Tag: Botanical Interests

Phriday Phlowers – Signet Marigold

On By TimelessladyIn Phriday PhlowersLeave a comment

Yesterday, while walking in the yard, I was amazed by the blossoms of a lemon signet marigold. The plant is still going strong even though we’ve had several hard freezes and the weather is consistently cold now, as December always is in the Northeast. The plant grows along my back patio and is really not sheltered any more than something planted in the middle of the yard.

I sowed signet marigold seeds late in the summer season to fill in holes left by the annuals that came and went quickly. The seeds are from Botanical Interests, a very reliable seed source, one of two seed sources that I use every year. I just looked up the seeds in the online catalog of botanical interest, and they are once again available for a reasonable price. I also noticed they have received a five-star rating from customers in the reviews. I might add a review, and it will be a 5-star rating too. I’ve never had an annual Bloom so profusely in December.

Plants – Autumn Superstar – Tithonia/Mexican Sunflower

On By TimelessladyIn Plants6 Comments

In my back garden you’ll find a towering plant near eight feet in height. I didn’t know Tithonia (Tithonia diversifolia), often called Mexican Sunflower, could grow so tall. The petals open up for me in late summer and are surprisingly velvety to touch. The seeds were part of a Wildflower Mix by Botanical Interests. The plant grows in a plot of ground once prepared as a square foot garden. The amended soil, vermiculite, mushroom soil, etc., must still have some ‘POW’ remaining; the plants within the confines grew much larger than average.

The size the plant reached in one season amazes me. Unfortunately, Tithonia is an annual and won’t survive my southern NJ winter. I saved mature/ripened seeds and will replant in Spring. The ground hasn’t frozen yet and is still soft and workable; this week, in addition to the seeds I saved, I will also scatter a few Tithonia seeds throughout my garden beds in hopes they will grow when warm weather returns. Seeds overwintered in the earth always grow best.

The flowers blossom at the end of a long stem, perfect additions to floral arrangements. The stems remain sturdy in a vase, the flowers, if picked at peak bloom, stay fresh and lovely for over a week. The stems can be cut short or tall for height.

Requirements for growing Tithonia:

*7-10 days for germination

*Sun for most of the day

*Needs at least three feet of spread room

Will I grow Tithonia again. Oh yes…I am saving many of the seeds and intend to leave the remainder for the birds to nibble through the winter. I will leave the plant in place instead of cutting away. The branches and any leaves that stay on the plant will provide shelter for the birds and also give them a chance to land and check for predators in the area around the bird feeders.

This post is part of Cee’s Flower of the Day and Friday Skywatch challenge.

Phlowers – African Daisy

On By TimelessladyIn Phlowers2 Comments

My African Daisy plants are blooming. I’m thrilled! In mid-Spring, I sprinkled them on lightly-troweled soil within the confines of my butterfly/wildflower garden, and they are coming into bloom.

The colors are lovely, and even the foliage is a pleasing blue-grey. The buds are fun to watch as they open; I love seeing the first glimmer of color within the tightly folded interior.

I’m hoping one of the plants opens up into the rosy pink color portrayed on the seed packet. These flowers are part of Cee’s Flower of the Day challenge.

I’ve kept the seed packet in my garden notebook. I grew quite a few seeds this year from the Botanical Interests line. Everything did well, and next year they will be my first choice for seeds. I found this brand of seeds at local nurseries. They are not carried in the big box stores. Botanical Interests is having a 40% off seed sale through June 17th.

The Spruce has a great how-to article on African Daisies: How to Grow the African Daisy