Spider Web Gardens
Annuals
The bedding plant season winds down in July as we pot the remaining 6 packs and 12 packs into larger pots we call Jumbos. The extra space makes for a nice plant and the Jumbos are great for filling in holes in the mid-summer garden.
Fall and winter we spend long hours poring over seed catalogs from as many as 6-8 different companies. We carry over 75 varieties of bedding plants and twice that number when one takes into account different colors and flower types within each variety- Purple multi flora petunia, white grandiflora petunia etc. Not one single company carries all of our choices- so we pick and choose to give you a nice selection.
Each year we try some new and unusual varieties and feedback is greatly appreciated- as every growing season is different and offers up some challenges, we try these new varieties for at least two seasons. If they don't grab any attention, we may drop them- so let us know!
AAS- Heard of that one? They are the All America Selections. Each year a number of new varieties are grown and trialed at several gardens nationwide. Those varieties that prove themselves to be good performers under a variety of climates are chosen to be showcased the following year.
The 2008 selections include a vegetable- Eggplant- Hansel, a Viola- Skippy XL Plum Gold and Osteospermum- Asti White- a daisy like flower.Depending on seed availability look for one or more of these new varieties here at Spider Web next spring.
Just after Christmas the crew goes into high gear filling fiber 12 packs to be used for the upcoming season. Over 10,000 packs are filled in a week long frenzy and are then stored in an empty greenhouse until spring.
Early February and on- owner Bill Stockman can be found in his seed house, sowing and tending to our future crop of seedlings.
Transplanting and potting will begin in mid
March and continues on through to the end of August with the fall seasonal crops.
Winter storms and power outages are cause for great concern while we are growing. In addition to an automated alarm system which will phone the person on duty (usually Bill) if the temperature in a greenhouse falls to a certain level, Bill also takes a nocturnal trip around the houses to ensure all is well. Quite a bit of dedication!
All materials on this site ©2008 Spider Web Gardens