Search For Blooming Plants That Tolerate Next Summer’s Scorching Heat (Continued from Page A 22) New Guinea Impatiens flower better in shade where soil tem perature is lower. However, some varieties do well in full sun. Many varieties of Impatiens are grown for sun and shade. Those grown in the shade have larger flowers but fewer of them than those grown in hill sun. The flow ers last longer in the shade, about Visitors at the trial gardens read labels of each plant to determine its rating and the name. As a labor-saving measure, flowers are grown in pots instead of planted in the ground. ■ .I' " J/H -jW* il FARMER BOY AG Systems i ; ' TURN KEY /VISII i\A /V L_ PRODUCTION SYSTEMS ■* > --- - -- -- ■ - -- - - - - 5, ■V ■ *■ I ?. : $> \ 1 •’s ‘,3. l,>\\ J -I \ U \ L bpr ' uo ut fr If V- ;/' n ks* h ''M f %ih "V -t r l r 3 V> u W A 1 c J*> n V^ ( r j-\r \n 3 ovf SMII 3-4 days. Those in the sun last only one day and the plant leaves tend to curl in the sun. Another plant growing in pop ularity is Ageratum, which has excellent flowers covered with showy flowers and is mite toler ant. Angelonia, a snapdragon-like appearance, makes a good bed ding and cut flower. It is gaining in popularity and is an excellent r Jnc T v •>’* J I, 1 -800-845-3374 P«l -s : lRi y - * 's. to 3n Come See Our Finisher Sorting System! Friday, October 3rd. 2003 10:00 a.m. - 2:00 p.ifl. * . |U. X h v \. * * SLI? I'\ v* V ' 1 £&*iiag>* it 4' 1 *1 cut flower. An often overlooked flower, according to Michael, is the bego nia. “Begonias started flowering in the greenhouse and never stopped throughout the summer, even in 100-degree heat. It’s out standing in both sun and shade.” Another variety was Bractean tha, which is an Australian flow ering plant with outstanding dis plays of blooms on compact '' & CfliFEVi PA ** Ip® h MW®* 3 HJP . plants. Coleus is making a strong comeback with attractive leaf color and sun tolerance. Orna mental sweet potatoes have gained popularity for their ex treme vigor in containers and landscapes. Container Gardening Wendy Blister, River Valley landscapes Inc., Wrightsville, taught a workshop on container gardening. “The biggest boom in market ing is in container design and property management,” Blister said to those who plant for profit. “It takes extra investment, but has the greatest markup poten tial.” Many consumers busy with ca reers like to come home to nice gardens. But they can’t do the work themselves because of time constraints. Whether you plan to plant in containers for yourself or for re sale, Wendy offers these pointers: • In container selection, terra cotta appeals to many, but it has its drawbacks. It absorbs mois tute, and containers must be wa tered twice daily during hot weather. Do not leave terracotta outside during winter weather. • Wood planters are nice but do not hold up many seasons. • Metal, lead, and copper con tainers are popular. They don’t blow over easily and the rust that forms is appealing. • Stone and fiberglass con tainers are booming. They last forever and are lighter to trans port. Incredible advances have been made in the manufacture of fiberglass that can give the ap pearance of copper, rust, and stone finishes. fjpik. "M f* Tv- 1 V>*; n LjL\& Lancaster Farming, Saturday, September 27, 2003-A23 PwPiCt > ij;!***' f' R I. IW. ’ ! i ' J ’-Art Look how large the blooms are on this Rocky Mountain geranium. • Baskets, wheelbarrows, an old kitchen sink be a garden artist. The more creative the idea, the more people love it. • Cluster containers to make more dramatic displays. Brister recommends clustering three dif ferent varieties in different levels. Use color contrast and also leaf contrast in texture and shape. • At the end of the growing season, leave the soil in the con tainer and insert evergreens and twigs that have been spray-paint ed for holiday accents. Summer blooming Agy ranthemum (dairies) come in a variety ofj^iers. ' r ' ■*- m MMggen ' c %