BCG Seedling Sale May 26, 2018 – part 1 Flowers: Sweet Mace French Marigold (Tagetes lucida ‘Sweet Mace’): Enjoy this late-blooming marigold in teas and other drinks; a great flavoring for many dishes. This old Hispanic heirloom is hard to find nowadays, but is still a great garden plant that is easy to grow and quite flavorful
Lemon Gem Marigold (Tagetes tenuifolia ‘Lemon Gem’): Hundreds of petite, citrus-scented flowers cover neat, low mounds of lacy foliage. Long-blooming for beds, borders and containers where it attracts beneficial insects such as hoverflies. Leaves of the plant are edible and are used as flavorful salad greens and garnish. Also known as signet marigold. •Edible Flowers: Use the flowers to dress up salads and desserts or cooked in egg or rice dishes. Flavor is floral with hints of citrus and spice, and slightly bitter. Remove the petals from the flower base before consuming as the base can be quite bitter.
Crackerjack Marigold (Tagetes erecta ‘Crackerjack’) The giant African type that is popular with gardeners coast to coast; the big double blooms come in shades of lemon yellow to deep orange, and the 30-inch plants are profuse.
Rocket Mix Snapdragon (Antirrhinum majus ‘Rocket Hybrid Mix’) The unrivalled king of the Tall Snaps, Rocket boasts big, densely-packed plumes atop vigorous 2 1/2- to 3-foot plants, glowing with color in cool, sunny weather! The more you cut, the more you get with this very floriferous performer, and the flowers emit a rich, spicy scent you will love in the garden or the vase! Rocket Mix contains the full spectrum of Snapdragon colors. Full sun to light shade.
Amaranthus caudatus ‘Coral Fountains’ Unique coral-pink tassels.Coral Fountain is a great complement to Love Lies Bleeding Green and Love-Lies-Bleeding. All have similar plant habits, days to maturity, and great presence in arrangements. Ht. 36-60"
Amaranthus gangeticus ‘Carnival’ (72 days) This gaudy amaranth fooled me (Fedco Seeds) early in the summer with its respectable robe of mahogany, green and bronze foliage swirled on an upright 3–4' central stalk. But at maturity, Carnival brings the party. Promiscuous whorls of hot pink foliage top every branch leader, transforming this matron into a diva, nearly 6' tall. Pinch back the central leader at 2' for a fuller, bushier habit. Psychedelic accent to any gaudy display.
Amaranthus caudatus ‘Love Lies Bleeding Green’: A wonderful green version of the lovely “Love- Lies- Bleeding” with long flower-ropes that are lime green; attractive and easy to grow. A must to blend with the red.
Amaranthus hybridus ‘Opopeo’ (65 days to flower, 125 days to seed) Open-pollinated. The grain of the gods from Opopeo, Mexico. Doubles as a wonderful green until flower-set. Huge plants require 2' spacing. Opopeo’s magenta-purple stems grow 4–8' topped by 2' deep burgundy flower spikes each laden with 4–8 oz of seed grain. Grain matures from early to mid-October.
Amaranthus gangeticus ‘Elephant Head’ This heirloom was brought to the USA from Germany in the 1880’s and so named because the huge flower heads often take on the appearance of an elephant’s trunk. The 3- to 5-foot plants produce flowers that are deep reddish-purple in color
Amaranthus cruentus ‘Hot Biscuits’ Tall, well-branched, heat-loving plants produce armloads of blooms. Bronze to chestnut colored plumes are ideal for autumn bouquets and bunches. Pinching out the center (apical) bud is recommended for optimum branching. Ht. 40-48".
Amaranthus caudatus ‘Dreadlocks’ A fountain of eye-catching magenta-burgundy blooms! Here's a different amaranth—curious flower-heads in a weeping habit, with “tassels” sometimes reaching down to the ground. Plants seldom exceed 3 feet in height. A form of Love-Lies-Bleeding, so the seeds and young leaves are edible
Amaranthus caudatus ‘Love Lies Bleeding’ Ropes of deep red, trailing blooms.A reminder of things Victorian and a graceful accent in arrangements. Common names include Amaranth and Tassel Flower. Ht. 36-60"
Amaranthus tricolor ‘Illumination’ A magnificent fountain of fiery color! Each tall, sturdy column has bright green leaves below a densely-packed eruption of gold and crimson foliage that stays colorful from midsummer till frost!The warm weather brings out the magnificent colors in this sun-lover. The upper 1/3 of these 4- to 5-foot tall plants is devoted to the brilliant foliage, while the lower two-thirds remains green. You can see why this Amaranthus is called Summer Poinsettia
Amaranthus cruentus ‘Red Spike’: Darkest red amaranth in Johnny’s Seeds trials. They found Red Spike to be more useful in arrangements than other amaranth varieties because of its gracefully arched, feathery plumes. Compared to Opopeo, Red Spike has arched, darker-colored plumes, whereas Opopeo's plumes tend to be more upright and rigid. Its plumes are also more open and less dense than Opopeo's. When plants are young and leaves are tender, the foliage makes a nice edible green.
Amaranthus caudatus ‘Hopi Red Dye’: Originally grown as a dye plant by the southwestern Hopi Nation, this variety has the reddest seedlings of any amaranth known, making it a natural for micro-green mixes! Plants reach 4-6 feet and cut a most striking figure in the garden! The Hopis use the deep-red flower bract as a natural dye to color their world-renowned piki bread.
Giants of California Zinnia (Zinnia elegens ‘Giants of California’): Very large, 4-5-inch double flowers. This California heirloom dates back to 1919. The plants bloom all season and make superb cut flowers. This mix contains cherry, orange, pink, purple, scarlet, yellow and white. Full sun.
Queen Red Lime Zinnia (Zinnia elegens ‘Queen Red Lime’): Unusual antique color. These 2-3½" blooms have soft burgundy outer petals that gradually lighten to creamy-lime centers. A mix of fully double, semi double, and a very small percentage of single flowers. Ht. 30-40" Full sun.
Queen Lime Blush Zinnia (Zinnia elegens ‘Queen Lime Blush’): Sophisticated color combination. Innovative and elegant. Mostly double and semi double 2-3 1/2" blooms with a small percentage of singles. Also known as "Queen Lime with Blotch." Ht. 30-40" Full sun.
Queen Lime Zinnia (Zinnia elegens ‘Queen Lime’): Brilliant apple-green companion to ‘Queen Red Lime’ and stunning when paired with it, either in the bed or border, or in the vase! Dahlia blooms are incredibly double, tightly packed with brilliant green petals. Large plants are believed to be sturdier and more robust than ‘Envy,’ our previous old favorite for green-flowered zinnias. Full sun.
Queen Lime Orange Zinnia (Zinnia elegens ‘Queen Lime Orange’): Perfect 2-3.5 inch blooms transform from a coral sunset to peach sorbet with a hint of minty green in the center. This dynamic new heirloom has been selected for splendid colors as well as a sturdy compact habit. Plants stand 28-32 inches tall, with strong stems perfect for cutting and arranging as well as holding up in the landscape. Full sun. Harlequin Mix Dahlia (Dahlia variablis ‘Harlequin Mix’): Grown from seed. The flowers are semi-double bicolors, most with a base petal color of rose, violet, yellow, orange, scarlet, or white, plus a "collar" of shorter petals of either ivory or butter yellow and a central cone of bright yellow Measuring about 2½ inches wide, the flowers are held above the foliage, blanketing the plant when in full bloom. 12 to 14 inches high and wide, ideal for containers of all types as well as the front of the bed or border. Full sun and in moist, fertile, well-drained soil
Species Mix Dahlia (Dahlia variablis ‘Species Mix’): Grown from seed. A diverse blend of single flowers in bold to soft shades of red, purple, pink, yellow, orange and white. Plants grow up to 5 ft. tall and add stature to the back of garden beds and borders. Species Mix dahlias are among the best dahlias for attracting butterflies and make excellent cut flowers. Full sun.
Cactus Mix Dahlia: (Dahlia variablis ‘Harlequin Mix’): Grown from seed. Tall 4-5 ft. plants produce large, long-stemmed, fully double and semi-double dahlias with quilled and twisted petals. And Cactus makes perfect cut flowers. Bloom is in late summer and autumn. Full sun.
Torch Tithonia (Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Torch’): A native of Mexico and Central America, tithonia (also known as Mexican sunflower) loves it hot and dry. It also provides nectar and habitat for beneficial insects, including butterflies. Choose from Johnny’s Mexican sunflower seeds for bright daisy-like blooms that last until frost. Grows 4-6 feet tall.
Yellow Torch Tithonia: (Tithonia rotundifolia ‘Yellow Torch’) Here is a yellow version of this most popular plant with delightful apricot-yellow flowers that really cast a glow. This plant produces loads of flowers till frost. Very easy to grow. Grows 4-6 feet tall.