This winter, my advice to gardeners, would-be gardeners and those who simply want an amusing plant or two is “order early”. Last fall, bulb and plant vendors were among the few merchants doing land office business, selling out in record time. With at least a couple more cold, dark, alarming months ahead of us, the same thing may happen in advance of spring planting.
Normally my plant selection process works like an old engine. I start up fitfully in January, thumbing through online and print catalogs, up the speed in February with wish lists, and finally achieve horticultural highway speed in March when I place orders.
This year I have the feeling that I am going to have to act more like a Ferrari and less like a thirty year-old Ford. With that in mind, I placed my first order yesterday.
What did I order? Something colorful and frivolous, of course. ‘Brush Strokes’ is a new “old fashioned” pansy that would have been completely at home in the late Victorian era. For those interested in nomenclature, my new pansy is actually a large, colorful viola. “Viola” is the generic name for the plant group that includes both showy pansies and their smaller relatives, commonly called violas. If you find that confusing, you will be in good company.
‘Brush Strokes’ features flowers with the typical, open-faced pansy form, but each petal appears to be hand-painted with strokes and splashes of colors, including cream, yellow, and a range of purples that includes shades so dark that they seem almost black. Every petal is unique, and the effect reminds me of a collection of colorful watered silk fabrics.
The Victorians lived in a repressed society, which is one of the reasons that gardeners of the time loved colorful plants. Restrictions breed rebellion, even in the garden. As we look forward to returning to less restrictive times, it is only natural to embrace swirls of vivid color.
Feeling unleashed, I ordered another vibrant viola from the same vendor—this time a true viola called ‘Bunny Ears’. Its name comes from the fact that the two topmost petals are a bit larger than normal, inspiring someone to liken them to bunny ears. The catalog copy described the flowers as “sweetheart pink”, which would jibe with the bunny name. The catalog picture shows flowers that look like brighter, happier versions of old fashioned purple, white and yellow Johnny jump-ups. Either way, the end result will be worth the expenditure for a package of seeds.
Old fashioned flowers like pansies never really go out of style. Paging through a second plant and seed catalog, I came upon a pansy mix called ‘Historic Florist’s Mix’. These also had a multi-colored, “painted” look, though not as striped as the ‘Brush Strokes’ variety. They are very tempting, but I have to remind myself that seed-grown pansies work best when you start them indoors six to eight weeks ahead of the last frost date for your area. This is not hard, even for a distracted and dilatory seed starter like me. However, I do have limited space, so moderation is generally a good idea.
We will see about that this year. I tend to grow desperate for color and freshness around the first of February. After the difficulties of the past year, I expect that will be the time when I will turn in desperation to the catalogs, throw caution to the wind, and order more seeds without regard for sprouting room.
Given the buying stampede that happened in the fall, that course of action may well prevent the kind of disappointment that leads people with my tendencies to bake every other day. A small household generally fares better with an abundance of pansies in seed starting trays than an abundance of baked goods on the premises.
The same catalog that produced the ‘Brush Strokes’ order also inspired me to try a colorful new nasturtium, ‘Purple Emperor’. This variety is semi-trailing, which makes it perfect for containers as well as garden beds. More important, its colors are ravishing—shades of “vintage rose” and rose-purple, colors not normally found in nasturtiums. Furthermore, like all nasturtiums, ’Purple Emperor’ is likely to be ridiculously simple to grow. The seeds are very large and can be sown directly in the garden. Nasturtiums prefer lean soil, don’t fret at inconsistent moisture, and bloom repeatedly throughout the growing season. That spells success, even for an inconsistently attentive gardener like me.
‘Purple Emperor’s color made me want it immediately. I rushed to add it to my order. In the midst of that frenzy, the words “not in stock” came up on the screen. If I had not already entered my order for Viola ‘Brush Strokes’ successfully, I might have had a melt-down. I clicked the button that said “notify me when this product is in stock” and went on to order another unusual nasturtium, ‘Orchid Cream’, with cream petals hand painted with maroon. It was in stock, so my inner peace was partially restored.
If you are feeling desperate for color and life, it’s best to embrace your desperation, at least in a legal, horticultural way that doesn’t require medication or upset your family. For a good array of colorful seeds and plants, go to Baker Creek Seeds, 2278 Baker Creek Road Mansfield, MO 65704; www.rareseeds.com; free print catalog available. Select Seeds is another great source, especially for old-fashioned flowers. Find them at 180 Stickney Hill Road, Union, CT 06076: 1(800) 684-0395, www.selectseeds.com. Free print catalog available.