16 MARCH 15, 2018 RIDGEWOOD TIMES WWW.QNS.COM
Ideas to help you reap big rewards from your garden
Get active outdoors with a
hobby more satisfying than
binge-watching another television
series. As a pastime, gardening
can help you eat delicious, more fl avorful
food while transforming your
patio or yard into a colorful hangout
for butterfl ies and bees.
Many people don't realize how easy
it is to have a fresh supply of crisp veggies,
fragrant herbs or fresh-grown
fl owers. Whether you have a balcony,
rooft op or patio, gardening is a hobby
that quite literally allows you to harvest
big rewards.
One of the most exciting parts of
gardening is deciding what to grow.
With thousands of plants to choose
from — fl owers, vegetables and herbs —
a small pot of soil can be a canvas for
creativity.
To fi nd the most popular fl owers
and plants this year, we checked in
with Ball Horticultural Company, a
global leader on all things gardening,
to see what the top trends are in 2018.
STRONG AND COLORFUL
When spring arrives, we all crave
color and warmth to celebrate the end
of winter. To get that wow factor — and
get it fast — try planting fl owers that
grow and fi ll in quickly and thrive
in extremes. The Megawatt Begonia
brings magnetic color even in shaded
spaces. It's also a low-maintenance
option if you're new to gardening. Likewise,
the Echinacea Sombrero Sangrita
is a perennial fl ower that returns each
year with stunning red blossoms.
For foodies who want to show off
Every chef knows the secret to tasty
cooking is great ingredients. For many
gardeners, the truly magical combination
is fi nding that edible veggie that
looks as good as it tastes. Take 2 Combos
combine two sweet pepper plants
with a touch of heat and beautiful
orange and yellow fruit. There's also
a combo of a slicer and cherry tomato
perfect for small spaces and for snacking
and cooking. Speaking of peppers,
a new, attractive variety is Candy Cane
Red Pepper. It has green fruit striping
that ripens to red and off ers up crisp,
sweet fl avors, much like a candy cane!
A REFUGE FOR BEES,
BUTTERFLIES AND
BEYOND
There are dozens of reasons people
choose to garden: fresh food, interior
and exterior decoration, relaxation,
stress reduction and more. One
emerging trend is that people want to
make their garden a destination for
pollinators like bees, butterfl ies and
hummingbirds. A few captivating
fl owers that attract these beautiful
and helpful creatures are:
• Lucky Star Pentas — Provides butterfl
ies summer-long fl ower clusters
in eye-catching colors
• Copper Prince Ornamental Millet
— This thriller makes a dramatic
statement with foxtail plumes that
birds feast upon
• SuperBlue Lavender — A deeply
colorful and fragrant bee
magnet
Gardening helps you relax and
decompress. What's more, there is
a huge amount of satisfaction involved
in seeing your vegetables and
flowers grow. Follow these trends
and watch your plants blossom and
beautify your home and yard. After
all, we could all use a little more
color in our lives.
Courtesy BPT
AT HOME