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  • From: "Del Williams" <delannw AT dlogue.net>
  • To: <sunnfarm AT bellatlantic.net>, "Market Farming" <market-farming AT lists.ibiblio.org>
  • Cc:
  • Subject: Re: [Market-farming] Perennial/Annual sales
  • Date: Wed, 16 Jul 2003 18:42:20 -0500

Thanks, Bob, on the Million Bells/Superbells and geranium combo info. I can
verify that. Didn't know about the ph issue but it makes sense.

Let me tell you something about geraniums. I'm sick of deadheading them....
I digress.

When the temperatures went to almost a hundred in the greenhouse... we have
no fans... but it was 98 outside anyway... those flowers cooked. Well, I
made the decision to deadhead. They looked awful, especially the red and
white ones. Pinks seem to maintain better. Anyway, once the temps dropped
the geranimums came back and look great again.

I'm not a geranium fan anyway. But one geranium that did very well in the
heat and in hanging baskets altogether were the ivy geraniums. The colors
we got were outstanding. The leaves seem to withstand watering. and heat &
cold conditions. They never quit looking good.

I have to also recommend Mexican Heather. My goodness, that stuff can
almost dry out and pop right back. We have it in combo planters with bacopa
and scaveola.

Now that's a grand plant. Scaveola. It seemed to do best in half day sun
but the heat never kicked it back. Even in 4.5" pots that plant was easy to
maintain. The full sun scaveola tended to get long but it continued to
bloom.

Million bells is a pretty nice plant in half day sun and it doesn't take
heat well. You know how it gets... sticky when it starts going belly up.

I have a question. Geeze, sorry to populate the board about annual flowers.

What is the fundamental difference between Wave petunias and Superpetunias?
They are trademarked names and I think they have a different habit. Maybe
I'm dreaming. I'm not a petunia fan either but they seem to have different
habits. some grow upright and that is preferable. Others splay out and
just hang.

I brought in a lot of those and the combos with some colors did better than
others.

Geeze, I have never met a red petunia that looked good in the long run. Our
Avalanche in red and one gallons just made me say yuck. It just looks like
a dirty red. On the other hand, the lilac and salmons did really well.

I'd be happy to share what I have learned about petunias of any kind.

We sold more than $10,000 worth of petunias this year and I sit in awe.
Geeze, can I think of more interesting annuals to plant? Yes. But
customers want them and they are still buying them. The Waves are still
selling.

One last thing. You know that midwestern gardener thing? With a spike and
petunias or geraniums all around? Yuck! LOL.

However, we couldn't find a consistent supplier of spikes in the eastern
Illinois area. Every time I brought in a truckload, they disappeared in a
day. I had people buying containers just for the damn spike.

What gives? And what alternatives could you suggest for a customer who
wants height... that a spike gives... when spikes are unavailable or geeze,
so boring they make you want to stick a dang flag in the planter and say,
there's your height! Be a good American and salute the flag!

Just kidding but I considered it.

Del Williams
Clifton, IL







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