We had a great turnout for the 2013 preview at
Wood River Garden Center on Saturday, April 13. The air inside the greenhouse was heavenly with the dense smells of soil and new growth and that lovely humidity we've missed for the last 6 months!
Eight members and one guest were present. We welcomed new member Barb B. from Grantsburg.
Here is everyone except Pam (me) who took the picture and Barb. Now were is Barb?
There's Barb, sitting next to Alma. Be sure to introduce yourself to Barb at our next meeting or event. Goodies were provided by Cindy K. and Kim.
We had our brief meeting before the tour on the comfy deck inside the Garden Center. Dean brought us all coffee to have with our goodies.
After the meeting Dean began by asking what we wanted to concentrate on this year. Of course we said everything!!
Dean led us to the "chicken coop" to show us his latest experiments with grafting hybrid tomatoes onto wild tomato stock. The extensive root system of the wild stock give added vigor to the hybrid tomato. The new graft will appear to be failing at first. It will droop and look pretty sad but will rebound once the shock period has passed, that is, if the graft is successful!
Click on the pictures to get a larger view.
Notice that some of the grafts are drooping while others are rebounding nicely. Dean uses special clips to hold the grafted tops in place. An angle cut is used and must be matched in order for the two ends to make good contact.
Moving on to the Annuals!
Thousands of plants are being propagated from plug and seeds in the green houses. With the cold weather and gray skies the plants are growing slowly. Plants that would normally be moved outside this time of year are still indoors making for tight quarters and putting deliveries behind as well. Dean will open on schedule nonetheless!
Dean talked about more colors selections and improved color quality in some of the annuals introduced in previous years. He is recommending New Zealand Impatiens this year to avoid the downy mold. If you love traditional impatiens, keep an eye on them and report any mold issues to Dean. Also, do not compost, any infected plants. Talk to Dean about a good fungicide to use to guard against downy mold.
Hanging pot of the mini-petunia Lemon Slice. Best viewed up close as this is a small blossom. If you make your own handing pots, talk to Dean about the proper soil mix to use for good moisture retention.
Angelface Blue summer snapdragon, for great summer color
Santa Cruz Cascading Begonia with a different sort of flower, great for pots
The Ravers Sunspot African daisy
geranium calliope lavender rose
osteopernum Tradewinds Yellow Improved
Moving on to the next green house.
What a shock stepping out into the cold!
It is always amazing the transformation the Garden Center goes through before opening!
evergreen begonias
Dean holding cherry cheesecake petunia. Petunias are the best sellers among annuals!
million bells
On to the Vegie House.
Dean discussed varieties of peppers and tomatoes for best results.If you love peppers, ask Dean about peppers that will produce well. with great colors and flavor
Small, delicious, great producer, Mountain Fresh tomato. Also try Health Kick, meaty like a
Roma with 50% more anti-oxidants
Cajun Belle peppers, hot and sweet, great sauteed with zucchini
Mary in the vegie house, her favorite place!
Alm and Leah discuss heucheras. Dean reommends these for foliage color as opposed to blossoms. Cut back blossoms to encourage a more luxuriant plant.
The sun broke through as we browsed the perennials! Dean, Barb, Lori with Kim in the foreground. Kim made great use of her smart phone to record information.
Primrose viewed from between clematis vines
What a great preview. Thank you to Dean. He and his staff at Wood River Garden Center are a great resource for gardeners in our area. They are always ready with the information we need to be successful!!
Photos provided by Mary G., Pam and Kim
