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helenh_gw

Violas

helenh
15 years ago

Do any of you plant violas? I love their little faces and varied colors. I bought some this weekend; now I'll have to buy potting mix. I might put them directly in the ground; it is almost time to pull up tender annuals.

Comments (20)

  • sweetwm007
    15 years ago

    helen- i like johnny jump ups!
    william

  • bunny6
    15 years ago

    Helen, I love Violas. I pulled up some of my annuals and planted yellow ones around my birdbath garden and purples ones in my pots. My Vincas and potato vines are still doing well, but the petunias are looking bad, so I am going to pull them up. I lost over 10 wave petunia plants to wilt disease this year. No more wave petunia plants for me in the future.

  • helenh
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Click to enlarge. Violas and ornate box turtle.

  • gldno1
    15 years ago

    I love Johnny Jump Ups too and finally got some started last year. They spread around quite a bit which I loved.

    I have never planted violas in the fall but they look wonderful. Will they come back for next spring. I don't know much about them at all.

  • helenh
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    These were planted last fall in a pot. They went through the winter with leaves around the pot and recovered quickly to look like this in spring. Click to enlarge.

  • bunny6
    15 years ago

    gldno-Mine have always came back in the early spring. They bloomed until snow or ice covered them. I think they look their best in spring. It is nice to have some color after winter. I have never tried Johnny Jump Ups. Are they a fall flower?

    Helen-your Violas look beautiful. You planted yours more dense then I planted mine. Now I am going to go back and fill in with more plants. The bright yellow and purple are beautiful. I have the pruple ones, but my yellow looks like the color of butter. A few years ago mine made seeds which I tried to grow, but I did not succeed.

  • gldno1
    15 years ago

    They are a self-seeding perennial. I bought a small pot two years ago and they have spread here and there. They have pansy like but much smaller blooms and get maybe 10 inches tall. I think you can also start them from seed; they are spring bloomers.

  • helenh
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Bunny, mine are still in the flat. Each little plant should spread out and I will give them room to do so. You can see the bottom of it if your monitor isn't dark. When I had my old computer all the pictures looked dark. I used to be mad at my friend for putting all our pictures on the computer and sending me at invitation to view them on-line when I couldn'd see them very well. Now I am doing the same thing. I will not plant them that close. Johnny jump ups are the purple and yellow violas that will reseed if you don't mulch. They will come up in the grass and in odd places and bloom early - very cute and a sign of spring.

  • bunny6
    15 years ago

    Thanks gldno and Helen- I looked at Johnny Jump Ups on line, and I am now looking to find a place that sells them such as Burpee Seeds. I like the idea that they reseed. Where do you guys order your flower seeds from? I use to get Burpee Seeds at Wal-Mart, but our new SuperCenter carries fewer seeds. The old Wal-Mart had hugh flower section compared to the new one they built.

    Helen- Now I can tell that they are in a flat. Sometimes it's hard to see pictures well with this old computer. I won't be adding anymore Violas to my beds, but after looking at your pot of Violas, I will be adding a few more plants to my pots. I have three in each large pot, but I think I should have added four or five. Your plants are beautiful.
    Bunny:)

  • gldno1
    15 years ago

    Bunny, I like Pinetree Seed Co.. They have small packets and are priced reasonably. I also use Select Seeds for a lot of the heirloom flowers....they are not so reasonably priced, but I love the old ones.

    I don't do Burpee or Park much anymore. I have had germination problems with Park seeds for a few years and I think Burpee is overpriced.

  • helenh
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Glenda, I ordered from Park today before reading your post. I just went to Pinetree web site and see they have signet marigolds which I want. I couldn't get the shipping price without actually placing my order. What do they charge for shipping; I'm only going to order a few packets.

  • sweetwm007
    15 years ago

    you might take a look at j l hudson, seedsman website. good prices, variety and good shipping costs.
    william

  • helenh
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    I did take a look and found many interesting and unusual plant descriptions. Thanks. I saw the tomatoes you like listed there. I don't usually buy heirloom tomatoes because I want disease resistance, but their description was very tempting.

  • bunny6
    15 years ago

    I have had trouble with Parks Seeds germinating also. Some years were good and some not so good. I have had good luck with Burpee seeds, but they are expensive. Especially for shipping and handling.

    Gldno and William- Pinetree Seed Co and Seedmans seeds looks very promising. I like their prices, but wasn't able to determine their shipping and handling cost. They have great have descriptions of veggies, too bad I don't have a veg. garden. Also, Seedmans site had good detail information about thier flowers which I liked.:)

  • gldno1
    15 years ago

    I will list some companies I have ordered from before that have reasonable shipping for seeds:

    Pinetree Up to $19.99 $3.50
    Johnny's Selected Seeds Up to $10.00 $3.95
    Seymour Select Seeds Up to $30.00 $4.95
    Harris Seed Co. Up to $15.00 $3.75
    Select Seeds is too high, but if it is an heirloom I really want, I go ahead and order.
    Up to $20.00 $7.99

    I get a catalog from tons of different companies. I keep them for a year and then pitch.

  • helenh
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    Thanks for the info. I should wait until mid-winter to order seeds because that helps entertain me and hope for spring. The corkscrew vine got me going too early. I have seeds from other years that I haven't planted, but there are more expensive and harmful addictions. Gardening is the only exercise I get besides my bad memory exercise - go down stairs and forget why I went there. Come back up and then remember.

  • bunny6
    15 years ago

    Gldno-thanks for all the websites. I looked up a few today and they look very reasonable. I ordered a few catalogs.

    Helen-posting on the forum is a form of brain exercise. It helps you use your mind. I, too, get excited about buying flowers for next year too early. In the past, I would buy seeds at the beginning of fall, then find more seeds or plants I wanted for spring. I would end up giving seeds and plants away, because I have only so much space, so now I try to tell myself to think if it will really grow in the space I have available. It doesn't work, because I have already made two on line orders.

  • sweetwm007
    15 years ago

    stumbled across this site 2 days ago, seeds and more. shipping is only 1.95.

    this is slightly off topic but what the heck.

    william

  • helenh
    Original Author
    15 years ago

    The devil made me do it (sweetwm007). I ordered poppies, black knight morning glory, three kinds of nicotianas, pink cypress vine, and molten fire amaranth with 1.95 shipping. Seeds and More has good reviews from Dave's Garden.

  • sweetwm007
    15 years ago

    helen- you might take a gander at sandhill preservation. they carry poultry too but are always sold out.
    william

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