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The Perfect Garden:
Something Old, Something New, Something Borrowed, and Something Blue
By Susan Molthop, http://Fun4TheMoney.com
The concept of old, new, borrowed, and blue applies just as well to gardening as it does to that other tradition. Here’s what the Internet has to offer for creating the perfect garden:
Something Old
• Old Roses
Why would anyone want “old” roses instead of “new” ones? The two main reasons are durability and fragrance—the new hybrids offer too little of each. Old roses are strong, hardy, require very little care, and really smell like, well, roses.
Other considerations are versatility and muted colors. Old roses don’t have to hog the spotlight. They can blend in and be perfectly happy in the background (where they can concentrate on smelling like, you know, roses).
Vintage Gardens has a great online catalog of antique roses—almost 2000 varieties to choose from. http://www.vintagegardens.com/.
• Old Veggies
Why would anyone want old-fashioned vegetables instead of the newer, stronger, hybrid varieties? There’s only one reason—flavor. The hybrids look better, grow faster, produce more, and are more resistant to weather, pests, and disease, but the ornery, sometimes ugly old heirlooms have the three most important qualities—in my mouth, at least—taste, Taste, and TASTE.
Heirloom Seeds offers an excellent variety of backyard-garden-tested old-fashioned vegetable seeds. http://www.heirloomseeds.com/index.html
• Old Flowers
Again, the question, “Why bother?” The answer, this time, is variety. Most garden centers offer the same old stuff, year after year after year. That means your yard will look pretty much like your neighbors’, no matter how hard you work, unless you get creative. This year, why not plant some antiques?
Select Seeds specializes in these open-pollinated varieties. http://www.selectseeds.com/index.htm
• Old Herbs
Is there any other kind? One reason to grow herbs is that they don’t need a lot of space. Apartment-dwellers with a sunny windowsill can grow a terrific herb garden. Herbs thrive on neglect and tight spaces. If you don’t have a green thumb, start with herbs.
Richters has a huge Website, with seminars, free catalogues, and a great selection of seeds to order online. http://www.richters.com/
Something New
• New Flowers
The word “new” answers it’s own “why” question—you need them just because they’re new! Most new varieties have something really great going for them—otherwise there’d be no point in bringing them to market. If you’re looking for something spectacular, either in size, color, or just being able to grow something that couldn’t be grown before in your hardiness zone, look for the new stuff.
You can count on Burpee to come up with something new every year. http://www.burpee.com/
• New Veggies
The first reason for trying new vegetables is that they’re practical. These seeds or plants will have something going for them that makes sense. They produce more, earlier, or they’re more drought, heat, or cold-tolerant. If you’ve had problems growing the old standards, try something new.
The other reason is that some new veggies are exotic. If you’re tired of carrots and beans, here’s a small sample of alternatives from the stir fry section at Ani Direct. http://ourworld.compuserve.com/homepages/anico/stirfry.htm
Something Borrowed
• Seed Swaps
The main reason for swapping seeds is that it’s FUN. It’s also FREE (except for postage, which is almost nothing), it gives you an excuse to make friends with other gardeners (not that you need an excuse), and it provides an opportunity to experiment with plants you may never get any other way. Why let the big seed companies dictate what you grow?
Here’s a whole page of seed swaps from Blossom Swap. http://www.blossomswap.com/cgi-bin/seed/atl.cgi
• Cuttings
Why not—they’re free. Expand your garden with cuttings of your favorite perennials, or go shopping in your neighbors’ backyard. One good reason to borrow plants or cuttings from your neighbors is that you know that variety will grow in your area. The secret is in knowing when, how, and how much to take.
Here’s the how-to from Rebecca’s Garden. http://www.rebeccasgarden.com/articles/In_...lowers/255.html
Something Blue
• Blue Flowers
Why blue flowers? Because they’re a real challenge for growers. Most are sort of purplish, and many are very hard to find. Blue wildflowers are common in certain areas, but they can be finicky about growing outside their neighborhood. Here are some blue flowers and berries from Park Seeds. http://www.parkseed.com/webapp/wcs/stores/...go.x=12&go.y=11
• Blueberries
Why blueberries? Because they’re good for you. Current research shows that blueberries have better antioxidant properties than grapes—by a wide margin. They’re low in calories and fat, but high in fiber. Blueberries are native to North America. They grow in Washington, Oregon, California, Georgia, North Carolina, West Virginia, Michigan, New Jersey, and Canada. The season starts in April in the South and moves north through September. They like moist, well-drained, acidic soil.
The Finch Blueberries site contains lots of information and pictures. They send plants all over the world. http://danfinch.com/berrys.htm
Old, new, borrowed, or blue, the Internet hosts over 18,000,000 pages on gardening. If you don’t have time to surf during the long gardening days of summer, keep it in mind for those long winter nights. Enjoy!
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