Plants for the Terrace – Passiflora, Pinks

Passiflora

The passion flower is a wonderful and “different” vine for terrace trellising. The flower range is from creamy white through lavender, blue, and pink to red. Propagate passiflora during the early spring by taking cuttings and inserting them in any rooting media. They grow well at 70 degrees and can be planted directly into 2- or 3-inch pots. They will flower sparingly in these containers, but they can be sold before flowering

52. Vines, especially unusual flowering types such as this Asarina barclaiana, are in consistent demand for window gardens. (Photograph by Author)

because as soon as prospective buyers note the name passiflora, they are eager to purchase.

A Minnesota grower propagates passiflora by the hundreds and still falls short of supplying the demand. My own greenhouse is so crowded with other things that I lack space for a collection of these vines, much as I would like to have them. Unrooted cuttings sell for 35 cents to a dollar each, depending on the relative scarcity of the particular variety. Highly unusual varieties can be produced by planting passiflora seed which is somewhat difficult to germinate but can be helped along by an overnight soaking in water. Plant in a light soil and keep in a 70-degree house. Germination takes from 2 to 6 weeks. If you want to grow them on yourself in order to have material for cuttings, keep shifting until the vine is in a 5- or 6-inch pot.

In the summer they can be transplanted to the garden; and if your greenhouse can accommodate these big plants, you can dig them in the fall and replant into 8- or 10-inch pots. These older plants will provide you with hundreds of cuttings.

Pinks (Dianthus)

Pinks, so easily grown, and in such a wide variety of colors, are good plants for terraces, bedding, or borders. There are single and double kinds, many having a pungent, clovelike scent. Start seed in February in the cool greenhouse. Make one transplanting to 2- or 3-inch pots, or sell directly from the flats. Cottage pinks (D. plumarius) have the richest odor of all pinks. When selling to new gardeners, be sure to emphasize this asset. These plants usually do not flower the first year but are hardy and will flower the second season. There are many named varieties but if you are starting them from seed it is well to purchase a mixture. From a mixture you will get shades of light lilac, rose, pink, and red. Low-growing Dianthus deltoides has pretty small pink, scarlet, or white flowers with little fragrance. These, too, flower the second year.

China pinks (Dianthus chinensis), the rainbow or annual pinks, grow rapidly from seeds sown in March and grown in the cold greenhouse. Pot and sell from 2- or 3-inch pots or directly from flats. They are not fragrant but their single and double flowers in a wide variety of colors make up for lack of fragrance, and they bloom from seed the first year. Fragrant-flowered Dianthus grenadina resembles the florist carnation and will produce flowers from seed the first year but is not hardy in northern gardens.

Keywords: Greenhouse Gardening, Landscaping, Plants, Pool, Gardener, Landscape, Trees

Tags: home greenhouse

Kindly consider linking to this article by just copying and pasting the code below on your website/blog ( press Ctrl+C to copy the entire code). The text link will look on your website like this: Plants for the Terrace – Passiflora, Pinks

<a href="http://www.home-greenhouse-profits.com/plants-for-the-terrace-passiflora-pinks.html">Plants for the Terrace – Passiflora, Pinks</a>