Selecting New Plants During the 2008 Gardening Season

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
April 9, 2008

This article written by Ron Welling a University of Illinois Extension Master Gardener in Stephenson County.

According to the calendar this should be spring. There are those days in which we wonder about that. We have had a severe winter season and are anxious to start gardening again.

Gardeners should be selecting the variety of plants that you desire to try in 2008. The seed catalogs started to arrive the week after Christmas. If you are like me, it was refreshing to glance at them on a cold winter day and dream of what your garden would be this coming spring and summer. Now is the time to make your fmal decisions.

When making your choices, please keep in mind, to select those that will do well here in Northern Illinois. Select only those plants that are hardy for zone 4 or zone 5 for protected areas. This is very important for perennials, trees, and shrubs. To give you an example, I am fond of Bing Cherries and buy the fruits at the supermarket when they are available. The problem with trying to raise my own is that they are not winter hardy out here in the open country. There are gardeners in the Rockford area that do have success with them due to protection in the city from extreme cold.

Some people plant peach trees. There are a couple of varieties that might survive but the majority will in time suffer from winterkill. You will probably remember that in 2007, there was no major peach crop in Southern Illinois due to a hard winter freeze. Those that are grown in Western Michigan usually are protected from severe cold by the warmth of Lake Michigan up to 6-10 miles from its eastern shore.

The zone rating is usually marked on the tags of shrubs and trees. If in doubt, be sure to ask before purchasing. I do find that there are many variety of plants sold at the big box stores that are not hardy for our area. People wonder why some of these plants die out for them and then need to be replaced.

Even though we have encountered a long and snowy winter it does not mean that it has been a hard one on plants. We will need to wait and see as they start to leaf out to detect winter damage. The big problem is if we have a very mild fall season and then there is an extreme temperature drop before the plants are fully dormant. There is still too much sap in the limbs and trunk so on a cold night, the sap freezes and expands causing cracking and splitting in woody material.

Freezing and thawing damages perennials by causing them to be heaved out of their normal position at ground level. This is why gardeners mulch tender plants in the fall when the ground starts to freeze.

Each year look forward to see what are the new All American Varieties of garden plants that are being released and promoted. These are plants that are tested nationally and proven locally in trials throughout the United States. One of the trial sites is Rotary Gardens at Janesville, Wi. You can view them growing there this summer and make your own judgements.

2008 selections include: 'Asti White' Osteospermum as a bedding plant. They produce a pure white daisy flower with blue centers. The blossoms are 2 to 2 and ~ inches wide. They are drought tolerant and is the first Osteospermum produced from seed instead from cuttings. They can withstand a light frost so can be put out earlier than a majority of our bedding plants. This class of plants blooms best with the weather is cool so it flowers well in the spring and then reblooms in the cool fall.

People enjoy violas, sometimes called 'Johnny Jump Ups'. A new variety is called 'Skippy XL Plum-Gold. The flowers are plum shades surrounded by gold centers, with black radiating lines called whiskers. They are petite plants that grow 6 to 8 inches in height and bloom from spring into the heat of summer. These could work well in window boxes or as low plants in garden beds. Look for them this spring at your garden centers.

The All American new vegetable selection is called 'Hansel' Eggplant. This may seem a strange choice but it is a miniature eggplant that can be grown in containers or in the garden. The purple fruit matures much earlier than other eggplant varieties. The plant grows to a height of 3 feet. The fruit of this variety is long and slender instead of the normal shape. They are best prepared by slicing like you do with cucumbers.

Don't forget about the different types of spreading petunias. Each year newer and better varieties of these are being released. Some have smaller blossoms but are self-cleaning. Others have improved where the foliage around the base of each plant stays green and has a high flowering ability. New this year is a soft yellow spreading variety called 'Baby Duck' The blossoms are trumpet shaped. These will excellent for mixed containers combing with blues, pinks, or purples/

With the snow disappearing, it will not be long before gardeners will be in full swing with their projects. Look for these new varieties and determine if they are of interest for you. Use wise judgment in selecting hardy plants for the landscape. You will be more successful with the results by doing this.