Early autumn strolls through favourite garden centres can be very rewarding. Pansies displayed on long tables are a banquet of concentrated colour and sweet fragrance. Small green, gold and variegated shrubs and perennials invite assembly into winter potted gardens, along with a variety of dwarf conifers to act as points of emphasis in the potted landscapes.
At one garden centre I came across a sales table of modest-sized chrysanthemums. For something different, I chose a plant bearing a mass of flowers with several layers of rosy violet petals edged broadly in butter yellow. It鈥檚 stationed outdoors now on a plant stand in full view through the family room glass doors onto the patio.
Cavorting amid the tulips, I听selected something old and something new. It had been years since I鈥檇 grown Couleur Cardinal, a Triumph tulip introduced in 1845. It鈥檚 a classic tulip, in brilliant scarlet overlaid in deep plum. One commentator called the blooms lustrous, like 鈥渆xpensive satin.鈥� Another, viewing the flowers beside a walkway at Kew in 1911, declared that they shone 鈥渨ith the dusky splendour of old wine.鈥�
Princess Irene (1945), another longtime favourite tulip for its unique purple-flamed orange blooms, is a sport (spontaneous mutation) of Couleur Cardinal. Both tulips were for a long time classed as Single Early, but are now re-typed as Triumphs. Both flower toward the end of the early tulip season, in the latter part of April.
The 鈥渟omething new鈥� in tulips is Pretty Princess, classed on the package as Single Early. This new variety is considered to have all the fine qualities of Princess Irene with long-lasting blooms in scarlet-flamed rosy pink held on strong, dark stems. An added decorative note: The leaves are edged in silver.
I chose a few snow crocuses to tuck into my pansy bowls. A new one to me is Spring Beauty, vividly coloured in lavender and white with royal purple flaming. For a snow crocus with flowers of sturdy substance that shine in the late winter sun, look for Cream Beauty.
A few dwarf narcissus (Tete a Tete) bulbs will be useful also for planting with the pansies in containers. I鈥檓 keeping it simple this year.
It鈥檚 not a bad idea to visit several garden centres in search of flower bulbs because they may access their bulbs from different wholesalers. I found one outlet carrying bulbs from a source I don鈥檛 usually encounter. That鈥檚 how I found the new snow crocus.
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Resurrexit. On this Thanksgiving weekend, I鈥檓 extending gratitude to Jean Smith, who wrote late in the summer to describe an unusual experience with impatiens, a well-loved summer flower lamentably afflicted in recent years with disease.
鈥淚've been growing impatiens successfully in boxes against the house on my deck for 14听years. They鈥檝e always been completely low maintenance and give quite a display.
鈥淟ast year, I found some plants at a local garden centre and was warned [about the possibility of disease developing in the plants], but bought them anyway. They produced exactly as they always had and in December I cleared away the plants as usual.
鈥淭his spring, because of various circumstances I did not get the boxes planted at all. And yet, impatiens plants sprang up on their own, sprouted probably from leftover bits in the soil. They have put on a rather good show this summer. I do love this plant!鈥�
Like so many of the flowers we grow as annuals, impatiens is a tender perennial. It roots easily from cuttings. Pieces left in the soil probably survived in the protected location, to root in the spring.
A very Happy Thanksgiving to听all. May you feast in peace and happiness on the fruits of your garden labours.
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GARDEN EVENTS
Fall classes. Russell Nursery, 1370 Wain Rd. in North Saanich, is offering the following classes. Please register at 250-656-0384 or email [email protected]. Include your phone number in the email.
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鈥� Winter Pruning of Trees and Shrubs with Noah Alexander, a professional arborist who can answer all pruning questions. Cost is $10. The same class will be given on Saturday, Oct. 31, at听10 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Saturday, Nov. 7, at 10 a.m. and 1 p.m.; Saturday, November 14, at 10 a.m.
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鈥� Wreath Making and Holiday Containers. These are popular classes and people are already asking about them. They fill quickly. For a list of听class dates and times visit russellnursery.com. Private classes for听groups of 10 to 18 can be arranged.
