Tested Nationally & Proven Locally®

2010 Selections

Zinnia ‘Zahara Starlight Rose’
AAS Bedding Plant Award Winner

A stunning combination of new and old describes ‘Zahara Starlight Rose.’ Zinnias are old-fashioned flowers but these rose and white flowers are a new bicolor for this sun loving class of annuals. Other new traits are the proven resistances to leaf spot and mildew, which can devastate healthy plants and cause an early death. These superior qualities resulted in long lasting zinnia plants that provide generous color all season. ‘Zahara Starlight Rose’ is heat and drought tolerant, easy to grow in gardens. A perfect plant for the novice or experienced gardener because it is so undemanding with a maximum number of blooms. The mature plants are

mid-sized, about 12 to 14 inches tall and wide, large enough to make a bold statement in containers or patio urns.

Common name: Zinnia                     Flower size: 2.5 inches
Flower color: Rose & white bicolor  Plant Height: 12-14 inches
Width: 12-14 inches                        Garden Spacing: 10-12 inches

Snapdragon F1 ‘Twinny Peach’
AAS Bedding Plant Award Winner

Who took the snap out of Snapdragon? ‘Twinny Peach’ the AAS Winner, is a snapdragon without the snap. Why? Because it is a double or butterfly flower form that does not have the jaws or joints to snap. The double flower form is the origin for the name ‘Twinny’ or twins. Another unique quality is the blend of peach tone colors. The soft shades of peach, yellow and light orange are distinct, and no other snapdragon offers this range of colors. Match ‘Twinny Peach’ with blue tones of Salvia farinacea or purple foliage plants and your garden will be a knockout. In the full sun garden, ‘Twinny Peach’ will produce   

   abundant flower spikes, plenty to cut and place in vases for fresh indoor  

   bouquets. Plants will continue to flower all season with little garden care.

Common name: Snapdragon               Flower size: 1.25 inches
Flower color: Pastel shades of peach, yellow and light orange
Plant Height: 11.75 inches                  Width: 7.75 inches
Garden Spacing: 6 inches apart

Vegetables

New Vegetables this year at Andy's

Tomaccio Tomato

Early fruiting gourmet tomato that grows 12 feet high.
Bred to dry naturally into a portable, healthy snack. Exceptionally sweet

West Indian Gherkin Cucumber

Large vines with distinctive looking leaves, more likewatermelon than cucumbers. Large crops of oval fruits 2-3" long and 1½" in diameter. Distinct flavor, used for making small pickles or relish. Very drought tolerant. This variety dates back to at least the early 1790s.

Table Gold Acorn Squash

A fantastic winter acorn squash producing reliable crops of beautiful glowing gold 1 1/2lb acorn-shaped fruit with a nutty flavored yellow flesh on compact bush plants. Perfect for roasting or baking. Stores well.

ROSES

 

 

All-America Rose Selection 2010

 

'Easy Does It'

Deeee…lectable colors of mango orange, peach pink & ripe apricot bounce off the mirrored glossy green leaves, providing a flamboyant fruit salad for the landscape. Her free-flowing swirling shades of sunset show up in fragrant large colorful clusters atop a rounded bushy plant. So disease resistant, vigorous, flowerful & fabulous, you just can’t say ‘no’ to this seductress of the garden. The one & only AARS award winner granted for 2010…it’s distinctively delightful

2010 Rose of the Year

'Sedona' Hybrid Tea

Emanating a warm, peaceful glow, these tremendous high-centered double blooms glow in shades of coral, rose, red, and peach. Each is exquisitely sculpted, slowly swirling open to release a heavenly sweet pear fragrance distinctively different from any other scent in the rose garden. Exhibition quality, the blooms display stronger coral and pink tones in cooler climates and richer rose and red shades in the heat. A natural wonder of color and form.

New at Andy's 2010

'Beach Blanket'

Sporting fresh tropical tones of pink and yellow-gold, this gently fragrant rose a just-for-fun confection of wide-open blooms, with new buds opening so quickly that you may have trouble finding the foliage beneath the lavish covering of color at the height of the season! Vigorous and easy to grow even in challenging soils, this sun worshipper arises in gigantic waves month after month. So easy to grow and eager to bloom, it's like a vacation for busy gardeners!

'Bubblicious'

This free-flowering shrub fills the garden with bright, cheery color three seasons a year. Its mounding habit is really exceptional for a shrub rose, creating a much fuller, better-branched shape that means extra gorgeous creamy-pink-and-white eye candy blooms. So easy, it is an ideal "starter" rose for new gardeners, yet even seasoned garden experts will be charmed and delighted by its bold single blooms in spring, summer, and even fall. Disease-resistant, very glossy dark green foliage complements the flowers and keeps Bubblicious handsome right down to the ground. Great for a low hedge, container, or the border.

 

'Burgundy Iceburg'

This prolific blooming rose covered in deep purple colored flowers with lighter reverse and dark burgundy red stamens and anthers. A delightful compact and neat 3' growth habit adds to the attraction and versatility of this rose. Healthy, medium green foliage adorns this reblooming, mildly fragrant rose. Useful in gardens or as a flowering hedge along walkways and paths.

'Monkey Business'

These sunny yellow blooms can't help but make you smile. The exquisitely-formed flowers perfectly held in huge sculpted clusters would inspire awe if they weren't so fun, with their bright banana tones and enticing licorice scent. Devoted to pure merriment, this low-maintenance rose is a cheery reminder of life's simple pleasures, from warm June sunshine to sweet penny candy. Go ahead--sneak it into the garden today, and when those beautiful blooms start opening, you'll go bananas.

 

We also have ...

 

Start your Garden Now ... With Seeds

       Growing your own veggies or herbs from seeds is fun, economical, and very, very tasty.

        Here's how you can do it ...

Flats, paper cups or small flowerpots work well for starting seeds indoors. Make sure they allow for drainage (put small hole in the bottom of your paper cups.).

Fill your containers with a good potting mix, such as Miracle-Gro. Sprinkle seeds onto the soil, then cover them with more soil to the depth recommended on the seed packet.

Don’t forget to label your seed plantings in the tray. You can use a nursery label or a waterproof marker. It is not advisable to use the package the seeds came in since it will quickly get ruined from the moisture.

When watering your baby plants, be sure to use a misting sprayer since a watering can or hose could damage or uncover the seeds. To prevent evaporation of the moisture, your growing tray should be covered. Plus, covering the tray will also promote germination.

Once your seedlings begin poking through the soil, they will start to straighten up and unfurl. What look like two leaves will appear. These are actually leaf-like structures, called cotyledons, that are part of the seed and serve as food sources until true leaves are formed and the plant is capable of photosynthesis. At this point you should move your seedlings under a light source.

Potting up: Seedlings can remain in their original containers until you are ready to plant them in their permanent spots. However it is common to move the seedlings into a larger pot once several sets of leaves have formed and the seedling is a couple of inches tall. This is called "potting up" and it allows the roots more room to develop. Three to four inch pots are good sizes to pot up to, allowing plenty of room for root growth.

Thinning: If more than one seedling is growing in the same pot, either separate the seedlings into individual pots or cut off all but the strongest seedling. Don't try to pull out the extra seedlings, since this might hurt the roots of the seedling you are keeping.

By the time the temperature warms outside, you should have stocky, healthy young plants. Before moving them out into the garden, take a week or two to gradually introduce them to their new growing conditions. This is called hardening off. It gives the plants a chance to acclimate to sunlight, drying winds and climate changes.

• Move the plants to a shady spot for increasing amounts of time, several days in a row.
• Bring them in or cover them if the temperature looks like it will dip.
• Gradually increase the amount of time they spend outside and the amount of sunlight they receive until you see that they are growing strong and appear ready to go out on their own.
• Water your seedlings well before and after transplanting and try not to transplant during the hottest, sunniest part of the day.

Some Seeds Start Better Indoors than Others

Indoor planting works differently for different kinds of plants. Here's an easy guide for you.

Plants that start well indoors: Tomatoes, peppers, celery, cauliflower, head lettuce, eggplant

Other plants you can start indoors: Broccoli, brussels sprouts

Plants you can start indoors or out: Beans, peas, most lettuce, and corn

Plants to start only outdoors: Root plants (carrots, turnips, etc.)

Houseplants - Foliage

• Filling your home with houseplants is a great way to garden year-round.
• If the weather is too cold for outdoor gardening, now is the perfect time to turn your gardening talents to your houseplants. Adding plants to any room will help create a warm and welcome feeling in your home throughout the winter.
• Determine a spot in your kitchen to grow your herbs. Herbs need sunlight, so evaluate the available sunlight in the room and find a nice spot for them. It's best if the sunlight comes from an east-, south-, or west-facing window.
• Do a little research to assist in selecting herbs for your kitchen garden. Try to select plants that you use frequently in your cooking. All-time favorites include parsley, sage, chives, and tarragon.
• Don't forget to water and feed your other houseplants. Check to make sure soil is moist and all indoor plants are receiving an adequate amount of sunlight.
  

The Health Benefits of House Plants

House Plants do more than just brighten up

a room with color and living energy.

Along with being pleasing to the eye, they

bring real health benefits to your body.

Not only do complaints about headaches,

stress, heart/circulation-symptoms

and colds decrease when indoor plants

are present, but also richly decorating

a room with plants can help to keep the air clean.

House plants make people feel calmer and

more optimistic

 

 

Top 9 Air Purifying Plants

The following plants are most effective in removing potentially harmful chemicals-including those in paints, varnishes, dry cleaning fluids, car exhaust fumes and tobacco smoke-from the air in your home.

• Dragon tree
• Ivy
• Ficus
• Philodendrons
• Spider plants
• Peace lilies
• Ferns
• Chrysanthemums
• Palms

Have Questions About Plant Problems?

Visit our Garden Advisor page.  We have many "how to's" and tips on a variety of topics, including houseplants.

You can also visit Scott's problem solver page to help identify what the problem actually is with your houseplant, and chances are that we will have products you need to solve that problem!