Second Season Garden

So many people write to tell us about their success with our seeds that we’d like to see your results. We invite you to enter your favorite photo that includes a Renee’s Garden variety in our 2010 photo contest. The grand prize is a $50 gift certificate. There is a separate Kid’s Garden Photo Contest witha prize of a Children’s Garden Collection for gardeners under age 16. All entries will receive a complimentary packet of seeds, (one per person) so don’t delay! Deadline for entries is September 15, 2010. We will feature the winning photos on our website in October.

Please include no more than three photos with your entry. Include your full name, mailing address, email, the Renee’s Garden seed variety pictured and any additional descriptive comments.

TO ENTER: Email your photo and info to: photocontest@reneesgarden.com

Our California Trial Garden is in full production. The calendula trial sown earlier this spring are flowering in a bright shades of yellow, orange and auburn. These easy to grow flowers are quick to germinate and bloom in huge abundance. We are growing out 5 different varieties of Calendula to compare to our current Renee’s Garden variety,”Flashback ” because we are always looking for new cultivars that may be better in some way. However, in this trial, we came to the conclusion that we really prefer our Flashback best; it’s sturdy flower stems don’t flop over once they reach full height because plants grow a bit shorter than the classic, tall cut flower types of calendula.  We also appreciate Flashback’s wonderful range of colors and forms and the fact that the seeds are  selected and propagated by a small organic family farm in Oregon.

Another gorgeous new  flower variety is Snapdragon ‘Chantilly Orange and Bronze’ from one of our favorite Japanese seed vendors. These deep shades complement the pastel combo of Chantilly snapdragons we already carry. Chantilly is very quick to grow from seed, taking only 3 months to become full blooming plants. They make outstanding cut flowers and rebloom nicely after the primary stalks are cut.

Among the vibrant flowers blooming now is our Renee’s Garden ‘Falling In Love’ Shirley poppies. These were sown last fall and we’ve had such cool weather that they are just finishing their bloom. The satin-cupped blossoms are a magnet for honey bees, easy to grow, fuss free and so pretty they make you happy just looking at them.

Herbs have also been a strong focus in the trial garden this season, especially grown in containers. Better Homes and Gardens Magazine  just finished a photo shoot in our trial garden on growing and cooking with herbs. The  photo editor and his talented photographers spent a few days here organizing and taking multiple photos of many different herbs including:  Sage, Parsley, Cilantro, Thyme, Oregano, Basil, Dill, Chives, Mint, and Lavender.  Renee is just finishing up the photos and graphics for our new Container Garden Herb Collection for 2011 which will feature many of the same herbs, so we had lots of pretty planted pots and window boxes for them to feature.