We too have the faithful Johnny-Jump-up's sprouting all over the
place. Matter of fact they spread too easy taking over some
pots!!!! But they are so pretty you can't help but watch they grow
and bloom.
I saw an article about "Natural Guard Soil Activator" that is
supposed to turn existing thatch into useful nutrients for the lawn.
I also saw the article on epsom salts and it sounds like it does
the same thing. Does it? I have not been able to find Natural
Guard Soil Activator and wondered if I could substitute? We live in
Kremmling, CO
In My Garden Blog
Western Mountains and High Plains
August 13, 2009
By
John Cretti,
Denver, CO
A tiny seed found its way into a smalll crack in the concrete, resulting in this beautiful flowering viola -- proof of the power of seeds.
The Power of a Tiny Seed: Self-Sowing Annual Flowers
Like splashes of watercolors on the landscape palate, some flowers re-seed themselves to paint our gardens with tantalizing colors while adding textures that are often unexpected in the summer garden.
I've marveled at the power of these self-sowing annuals and biennials because they can pop up in some of the most unusual of places. One that caught my eye since the early spring is a viola that appeared through the crack in a concrete step. Like the old folk song that describes "the flower that shattered the stone," this tiny plant continues to amaze me with its toughness as it grows and spreads even in the heat of summer. The only moisture it receives is an occasional rain and maybe some runoff of drainage water from containers sitting up on the front porch.
There are many annuals that self-sow, returning return year after year by re-seeding themselves throughout the garden and adding color when the perennial flowers are fading from the picture. Rose, pink, and white cosmos (Cosmos bipinnatus) is a dependable self-sower with its daisy-like blooms. Cosmos adds height and the fern-like foliage adds a wispy texture in the garden. This annual will bloom from July to frost.
Even in the driest of conditions, moss rose (Portulaca grandiflora) will reappear every year along the gravel driveway and beside the garden pathway. The flowers resemble tiny double roses with succulent leaves spreading over the ground to suppress weed growth. Combine this drought-enduring succulent with the dainty, sweet scented white alyssum (Lobularia maritima) that readily escapes from the container gardens or a neighbor's annual flower bed. You won't be disappointed as nature paints the canvas in the garden in an often unexpected way.
In my experience, there are many annuals that are sure to return year after year so be creative in experimenting with re-seeding flowers. For some interesting combinations, try seeing orange and red California poppies (Eschscholzi californica), desert bluebell (Phacelia campanulata) with royal blue blooms, dwarf blue bachelor's buttons (Centaurea cyanea 'Baby Blue'), and some desert tickseed (Coreopsis tinctoria). Sow seeds along a dry stream bed in your landscape in the early spring and you will be drawn to the gold and blue flow of blooms in the heat of summer until frost. And leave it to nature to make this happen year after year.
Re-seeding annuals are not for every gardener as some of us like a more groomed look in our garden. But for me, I appreciate the power of the tough annuals that will self-sow in the landscape, saving me time and energy. It is a true testament of the power of nature and how the smallest of seeds are programmed by a higher power to grow in the most unexpected places.
Don't be surprised when the faces of cheery violas or Johnny-jump-ups pop up between the crevices of a flagstone pathway or in the tiniest cracks of a concrete step.
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Comments on The Power of a Tiny Seed: Self-Sowing Annual Flowers
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We welcome your questions and comments about this column. If you have gardening questions unrelated to the column, please ask them on our message boards.
popcycletoes
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John C
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Neither of these products will transform thatch into nutrients nor
improve soil structure. This is achieved by adding organic matter
including compost. Epsom salt is often used as a micro-nutrient for
tomatoes and roses, but only in limited quantities. As written in my
gardening books for our Rocky Mountain region, if it sounds too good
to be true, it usually is.
lindainboulder
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I too love how volunteers add and inspire my gardens. I inherited a
weed-infested plot in our community garden in mid-June. What to do
so late in the season and very little money? As I set to clearing
the plot, I discovered a clump of carrots, an orange Calif. poppy, a
hollyhock, a potato plant, hops growing up the fence and hiding a
stack of bricks, and lots of sunflower sprouts. The sunflowers
actually determined the design and flow of a brick-edged pathway.
Friends were thinning out their gardens and shared some choice
perennials for me to plant amongst some inexpensive pumpkin and
squash seedlings I picked up (mostly to cover the ground and assist
w/weed control for this season). Two months later, I have the
sweetest little garden. The sunflowers have grown "tree-like." The
pumpkin/squash vines have leaves larger than dinner plates and have
covered the entire plot (actually creeping outside the fence). The
perennials are peeking out amongst the vines with the cheeriest and
loveliest of colorful blooms. I've taken to wandering around the
community garden plots collecting seeds from other gardens to toss
in my garden for a nice surprise next year. Sometimes nature's
choice of plant location ends up being the standout color/texture
combo in my garden that season. I welcome and am thankful for the
little additions nature brings to my garden.
linda in boulder
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I am looking for a multi trunk small tree or lumbering bush to prune
in to a tree and I am new to colorado gardening. I would love to put
two Zuni cape myrtles in my navy bean shaped sitting area and trim
them into 8-9 ft canopy trees with multi-trunks lighted at the
bases. My area is tight and I am trying to be courteous to a
neighbor as well. I am concerned they will not do well in
broomfield. Can you help me with some thoughts. Thank you
John C
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Cape myrtles would not be my recommendation because they are not
hardy in our outdoor fluctuating temperatures and extremes of
winter. You may want to consider small trees including hawthorns,
golden rain tree, Ginnala or Amur maples, and serviceberry. You can
learn more about small ornamental trees and shrubs in my book: Rocky
Mountain Gardener's Guide (Cool Springs Press). Check with Front
Range Gardens in Broomfield, CO for book availability and see the
plants up close and personal. Good luck.
Laura in Loveland Co
My 1 hop vine planted last fall for our new pergola has more than
met my highest hopes. It is now loaded with cone like fruit. Is it
beneficial to harvest the fruit, and if so, when or leave it on the
vine?
Love your show on KHOW!