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Check out these Princettias, fantastic flower displays from Germany's IPM Essen horticulture trade show

Today’s guest post comes from Phillip Townshend, Global Operations Director for Tesselaar Plants:

Last month, Rod Thorpe (CEO of Tesselaar) and I undertook our annual pilgrimage to Germany’s IPM Essen, one of the largest horticultural trade shows in the world and where new products and design trends are previewed for the horticultural industry.

Usually, attending this show (whilst incredible from a design and innovation point of view) is something of a challenge for us southern hemisphere dwellers. We are coming off our summer holidays in Australia and have been enjoying the sun, sand and surf along with well-deserved time with the family, since our business has us travelling for up to 5 months each year.

This show occurs at the end of our key holiday period and it can be hard to build the motivation to leave summer to visit the bitter cold winter that accompanies this show. So you can be assured that it must be the experience of past years and the fantastic plants and design features we see that keep us coming back.

I am pleased to report that this year was no different, with 1,511 exhibitors from 43 countries presenting their innovations, products and services to the international trade public across approximately 110,000 sqm in 16 adjacent exhibition halls.

Over 57,000 visitors from all over the world attended the show.

Highlights for me are always the fantastic floral displays and the quality of the plant presentation. We (Tesselaar as an organisation) also see that participating as an exhibitor and talking to our peers keeps us at the cutting edge of the horticultural industry and abreast of new developments and design influences.

Attached are just some quick snapshots taken during our time walking the halls, and as always, the creative elements in design and presentation continue to inspire and leave me with the question of "why don’t my plants look like that, and how is it I never think to mix those colors?"

At least the questions in my mind support my wife’s comments each day whilst I am trying to match ties to shirts that I "should leave the design and color matching to the professionals."

Note: I loved the Princettia display and took this image for my seven year old daughter who is still very much a ‘Princess’ and would love a setting like this:

Here’s a display featuring the tropical flower anthurium:

And here,a green and pink, spring-inspired display:

And moving on to summer, here’s a water-wise collection of succulents:

And back to winter - a lovely Christmas centerpiece!

As always, despite the bitter cold, I left this show looking forward to next year’s event and inspired to further attempt to improve my garden.

This past week, as a cure for my growing cabin fever (check out the pic of me digging out after 14 inches of snow fell here in western New York!) I once again visited the Dutch Connection — an annual indoor flower exhibit at the George Eastman House. The exhibit, which recreates the late Kodak founder’s brilliant winter floral displays, features colorful swaths of 2,000 tulips, hyacinths, daffodils, freesias, amaryllis, and alliums - plus tropical orchids courtesy of the Genesee Region Orchid Society and Sonnenberg Gardens and Mansion State Historic Park.

Still revived from this mid-winter therapy (at $10, very economical), I encourage everyone to get out there and visit some of the upcoming, early-spring flower shows (here in the Northeast, the Philadelphia Flower Show runs Feb. 28 through March 7 — and this year, Tesselaar’s new introduction, Black Adder™ Phormium (New Zealand Flax) is headlining an Irish-inspired exhibit alongside Irish recording artist Moya Brennan of Clannad!)

Below are some of my pics from the Eastman House (click here for more at my Flickr account). Look for more indoor flower show shots (hey, it’s cheaper than therapy) March 11-24, when I visit GardenScape, Rochester’s annual flower and garden show:

The conservatory, filled with thousands of spring-blooming bulbs. At front is the table (a famous commissioned art piece? Morganstern table?) where Eastman ate breakfast every morning, listening to the organ (at back, partially hidden by flowers).

View of the conservatory from the other side of the room, on the second-floor balcony.

Orchids on display - beats me what kind they are…but they’re beautiful

An upward shot of the conservatory, showing the replica of an elephant shot by Eastman on safari in Africa (for the man who has everything, I suppose…)

Indoor tropicals, don’t know what the one on the left is…Christmas cactus on the right…potted laurels in the background

Red tulips and purplish-pink hyacinth…

Snow-covered courtyard, designed in the style of Italian gardens visited by Eastman…

Today’s post is a wonderful guest piece on that earliest of spring bloomers — witch hazel — from Dave Epstein, host of Growing Wisdom.com [www.growingwisdom.com]:

In the dead of winter there is not much growing in the garden. However, there is one plant that will reliably bloom for you each and every February. That’s right, February.

Hamamelis or its common name, witch hazel, is my favorite late winter/early spring bloomer. The fall variety of this shrub is native to New England and blooms in October. However the crosses of the Japanese and Chinese Hamamelis bloom from February to April and in a mild year have even been known to bloom even in January.

Witch hazel are considered a small tree or shrub and are relatively easy to grow. They will adapt to most soil conditions but prefer a slightly acidic PH. You will want to be sure that your plant gets several hours of sun, is not in an open area subjected to harsh winds, and is not overly wet. A lot of folks may not be comfortable with plants they do not know. However, adding one or two Hamamelis varieties to you garden will bring you years of enjoyment, at a time of the year that can be pretty bleak. When considering where to place this plant outside you need to head inside. Once indoors look out your windows from a spot you spend a lot of time. I have planted my three varieties outside the kitchen and den. Perhaps you will want yours outside the home office window, the living room or dining area. It’s a great feeling to make lunch on a sunny February afternoon and see these flowers bursting open. The flowers come in yellow, red and even orange. You will find that the buds open up during those sunny days in late winter when the temperature gets above freezing. At night, the flowers will curl back up. This process continues for weeks and can last into April about when the forsythia is in bloom.

When choosing Hamamelis there are so many varieties of this plant that it would be impossible to pick a favorite. However, here are few to seek out this year when at your favorite nursery. ‘Arnolds Promise’ was developed at the Arnold Arboretum and is still considered one of the best. Its brilliant yellow and opens in early March. ‘Moonlight’s’ flowers are pale sulfur yellow with claret red. This variety is also a very early flowerer in February and has a strong sweet fragrance. You will even notice bees on some of these plants on a warm day in spite of several inches of snow left on the ground. I have ‘Diane’ in my garden and the flowers are a coppery red. The leaves sometimes hold on through the winter and can hide the flowers. You might also try ‘Orange Beauty’. The flowers of this variety border on a deep yellow or orange yellow however; there is not much of a scent.

During the summer the plants will blend into the background of the garden. The leaves are a fan shape but there is nothing particularly remarkable about them. In the fall many of the varieties turn spectacular colors. Two other great properties of this shrub are that it has few pest and disease problems and needs little if any pruning. After 10 years or so it will be about 15’-20’ in height so plan accordingly. Click here to watch a video about Witchhazel.

Dave Epstein

Host/GrowingWisdom.com

When I’m choosing plants for my garden, I don’t have a lot of time or money to waste. That’s why every year, I check out the All-America Selections winners – flowers and vegetables that have been tested by a network of independent judges and proven themselves as easy-care plants offering superior performance.

And this year I’m especially excited, because for the first time, winning plants will be available the same year they receive the award. That means the following 2010 winners will be available as plants and/or seeds this spring.

Here’s a roundup of this year’s winners, perfect for low-maintenance or easy-care gardening. For more information on a particular plant, click on its name below or visit www.all-americaselections.org.

Gaillardia F1 ‘Mesa Yellow’ (upper right)

The first hybrid blanket flower with a neat, mounded habit and prolific flowering. Daisy-like, 3-inch flowers and globe shaped seed heads offer summer-long, superior presentation of color. Blooms appear two to three weeks earlier than competitors, attract butterflies and are great for cutting. Ideal for small-space gardens and containers. When placed near the inside edge of a container, it will cascade down the container. Relatively maintenance-free and wind- and rain-resistant. Recovers quickly in severe weather.

Marigold F1 Hybrid African ‘Moonsong Deep Orange’

Intense, deep-orange, fade-resistant flower color that makes other marigolds look more golden than orange. Long-lasting, 2½- to 3½ inch, fully double blooms “rank among the best of the class.” Easy to grow in a 5- to 6- inch pot and highly heat- and drought-tolerant. Erect plants grow 12-15 inches tall. Foliage covers old blooms, keeping the plants looking fresh.

Snapdragon F1 ‘Twinny Peach’

This double or butterfly-form snapdragon is unique because of its blend of soft peaches, yellows and light oranges, and because it doesn’t have the jaws or joints to “snap.” Abundant flower spikes for cutting. Flowers all season long with little garden care. Easy to grow and extremely heat-tolerant.

Viola F1 ‘Endurio Sky Blue Martien’

This unique spreading/mounding viola looks delicate, but is tough as nails. In warmer climates, it flowers throughout the winter, laughing off wind, rain, cold and passing snowfalls. In colder climates, it offers two-season color – flowering well after first frost when planted in fall and again in spring after snow has melted and soil has warmed. It can also be planted in early spring. Ideal for window boxes and hanging gardens as well as balcony and patio planters.

Zahara Zinnias (‘Starlight Rose’ at right)

Crosses between zinnia species has resulted in this disease-resistant and heat- and drought-tolerant line of zinnias offering reliable, season-long performance. ‘Double Zahara Cherry’ and ‘Double Zahara Fire’ are both double flowering. ‘Zahara Starlight Rose’ (available as plants or seeds) is a new rose and white bicolor.

Pepper ‘Cajun Belle’

There’s Cajun flavor –- sweet and savory — in this small bell pepper (1 oz., 2-by 3-inches). Compact plants are early to mature, show no disease problems and at 2-feet tall and wide, perfect for containers.

Watermelon F1 Hybrid ‘Shiny Boy’

This red-fleshed, 20 lb., globe-shaped melon won a taste test against comparisons with its sweet tropical flavor and crisp texture. Earlier than other varieties, it’s also healthy and tolerant of severe weather. It can be grown vertically in small spaces and produces high yields.

Echinacea purpurea ‘Pow Wow Wild Berry’

Differs from all purple coneflowers for flower color, branching and plant size. Deep rose-purple, 3- to 4-inch flowers that keep their color longer. First-year-flowering perennial is basal branching, which means more flowers. Grows 20 to 24 inches high. Thrives with few insect or disease problems.

With vegetable gardening the hot new thing, you may want to try starting seeds this month.

I just did it with my preschool daughter (at right) and in the process, kept thinking about ways to make it easier. I do, after all, blog about easy-care gardening and I had to admit - this wasn’t a "plant it and forget it" kind of thing. But I did figure I could make the process more streamlined for those wanting to try it - what with vegetable gardening being a popular way to grow your own chemical-free produce for less and folks paying attention to the Obamas’ new White House Vegetable Garden.

The way I see it, you can start seeds the really easy way, but it’ll cost you more, or the slightly less easy way — but it’ll cost you less.

EASY (BUT MORE MONEY)

Of course, the easiest way to do everything these days is to just order it all online. Yes, it’s also the most expensive, so if you want to save money, skip to the next section.

I suggest you start by going to Google. Type in "seed starting supplies." You’ll come up with a bunch of catalog companies like Johnny’s Selected Seeds, Harris Seeds, Home Harvest Garden Supply, Growers Supply, Burpee or Park Seed. At any one of those sites, just buy the following supplies:

Supplies

Tabletop or freestanding grow light system/stand/cart ($60 and up, depending on how fancy the setup is).

Growing kit that includes soilless potting mix pellets, self-watering mat, seed cell tray, plastic dome, plant labels and seeds ($20 to $60). Some have heat mats, some don’t. The heat mats are supposed to make your seeds grow faster and healthier, but I’ve never used them and my seeds have always started fine. If you’re growing seeds in a cooler place and want to make doubly sure they germinate, go ahead and spring for the heat mat (if your kit doesn’t have one I found them sold separately between $26 and $28 at Planet Natural and Amazon).

Seeds (a few bucks a seed packet). Burpee says the best ones to start this early (Feburary) are swiss chard, broccoli, peppers, tomatoes and eggplant.

Light timer (Harris Seeds sells one for $12.25; Home Harvest sells one for $16.95).

Seed sower (I wish I had one for my daughter when she tried to plant the smaller seeds in the soil, but really, it’s a matter of preference. Burpee sells one for $1.95).

Trigger mister bottle, for watering new seedlings without drowning them (Home Harvest sells them for $3.49).

Sharpie-type indelible marker (for writing on plant labels or the cell trays. Burpee sells them for $1.97 each).

Instructions

Read your gardening catalogs and wait for above materials to arrive. When they do, ollow the instructions that come with the products. The general overview, however, is that you add the required amount of water to the soil-plug-filled cell trays (until the soil is damp, then plant several seeds per cell, lightly covering them with some of the damp soilless mix. Put the plastic dome on the cell tray, set a light timer so that it remains on for 12 to 18 hours a day. Then leave the seed-starting station and go grab a beer. To keep soil damp, spray with mister bottle as needed.

SLIGHTLY LESS EASY (BUT LESS MONEY)

It should be noted that just about all supplies above (except for the grow lights and stand/cart) can also be bought at Home Depot, which is what I did.

I just followed the seed starting demo at the front of the store:

"Burpee Complete Growing System," said the sign, with the prices broken out for each of the components:

Supplies

Starting kit (Burpee Ultimate Growing Growing System). $19.95.

24-inch metal wire rack $19.95 (I skipped this since I planned to use a wire rack I already had at home, along with the plastic tie wraps (as seen in the display, to attach the top of the flurorescent light fixture to the bottom of the above wire rack shelf).

15 watt, 18-inch-long Philips plant & aquatic light (look for the green package). $7.97.

32. oz spray bottle (with the potted plants display at the front of the store). 96 cents.

General Electric 18-inch fluorescent under-cabinet light fixture. $9.77 (OK, this wasn’t on the sign. But it should’ve been. I had to go hunt it down in the store myself. Got detoured in the "shop light" aisle, with a fixture that not only cost $30, but which the Home Depot Guy and my husband said involved "hard wiring," "electrical tape" and a bunch of other stuff I immediately tuned out. Turns out the fixture I wanted, which plugs directly into the wall and has an on/off switch on it, was at the back of the store with home lighting fixtures, not commercial-grade light fixtures (in a completely different part of the store, more toward the front).

Now, this project would’ve taken me about half-an-hour to an hour to do (trip to the store included, and I was already there to buy a curtain rod) - except for the light fixture setback and one more thing: attaching the fixture to the shelf above. Because the folks at Home Depot had been able to attach their fluorescent light fixture to the underside of the metal wire shelf above using plastic tie-wraps, I assumed there were hooks or another device on top of the fixture that would allow for this. Nope. It just came with two holes, two screws and mounting instructions. Now had I just followed the directions and borrowed my husband’s cordless drill, this part of the project could’ve been over in 5 minutes My husband thinks the Home Depot People drilled holes into the fixture at the store so they could attach it with the tie wraps. But instead, because for some odd reason I’m averse to using power tools (probably because of my klutziness…I’m afraid I’ll lose an eye), I waited 20 minutes to a half-hour trying to figure out an ingenious way to attach the fixture to the metal shelving unit before giving up and watching my husband attach it in one minute with a cordless drill to the underside of wooden shelves in the basement. So… lesson learned. Just follow the instructions and use the screws. The only thing I haven’t done yet is put the light on a timer. Gotta do that soon. It’s a pain in the butt to remember to turn the lights on in the morning and off at night (I don’t need one more step in my daily routine).

And there you go - loads of family fun! Looking back, however, I’m really glad I did it. My 2 1/2-year-old asks me daily to "go see the plant babies" and there’s discernable progress each and every day. She mists the babies when they look dry, talks to them and pets them. She studies the seed packets, looking at the sprouting seeds and then looking back at the pictures of the plants they’ll grow into. But that’s life — and gardening — in a way. It never goes as planned, but you’re always glad you did it instead of say, watching TV. It’s kind of like choosing to participate in life.

Have you involved your children or grandchildren in your gardening? About.com Gardening Guide Marie Iannotti wrote a great post on it this month, called Raising Gardeners. Also check out the Martha Stewart Living write-up on starting seeds with kids Or, write in a tell me about your own experience!

Check out these Princettias, fantastic flower displays from Germany's IPM Essen horticulture trade show

Cheaper than therapy: indoor flower exhibit at the George Eastman House

For early blooms, color and fragrance, you can't beat witchhazel

For easy-care plants, look to 2010 AAS winners