Tag: impatiens

  • Allergy-free gardening

    Allergy-free gardening

    Tubular flowers, such as those on foxgloves (Digitalis purpurea), are less likely to cause allergies. (Photo by Joanne Young)

    If you wheeze and sneeze when you set foot in the garden, just think about sex — plant sex, that is. “What people don’t realize is that many plants are either male or female,” says Tom Ogren, pollen expert and author of Allergy-Free Gardening: The Revolutionary Guide to Healthy Landscaping (Ten Speed Press, 2000). “Male plants produce huge amounts of pollen, the biggest allergen, and it’s usually carried on the wind in hopes of reaching a female,” he explains. “Female plants, on the other hand, produce no pollen at all.” Unfortunately, many cultivars in the nursery trade are male because they don’t produce seeds and fruit (deemed messy), but female plants are available and worth seeking out.

    Other factors in determining how allergy-causing a plant may be include:

    • The type of pollen: Heavy or sticky pollen grains drop close to the plant, while fine pollen drifts far into the atmosphere (and your nose).
    • How long the plant produces pollen: Some trees spread their pollen for only a few days, whereas others may go practically non-stop.
    • Where the flowers are positioned: Some plants have both male and female flowers. If the male flowers are high up (in corn, for example), the pollen merely has to drop down to the females. However, if the male blooms are at the bottom (as in the castor bean plant), the pollen must drift up, making the plant far more allergenic.
    • How the plant is pollinated: Generally, insect-pollinated plants with showy flowers, such as hollyhocks, zinnias and roses, and especially those with tubular blooms (penstemon and trumpet vine), keep their pollen much more to themselves.

    To make your garden less allergenic:

    • Eliminate or reduce lawn area, and mow only in the afternoon, when pollen levels are lower.
    • Plant female trees and shrubs that don’t produce pollen.
    • Prune plants such as boxwood and euonymus to remove flowers. Often inconspicuous, greenish flowers are the most allergenic.
    • Because mould, spores and scents can also cause allergic reactions, keep plants healthy, eliminating those prone to mould, rust and mildew; reduce the number of ferns you grow; and avoid highly scented blooms.
    • Keep high-pollen producers away from the house and seating areas.

    Ogren has rated the allergy-causing potential of more than 5,000 plants on a scale of 1 (lowest) to 10 (highest). Among the least troublesome are snapdragons, impatiens, heucheras, hostas, female junipers (Juniperus scopulorum and J. virginiana), female red maples (e.g., Acer rubrum ‘Autumn Glory’), female willows (e.g., Salix matsudana ‘Tortuosa’) and female yews (e.g., Taxus ´media ‘Hicksii’).

    The worst include fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum), male willows (Salix alba ‘Tristis’), Russian olive (Elaeagnus angustifolia), Chinese elm (Ulmus parvifolia) and Japanese cedar (Cryptomeria japonica).

    For more plant ratings, consult Allergy-Free Gardening, and for more information, go to allergyfree-gardening.com.

    City playgrounds and parks

    Pollen expert Tom Ogren is currently conducting an “allergy audit” of a number of Canadian cities, sussing out what plans municipal governments have for implementing sneeze-free landscapes. Plus, Canadian horticulturist Peter Prakke is spearheading a move to create allergy-free schoolyards and parks across the country. Given the incidence of childhood allergies and asthma, not to mention obesity, getting kids playing outside in a safe environment is more important than ever. For details, go to healthyschoolyards.org.

  • What impatiens plants can be grown?

    What impatiens plants can be grown?

    New Guinea impatiens, such as Infinity Salmon from Proven Winners, is one type of impatiens resistant to downy mildew.
    New Guinea impatiens, such as Infinity Salmon from Proven Winners, is one type of impatiens resistant to downy mildew.

    Question from Helen in Ajax, Ont.:

    Just wondering if there is any news about impatiens plants. As you know, we have been told not to plant the regular garden-stand impatiens due to the downy mildew issue that hit them a few years ago. Have the growers been able to develop a replacement? Will we see them in the nurseries this spring? If so, are they safe to plant?

    Beckie’s reply:

    I haven’t heard any updates about downy mildew on impatiens. We may not hear much about it because fewer people are growing traditional impatiens. Also, plant diseases can sometimes be cyclical.

    However, breeders have recently introduced a new type of impatiens that is not susceptible to the disease, sold under the trade name Bounce. These are a cross between New Guinea impatiens (which are not prone to downy mildew) and common impatiens (Impatiens walleriana). Bounce impatiens comes in lilac, pink, cherry, white and coral colours.

    Bounce impatiens look like huskier versions of the regular impatiens — smaller flowers than what are found on New Guinea impatiens, but there are many on each plant. Plants do well in either sun or shade. I haven’t grown them myself, but this is what the growers report. Bounce impatiens was introduced in 2015, so it’s relatively new.

    More about downy mildew and impatiens On Garden Making

    Monitoring downy mildew
    Problem-solving Sunpatiens

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  • Bedding plants catch the eye

    Bedding plants catch the eye

    Is it too early to think about what to plant in next year’s containers, even though many of this year’s displays are still going strong? Especially when I haven’t even planted my fall bulbs yet? However, after seeing some of the new bedding plants that will be introduced next year, it’s hard not to think ahead. I got a peek at what’s in the growers’ greenhouses at the 35th Canadian Greenhouse Conference this week in Niagara Falls, Ont.

    At the conference, growers, greenhouse suppliers, manufacturers and researchers are checking out the newest technology and products. But naturally I linger over the displays by plant breeders and developers who are showing their 2015 introductions.  Here are a few of the new bedding plants from Ball, Colonial Florists Ltd., Dummen and Syngenta that I’ll be watching for.

    Bandana Landscape Pink lantana (Garden Making photo)
    Bandana Landscape Pink lantana (Garden Making photo)

    Lantanas are a favourite for hot, sunny locations, and I love the tonal shadings on their flowers. Plants in the Landscape Bandana Lantana Series from Syngenta grow to a massive size with sturdy, woody stems. They would be ideal in the landscape, as well as in large containers. The pink variety at their booth was especially pretty.

    Miss Montreal begonia (Garden Making photo)
    Miss Montreal begonia (Garden Making photo)

    Two begonias for sun or shade from Dummen caught my eye. The massive blooms on Miss Montreal in the Begonia Red Fox Unbelievable Series are a luscious cream, edged with a thin line of coral-pink. The effect is soft without being wimpy. A Dummen representative told me she thinks the colour trend in gardens is shifting from bright hot colours to rich pastels, and many of the begonias and petunias at the conference reflected that.

    Lucky Strike begonia (Garden Making photo)
    Lucky Strike begonia (Garden Making photo)

    Another begonia in the same series, Lucky Strike, is a blend of clear lemon and peach. The foliage is what sets this begonia apart: dark blue-green leaves are narrow and pointed, framing the flowers nicely.

    Silver Star helichrysum (Garden Making photo)
    Silver Star helichrysum (Garden Making photo)

    Sometimes trailing helichrysums — even the small-leaved varieties — can be stiff and gangly in a hanging basket. Silver Star helichrysum, which will be offered by Colonial Florists Inc., has the smallest leaves I’ve seen on a trailing helichrysum. The stems are soft and flexible, too, making it dainty and accommodating.

    Several breeders are working on alternatives to downy mildew-prone impatiens (Impatiens walleriana). Selecta, part of Ball, will be introducing Bounce and Big Bounce interspecific impatiens (I. hybrida), which have the flower power of standard impatiens, but the disease-resistance found in other impatiens, such as New Guinea impatiens. Plants in the Bounce Series grow in sun or shade, and if water stressed, will “bounce” back after watering.

    Also from Ball: Blue-Eyed Beauty, a bi-colour osteospermum in their Serenity Series, with bright yellow petals and a purple eye; and several new colours in the EnduraScape Series of verbena, including a deep, rich purple. This series of verbena is noted for its non-stop flowering, even in extreme heat.

    It’s clear that plant developers and breeders have been busy in their labs and greenhouses, and there’s much to look forward to next spring. After admiring the plants, I went on a hunt for new technology that that would take my many bags of fall bulbs and plant them for me but, alas, that has yet to be invented.

  • Problem-solving SunPatiens catch the eye

    Problem-solving SunPatiens catch the eye

    SunPatiens come in range of vivid colours, too. (Photo from Sakata Ornamentals)
    SunPatiens come in range of vivid colours, too. (Photo from Sakata Ornamentals)

    I was recently surprised to see a display of large and vigorous impatiens plants, looking so robust that I had to check their tags to be sure I wasn’t mistaken. They were SunPatiens, a new strain of New Guinea impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) that has been bred with wild impatiens species to produce hybrid plants with an impressive list of assets. SunPatiens thrive in full sun to part shade, bloom from spring to frost, have three-inch (8-cm) wide flowers, and come in a broad range of pastel and vivid colours and foliage designs. They’re also highly resistant to downy mildew and will tolerate heat. SunPatiens could be the answer to all our impatiens woes, since traditional impatiens (I. walleriana) was massively struck with a debilitating water mould infection.

    The downy mildew disease (Plasmopara obducens) decimating I. walleriana has reduced their availability in nurseries, leaving gardeners with limited choices and in the lurch. The infection is brought into gardens on infected nursery plants, and is untreatable once it appears on foliage. The disease spores can overwinter in garden soil, and will infect the next season’s plants.

    If you’ve grown traditional impatiens in the past couple of years, you would probably recognize the midsummer symptoms: wilting or drooping light yellow or stippled foliage; a fluffy white coating on leaf undersides; and blossoms and leaves dropping off, leaving bare stems that eventually collapse. [How to monitor for downy mildew disease.]

    Impatiens have long been shade garden workhorses, bringing brilliant colour and generous flowers to areas where little else blooms. Frequently, impatiens were used as carpet-bedding plants, with dozens of flats purchased to cover expansive ground areas. That over-use may have been the tipping point on the virulent disease that’s now mowing down standard garden impatiens. The monoculture created by hundreds of plants growing shoulder-to-shoulder in many parks and gardens set the stage for swift replication of disease spores that have continued to live in infected soils.

    The progression of improved impatiens plant breeding has been accomplished quite quickly over the past two decades. First, we had the standard impatiens (I. walleriana) that excels mostly in shade to part shade and cooler temperatures. New Guinea impatiens (I. hawkeri) arrived, with larger flowers, brightly variegated foliage and ability to accept more sun, though not a hot, full-sun location. Now we have SunPatiens, which will accept both part shade to full sun, tolerates heat and humidity, has strong disease resistance, and carries the largest flowers of all. It seems SunPatiens is the right plant, at the right time. They won’t be the solution for full shade, but are certainly the best impatiens for part shade to full sun. [Editor’s note: In Garden Making’s 15 new plants for 2012 we included SunPatiens Carmine Red.]

    I selected white SunPatiens with green foliage, because I’ve been looking for a plant with consistent white presence for the growing season. I’ve put them into a full sun bed with mostly purple and red salvia, penstemon and butterfly bushes. The blazing white flowers are the largest I’ve ever seen on impatiens, and it looks like the plants will be consistently loaded with buds and blooms. They were also available with fancy yellow-and-green variegated foliage, but that was a bit more colour excitement than I need. A look at the breeder’s web site (sunpatiens.com) shows a full palette of flower colours, and I particularly covet the coral and electric orange selections.

    Breeders of SunPatiens have one more trick up their sleeves: the plants come in three sizes. My variety is in the compact category (24 x 24 inches / 60 x 60 cm), which is upright and fits well into a bed with perennials. There are also varieties with a spreading, mounding habit (30 x 36 inches / 75 x 90 cm) to fill hanging baskets or bed areas, and a vigorous form (40 x 40 inches / 100 x 100 cm) that grows into an upright vase-shape. The plants are self-cleaning, and like all impatiens, require consistently moist soil.

    Here is one small secret to seal the deal on SunPatiens impatiens: they root rapidly from cuttings. Cuttings set thick root clusters, and give you a few new plants to take inside to a sunny window and enjoy over winter.

    Enough said. Get some.

  • Vivid colours in President’s Choice new plants

    Vivid colours in President’s Choice new plants

    Calliope Crimson Flame geranium (Photo by Garden Making)
    Calliope Crimson Flame geranium (Photo by Garden Making)

    The new plants for 2014 in the President’s Choice Lawn and Garden collection pop with vivid colours. The PC plant unveiling is annual event, displaying selections made by Peter Cantley, vice-president of floral and garden at Loblaw Companies Ltd., and his staff. Guests are also invited to take plants home to try in their own gardens, so it gets a little frenzied at the end of the preview, although everyone tries to refrain from being too acquisitive. (But what can you expect from a group of winter-weary garden writers in a room full of beautiful plants?)

    At the preview, the Canadian growers for the company’s garden centres describe their plants’ strengths and attributes, as well as answer our questions. Here are a few of the plants that attracted attention at this year’s preview, as well as those Peter and the growers are especially excited about.

    Rex begonias (Photo by Garden Making)
    Rex begonias (Photo by Garden Making)

    Expect to find lots of richly coloured dahlias, geraniums, calibrachoas and begonias. The Calliope series of geraniums, with huge heads of eye-popping colour on husky, spreading plants, took centre stage. The petals on the new Calliope Crimson Flame are a vivid crimson with slightly lighter-coloured hot-pink edges; it’s dramatic with golden bidens or purple trailing verbena in hanging baskets.

    There’s been a concerted effort to give gardeners who rely on impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) alternative choices for shady beds, as downy mildew continues to devastate these popular annuals. Pan American Seeds, breeders of seed-grown impatiens for the past 25 years, is introducing a new series of New Guinea impatiens, called the Divine series. It’s bulkier than I. walleriana, meaning two plants per square foot (30 cm) will fill in nicely; several colours available. New Guinea impatiens isn’t troubled by downy mildew.

    Solenia begonias (Photo by Garden Making)
    Solenia begonias (Photo by Garden Making)

    Everyone exclaimed over the collection of fancy-leaf Rex begonias on display — especially Shadow King Cool White. Like impatiens, Rex begonias thrive in shade.

    Interestingly, after the past few years of seeing myriad new coleuses, only one was highlighted — Stained Glassworks Eruption. I’ll make no comment about the name, but will say it’s a striking variety with rich red, gold and green variegation; the label says plants will reach 36 inches (90 cm) and grow in either sun or shade.

    ‘Blue Jays’ petunias (Photo by Garden Making)
    ‘Blue Jays’ petunias (Photo by Garden Making)

    Another crowd favourite, also suitable for either sun or shade, was the Solenia series of begonias, a cross between a fibrous and tuberous begonia, available in red, dark pink and orange. The frilly, double flowers are set off by large, thick, glossy leaves.

    Although the various begonias, dahlias and geraniums were eye-catching, I was drawn to the ‘Blue Jays’ petunias. I’m not a baseball fan, but I liked the plants’ rich, royal blue colour, compact growth habit and fragrance.

    A new-to-me annual that also caught my eye was creeping gloxinia (Lophospermum erubescens), a trailing annual with trumpet-shaped flowers, available in magenta or creamy white. I’ve since read that the flowers are attractive to bees and butterflies—a definite plus.

    Creeping gloxinia (Photo by Garden Making)
    Creeping gloxinia (Photo by Garden Making)

    Edibles from Martin Farms Limited included bowls of kale — a mix of colours and textures in an attractive container, perfect for snipping off a few leaves for salads. There was also a selection of grafted tomatoes, hot peppers and an emphasis on non-traditional vegetables, such as bitter melons and Asian gourds. I’m looking forward to harvesting long purple Asian eggplants later I brought home.

    Rounding out the new offerings is a collection of perennials, including three noteworthy ornamental grasses: ‘Northwind’ switch grass (Panicum virgatum ‘Northwind’); ‘Gold Bar’ maiden grass (Miscanthus sinensis ‘Gold Bar’); and variegated Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’). I scooped up a new border phlox — Phlox paniculata ‘Glamour Girl’. Blooms are hot coral-pink and foliage is mildew-resistant.

    For more information about other plants in the collection, visit mypcgarden.ca.

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