GBG Note No. 13

Direct Seeding of Annual Mixes

Alaskans are wild about flowers. Colorful flower gardens are popular in our short growing season, and enthusiastic gardeners have helped make the greenhouse industry the largest agricultural industry in Alaska. Because "instant color" in home landscapes is preferred, most gardeners grow their own annual flowers as transplants or purchase them from commercial greenhouses. Another landscape alternative is direct-seeded annuals. Although some annuals may bloom from direct-seeded beds, many gardeners feel that they bloom too late in the season for good color.

The thirteen beds (numbered 1 - 13) in the center of the Georgeson Botanical Garden have been seeded with annual flower mixes, some from commercial sources and some created by the Garden staff and volunteers. The purpose is to evaluate these mixes and determine which ones, if any, would provide adequate color during our short growing season. Below are lists of the seed mixes, their source, and the corresponding plot number.

A list of scientific names corresponding to the common names follows the plot lists. Plots were seeded on June 9, 1992 by mixing 1 part seed with approximately 10 parts moist sand. The mixture was divided into 2 portions for more even coverage and spread by hand.

Plot No. 1 Annuals for Sun —Applewood Seed. Co.

African daisy	Bird's eyes
Baby blue-eyes	California poppy
Candytuft	Clarkia
Corn poppy	Dward cornflower
Dwarf Catchfly	Dwarf Godetia
Dwarf plains coreopsis	Five-spot
Pimpernel	Rocket larkspur
Spurred snapdragon	Sweet alyssum
Texas bluebonnet

Plot No. 2. Proven All-annual Wildflower Mix —The Vermont Wild-flower Farm

Annual lupine	Baby blue-eyes
Baby's breath	California poppy
Catchfly	Corn poppy
Cornflower	Cosmos
Farewell-to-spring	Indian blanket
Orange cosmos	Plains coreopsis
Red flax	Succulent lupine
Rose mallow	Thimble flower

Plot No. 3 Rainbow Blend —(Wildflower mix for cutting) Johnny's Selected Seeds

Baby's breath	Black-eyed Susan
Cornflower	Cosmos
Indian Blanket	Larkspur
Purple coneflower	Shasta daisy

Plot No. 4 Golf Course Mix —Applewood Seed Co.

African daisy	Baby blue-eyes
Baby's breath	Black-eyed Susan
California Poppy	Candytuft
Catchfly	Clarkia
Corn poppy	Dwarf cornflower
Dwarf Godetia	Dwarf Plains coreopsis
Rocket Larkspur	Virginia stock
Spurred snapdragon

Plot No. 5 Pinto Brand All-annual Wild Flower Mix— Loft's Seed Inc.

Baby snapdragon	Baby's breath
Calendula	California poppy
Catchfly	Corn poppy
Cornflower	Cosmos
Indian Blanket	Plains coreposis
Red Flax	Yellow cosmos

Plot No. 6 Firecracker 234 —Wildseed, Inc.

African daisy	Baby blue-eyes
Cushion baby's breath	Black-eyed Susan
California poppy	Corn poppy
Cornflower	Clasping coneflower
Lemon mint	Five-spot
Rocket larkspur	Plains coreopsis
Sweet alyssum	Scarlet flax
Yellow Cosmos	Toadflax

Plot No. 7 Nasturtium Mix — Seeds from W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Park Seed Co., Northrup King, and Stokes Seeds Inc.

'Alaska Mix'	'Fordhook Favorites'
'Empress of India'	'Jewel Mix'
'Park's Fragrant Giant Mix'	'Whirlybird Mix'
'Whirlybird Tangerine'

Plot No. 8 Experimental mix by Pat Wagner —Seeds from Johnny's Selected Seeds, Stokes Seeds Inc.,Wildseed, Inc. and Vaughan's Seed Co.

Baby's Breath	Bachelor Button 'Florist's Blue Boy'
Bishop's flower	Calendula 'Lemon Beauty'
California bluebell	Catchfly
Farewell-to-spring	Globe gilia
Tidy-tips

Plot No. 10 Experimental Low-growing Mix by Grant Matheke —Seeds from The Vermont Wildflower Farm, Applewood Seed Co. and Wildseed, Inc.

African daisy	Baby blue-eyes
California poppy	Dwarf California poppy
Farewell-to-spring	Five spot
Forget-me-not	Johnny jump-up
Lance-leaved coreopsis	Missouri primrose
Perennial sweet pea	Plains coreopsis
Toad flax	Virginia stock

Plot No. 11 Wildflower Carpet mix No. 12 —George W. Park Seed Co.

African daisy	Baby blue eyes
Blue flax	Calendula
Candytuft	Dwarf California poppy
Evening primrose	Evergreen plantain
Five-spot	Johnny jump-up
Matricaria	Nodding catchfly
Plains coreopsis	Poor man's weather glass
Red Ribbons	Sanvitalia
Tidy tips	Virginia stock

Plot No. 12 Experimental Pastel Mix by Pat Wagner — Seeds from Wildseed, Inc., Applewood Seed Co., Johnny's Selected Seed and The Vermont Wilflower Farm

Baby's breath 'Covent Garden'	Blue flax
Candytuft	Chinese houses
Cornflower	Larkspur 'Giant Imperial Mix'
Toad flax	Tree mallow
Virginia stock

Plot No. 13 White Flower Experimental Mix by Janet Bradner —Seeds from W. Atlee Burpee & Co., Johnny's Selected Seeds, Ball Seed Co., Applewood Seed Co., Stokes Seeds, Inc., and George W. Park Seed Co.

Baby's breath	California poppy
Camomile ' German'	Chrysanthemum paludosum
Snapdragon 'Floral Carpet White'	Stock 'Midget White'
Sweet alyssum	Zinnia 'Big Snowman'

Scientific names (if known) of flowers in the various mixes

We thank the following companies for donating seeds for this project. Refer to the publication, 'Commercial Seed and Plant Sources", (Georgeson Botanical Notes No 4 Revised edition, June 1992) for complete addresses of these companies.

Applewood Seed Co.	Ball Seed Co.
Johnny's Selected Seeds	Loft's Seed, Inc.
George W. Park Seed Co.	Stokes Seeds
Vaughan's Seeds Co.	The Vermont Wildflower Farm
Wildseed, Inc.