Winter Chill Brings Warm Thoughts of Spring Flowers

Even in January, thoughts of spring planting come to mind. Truthfully, it hasn’t been much of a winter here in Rochester so far. A few minor freezes and some snow flurries here and there. But nothing of the magnitude that we’ve come to expect from living near one of our Great Lakes. Even so, my thoughts turn to garden color with ideas of what to plant outdoors in just a few months.

We trialed a number of new varieties this summer in our Harris Seeds and home gardens, many with great success. One in particular is a new Angelonia named Serena Blue. There are a number of Angelonia varieties available, but only one series is available from seed, and it stands apart from the rest by virtue of a shorter height (10 - 14") and more flower spikes on a squatty plant habit (12 - 14" wide). I planted Serena Blue last summer in a container by itself and also in a basket paired with Begonia Dragonwing Red. Both looked great and flowered all summer long.

I believe Angelonia is a genus that is underutilized. It loves full sun, is heat and drought tolerate and tolerate a slight frost. Who wouldn’t want to grow these beauties? Give Angelonia a try this summer – Serena Blue and Serena White are my two favorites.

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