Summer flowers should not be left at the mercy of night frosts yet
While gardeners have been itching to bring floral beauty beneath their windows, it's best to wait before planting summer flowers for as long as night frosts remain a possibility. Fortunately, there are also blooms that can withstand the cold.
A kind of pilgrimage to gardening stores began a couple of weeks ago: people are eager to plant and grow something. Only a few flower varieties that can tolerate nighttime frost can be moved outdoors — most commonly horned violets and pansies. Many people confuse the two, as they look quite similar.
"Pansies have larger blooms, while violets have slightly smaller flowers. Their color selections also differ a bit. On my own balcony at home, I have both horned violets and pansies. I've also added different forms of arborvitae and ornamental grasses, which creates a very striking effect," said Kaili Hiiemaa, head of the Hansaplant gardening center.
At gardening centers, a small pansy or violet plant can cost anywhere from €1 to €1.50. Bulb flowers that are just starting to poke their heads out of the soil can also withstand cooler conditions.
"If you see a pot of tulips or daffodils in a flower shop where the bulb hasn't really developed yet, you can leave it outside and it will continue to grow according to the climate. If it's cold, it develops slowly; if it's warm, it grows faster — and such a flower can bring you joy until June," said Jaak Ungerson, head of Nurmiko.
Gardening centers recommend waiting another week or two before planting summer flowers, unless you can move them into a greenhouse at night or cover them with protective fabric to shield them from frost.
"Those who are really eager and want to prepare hanging baskets or balcony boxes already have an advantage if they have greenhouses where they can keep the plants at least overnight or cover them. This weekend, it's still better to hold back from leaving them outside, but next week nighttime temperatures should stay above freezing," said Heldi Rehemaa, purchasing manager at Rikets.
Some cool weather is actually beneficial for flowers. It acts as a kind of growth regulator, making plants stronger and more robust. The secret to lush blooms, however, lies in careful watering and consistent fertilization.
"For flowers, at least once a week — and the current recommendation is that every time you water, you should also fertilize. If you look at hanging baskets and how many blooms they produce, the amount of soil isn't very large. For them to create those beautiful flowers — often blooming from May until fall — they need nutrients and those nutrients come from the pot," Ungerson said.
While it's still necessary to wait before planting summer flowers, Rikets' current bestseller is cherry tomatoes and herbs, which are bought both for home windowsills and as gifts. Nurmiko, meanwhile, expects its lush hydrangea hanging baskets to be this year's hit.
So what's the latest trend?
"Multicolored hanging baskets are still popular and one very large and trendy series is space-themed. There are petunias in different colors with speckles that look like stars. That's the current hit," Ungerson said.
--
Editor: Marcus Turovski, Johanna Alvin
