, Boston fern, African lily, stonecrop, Russian sage, lavender, rose mall, blue lily turf, purple looseleaf, mums, lantana, kalanchoe, poinsettia and marguerita.
- If gerbera daisies have been scant of blooms, discontinue fertilizing the rest of this year. Heavy fertilizer stimulates the foliage growth and inhibits blooming. With protection from cold, gerberas will survive outdoors over winter. A heavy mulch usually does the job.
- Dusty miller (centaurea cineraria, c. ragusina or C. gymocarpa) does best in sandy, well-drained soil in a sunny location. Yet it will tolerate any relatively dry soil. It’s sometimes grown as an annual in the upper South. It’s valued for its silvery-white foliage, and makes a good edging plant or ground cover for hot, dry sites. The foliage intensifies the colors of nearby annuals and perennials.
- Milkweed does well in meadows and wild gardens. Flowers can be cut for fresh bouquets. They can be pressed or dried, often retaining their brilliance over a long period. A related species, swamp milkweed (A. incarnata) has pinkish flowers on a 2-4 foot stems. It does well in very wet situations.