Here We Grown Again
April 2019 by Shelley Corey, Owner of The Mum Farm
Some of my earliest memories are of playing in my grandmothers' well-planned out backyard, with slate paths leading me on an adventure through her horticultural wonderland. I didn’t realize it then, but those visits shaped my life. I fondly remember visits to the glass conservatory at Forest Hill Cemetery. It was like entering another world! Lush, humid and so jungle-like! I know my kids to this day, are able to hear me declaring that there was once a “gorgeous greenhouse” as we drive into the entrance of the cemetery.
My friends are able to see my excitement each spring as I open my greenhouses and start ”growing”. It’s true…I love what I do and I become almost giddy with excitement each morning as I walk into them and see the growth that seems to have happened while I was sleeping! Sunny spring days are all I need to grow an amazing crop of summer annuals and this spring I have been blessed to have a lot of them.
I specialize in growing summer annuals for all your container gardening needs. When you start to think about planting pots, window boxes and all containers, consider where they will be placed and how many hours of sunlight they will receive. That’s always the first question I ask a customer, and you’d be surprised at how many people don’t know the answer! Morning sun (east-facing) are shade plants, no matter how hot you think that sun is! Sun for only the afternoon hours (west-facing) are sun lovers. Southern exposures require sun plants and north-facing locations require shade lovers. If you choose correctly, you’re off to a very good start!
You should never feel intimidated by planting your containers. Choose plants that YOU like, either the color, flower, leaves, or texture. The exciting thing about floriculture is that there are always new varieties and colors being introduced, it's never boring. I’ve had customers come up with the most beautiful plant combinations all on their own.
Here are some basic “tips” to get you started. Always replant your plants at the same depth they were originally growing in their container, never deeper. I recommend filling your container with a good quality potting soil to within an inch or two of the rim. Water the new potting soil to dampen it. This will allow for the volume of soil to settle, giving you a nice reservoir to hold water once you begin watering throughout the season. It also prevents the pot from being over-filled and the water running off the edges each time you water. That can be extremely frustrating! Gently make holes in the soil to accommodate the roots of your plants.
The next step is critical…to remove the plant from it’s growing container, place your fingers over the top of the soil with your fingers spread apart surrounding the plants stem and supporting the soil. Gently turn over the pot and squeeze lightly to “pop” the plant from it’s pot. It’s never a good idea to pull on the plant from the stem…that results in broken roots and you’ve just hindered the plants' growth. I also never recommend pulling or “teasing" the roots apart. I grow my annuals to have the perfect root formation to “take” right off into their newly planted places. They will never be pot-bound when you buy them. Water, fertilize and once you’ve had success…you’ll want to grow more and more. You’re on your way to growing a green thumb! Smile… gardeners are some of the happiest people on earth!