Foster keeps bicycle, flowers out for drivers

LAKEVIEW — Doris Foster loves old bicycles and pretty flowers. She displays both of them in her front yard on the Fredonia Road about three miles north of Lanett.

"We like living in the country," she said, "but that's a busy road in front of our house. People sometimes stop in the road to see the flower bed and what's in the basket on front of the bicycle."

Doris is the wife of Herschel Foster, who owns a car lot in the local area. She's originally from Moultrie, Georgia, where the soil is a lot easier to work with than it is in Chambers County.

"It's loose soil, and you can grow almost anything in it," she said. "The soil here is rocky, and is harder to work with. I love azaleas, and we'd have lots of them if we had softer soil."

Doris got one of her two bikes from a yard sale on Highway 50 in Huguley; the other one was given to her by her son, Dion Croft, who lives in Moultrie.

"When I saw that bicycle at the yard sale I knew it would be perfect for my flower bed," Foster said.

The bike her son gave her is part of a rustic setting on the side of their yard. There's a couple of old gas cans in front of it to give it an old-fashioned country feel. There's a type of petunia known as Ruellia growing there alongside a section of white picket fence. An old timey wash tub is hanging off the fence, and the flowers growing out of it almost reach the ground. On the opposite site of the bicycle is an old metal chair with a large potted plant sitting on it.

Foster loves to grow petunias and clematis, especially the red ones. "I'd love to have some roses," she said. "We started some hydrangeas this year. We like what they've done so far."

She also loves the wind chimes on her front porch and the sounds they make when there's a gentle breeze. There are two signs on the front porch that greet friends and relatives when they arrive. One says "WELCOME!" and the other has an image of a big rooster and says "The Roost." There's also a small black bell with a cowboy riding a bucking horse on the top.

"We work hard to have our yard looking nice," she said. "We want to make a good impression on people as they drive by, and that's a really busy road out there."

How to dry flowers and preserve their color

Flowers are a beautiful addition to any setting, but the colorful blooms tend to only last for a few days or a week. Drying flowers is a great way to preserve them for display in a vase or frame in your home.

Depending on the type of flower, there are several different techniques for drying flowers that can all be easily done at home with items you have on hand.

When's the best time to cut flowers for drying?

To ensure the flowers retain the most color, cut them before they are fully open. The flowers should also dry in a dark, cool place so sunlight doesn't fade the colors.

If you're trying to dry a bouquet (like a wedding bouquet), it's best to dry it as soon as you're done using it since the flowers more than likely have been cut for at least a day. If you happen to receive cut flowers like roses, it may be tempting to leave the flowers in a vase until all the blooms fully open. However, if you really want to save the flowers for sentimental sake, you'll want to dry them before they're completely open.

What's the best method for drying flowers?

Hanging

The most common (and pretty much foolproof) method is to gather the flowers in small bundles or individually and hang them upside-down. I always use a clothes hanger and rubber bands, and I tie flowers together at the stem and then line them up in a row and tie them to the hanger, which I hang inside a closet. If the stems are delicate, you can use dental floss to tie them. You can also hang the flowers from a wire or rod as long as the flowers are parallel to the floor.

This method will take a few weeks, and petals may fall off in the process. But it's also the best way to preserve the stems if you want to display the flowers in a vase.

Pressing

If you want to preserve just the flower, pressing is a great method that doesn't take up as much room as air drying.

Better Homes and Gardens (BHG) recommends that you cut flowers right before they hit their peak bloom in the morning after the dew has evaporated. Line the flowers on newspaper, plain, white paper, tissues or blotting paper (any paper that can absorb moisture) and place another sheet on top. Then, place the flowers in a book and close the book. You may want to stack books on top of the book that contains the flowers. This method also takes a few weeks.

Pressing is ideal for dried flowers that you want to place in a picture frame, between glass or in a piece of jewelry.

Microwaving

If you don't want to wait weeks for your flowers to dry, this method is the way to go. Place flowers (without the stems) in a microwave-safe container. BHG suggests covering the flowers in a silica sand mixture or an equal mix of borax and cornmeal. Do not place a lid on the container and microwave it for one minute on high. If the flowers aren't dry, microwave another minute until they're dry. Finally, leave the flowers in the mixture for a day to ensure they are fully dry.

Where's the best place to display them?

If you want to keep your dried flowers for a long time, make sure you place them away from windows or any other source of direct sunlight. Also, keep them away from stoves, fireplaces, heaters or heat vents. Basically, the flowers need to be in a cool room so the colors don't fade.

Which flowers are best?

While roses may be the most popular (and sentimental) flower to save as a keepsake, these varieties (including some floral herbs) also fare well for drying.

    Baby's breath

    Carnation

    Echinacea

    Globe amaranth

    Hydrangea

    Larkspur

    Lavender

    Lily

    Peony

    Strawflower

To grow robust annual flowers, fertilize early and often

Brightly colored annual flowers are popping up around the metro area. Annuals are an easy way to provide color with little care, but you'll get the most from your plants if you give them a little attention. Here is what you need to know to achieve maximum results.

Know how buds form

Annuals have a limited time to flower before frost puts an end to the color. The goal is to get as many flowers as possible in that short period of time. Breeders have been working hard to simplify the process, but the plants still need assistance.

Blooms form at the end of a healthy, vigorous vegetative shoot. The biggest, most robust plants are those that produce a lot of new green growth in which the flowers form. So your goal is to produce more of that green growth, which means feeding your plants consistently and often.

Many times annuals underperform because they are not fed enough to push the growth. The secret to fertilizing annuals is to keep it up all season long.

Start at planting. This application helps the plants get established. To keep them growing strong, feed them monthly through September.

More nitrogen, less phosphorus

Marketers of plant fertilizers have not always based their information on sound horticulture research. Many flower fertilizers have higher amounts of phosphorus and lower levels of nitrogen. With names like "bloom buster," these products miss the research-based point that flowers are produced from new green growth.

While phosphorus is important, it is associated with root development, not flower bud formation. Look for the three numbers on the product label. If the middle (second) number of the three is the highest, then put it back on the shelf. The first number in the nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium ratio is the most important: Nitrogen is responsible for green shoot development.

Fertilizers labeled for flowers are not always properly formulated or easy to use, and they may not provide the best results.

How to fertilize

The problem for many gardeners is fertilization involves math and soil chemistry. Most of us just want simple, clear directions. If you have not had a proper soil test, which provides all the information you need, here is the recipe for flower fertilization for dummies.

Once a month evenly spread a fertilizer such as 10-10-10 or something similar at the rate of 1 pound, about 2 cups per 100 square feet of bed area. Estimate your square footage by multiplying length times width. For small plantings of five or six annuals, sprinkle 2 to 3 tablespoons of fertilizer over the area. Be sure to water it in after the application. This recipe is easy to follow and inexpensive.

That's it, all you need to know for a colorful summer of flowering annuals.

New annuals will light up containers and flower beds

Once the calendar flips to May, gardeners head to local nurseries in search of annuals that provide season-long color and interest in containers and flower beds.

A group of Penn State Master Gardeners visited their favorite nurseries and talked to local owners and growers about plants they are particularly excited about this year. If you see a plant that interests you, ask about it at your local nursery. Most will be available locally, and some can be purchased as seeds.

Here are some of our new favorite annuals:

•'Purple Knight' Alternanthera (Alternanthera dentata) brings a splash of glossy plum-burgundy foliage to beds and containers. Spreading 24 inches wide and 18 inches tall, it is heat tolerant, will thrive in full to part sun and looks terrific on its own or with pink, silver and white flowers.

•'Rise Up' Begonia (Begonia x tuberhybrida) blooms non-stop in both sun and shade. The medium-sized, single or double flowers "rise up" above the foliage and face upright for maximum impact. Available in warm shades of coral, orange and pink, these begonias are perfect fillers for hanging baskets and planters, with a mounding habit and strong trailing branches. They are mildew resistant and prefer to dry out between waterings.

•'Waterfalls Encanto Orange' trailing begonia (Begonia boliviensis) is well-branched with narrow, toothed green leaves topped with cascading bright orange flowers. The Waterfalls series also includes red, salmon and white flowers on plants that grow 12-24 inches tall and wide and prefer well-drained soil in part shade. It flowers profusely over a long period and attracts bees, butterflies and hummingbirds to hanging baskets and elevated containers.

•'Electric Pink' Cordyline (Cordyline banksii) adds pizzazz with 2- to 4-foot-tall maroon leaves edged in brilliant pink. Its color shows best in full sun, but it will also perform well in light shade. It's a perfect "thriller" for a large container.

•'Fireworks' Gomphrena (Gomphrena globosa) is a cottage annual that stands tall but also works as a see-through plant, adding a fun dimension to containers or flower beds. With 1-inch hot pink puffs perched atop 3- to 4-foot stems, these plants are drought tolerant and prefer full sun.

•Garvinea series Gerbera daisies bloom from April through October and one plant can provide up to 100 flowers in a single season, reblooming quickly after cutting. It is 18 inches tall, does best in full to part sun and is resistant to pests and disease.

•'Calliope Large Salmon' geraniums (Pelargonium interspecific) are a cross between zonal and ivy varieties and are known for vibrant colors and semi-double flowers. These tough geraniums work best in beds or large planters and prefer full sun to part shade and rich, moist, well-drained soil.

•'Fireball' French marigold (Tagetes patula) has red flowers that turn a fiery bronze and then mellow to gold as they mature. 'Strawberry Blond' features unique shades ranging from yellow-pink to rose-plum. Both plants are a bushy, compact 8-12 inches tall and perfect for edging and containers in full sun.