Starting More Seed

'Cry­stal Peak

' Obedient      Plant Photo: Swallowtail Seeds

"Pure white flowers on long spikes from July to September. The flowers of 'Crystal Peak' are self-cleaning: they do not fade or brown as they age. Plants grow to 16 in. tall. An excellent choice for brightening sunny borders or containers. 'Crystal Peak' obedient plant is a Fleuroselect Gold Medal award winner (Europe's top prize)."

It was enough to convince me I needed some white plants in my border. I think they will glow at twilight and be ever so attractive to the hummingbird moths.

Polka­dot Polly Hybrid Foxglove Photo: Swallowtail Seeds

I haven't have foxgloves for a long time, and I also bought some nicotiana alata grandiflora.

Nicotiana alata grandiflora, Photo: Swallowtail Seeds

Spring best come soon--I'm planting a jungle!

Plant Genetics Will Save Us-- or Not!

 

The garden catalogs are arriving. With each catalog is the mandatory "new" or "improved" varieties of seeds, plants, and ornamentals for our gardens. I would be happy if some of the hype were as true for the home gardener as these promises have been for agribusiness.

You only need to check corn yield statistics over the last 50 years to marvel at the wonder of plant genetics. Similar stories from statistics are our there for most of the major grain crops of the world, along with potatoes and alfalfa. The trend lines versus the actual statistics are probably the effect of severe extremes in the weather patterns in any given year.

But gardening, like politics and economics, tends to be local.