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Wednesday, April 2, 2003 Got
spring fever?
This spring the itch to get out of the house and get your hands dirty in the garden is probably a full-blown rash by now. But while you were confined to combating a winter of world-class cabin fever, garden manufacturers were stoking a fever of their own. And a whole slew of new green goods on the market this spring promise to scratch you right where you itch. This season the emphasis in gardening is on ease, convenience and results. New to the market are ergonomically designed garden tools with interchangeable handles, self-service liquid compost carts, pre-mixed soil amendments, and of course, new dependable and disease-resistant plants. The list of what's new this spring goes on and on. You can feel that itch calming down already, can't you? Or, after reading this, maybe it's the other way around.
Cool blue new flowers The experts are saying just about everything blue is in this year. If you want explosive, vibrant blue in your garden or container, Ball Horticultural's Simply Beautiful brand of annuals has introduced new varieties such the hot new ornamental millet Simply Beautiful Purple Majesty. Awarded a 2003 Gold Medal from the All American Selections, this 4 to 5 ft. tall plant has deep dark purple leaves topped by equally dark plumes and commands attention in mixed containers giving great height as the center plant, in mass plantings or as a striking backdrop plant for other colorful varieties. "Bold is in this season. So to create a dramatic look, mix blue or purple flowers with contrasting warmer-toned varieties like Simply Beautiful Whisper Cranberry Red diascia or Simply Beautiful Fiesta Sparkler Cherry double impatiens," said Simply Beautiful's marketing manager Jeff Gibson. "And to really look like a designer, outline a container with Silver Falls dichondra and watch it cascade over the sides." Other great "blue" plants are Simply Beautiful Purple Knight alternanthera, Simply Beautiful Lavender Improved AngelMist angelonia, Simply Beautiful Deep Purple Luminaire trailing snapdragons and the Simply Beautiful Grape Improved Designer Geranium. Check out more new plants at www.simplybeautifulgardens.com.
New stars in the garden The stellar 2003 assortment form Star Roses includes Cherry Parfait, an easy to grow AARS winner with creamy white petals that look like they've been dipped in red cherries. Passionate Kisses is a fresh, salmon color rose bush that never stops blooming. Its long stems make it perfect for cutting to enjoy indoors. If you want fragrance, choose the new creamy white Romantica Tchaikovsky or the rugged Raspberry Rugostar, a disease tolerant shrub with large purply pink blossoms and compact habit, which make it ideal for naturalizing and cottage borders. To find out more about these and other fine Star Roses, or to find a garden center near you that carries Star Roses, visit the new redeveloped web site at www.starroses.com.
Going underground The trend this season is definitely gardening underground, or at least being concerned about the health of the soil. The Compost Tea Industry Association (www.composttea.org) reports that there is a "definite increase in interest in taking better care of the soil." Healthy soil produces healthy plants, and to build healthy soil, many gardeners are turning to compost tea, a liquid extract of compost, teeming with powerful disease-fighting organisms. It works by stimulating the
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