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Home My WebLink AboutClinton News-Record, 1975-04-24, Page 33. CLINTON NEWS -RECORD, THURSDAY, APRIL 24, 1975—PAGE 13B Perennials that bloom at all seasons a• Iia ewe o�• ».w; v .r°'tudi9� , p` Coreopsis grandiflora provides vivid golden color from late August through Sep ember.. by A. R. Buckley One of the problems of many home gardeners with .ittle space or time for gardening is how to have something in bloom at all seasons. Our short, •dry, hot summers prevent us from having many varieties from which to choose. - However, after checking the records of flowering perennials growing in the Agriculture'' Canada Ornamental Grounds in Ottawa and the test gardens of the Agriculture Canada Plant Research Institute here, I can mention • several that should satisfy even the most discriminating gardeners. It is possible to select a basic list with a long season of bloom from those plants that are hardy in most of Canada, are showy,,. and not too exacting in their soil and cultural requirements. There are very few early- flowering plants that will give at least a three-week blooming period,.. but the Siberian squill (Scilla sibirica) will do just that. These have small bright -blue flowers that open slowly and show color as the spike emerges from the soil. They are spring - flowering bulbs and must be planted in the fall. The same applies to the February Gold narcissus, that can be planted to give early April flowers, the large and small -cupped nar- cissus, of which I prefer Louis de Coligny with its strong sweet scent, Duke of Windsor with its wide open cups, and Unsur- passable, which will produce a good display of long golden trumpets year after year. For a display of bloom from April to the' end of May, I would choose Pulmonaria saccharata `Mrs. Moon'. This variety has not only a beautiful combination of light -pink and gentian -blue flowers but also a striking white - spotted foliage that is attractive. all summer. For diversity at about the same height,.e plant Dicentra `Bountiful' which flov4ters from May to August in full sun. For shade use Dicentra formosa `Sweetheart', a variety that produces glistening white flowers from May to September. Another May -flowering perennial for the front of the border is the moss pink (Phlox subulata). Use Autumn Rose, as this variety blooms again in September. In June, a few bearded irises will give size and body to your planting. Although it responds to good gardening, this perennial will still make a faithful showing with a minimum of care. The ' same is true for the . daylily (Hemerocallis). A few clumps spaced over the length of the border will give flowers from May to August. Choose such fledding plans .easiest way to plans gardens Whether gardeners prefer a productive vegetable garden or a decorative flower garden, they 'can achieve success most easily with the use of bedding plants. Bedding 'plants are readily. -available in individual pots or packs of six and more, started from seed and grown professionally under careful supervisidn and ready for transplanting directly into the garden. The most popular bedding plant varieties are those which are difficult to start from seed or those which take a long time to ,+ plant, - �ryQw.:.T eso.., ,� cluc�e, -etunias N Ac P �. , ..�,,,i-. .,.�..: �'IkyA 1 Gu..+[.r�.�piu �rfw' �..1Y:V•.,.fWM...� .X�,eYi•`u.N.9a�'1 .�.�KaA ,. y� y(^� n� w;k. p 11 aY . ax�ies, e�ran�ums;.s�¢,ar-sage,-- ie g. �R -�' b watered thoroughly after tran- splanting and should be- kept watered , during dry spells. Although plants in peat pots can be planted pot and all, it is generally a good practice for gardeners to remove the bottom carefully to allow for more rapid root development. These common sense rules about transplanting will help a garden look its best all season long, according to Bedding Plants Inc., the international trade association of bedding ,plant growers. from bedding plants result from too early planting in the garden. Tender varieties should not be planted until after the last ex- pected frost date for the area. These varieties include tomatoes, peppers, petunias, impatiens and begonias. Gardeners are cautioned to avqid spindly -lofting plants when they buy. Selection of low - growing, compact plants with some side shoots are the best value. Plants should also be examined for good color and freedom from disease. Shrivelled or wilted leaves are signs of a varieties as the orange -colored Earliana for the earliest blooms, Frances Fay, buff, for mid— season, season, and Mabel Fuller, red, for late -August flowers. Erigeron speciosus 'Double Beauty', with large double dark - blue' flowers, gives a generous display of color from June to early August. Others for the same period are the cottage.pink (Dianthus plumarius), and its hybrids the garden pinks, such as John Ball; Ipswich Crimson and Mrs. Sinkins; the blanket flower (Gaillardia) and the "coral bells (Heuchera), all of which flower • from June to August and Sep- tember and need very little carer The Scarlet Sentinel and Gaiety coral bells were the brightest and most floriferous of the many varieties growing under test this year. The balloon flower (Platycodon) and the speedwell (Veronica) will give a_display of pink, blue or white flowers from July to September,according to the variety. Platycodon 'Bristol Bride' is white, the common species blue, and Bristol Blush, pink. Veronica 'Blue Champion' is a good blue speedwell, ideally used with..Coreopsis verticillata, a golden, long -season plant, to bring out the best in both. Icicle is a new variety that grows 18 in- ches high and Minuet a new pink selection from England. t. Mound perennial asters such as Romany Blue, the white Royal Pearl, Royal Sapphire, and Pink Bouquet will shine brightly through the first frost. For later flowers use hardy garden mums for profuse cushions of. bloom to'usher in the h long fall season. These persist longer than any other garden Hewer, especially• if lightly covered for protection from early fall frosts. A few of the better varieties under test in recent years are: Ruby Mound, deep red; Astoria, white; Christopher Columbus, yellow; Minn -Pink, pink; Tonka, yellow; Knockout,' pink; and Hi -Time, and- Powder. River, both white. The smaller the garden the greater the use that must be made of these long -blooming perennials as there is simply not space enough for those of shorter duration. Although all the plants mentioned are easy to grow, an extended blooming period is best encouraged by the prompt removal of fading flowers. One of the most widely grown vegetable in Canada is the tomato, here shown in a container planting. begonias and impatiens. Petunias and other flowering annuals can be purchased with flowers already in bloom so buyers know the exact shade of color to expect in their own gardens. . Popular vegetables which are widely available as bedding plants include tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, parsley, eggplant and broccoli. To erasure best results from a garden planted with bedding plants, gardeners should remember that the biggest losses NEED A NEW CAR The ROYAL is actively engaged in financing the cost of automobiles under our TE RMPLAN Loans and would welcome the opportunity of discussing your plans with you. Termplan Loans are also available for car repairs, or to finance the purchase of furniture and appliances, to provide ready funds for holiday expenses, to consolidate exiting debts or indeed for any worthwhile purpose. K I jou are interested in a low-cost, life -insured loan, -repayable in convenient Monthly instalments come in and discuss the details with us. Yours truly, H. G. 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