Two Award-Winning Flowers For Spring Planting

Each year the best new flowers and vegetables are honored as All-America Selections by the seed trade industry. These varieties have proven superior garden performance judged in impartial trials throughout North America. This year there are two cool-season flowers that are great choices for spring planting.

‘Skippy XL Plum Gold’ viola bears flowers with plum shades surrounding a golden face with black lines or “whiskers.” The flowers are about 1-1/2 inches wide on a 6- to 8-inch-high plant. In mild-winter areas, ‘Skippy XL Plum Gold’ can be planted any time from fall through spring and will bloom into summer. In cold-winter areas, plant transplants outdoors about 6 weeks before the last frost in spring. It grows best in full sun but can take partial shade.

‘Asati White’ African daisy (Osteospermum) bears large (2-1/2 inch), white, daisy-like flowers with purple centers. They are born on long, slender stems that let the flowers sway in the breeze from early spring into summer. Unlike most other African daisies, the flowers of ‘Asti White’ stay open on cloudy days. Plants reach about 17 to 20 inches high and grow best in full sun. They have good drought tolerance but bloom best with regular water. In mild-winter areas, ‘Asati White’ can be planted in late winter to early spring and will live on as a perennial. In colder areas, start seed indoors now and plant out a few weeks before the last frost. Nurseries and garden centers will also carry transplants in spring.

Both winners grow well in flower beds, pots and window boxes. Fertilize regularly. To control insects like aphids and whiteflies, use Bayer Advanced™ Dual Action Rose & Flower Insect Killer Ready-To-Use. It kills insects on contact and provides systemic protection that lasts up to 30 days.

Rose Society Favorite Roses

Every year members of the American Rose Society evaluate roses based on garden performance, quality of bloom and other factors. Each rose is given a rating from 6 to 10, with 10 being the highest. Any rose with a rating over 9.3 is considered one of the best roses ever. Roses rated scoring over 8.8 are considered outstanding. The American Rose Society Member’s Choice Award honors the rose introduced in the last five years with the highest garden rating score. If you are looking for an outstanding rose to plant this bare-root season, these award winners are a great place to start. The last four are: ‘Knockout’, the single red flowering shrub; ‘Gemini’, a pink blend hybrid tea; ‘Bees Knees’, a yellow blend miniature; and ‘Hot Cocoa’, the russet red floribunda.

As with all roses, plant in full sun and well-drained soil. To feed and protect from insects and disease, use Bayer Advanced™ All-In-One Rose & Flower Care Concentrate as the roses begin to grow in early spring. No spraying is necessary, just mix with water and pour at the base of the plant. One application feeds and protects for up to six weeks.

Prune to Enhance Plant Shape

Pruning is often called an art, and to a certain extent that's true. Done properly, pruning can dramatically enhance the health and appearance of most trees and shrubs. Done improperly, pruning can destroy a plant's natural beauty and, in some cases, weaken the plant structurally.

At the heart of good pruning is making the right kind of cut. There are basically two types of pruning cuts: thinning and heading. Thinning cuts remove branches at their origin where they join another, usually a larger branch or limb. Thinning cuts open the interior of the plant, removing crisscrossing or crowded limbs, and enhancing the plant's natural shape and beauty. Japanese maples and dogwoods are two small trees whose appearance can be improved dramatically by proper thinning.

Heading cuts are made along the length of a branch. They result in vigorous growth immediately below the cut, making a plant denser. Although heading can be useful when pruning shrubs into hedges, in most cases heading a plant ruins its natural shape and should not be done. In the case of trees, heading also weakens the plant structurally and can create dangerous situations.

The timing of pruning is especially important for blooming shrubs to ensure the best flowering. For more information on how to properly prune and maintain your landscape plants, visit International Society of Arboriculture at www.isa-arbor.com.

Cultivate to Stimulate Young Transplants

It's vegetable and flower-planting season in many parts of the country. If you want to get your transplants off to the fastest possible start, cultivate often. Cultivating is easy and is one of the more enjoyable gardening practices. Simply, it's gently turning the soil around transplants - fluffing it up so it's less compacted. Cultivating aerates the soil, allowing it to warm up and dry out more quickly. Cold, wet soils are the main cause of stalled transplants. It slows rooting and prevents the uptake of nutrients. Frequent cultivating also keeps weeds to a minimum, which means less competition and more vigorous growth.

Nurseries and garden centers carry many tools, such as hoes and hand forks, for cultivating. But a simple trowel is also a great cultivator. Just push it into the ground an inch or two and twist. You're cultivating.

Shortly after watering is the best time to cultivate. Just be sure you don't get too close to the base of plants or you might damage roots. Cultivating is also an ideal time to examine your plants for signs of early insect damage. To eliminate pest problems use Bayer Advanced™ PowerForce® Multi-Insect Killer Ready-To-Spray. Read the label and follow the directions.