The time to plant is now for fall and winter color

Tag : mustard leaf

The list includes marigolds, chrysanthemums, pansies, snapdragons,ornamental cabbage and mustard plants, flowering kale, petunias anddianthus.
"The marigolds are my favorite," he said. "They are better than themums (chrysanthemums). The marigolds have larger blooms that lastlonger and do not fade."
He said in this region, marigolds will last from now until aboutthe first of December or until the first frost. He said that manypeople like mums, especially those with yellow and orange blooms,but the blooms last about three to four weeks.
Pansies are a favorite with many people because they are socolorful and hardy.
"In our climate, the pansies will last all winter," Croom said."They can sustain frost and keep right on going. They will be justas beautiful in the early spring as they are right now."
It's the summer heat, he said, that pansies cannot stand.
"When it gets up over 80 degrees," he said, "they just melt."
Ornamental cabbages and mustards make attractive additions to agarden or mixed container, said Croom. Mustard plants will getabout 2 feet high and will develop a rich purple color. Theornamental cabbage, mustard and flowering kale are not edible.
Dianthus is an old-fashioned plant that is making a comeback.
"The landscapers really like them," he said. No special care isneeded with most of these plants, the nurseryman said.
"Water them in good when you plant and put a little fertilizer onthem. It also helps if you put a little pine straw or some othermulch around them," he said.
From that point on, it is mostly a matter of just enjoying thebright colors, said Croom. "The plants thrive with normalrainfall."
Mid-October, he said, is the best time to plant fall and winterannuals.
Along with the bright flowers, gardeners can also enjoy a bountifulharvest of fresh autumn-grown produce. Vegetables that do well thistime of year include beets, broccoli, cabbage, carrots, collards,English peas, kale, kohlrabi, leaf lettuce, mustard, radishes,spinach and turnips.
Cooler temperatures, bright fall flower colors and garden freshvegetables all make this one of the favorite seasons of the yearfor people who enjoy being outdoors.
Nurseryman Fred Croom holds a potted marigold. He prefers marigoldsover chrysanthemums, in background, because the flowers last longerand the blooms stay brighter.
Marigolds, above, make nice garden additions.
Decorative flowering kale and ornamental cabbage and mustardplants, below, add color, texture and interest.
Gardening