If you missed “Garden Talk” on WNOX-FM 100.3 this morning, what
follows is a partial recap of our discussion. I have the pleasure of co-hosting this
radio broadcast with Dr. Sue Hamilton, Director of UT Gardens, every Saturday
morning at 8:00 from now until January 12, 2013. It’s a call-in show.
Call us at
865-243-TALK (8255) between 8:00 and 9:00 next Saturday.
This morning, one caller asked us to indentify what turned
out to be hen-and-chicks (Sempervivens),
a great little plant for containers and edging in hot, dry, sunny locations. It’s
an old-fashioned plant that now comes in a wide assortment of cultivated
varieties. Either in pots or in the border, it pairs well with sedums, which
like the same conditions.
Another caller is designing a fragrance garden, and wanted
to know about fragrant spring bulbs. He already has a large planting of
hyacinths, arguably the most fragrant bulb of early spring. Fortunately for Dr. Sue and me, there are lots
of other fragrant bulbs we could suggest. She mentioned grape hyacinths, which
smell like grape jelly, and noted that selected varieties of dwarf iris and
some cultivars of tulips are fragrant. I mentioned several of my favorites
among the large narcissus family. A late blooming Narcissus, ‘Actaea’ is also
called “pheasant’s eye” narcissus. It is a richly fragrant white flower with a
yellow center. Another narcissus cultivar, ‘Thalia’ blooms pure white in
mid-season, and a few blooms can perfume a room when brought in as cut flowers.
Our special guest, Nancy Schneider of Stanley’s Greenhouses,
mentioned that paperwhite narcissus, widely available as a forced bloom for
Christmas, can also be planted outside and will overwinter in a protected spot.
Like gladiolus, it may winter kill during severe weather, but you are likely to
get several seasons of repeat bloom.
This week’s “Plant of the Week” was, what else, the
poinsettia. Dr. Sue reminded us that the familiar Christmas plant is native to
Mexico and was introduced to cultivation in the United States by Poinsett, who
is commemorated in the name. She dispelled the myth that these plants are
harmful or toxic, telling the story of a professor at Ohio State University who
used to demonstrate their harmlessness by actually eating a few leaves in front
of the class. Nancy pointed out that a potted poinsettia is the ideal starting
place for a beautiful Christmas arrangement with greenery cut from your yard
and bits of traditional Christmas ornamentation, like tinsel. To illustrate,
she brought along some beautiful examples of her work at Stanley’s Greenhouses.
If you have never seen 50,000+ poinsettias in bloom in the same spot, visit
Stanley’s and take your camera.
If you decorate your home with poinsettias this season, here's a tip for keeping them looking great: drop two ice cubes into the pot each day, and keep the plant in bright light. The ice cubes provide just enough water without keeping the soil to soggy. You can place a poinsettia anywhere you like for a temporary decoration. For long term maintenance, however, the plants should receive sunshine, ideally from a south-facing window. For those interested in re-blooming their poinsettia next year, Dr. Sue suggested using Google to find detailed instructions.
We’ll be back after Christmas with another edition of “Garden Talk” on
December 29. Please join us!
No comments:
Post a Comment