Click below to listen to my 2 min Garden Bite radio show: A little heat in the cold!
There’s nothing like trudging through snow and cold to get to those Home & Garden shows!
From local Chambers of Commerce to County Master Gardeners to huge City Expos, the annual ritual has begun! I went to one last weekend! However, I’m writing this before I go, so I’ll share what I learn from THAT next week.
In the spirit of putting a little heat to our cold – let’s flood the internet with flowers instead of icicles!
First up is a new annual (for those of us in the Upper Midwest) from Proven Winners called Pyromania ‘Hot & Cold’. It’s a Red Hot Poker Kniphofia hybrid and it’s hardy to zone 5.
This 3 foot plant will add some unique drama to your landscape with the spiky flowers that start as tangerine orange buds that open to creamy white flowers over grass-like foliage. This sun loving plant would definitely be the THRILLER in a container planting. Expect a long bloom season throughout summer.
For a soft look that lasts and lasts, there’s a sweet Superbell. ‘Double Chiffon’ is a reblooming calibrachoa with soft yellow double flowers that will cascade from a basket to 2 feet!
From planting to hard frost this darling doesn’t stop!
Oh and another showstopper with beauty and brawn, you really need to see this gomphrena on my website gardenbite dot com. ‘Truffula pink’ is a long blooming globe amaranth with a plethora of hot-pink flowers.
It has performed very well in hot, humid climates and is an ideal cut-flower with long vase life. Planted in full sun ‘Truffula pink’ grows to about 28 inches tall with a 22 inch spread. In a container, this would be a superb filler with annual grasses like King Tut or Toffee Twist. Super easy to care for, no deadheading is required!