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Transformation in Progress

by | Apr 26, 2009

It has begun- I have planted over 5000 plants with many many more to come. The garden looks so neat and orderly that I almost love it as much as I do when it is full of flowers!

The temperatures here in southeastern Virginia are finally warm enough to start planting the warm summer annuals like zinnias, celosia, gomphrena and the like.

Each year I am always asked when folks should start planting tomatoes, zinnias etc- they always want to start to early and put those heat loving, drought tolerant plants in the ground while the soil is cold and the air temps maybe warm during the day but the nights are still way to cold! Think about it–these are the plants that perform at their best in heat–they do not do well in the cold.

Want to know what happens to them when they are chilled down to their roots when young, developing and vulnerable? They don’t die unfortunately to let you know there is a problem. They are typically stunted, sickly or just puny all season depending on the variety of plant. Celosia (cockscombs) will sit in the garden and not do a thing all summer, won’t grow, might bloom, might not–it is torture for the plant and the gardener because you don’t know what the problem is.

So the moral to the story is it is definetly worth waiting until day and nights are over 60 degrees to plant your warm season summer annuals.

Whats the hurry? we have all summer and we plant these type of plants until the end of July for a continued bloom-

Happy spring!

Lisa Z

Look for us in Country Gardens Magazine hitting stands May 18!

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