| New at Beier's for 2010: Heirloom Flower Seeds - by Evelyn Fielding
Heirloom Seeds are lovingly passed hand to hand between generations of gardeners, carefully preserved and rarely altered. Beier's Greenhouse is proud to carry an expanded line of heirloom flower seeds this year, including:
Here's all the best dirt on these new heirloom seed varieties.
Bee's Friend
Bee's Friend (Phacelia tanacetifolia) is a lovely annual flower that blooms in lavender blue clusters on airy light green stems. It's known as bienen-freund in German, and is indeed a great bee attractor. California vineyard owners frequently plant Bee's Friend to attract pollinators.
Since the plants grow between 12” and 24” tall, it makes a good cover crop for those hard-to-landscape areas of your yard—including slopes and dry spots. In fact, Bee's Friend prefers loose, dry soil. Sow seeds ¼ inch below the surface and irrigate lightly. This plant likes full sun—up to 13 hours a day.
You can sow Bee's Friend seeds early because they germinate when the soil temperature is above 38 degrees, and it prefers cooler soil temperatures. It begins to bloom about 8 weeks after germination and continues for another 8 weeks. Bee's Friend makes an excellent cut flower because of its strong stems, fern-like foliage, and multiple tiny flowerettes.
Good companion plants for Bee's Friend include achillea, bachelor's button, borage, buckwheat, cosmos, and dill to create a truly bee-friendly garden.
Bells of Ireland
The Bells of Ireland (Moluccella laevis) is an unusual conversation-piece in any flower garden. The flower is an itty-bitty white thing, not spectacular at all, but it's surrounded by a large green calyx (cup) that transforms this plant into a head-turner. Best of all, you can cut the tall flower spikes, dry them upside down, and have a well-preserved bit of summer that may last for several years.
Bells of Ireland grow 24” to 36” in height so they make a good backdrop for lower-growing, more colorful flowers in the annual garden bed. They don't mind full sun but will also perform well in part shade (6 hours or more of sunshine). They do prefer loose, moist soil, so water as necessary if the weather is dry for a few days.
Sow directly into the garden or container when soil temperatures reach 55 degrees, and don't cover the seeds. It can take 20 to 35 days for Bells of Ireland to germinate, and they begin to bloom toward the end of summer (August in cooler climates).
Bells of Ireland do well in larger containers. Good companion plants for Bells of Ireland include chartreuse zinnias, white or colored daisies, nicotiana in any color, and coleus. Bronze grasses make a striking contrast.
Bells of Ireland are said to be a sign of luck—but then, isn't everything Irish lucky?
Cardinal Climber Morning Glory
The morning glory variety known as Cardinal Climber (Ipomoea multifida) is a truly treasured heirloom flower. Give it a trellis or arbor and the vines climb 10 to 15 feet, producing large bright red flowers all along the length. If you don't give it something to climb, the vines will crawl along the ground until they find something—so the cardinal climber is a good groundcover. Like all morning glories, this variety closes its face against the hot sun but opens in the morning and evening.
Soak cardinal climber seeds 24 hours in room-temperature water before sowing. Cover lightly with soil and sprinkle a handful of granulated fertilizer over the top. This plant prefers moderately fertile, moderately well-drained soil and full sun (8 hours or more). Shelter these morning glories from drying winds. They like to be on the dry side but will wither if you forget to water them.
You may find yourself with volunteer cardinal climbers next year, but these rarely produce a great number of blooms. However, the additional greenery is welcome.
Prepare yourself for an invasion of hummingbirds once the blooms appear, as the little guys love all things red and tasty in the garden. Good companion plants for the cardinal climber are cosmos in red shades, foxglove, nicotiana, verbena, and zinnia (all good hummingbird flowers).
Curiosity Flower
The Curiosity Flower (Nigella papillosa) blooms precious, deep violet, five-petaled flowers. Once the blooms fade, purple seedpods appear—decorative in their own way, and good for hungry autumn birds. The curiosity flower is lower growing, reaching only 24 inches with a mounded habit, so it makes a great border plant for an annual garden bed.
Seeds can be sown early, as soon as the soil temperature reaches about 40 degrees. Plant 1/8 inch deep about 1 foot apart. The curiosity flower enjoys plenty of moisture but doesn't like waterlogged conditions, and prefers full sun (8 hours of direct light). It can take up to three weeks for germination depending on the weather, but the curiosity flower blooms prolifically all summer. You may also plant seeds in late August or early September.
This is an excellent cut flower for vases and arrangements, especially when combined with ferns or airy greenery. Will last for up to 10 days if you change the vase water daily. The curiosity flower will overwinter as a houseplant—dig up your nicest specimens, pot up in 8 to 10 inch pots, and place in a sunny south window.
The curiosity flower self-seeds readily so it might not be appropriate for a severely formal garden. Companion plants for the curiosity flower include purple ruffles basil, the perennial campanula (bell flower), most shades of salvia, phlox, and of course pansies and violas. Petunias in contrasting shades (not purple) add their airy foliage to the mix.
Drumstick Flower
The Drumstick Flower (Craspedia globosa) brings a touch of joy to the annual flower bed! Completely round, bright yellow flowers sway gently atop 36-inch-tall stems. This heirloom flower is native to Australia and New Zealand, where you will find high altitude prairies covered with Billy Buttons. As a later bloomer, the drumstick flower brings color to the autumn garden
The drumstick flower doesn't mind heavy soil and won't do well in extremely sandy spots. Plant where it receives full sun (8 hours of direct light), with an eastern exposure to protect from hot afternoon sun. Space seeds about 3 to 6 inches apart and rake a light covering of soil over the top. Keep reasonably watered, but this plant will tolerate a little drought.
Drumstick flowers are excellent in cut flower arrangements because they have sturdy stems and light silvery green foliage. These dry nicely if you bunch them up, tie the stems together, and hang upside down in an airy place.
Good companion plants for drumstick flowers include green grasses, red grasses, and white bunny tails. The stems can look rather bare, so pairing drumstick flowers with yellow and white nemesia may relieve the look, or try yellow or red gazanias. A lovely look pairs drumstick flower with dianthus.
Himalayan Blue Poppy
The Himalayan Blue Poppy (Meconopsis betonicifolia) blooms a stunning shade of true blue. The color seems almost like watered silk, and is so luscious you'll want to touch the flowers every time you walk past. The nodding clusters of flowers are 30” to 35” tall.
You will surely fail with Himalayan blue poppies if you don't take special care with soil preparation and location. Their original habitat is in the mountains, so they require rich soil amended with plenty of compost. Avoid adding lime. The blue poppy needs cool air and shelter from the wind and harsh afternoon light. They also enjoy being consistently moist without ever becoming waterlogged. You may find best success growing Himalayan blue poppies in a large container in a shaded spot.
Soil pH is another consideration to get this plant to bloom true blue. Alkaline soils produce violet shades. You're looking to turn your soil acid (pH 5.2 to 5.5). Prepare your container or garden space early with compost and wait about 10 days, watering regularly. Check the pH of your soil with an inexpensive testing kit. If the soil is still alkaline, add a solution of 1 tablespoon (½ ounce) aluminum sulfate per gallon of water. Plant your Himalayan blue poppy seeds and check the soil again after about 8 weeks. (This trick works to turn hydrangeas blue, too.)
Good companion plants for the Himalayan blue poppy include low growing moss roses, taller phlox, and fragrant nemesia. You may want to try celosia in gold or red for a very nice contrast, though celosia likes a little more sun than blue poppies.
Hot Biscuits
Looking for an unusual flower for your cottage garden? Try Hot Biscuits (Amaranthus cruentus). This cinnamon-colored variety of the amaranth grain plant is a true headturner. Large, bushy plants with silver-green leaves bloom tall spikes of fuzzy ginger-colored flowers in late summer. Hot biscuits grows between 4 and 6 feet high but stays neat in appearance, making it one of the best backdrop flowers in the garden bed.
Plant hot biscuits seed when the soil is fully warmed in the spring (68 degrees). Choose a spot where it will receive full sun, scatter the seed over the soil and cover about one-quarter inch deep. This plant likes moisture and loves a drink of fertilizer every few weeks. Keep well-watered during dry spells to prolong bloom time. Cut bunches of hot biscuit flowers for fresh arrangements; does not dry well.
If you're feeling very adventurous, try cooking the tender new leaves like spinach as the ancient Incas used to do. Seeds can be gathered and ground into flower or popped like popcorn, but a regular gardener might find this activity to be a lot of bother.
The ginger-cinnamon color of hot biscuits is hard to match, so go for contrasting colors in companion plants. Yellow or apricot celosia looks nice with orange amaranth, or you could try sunny orange and yellow blanket flower (gaillardia) for contrasting foliage and flower shapes. Hot biscuits also makes a good standalone specimen when planted in a large grouping.
Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate
Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate (Polygonum orientale) is certainly a colorful name for a flower, and the whimsical name is matched by an equally whimsical plant that blooms long pink catkins. Because it can grow 4 to 6 feet high, this plant is perfect against fences and as a spectacular backdrop for lower growing annuals in bed plantings.
Plant seeds where they will receive full sun. Space seeds about 18 inches apart to allow for air circulation when the plants are mature. From germination to bloom usually takes about 18 weeks, so plan accordingly. The large leaves and sturdy stems are showy before the flowers come out. Kiss me over the garden gate likes moisture so amend the soil with good compost if it tends to be dry, and keep well-watered if there is insufficient rain.
Kiss Me Over the Garden Gate reseeds readily, so it may not be right for an extremely formal garden. In a cottage garden, it brings just the right amount of drama and color. Good companion plants for kiss me over the garden gate include pink phlox, cleome, love lies bleeding, and foxglove. The contrasting color of blue Chinese forget me nots look lovely in front, or interplant with love in a mist for an excellent contrast.
Love in a Mist
The most beautiful annual flower gardens include Love in a Mist (Nigella damascena) for its large, fluffy blooms and fine needle-like foliage. This medium-sized plant grows up to 2 feet tall and brings a welcome airiness to the garden. Love in a mist also goes by such colorful names as Love-Entangled, Devil-in-the-Bush, Persian Jewels, and Jack-in-Prison.
This plant thrives in full sun (8 hours of direct light) but will also do well in partial shade (6 hours of direct light). Try for an eastern exposure so it's shaded from hard afternoon sun. Scatter the seeds and rake lightly but don't cover too deeply. Love in a mist blooms in late spring and all summer if you deadhead spent blossoms. Soil quality doesn't have to be perfect, but love in a mist does not like to be wet.
Good companion plants for love in a mist include taller-growing varieties with larger leaves—kiss me over the garden gate, for instance, or love lies bleeding. Bronze fennel was just made for growing with love in a mist. Low growing moss roses in front compliment the foliage and add small dots of vibrant color, and alyssum or blue lobelia fill in empty spaces.
Snail Flower
Snail Flower (Vigna caracalla) lives up to its common name by producing clusters of blooms that spiral around like a snail's shell—truly a fun effect. The snail flower usually blooms in lavender shades with white or cream accents. The blossoms are incredibly fragrant on this vining plant, which can climb up to 20 feet in tropical conditions. You'll need to provide a trellis or arbor for support and may need to guide it in the right direction as it grows.
Snail flower loves to grow in full sun where it will stay moist without being waterlogged. Simply scatter the seeds over the soil and press lightly. Sandy soil is OK, but amend with compost or peat moss if there is little organic matter. Because it is a tropical plant, snail flower likes humidity. Blooms usually appear in midsummer but the vines grow vigorously. By the way, ants love snail flower—but don't worry, they don't harm the plant and help pollinate.
Snail flower does very well in containers. Choose a container small enough to overwinter in the basement or other unheated but above-freezing area. Cut vines back to 12 to 24 inches; they'll regrow and rebloom the following summer. For a climbing container garden, interplant with morning glories and moon flowers, or choose colorful climbers like nasturtium and sweet pea. |
