Try Planting Some ' Leaders Of The Pack'
I visited a local garden center last
week and was overwhelmed by the
number of bedding plant cultivars
available.
The best-selling bedding plants
include many of the traditional
species, but bedding plants arc avail
able for the gardener who likes to
try new and different plant material.
The same day I visited a garden in
which the gardener put a substantial
investment in China Pinks
(Dianthus chinensis ) that had be
come severely and terminally dis
ease infected. A little investigation
could have prevented this loss.
I often get questions about bed
ding plant selection. 1 always recom
mend the serious gardener visit the
North Carolina State Bedding Plant
Trial Gardens located on the
grounds of the North Carolina State
Arboretum in Raleigh.
Each year D.H. Bailey, Ph.D.,
field tests hundreds of new and old
varieties of bedding plants for plant
performance, plant size and shape,
lloriferousness (flowering ability)
and freedom from insect or disease
problems. The results of these trials
are a superb guide for the selection
of the best new bedding plant vari
eties.
The conditions of eastern North
Carolina are harsh for many bedding
plant species.
A successful bedding plant gar
den must copc with disease, insect
and environmental conditions that
arc usually less than optimum.
Another factor that is a major in
fluence on bedding plant success is
the weather. Some species excel in
wet weather while others perform
best during dry weather. Sometimes
poor performing bedding plant
plantings will occur despite the best
variety selection and garden prepa
ration.
Bailey publishes the results of his
THE
PLANT
DOCTOR
C. BRUCE
WILLIAMS
Extension Area
Turf Specialist
n
research in the NCSU Bedding Plant
Trial Garden Report. Although the
report is quite lengthy. Bailey se
lects several dozen varieties he
terms as "N.C. Leaders of the Pack,"
which arc chosen on the basis of
"consistent, dependable full-season
performance as a source of color and
beauty in the landscape".
Here are some of my favorites
from the "1991 Leaders of the Pack"
list:
Globe amaranth ( Gomphrena glo
bosa) is a tough hot weather, sun
loving, dependable flowering, low
growing (9 inches to 24 inches) an
nual. In past years "Dwarf Buddy"
was a good performer, but in 1991
"Buddy Purple" was best.
Blanket flower ( Gaillardia pul
chella) is a great annual plant for
hot, sandy, full-sun locations. "Red
Plume" proved to be a consistent
performer throughout the entire
summer.
Flowering tobacco ( Nicotiana
alala) is an early bloomer that will
often grow to 3 feet in moist, well
drained soil. "Nicki Deep Rose"
proved to be amazingly free of pests
and a long season bloomer.
I first saw Mexican Heather
(Cup he a spp.) six years ago in a
North Carolina garden center. Since
that time, many home gardeners
have bccome fans of this lush green,
blue flowering, low growing plant.
CEDAR GROVE AREA NEWS
Grissett To Represent Church
BY BARBARA T. HEWETT
The lime has arrived for the
young people to
hold their annual
concert while
the supervisors
of Ocean View
Association's 14
churches partici
pate in their an
nual march.
The 200 or so
youth participat
HEWETT jn ^ con_
cert will be dressed in black and
white.
Supervisor Francis Grissett will
represent Cedar Grove Missionary
Baptist Church at the event to be held
Sunday at Pleasant View Missionary
Baptist Church at Grissettown.
Last year she was crowned Ms.
Supervisor 1991, for having brought
the greatest contribution in offer
ings. That entitles her to crown Ms.
Supervisor 1992 this year.
The program begins with a dinner
for officers at 3 p.m., with the gener
al program to begin at 5 p.m.
Birthday Greeting
Happy birthday to Aunt Rommie
Bellamy.
Tune In
Be sure to listen to Radio Station
WVCB (1410 AM) in Shallouc for
the Cedar Grove Area News Thurs
days at 3 p.m. and Saturdays at
10:15 am. On Sunday evenings lis
ten for the Moments of Inspiration
gospel program.
SAVE $3.00
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^ Ten Wallets, and 18 Mini- Portraits ^
? -v Advertised package includes traditional poses only Limit one special package per sub/ect Black and white [Tl
j-' backgrounds and special effects portraits not available m advertised package Not valid with any other offer I
All dges we'come Families and groups of no more than sin $2 00 per additional sub/ect Poses our selection
Thurs. thru Mon., May 21-25
Daily 10:00 AM-7:00 PM
Sunday 12:30-5:00 PM
At Wal-Mart, 4540 Main St., Shallotte
ISlZ AGFA*" i
We Salute Brunswick County's
911 Building-Boliiria
We are proud to have provided sitework and
Helping Brunswick County Grow!
Grading And
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754-7177
Asphalt Plant-2 miles north of Shallotte on Hwy. 17
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This plant is still new to the nursery
trade so only the plant species was
tested. No varietal types are men
tioned.
The weedy cousin of Rose Moss
(Portaluca grandi/lora) grows well
in many of the lawns of coastal plain
gardeners. This 6- to 8-inch tall full
sun loving, spreading fleshy flower
ing plant is great for hot, dry garden
sites. The varieties "Sundial Scarlet"
and "Sundial Pink" were outstand
ing performers in the 1991 trials.
Madagascar Periwinkle or annual
Vinca ( Catharanthus roseus) is one
of the most versatile bedding plants
in the Carolinas. This heat tolerant
plant can withstand partial shade or
full sun in hot, dry conditions.
For full-sun performance "Grape
Cooler" (pink), "Pretty in Rose"
(rose), "Pretty in White" (white) or
"Peppermint Cooler" (red with
white) were the trial leaders.
For shaded locations "Dawn Car
pet" (pink), "Hot Streak Rose"
(rose), "Pretty in White" or "Pep
permint Cooler" were best.
Note that "Pretty in White" and
"Peppermint Cooler" were outstand
ing in sunny or shady locations.
Begonia (Begonia semperflorens
cultorum), geranium ( Pelargonium
horiorum), impatiens ( Impatiens
wallerana), petunia ( Petunia hybri
da) and verbena (Verbena hybrida)
each have tens of dozen different va
rieties that were tested. The leading
varieties of the 1991 field trials were
as follows:
Beeonia: Rio Pink, All Round
Darklcavcd Pink, Encore Red/
Bronze, Olympia Red, Stara Rose
Clair, Stara Rose Foncc, Olympia
Salmon Scarlet, Espresso Scarlet,
All Round Grccnlcaved White and
Encore White/Bronze.
Geranium: Pinto Blush, Hot Pink
Orbit, Pink Orbit, Red Orbit, Pinto
CONVENIENT
TOURS AND TRAVEL
FOR ALL YOUR TRAVEL NEEDS
Carowinds June 7
Amish.
Niagra Falls. New York . June 21-27
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Home ol Country Music June 30-July 5
Coast to Coast July 28-Aug,20
Outer Banks Aug. 22-24
Plus Many Mote ? Deposits needed
CALL 754-4222
FULL SERVICE TRAVEL AGENT
Hwy. 17 N? Shallotte
(next to Allison's Barber Shop at Wal-Mart)
Red, Pinto Bicolor, Saturn Fire,
Tctra Scarlet and Pinto Quicksilver.
Impatiens: Impulse Salmon
Orange, Accent Deep Pink, Impulse
Pink, Daz/.ler Blush, Splash Rose,
ShowStopper Tropical Punch,
Daz/.ler Violet, Impulse Violet, Sup
er Elfin Twilight. Accent Lavender
Blue, Tempo White, Blitz, Blitz
White, Daz/.ler White, Impulse
White, Splash White, Impulse
Bright Eye and Daz./.lcr Bright Eye.
Petunia: PrimcTimc Plum,
PrimcTimc Blue, Pink Flash, Pink
Carpet, Fame Carpet, Polo Red,
Polo Rose, PrimeTimc Rose,
PrimcTime Salmon, Polo Salmon,
White Carpet and PrimcTime White.
Verbena: Amour Rose and Nova
lis Deep Blue/White Eye.
Most North Carolina Cooperative
Extension offices have the report of
the 1991 trials that can be reviewed
for the asking. Plan to take time this
summer to visit the NCSU Arbo
retum and see the best bedding
plants for 1992!
Send your gardening questions or
comments to The Plant Doctor, P.O.
Box 109. Bolivia. N.C. 28422.
i Vance Connection
Presents...
Just For Kicks!
Spring Recital
Saturday, May 23, 7:30 P.M.
Shallotte Middle School
USDA Choice Beef T-Bone/
Porterhouse Steak
Gwaltney Big 8
All Meat Franks Lb. .9U
1 00% Pure H e
Ground Beef Patties ...Lb. I -40
Food Lion's Prices
8% Lower
Than Winn-Dixie's
"New Low Prices"
Winn-Dixie's been advertising a lot about how
they're lowering prices. So we thought you might
like to know just how those so-called 'new low
prices' compared with Pood Lion. A comparison
of 100 key groceries revealed Winn-Dixie
charged $151.86 for items that cost only $139.08
at Food Lion. FOOD LION'S PRICES WERE 8%
LOWER THAN WINN-DIXIE'S. Here are just a
few examples of how much more you pay for key
grocery items at Winn-Dixie. As you can see, if
Winn-Dixie claims their prices are as low as
Food Lion's, they still have a way to go.
Sorrento String Cheese (1 Oz.)
Creamettes Thin Spaghetti (7 Oz.)
Pringles Potato Chips (7 Oz.)
Starkist Solid White Tuna In Water (6.125 Oz.).
Unique Shrimp Cat Food (6 Oz.)
Stovetop Stuffing, Chicken (6 Oz.)
Breyer's Strawberry Yogurt (8 Oz.)
Texas Pete Hot Sauce (6 Oz.)
Bush Baked Beans (16 Oz.)
El Paso Taco Seasoning Mix (1 .25 Oz.)
Kraft Miracle Whip Salad Dressing (16 Oz.)
Heinz Ketchup (28 Oz.)
M & M Plain (Individual Pack)
Kleenex Bathroom Tissue (4 Pack)
Philadelphia Plain Cream Cheese (8 Oz.)
Wesson Oil (24 Oz.)
Ore- Ida Crinkle Golden Potatoes (2 Lb.)
Rinso Ultra 10 Load (16 Oz.)
Sunny Delight Citrus Punch (64 Oz.)
Eggo Waffles (11 Oz.)
FOOD
LION
.29
.32
1.35
1.25
.32
1.25
.43
.35
.50
.50
1.39
1.19
.34
.85
.99
.95
1.49
.85
1.09
1.29
WINN
DIXIE
.30
.33
1.39
1.29
.33
1.29
.45
.36
.52
.55
1.45
1.26
.36
.89
1.09
.99
1.59
.89
1.16
1.39
WINN-DIXIE TOTALS $1 51 .86
FOOD LION TOTALS
$1 39.08
Prices in this ad are
good Wednesday,
May 20 thru Tuesday,
May 26, 1992.
Drink Prices may vary
according to
distributor's outlets in
certain areas.
We reserve the right to
limit quantities.
This price comparison
was taken on May 1 ,
1992 in Raleigh, N.C.
Some prices may have
changed since that
time.