Flower Trial

from Chicz - May/June 2022

Chicken and rice hotdish

Of course, one of the things many gardeners look for is the flower itself, although very few perennials will bloom all season.

“There’s actually a fair number of bloomers, so probably one of the earliest is the hellebore, either a Christmas rose or a spring rose,” Vaske said. “I wouldn’t say they’re super hardy, but they have this ability to grow in really cold soil. A lenten rose is one of those hellebores that would be starting to bloom almost now already.”

Although bulbs can be planted in the spring, Vaske recommends gardeners get a head start on them in the fall.

Bulb roots only grow when the temperature is below 40 degees, according to Vaske. Planting them in the spring means that once the temperature rises above 40 degrees, roots stop growing.

“If you plant a tulip in the spring it will bloom, but it will have no roots under it to put on energy to come back for the following season,” he said

For new gardeners, Possin advised, “Start out slow. Don’t try to do it all in one year, especially if it’s a big area. You can gradually fill it in in a couple years.”

For experienced gardeners, Possin recommended trying something new.

“Don’t be afraid to try something that’s out of your comfort zone, especially if it’s a plant you’re not familiar with,” he said. “Don’t be afraid to ask questions about it.”

THINK 2022: Top 10 annual flowers at U of M Flower Trial

Here are the results from the 2021 Annual Flower Trial conducted at the University of Minnesota West Central Research and Outreach Center in Morris. With nearly 500 varieties under evaluation, it was one of our largest trials yet.

The goal of evaluating flowers is to develop recommendations for our area. In 2021, we tried nearly 500 varieties ranging from ageratum to lantana to petunias to salvia. Each year, the Top Ten Performing Annuals are selected from the hundreds of cultivars tried.

Here are the top ten performers in 2021: Angelonia Angelissa™ Rose Begonia benariensis BIG® White

Green Leaf Begonia BK Collection Vermillion

Red Calibrachoa Bloomtastic Yellow Celosia Kelos® Fire Orange Coleus Colorblaze® Torchlight™ Petunia Itsy™ Magenta Petunia Surfinia® Purple Heart Salvia farinacea Sallyfun™ Sky

Blue Sunflower Suncredible® Saturn™

The Horticulture Display Garden provides a venue for education and demonstrates landscape design and plant material options for homeowners and gardeners. The objective of annual flower research at the WCROC is to evaluate varieties for plant quality characteristics. Evaluations are shared with commercial and amateur bedding-plant growers.

Source: U of M Extension office