Park Seed Garden Journal

Knockout Roses: Still the Toughest in the Garden

Knock Out roses, since they were introduced in 2001, have become increasingly popular. They are as tough as roses can be, standing up to pests, diseases, and harsh climates that would leave other rose bushes in the compost heap. For all their brawn, they can still produce some of the most beautiful blooms in your garden.

Knockout roses are repeat bloomers - you will have a lovely bunch of roses well into the summer. They are fragrant and come in a range of colors and varieties. Rainbow Knockout is probably the most popular right now, and it is the toughest of the tough roses, which is saying a lot in this group of roses. My personal favorite is probably the Double Knockout because of the big fluffy fragrant blooms.

Cannas: Hardy, Resistant Garden Color

Cannas or Canna Lilies are a close relative of gingers and bananas, and some varieties are grown agriculturally for their starchy tubers or their seeds. Most gardeners love Cannas' large beautiful leaves and their big showy flowers.The flowers range from deep red to bright yellow, and they are great for attracting pollinators and pest eaters like bees, birds, and bats to your garden.

Native varieties of Canna can be found in the wild from South Carolina to Texas and south through the more temperate areas of South America. Although they are traditionally a more tropical plant, cultivated varieties will tolerate milder climates if given at least half a day of full sun and plenty of moisture. They are wonderful for containers and patio gardens.

Cannas are naturally resistant to most pests -- slugs and snails may be fond of the big juicy leaves. The genus Canna is not prone to many diseases. If you use well-drained soil and deadhead wilted blooms you will prevent most any fungus that might be tempted to attack your plant.

Bright Blooms For Shade Gardens

Shades gardens are a fun project that forces the gardener to be creative. Most plants that thrive in low light are monotone and maybe even a little drab, but there are a few colorful plants that can really make the darker areas of your garden shine.

Most shade gardens start with an interesting blanket of ground covers and plants grown for foliage interest. Vincas and Clematis make excellent ground covers and climbers and their colorful blooms contrast well with the dark foliage. Heucheras and Hostas comes in many shades and shapes, providing exciting foliage interest.

There are, in fact, a few really beautiful flowers that will thrive in the low light and contrast well with the deep colors of the shade foliage. Here are a few varieties perfect for shade garden blooms:

Aquilegia 'Blackcurrant Ice'
Lenten Rose 'Royal Heritage'
Bellflower 'Samantha'

Check out other plant for Full Shade and Part Shade.

Tomatoes Won't Ripen?

There are plenty of questions asked about how to grow tomatoes, one of the most popular plants grown in American garden. I received a question this week about a particularly interesting problem, tomato plants that grow and produce plenty of fruit, but then the fruit doesn't ripen. After a little research, I discovered that there are two very simple reasons that this might happen.

Why won't your tomatoes ripen?

1. The temperature is too low.
   Tomatoes need heat to ripen. If the temperature is too low, they will just stay green. To help them along you can try mulching with black plastic or landscaping fabric. The dark material will hold the suns heat into the evening, hopefully prompting riper fruit. Or you can just pick the fruit to ripen inside, keeping it in a warm dark place until it the color deepens to your liking.
2. You are watering too much.
   Most people know that too much moisture will cause the fruit to grow too fast and split, but it may also prevent proper ripening. The fruit will be bland and watery. Cutting back on the watering before harvest will make the fruit sweeter, and it will ripen more quickly.

Click here for more information about how to grow tomatoes

Petunias: One of Our Most Popular Annuals

Petunias, closely related to tobacco and tomato, are one of America's favorite annual flowers. There are thousands of cultivars in varied vibrant colors and perfumed fragrances. They bloom from one frost to the next, and they are very easy to maintain.

They tolerate heat and drought, they only need watering about once a week (more often in containers). They love full sun - the more sun you give them the more blooms they will produce. They thrive in well-draining, moderately rich soil with a little added organic matter - leaf mold or compost -  worked in for nutrients.

Park Seeds most popular petunia this season has been the Petunia Surfinia(R) Blue. It will soon be too hot to ship annual plants - place your orders by Sunday May 17: Park Seed Annuals!

Happy Mother's Day!

Show all of the nurturers and providers in your life how much you appreciate them this weekend. To all of the hard-working ladies out there, Happy Mother's Day!

If you haven't already, go buy some flowers for your mothers, stepmothers, wives, sisters, daughters, nieces, aunts, grandmothers, great-grandmothers, and -- if you're family is so fortunate -- great-great-grandmothers.

Apology for May 2009 Park Garden News

We would like to address any confusion and anger caused by an article in our recent Your Park Garden News for May 2009 email, regarding International Garden Naked Day.

We did not have a Naked Gardening Day here at Park Seed.  Our Ecommerce Team is creative and our Naked Gardening Day photos were intended as a joke, but they crossed the line. While the people in the photos were actually clothed and only photographed in creative ways, we understand that for some of you that was not the issue.

 We have received many positive and humorous responses, yet we realize that it showed extreme poor judgment to have sent something with potentially controversial material to our valued customers and readers in the first place.

 This does not represent Park Seed as a company, who we are, or what we are about. 

 We apologize.

Quick & Easy Old-Fashioned Berry Jam

This is a quick and easy, old-fashioned jam recipe, perfect for creating a personalized gift from your very own garden or simply ensuring that your abundant berry harvest doesn't go to waste.

Jellies and jams start the same way, with a bowl of fresh fruit from your garden. The main difference is Jellies are clear, made only from the fruit juice, and Jams are chunky, consisting of the the juice, seeds, and fruit body. Jam is my favorite, and it is easier. You don't even need any pectin.

Suggested Materials:

1. Canning Jars (usually sold at most grocery stores)
2. Jar Grabbers (Tongs made for canning, so you don't burn your hands)
3. Jar Funnel (Or, you can just ladle your preserves into the jars if you wish)
4. Canner (A pot large enough to submerge and boil your jars)
5. A Blender/Food Processor/Magic Bullet/Potato Masher

Ingredients:

1. Sugar
2. About 5 lbs. of Fresh Berries from your garden
   

Park Seed currently offers:
Blueberries - 3 Varieties
Cranberries
Grapes - 2 Varieties
Strawberries - 4 varieties
Raspberries - 4 varieties
And many more.

You can use any fruit you like, mixing and matching as much as you like to find your own unique flavor.

Making The Jam

1. After you've washed your fruit and removed all leaves and stems, crush, process, or blend it thoroughly - you want to release as much juice as you can.
2. Measure your sugar. The mix will be about 2 parts sugar/3 parts fruit. So, if you have about 6 cups of crushed berries, measure out 4 cups of sugar. Work in smaller amounts, no more than 9-12 cups of crushed fruit at a time, because more fruit requires longer to cook, and it will become too dark and bland.
   
3. Put your berries in a pot and bring them to a boil, stirring constantly to prevent burning and sticking. Stir in sugar until it is dissolved and boil for about 5 minutes. Keep stirring, don't let the jam stick or burn.
4. Ladle you jam into the jars, close the lids tight, and boil the whole jar in the canner for another 5-10 minutes.
5. Remove your jars and let them cool overnight. You're done. Try not to jostle or bump your jars while they are hot.

It's that easy, delicious jam!

Events and Dates to Remember in May

Monthly:

There is much to celebrate this month and a ton of activities to get involved with that educate as well as entertain. Here are some great monthly observances we think you and your family, as well as friends and co-workers, will really enjoy and find quite helpful and informative!

 

Clean Air –

http://www.cdc.gov/Features/CleanAirMonth/

Gifts from the Garden –

http://www.gardenlady.com/gifts.html

International Business Image Improvement –

http://www.prleap.com/pr/6251/

World Lyme Disease Awareness –

http://www.lyme.org/

National Allergy/Asthma Awareness –

http://www.aafa.org/display.cfm?id=10&sub=99&cont=457

National Salsa –

http://www.hotsauceblog.com/hotsaucearchives/national-salsa-month/

National Salad –

http://www.menuplanningcentral.com/articles/national-salad-month.html

Sweet Vidalia Onions –

http://www.vidaliaonion.org

 

Weekly:

Interested in some fun activities to join in as the kids start to get out of school? Well, May has a few weekly observances that will keep young minds working as well as get them outside to enjoy this spectacular weather. Have fun!

 

3-10 Drinking Water

http://www.epa.gov/ogwdw/waterweek/index.html

4-9 National Wildflower

http://www.wildflower.org/nww/

18-25 National Backyard Games

http://www.patchproducts.com/letsplay/NBGW.asp

 

Daily:

May 1 – May Day – This day celebrates many things, most commonly Spring, but it's also a day of political protests, a neo-pagan festival, a saint' feast day, and a day for organized labor. Wow, just pick your party theme today!

http://www.infoplease.com/spot/mayday.html

May 1 – Space Day – Celebrate human space flight – past, present, and future!

http://www.spaceday.org/

May 2 – International Garden Naked Day – Get out there and enjoy nature… au naturel! See above for Park Seed's celebration!

May 3 – Garden Meditation Day – Take pleasure in the beauty of your garden and allow it to relax and refocus your mind and body. If you don't have one of your own, visit a public garden or grab a cup of hot tea and a good book and go invade a friend's lush, outdoor living room!

May 5 – Cinco de Mayo – A celebration of when 4,000 Mexican soldiers defeated the French and traitor Mexican army of 8,000 at Puebla, Mexico on the morning of May 5, 1862.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cinco_de_Mayo

May 8 – No Socks Day – Kick off those shoes and socks and slide into your favorite flip flops or sandals or run barefoot the grass!

May 8 – V E Day – On this day in 1945, the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of Nazi Germany, ending Adolf Hitler's Third Reich.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Victory_in_Europe_Day

May 9 – International Migratory Bird Day – Focus on, and educate others, that most incredible event in a bird's life – the journey between it's summer and winter home!

http://www.birdday.org/

May 10 – Mother's Day – Make sure you let your mom know just how much you love and appreciate her for all the support and understanding she has provided over the years. Happy Mother's Day, Mom!

May 15 – National Bike to Work Day – Not only are you getting good exercise and giving yourself a great opportunity to enjoy the beauty of the world around you, but you're helping the environment by decreasing the pollutants put into the atmosphere. Happy biking!

http://www.bikeleague.org/programs/bikemonth/

May 16 – Armed Forces Day – Thank the members of our military for their patriotic service in support of our country!

http://www.defenselink.mil/afd/

May 25 – Memorial Day – Let's all remember those who have died in our nation's service!

http://www.usmemorialday.org/

May 25 – Nerd Pride Day – You know you're a nerd about something – math, art, reptiles, or perhaps PLANTS! Be proud of your geekiness and indulge your passion today!

http://www.jetcityorange.com/nerds-and-geeks/

May 27 – National Senior Health & Fitness Day – Across the country more than 100,000 older adults at more than 1000 organizations will participate in health promotion events!

http://www.fitnessday.com/