While the weather is playing tricks on us, the greenhouses at Squak Mt are a hive of activity as our team plants annuals for summer. In the past few weeks wax begonias, marigolds, and lots and lots of impatiens have been planted and watered; and are beginning to bloom.
Here is a behind the scenes look at impatiens as they are planted and the nearly finished product.
Pictures from left to right:
1. Planting the impatiens plugs. This flat is nearly finished.
2. Another view of planting. We use dowels so the hole is the same size for each plug. We also want to make sure not to plant the little plug to deep or he will sink under the dirt when he is watered in.
3. A few weeks later the flats of impatiens are blooming like crazy. Here comes spring!
The Squak Mt Nursery team recommends that you wait until May to plant summer annuals outdoors. Impatiens for instance are quite tender, so you may need to wait until mid-May if you live in the Issaquah area or near the foothills of the Cascades. People in west Bellevue, Mercer Island and Seattle may be able to plant a week or so earlier, since these areas tend to be a bit warmer. Keep an eye on the night time temperatures. You want them to be in the upper forties to low fifties before planting any tender summer annual outdoors. So if you do buy summer annuals…keep them protected on your covered porch, greenhouse, or garage.