PANSIES GET NEW LIFE THANKS TO JUNE GLOOM.Byline: JOSHUA SISKIN June gloom may dampen the spirits of certain Angelenos, but it's great weather for gardeners and their plants. It's nice to be able to plant, prune prune, popular name for a dried plum. Fruits of the many varieties of Prunus domestica, which are firm-fleshed and dry easily without removal of the stone, are gathered after falling from the tree, dipped in lye solution to prevent fermentation, dried in the and weed without working up a sweat. Certain plants really appreciate the cool weather. Take pansies, for instance, which are still blooming heavily. Pansies are cool-weather plants and generally dry up in the wake of late May or early June heat. But the overcast weather has extended pansies' flowering performance by several weeks. June gloom or not, the key to making annual flowers bloom for months and months is to fertilize them properly when they are planted. Slow-release fertilizer is the simplest way of doing this. I was in a neighborhood drug store the other day and noticed that slow-release fertilizer is now being sold there at a reasonable price. Slow-release fertilizer will last three months to a year, depending on the formulation. It is absolutely critical that annuals get off to a fast start. Within a week or two of planting, you can tell whether annuals will flounder flounder: see flatfish. flounder Any of about 300 species of flatfishes (order Pleuronectiformes). When born, the flounder is bilaterally symmetrical, with an eye on each side, and it swims near the sea's surface. or flourish. In addition to the application of slow-release fertilizer, the soil in which annuals grow must drain well. Improve soil drainage by adding compost - whether the backyard variety or the store-bought kind that comes in 2- or 3-cubic-foot plastic bags. Hail 'Purple Majesty' This year, a loudly heralded annual called ``Purple Majesty'' has entered the nursery trade. It was developed by accident in a breeding program A breeding program is the planned breeding of a group of animals or plants, usually involving at least several individuals and extending over several generations. Breeding programs are commonly employed in several fields where humans wish to manage the characteristics of their for millet millet, common name for several species of grasses cultivated mainly for cereals in the Eastern Hemisphere and for forage and hay in North America. The principal varieties are the foxtail, pearl, and barnyard millets and the proso millet, called also broomcorn millet - a plant used for animal feed - at the University of Nebraska. ``Purple Majesty'' recently won the prestigious All-American Selections Gold Medal gold medal traditional first prize. [Western Cult: Misc.] See : Prize , an honor bestowed on only one other plant - the ``Profusion'' Zinnia zinnia, any species of the genus Zinnia of the family Asteraceae (aster family), native chiefly to Mexico, though some range as far north as Colorado and as far south as Guatemala. The common zinnia of gardens (Z. - during the past decade. ``Purple Majesty'' is a species of fountain grass (Pennisetum glaucum). A copper-leafed perennial fountain grass (Pennisetum setaceum ``Cupreum'') has long been used in drought-tolerant Valley landscapes, and ``Purple Majesty,'' from all preliminary indications, should also grow well here. At first glance, ``Purple Majesty'' looks like it came out of an Iowa corn field, except that it has dark purple foliage. However, unlike the flimsy tassels of corn, ``Purple Majesty'' has stout, cat-tail flower spikes that are suitable for dried flower arrangements. If these spikes are left on the plant, they will eventually go to seed, much to the delight of the local bird population. ``Purple Majesty'' will reach 5 feet in height and can take either wet or dry soil conditions. Most seed companies (such as Burpee
The burpee is a calisthenic exercise performed to increase strength and explosiveness. , Park and Stokes Stokes , William 1804-1878. British physician. Known especially for his studies of diseases of the chest and heart, he expanded on the observations of John Cheyne in describing the breathing irregularity now known as Cheyne-Stokes respiration. ) now have ``Purple Majesty'' seed in stock. In the Valley, you could plant these seeds in spring, summer or fall. ``Purple Majesty'' container plants are also beginning to appear in nurseries. |
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