Q: Last year the children in my daughter’s school class each entered their creations in the Riverside Flower Show. Our family went to the show and we were amazed at all the beautiful entries. Our garden is beginning to burst with flowers and I want to enter some at this year’s show. As a first-time entrant, can you give me any suggestions for preparing our entries?
A: You know spring is truly here when it’s time for the Riverside Flower Show. For 67 years, this show has celebrated the end of winter and the beginning of our best gardening season. This year, the show will be open to the public from 1 to 6 p.m. Saturday, April 12, and from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Sunday, April 13. It is being held at the Elks Lodge at 6166 Brocton Ave. in Riverside.
All gardeners are welcome to enter the flowers and plants that they have grown. If flower arranging is your talent, you can enter your garden flower arrangements, too. There are categories for virtually any plant or flower that a gardener might grow. If you don’t know the name of the flower, it’s no problem. Experts will be on hand to identify your entry and see to it that it is entered in the correct class, and containers are provided for cut flowers.
Whether you are a veteran gardener or a newcomer, there are only a few things to keep in mind when preparing entries. First, and most important, make sure there are no insects on your entry trying to hitch a ride to the show. If insects are discovered on an entry, that entry is removed immediately. Second, make sure your entry is clean, no dust or mud on the petals or leaves. Also, remove any damaged or insect-chewed leaves as neatly as possible. Third, get your entry to the show on time. Entries are received from 3 to 7 p.m. Friday, April 11, or from 7 to 9 a.m. Saturday, April 12. Finally, have fun and enjoy the show. Seeing such a wide array of beautiful flowers is a joy, and if you also decide to visit the home gardens on tour, you will likely see clever landscaping ideas to incorporate in your own garden. The Riverside Flower Show is a great resource for all gardeners.
Q: I was browsing a garden book and liked the way they used verbena as a ground cover. I have a bulb bed that has finished blooming and needs a summer ground cover. Will verbena do well here?
A: Verbena would be a very good choice to cover a bulb bed. Although verbena is technically a perennial, it is commonly treated as an annual. These tough plants thrive in the hot weather of our Inland valleys and are drought tolerant once established. Their lower water requirement meshes nicely with the lower water needs of post-flowering bulbs. Verbena grows well under most soil conditions, and is rarely bothered by diseases or insects. A visit to your garden center will reveal garden packs of verbena in a rainbow of colors. When planted about a foot apart, they can make a solid carpet of color in a matter of weeks and will bloom endlessly all summer.
Ottillia “Toots” Bier has been a master gardener since 1980. Send comments and questions to features@pe.com.
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