image from Pinterest
Question: Why does a man paving the streets correct the public morals? GOOD ONE…some of you will get this one right, not me but it made me smile.
The temperature at 8:45 AM is at 38 degrees but clear sky except for a few wispy clouds. High today of 50 rain in the forecast but it looks like it will be south of us. Tonight, low of 32 Not much wind, so all in all looks like a great day. ENJOY, stay safe.
You all know I have been doing this greenhouse for a long time. 32nd season. Yesterday I had help from grandchildren, and it was a good time. They all were good help. 2nd generation working at the greenhouse. Many family own greenhouses have this experience and I am so glad I can share mine with them. Today and I will be doing for the next weeks is planting. We have things moved around and ready to just keep planting one plug tray at a time. Pansy that were planted a month ago are starting to bloom so that is great to see.
Here is some information about pansy one of the earliest annual plants we pick up that is in full bloom.
VARIETIES OF PANSIES By Robin Sweetser
Flowers are starting to appear for sale in the garden centers—and that means pansies. Get to know this old-fashioned “flower with a face” and discover different varieties!
GROWING PANSIES
Often gardeners overlook pansies as being temporary “throw-away” plants but most are actually half-hardy annuals meaning you should get at least two seasons of bloom from them. Plant breeders have been working to make them not only larger flowered but longer lasting and more heat- and cold- tolerant.
To insure a longer bloom span you can do your part by planting them where they get morning sun but are shaded from hot afternoon sun. Deadhead them often to keep them from setting seeds, water and fertilize regularly, mulch them, and don’t be afraid to pinch them back to encourage new growth. Frost won’t faze them. They can survive dips into the single digits and recover to bloom again.
‘Bingo’ and ‘Nature’ are two of the most cold hardy pansy varieties. Heat is a little more of a problem. When the night temperatures rise your pansies will take a break from blossoming. Keep the plants mulched and watered and they will perk up and begin to bloom again in the fall when the temps cool down. Pansies are also a great flower to plant in the fall. Try them instead of mums. They will bloom until really cold weather sets in. If well-mulched the plants can winter over in many areas of the country and be one of the first to blossom in your spring garden. I had one variety, called ‘Four Seasons’, winter over here in New Hampshire successfully but I’m sure there are other hardy ones out there.
PRETTY PANSY VARIETIES
There are so many colors and combinations to choose from that it is hard to decide on just one.
I love the classic “monkey face” pansies that my grandmother grew. To really enjoy their faces plant them in pots or window boxes where you can see them up close.
But pansies are more than just a pretty face, some are solid colors with no faces at all.
Others like ‘Ultima Morpho’ have whiskered cat faces.
There are ones with ruffled edges like ‘Flirty Skirts’ and ‘Ballerina’, and trailing pansies like ‘Cool Wave’ and ‘Waterfall’ that spread up to 2 feet, excellent for hanging baskets. ‘Colossus’ has giant flowers 3-4 inches across, and ‘Moulin Rouge’ has thick, stiff stems making it perfect for cutting.
The so-called antiques such as ‘Panola’ and ‘Mariposa Peach’ have soft, watercolor shades while ’Jolly Joker’ is garish purple and orange and then there are some that are just pure black!
The name pansy comes from the French “pensee” meaning thought because the blossom resembles a little frowning face, as if deep in concentration. They have a large number of colorful nicknames such as heartsease, three-faces-under-a-hood, Cupid’s delight, love-in-idleness, and jump-up-and-kiss-me.
The German name for this flower however is “stiefmutterchen”. Instead of seeing a face deep in thought, they see the unforgiving frown of a little stepmother. I think they have been reading too much Grimm!
Get inspired by Robin Sweetser’s backyard gardening tips and tricks. Robin has been a contributor to The Old Farmer’s Almanac and the All-Seasons Garden Guide for many years. She and her partner Tom have a small greenhouse business and also sell plants, cut flowers, and vegetables at their local Farmer’s Market.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/10-pretty-pansy-varieties
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365
Answer: Because he is amending the public ways.
The temperature at 8:45 AM is at 38 degrees but clear sky except for a few wispy clouds. High today of 50 rain in the forecast but it looks like it will be south of us. Tonight, low of 32 Not much wind, so all in all looks like a great day. ENJOY, stay safe.
You all know I have been doing this greenhouse for a long time. 32nd season. Yesterday I had help from grandchildren, and it was a good time. They all were good help. 2nd generation working at the greenhouse. Many family own greenhouses have this experience and I am so glad I can share mine with them. Today and I will be doing for the next weeks is planting. We have things moved around and ready to just keep planting one plug tray at a time. Pansy that were planted a month ago are starting to bloom so that is great to see.
Here is some information about pansy one of the earliest annual plants we pick up that is in full bloom.
VARIETIES OF PANSIES By Robin Sweetser
Flowers are starting to appear for sale in the garden centers—and that means pansies. Get to know this old-fashioned “flower with a face” and discover different varieties!
GROWING PANSIES
Often gardeners overlook pansies as being temporary “throw-away” plants but most are actually half-hardy annuals meaning you should get at least two seasons of bloom from them. Plant breeders have been working to make them not only larger flowered but longer lasting and more heat- and cold- tolerant.
To insure a longer bloom span you can do your part by planting them where they get morning sun but are shaded from hot afternoon sun. Deadhead them often to keep them from setting seeds, water and fertilize regularly, mulch them, and don’t be afraid to pinch them back to encourage new growth. Frost won’t faze them. They can survive dips into the single digits and recover to bloom again.
‘Bingo’ and ‘Nature’ are two of the most cold hardy pansy varieties. Heat is a little more of a problem. When the night temperatures rise your pansies will take a break from blossoming. Keep the plants mulched and watered and they will perk up and begin to bloom again in the fall when the temps cool down. Pansies are also a great flower to plant in the fall. Try them instead of mums. They will bloom until really cold weather sets in. If well-mulched the plants can winter over in many areas of the country and be one of the first to blossom in your spring garden. I had one variety, called ‘Four Seasons’, winter over here in New Hampshire successfully but I’m sure there are other hardy ones out there.
PRETTY PANSY VARIETIES
There are so many colors and combinations to choose from that it is hard to decide on just one.
I love the classic “monkey face” pansies that my grandmother grew. To really enjoy their faces plant them in pots or window boxes where you can see them up close.
But pansies are more than just a pretty face, some are solid colors with no faces at all.
Others like ‘Ultima Morpho’ have whiskered cat faces.
There are ones with ruffled edges like ‘Flirty Skirts’ and ‘Ballerina’, and trailing pansies like ‘Cool Wave’ and ‘Waterfall’ that spread up to 2 feet, excellent for hanging baskets. ‘Colossus’ has giant flowers 3-4 inches across, and ‘Moulin Rouge’ has thick, stiff stems making it perfect for cutting.
The so-called antiques such as ‘Panola’ and ‘Mariposa Peach’ have soft, watercolor shades while ’Jolly Joker’ is garish purple and orange and then there are some that are just pure black!
The name pansy comes from the French “pensee” meaning thought because the blossom resembles a little frowning face, as if deep in concentration. They have a large number of colorful nicknames such as heartsease, three-faces-under-a-hood, Cupid’s delight, love-in-idleness, and jump-up-and-kiss-me.
The German name for this flower however is “stiefmutterchen”. Instead of seeing a face deep in thought, they see the unforgiving frown of a little stepmother. I think they have been reading too much Grimm!
Get inspired by Robin Sweetser’s backyard gardening tips and tricks. Robin has been a contributor to The Old Farmer’s Almanac and the All-Seasons Garden Guide for many years. She and her partner Tom have a small greenhouse business and also sell plants, cut flowers, and vegetables at their local Farmer’s Market.
Taken from https://www.almanac.com/10-pretty-pansy-varieties
Till next time this is Becky Litterer, Becky’s Greenhouse, Dougherty Iowa beckmall@netins.net 641-794-3337 cell 641-903-9365
Answer: Because he is amending the public ways.
