Variations On Floral Themes

Roses are red, violets are blue… hold on, folks, that’s not exactly true.

While visiting one of my favorite florists recently, I was introduced to an exquisite new hybrid tea rose from Meiland called Leonidas.

Judging from the color, it’s understandable why it was named for a Belgian chocolate. The top portion of the petals is a rich orange-cinnamon color, the underside of the petals is a soft yellow. I haven’t been this taken by the color of a rose since the introduction of Tropicana many years ago.

You can imagine how delighted I was to find this beauty offered through the Wayside Gardens catalog. If you would like to see this rose, stop by Wildflowers Florist on North Monroe in Spokane.

As for violets, they aren’t all blue. One of the new hybrid pansies out this year is named Can Can. It comes in 12 colors, ranging from peach to blue to copper. The flowers’ ruffled edges give the appearance of twirling can-can skirts.

For a more elegant pansy, keep your eyes open this spring for Burgundy Laced Picotee. The flower starts out with a central yellow eye that moves into black, which then moves into burgundy. The burgundy is surrounded by a pure white picotee edge. Outstanding.

Seed for these particular pansies can be ordered through Seed of Distinction, P.O. Box 86, Station A, Toronto, ON, Canada, M9C 4V2.

Plant a butterfly garden

When planning your spring plantings, why not include a butterfly garden? Over the years, butterfly populations have been dwindling as urban development eliminates their habitat. We can easily entice these gentle winged insects into the garden by planting a special selection of colorful, nectar-rich annuals and perennials.

To get us started, an organization called the Butterfly Garden Club is offering a free packet of annual flower seeds that have been chosen with butterflies in mind. By doing this, the club hopes to increase butterfly habitats in backyard gardens. To receive your free butterfly garden seeds please send a self-addressed, stamped (2 stamps), business-size envelope to: The Butterfly Garden Club, P.O. Box 629, Burgin, KY 40310. (Limit 1 free packet per household. Additional packets are available for $1 each.)

What’s new

It won’t be long before we’re elbow-deep in that muck and mud that seems to settle in the bottoms of our backyard ponds. Removing this gluck can be a stinky, messy chore.

Ultimate Goods, a company known for its durable work gloves, may not be able to remove the stink, but their new full-arm waterproof work gloves may make this spring chore a bit more tolerable. The gloves are called Frog Pants. They’re PVC gloves with watertight sleeves that come up above the elbow. When you find yourself knee-deep in muck this spring, at least your elbows will be dry.

Look for Frog Pants at your local garden center or contact Ultimate Goods at (888) 880-1997 or check out the Web site at www.ultimategoods.com.

Mark your calendar

The Spokane Parks Department will host a class on shade gardens, presented by Katherine Cole, Wednesday from 6:30 to 8:30 p.m. at the Corbin Art Center. You are asked to bring along a sketch of your landscape. There is a $10 fee. To register, call the Parks Department at 625-6200.

The Kootenai County Extension Service will host a class on Managing Your Backyard Forest, Monday at the extension office, 106 E. Dalton in Coeur d’Alene. The class will be be taught by forester Chris Schnepf. There is a $5 fee. Please register by calling the extension office at (208) 667-6426.

There is still time to register for the Master Gardeners Horticulture Class Series. The 12-week series at the Spokane County Extension office, 222 N. Havana, will run every Thursday evening from 6 to 9 p.m. from March 2 through May 18. The cost of the series is $140, which includes materials. This is your chance to learn about soils, composting, plant identification, pests, lawns, groundcovers, planting and pruning and weeds. Please call the County Extension at 477-2048 for more information.

And, Happy Valentine’s Day.