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Take a moment to visit
the AAS web-site at
http://www.all-americaselections.org/Winners.asp. Notice the color
for this season, Purple!
Do you have a spot in your flower
bed where you want to try something different? This is the growing season to
do so! Imagine the fragrant and sun loving ‘Perfume Deep Purple’ Nicotiana
greeting you each evening as you return home from work. Nicotiana needs a
sunny location and is ideally suited to container gardening.
Anyone who loves the flower of an orchid should grow a Diascia! These
adorable, dainty, pink flowers are native to South
Africa and consistently bloom well over the whole growing season. For best
results place the plant in a sunny, warm location since too little light
will greatly reduce blooms and cause plant to become “leggy”. Fertilize with
Jack’s Classic Dynamic Duo regimen, alternating between 20-20-20
General Purpose to increase vegetative growth and 10-30-20 Blossom Booster
to increase the color and fullness of your blooms. A common mistake with
Diascia is over-watering. Make sure you let this plant dry between waterings.
I absolutely love this plant and am lucky to have had the wonderful
opportunity to obtain seeds of the common Diascia directly from South
Africa. I can’t wait to try this new F1 hybrid, Diascia ‘Diamonte Coral
Rose’, which is reported to have a more substantial blooming period.
What garden would be complete without a cut flower bed? Zinnias are the
perfect plant; easily grown from seed and found in grower market packs.
These plants do very well in the heat and tend to be drought tolerant. After
your frost date has past, transplant them into a sunny location. Once the
soil warms up, watch the plants take off. To ensure color that lasts
throughout the season, sow seeds every 7 to 10 days to provide successive
crops of these beautiful flowers.. A word of advice: Zinnias are the rare
plant that requires very low levels of fertilizer. Use Jack’s Classic
10-30-20 Blossom Booster at ¼ tsp per gallon every time you water or ½
Tbs. per gallon every 7 days. This will provide the nutrients zinnias need
while avoiding the tendency of the plants to become extremely leggy.
The ‘Purple Haze’ Carrot is another ideal specimen for container gardening,
since most root vegetables require a loosely packed soil with good drainage.
This AAS winner is a must try for every vegetable gardener! Every veggie
grower enjoys boasting about their “special” crop and with this; I truly
believe you would be due every bit of bragging rights. Fertilize with Jack’s
Classic 20-20-20 General Purpose, since this 1:1:1 N:P:K product will
provide balanced nutrients for strong leaf and root development.
Container gardening is probably the easiest form of gardening. There is no
need to wait until the soil reaches optimum planting temperatures, no need
to till the soil or even weed. You purchase a top quality soilless mixture,
fill the planting
 vessel,
add plants and enjoy. Containers, unlike planting in the earth, require
regular fertilizing. To keep your container looking its best, we recommend
top-dressing with Jack’s Classic Classicote 16-9-23. This time
release fertilizer continuously feeds your plants for up to 4 months at
70°F. Just sprinkle one application evenly on top of the soil or soilless
media for beautiful plants all season long. Regular use of Jack’s Classic
Dynamic Duo will add that boost of water soluble nutrients immediately
available for your plant to take up and use! Remember, containers need ample
water; it is not unusual to water as much as twice per day in the heat of
summer. To aid in this task, place containers close to the house or along a
well planned water hose line.
When choosing a planting container almost anything will do, as long as there
is adequate drainage. Don’t limit yourself to just what is available at your
local garden supply store. Some of my most creative containers have been
cast away items. My daughter’s old purse was turned into a small hanging
basket; my nephew’s out grown toy dump truck was another favorite for
holding Oxalis pes-caprae (Buttercup clover). Caution must be used
when adding drainage holes to any container. If you are not accustomed to
using a power drill, seek a family member or friend for this task. There are
containers for which a hammer and nail work very well to add drainage, and
in the case of the purse, a sturdy pair of scissors works well.
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