SPRING IS HERE!! SPRING IS HERE!!

Yes, it’s that time of year again. If our weather is cooperating, and let’s hope it is, the difficult task of selecting the perfect combination of beautiful annuals is upon us. Luckily, you have our staff here at Nino’s to help you along with this fun and satisfying project that you can enjoy for the entire summer.

Here are a few things to consider when making your selections:

One of the first things to determine is how much sun the desired flower beds will receive. If your area is full sun, I would recommend Petunias, Snapdragons, Marigolds, Gazanias, Periwinkle, Dianthus and the ever-popular Geraniums. If your area is shady or only part sun, I would suggest Begonias and New Guinea Impatiens. Usually, the most popular annual would be Impatiens, but not this year!

Impatiens Disease–Downy Mildew

Some of you may have heard of–or experienced last season–Downy Mildew. This disease has destroyed and will continue to destroy our beloved Impatiens locally here in Metro Detroit. Downy Mildew is fungal blight very similar in appearance to Powdery Mildew, a common fungus on garden phlox and lilac bushes. Powdery Mildew is treatable, but unfortunately there is no known cure for Downy Mildew, which means the plant will eventually weaken and die. Downy Mildew can survive in the soil through our winter months and can travel by wind or water splash, so even if your garden didn’t experience this problem last year, it most likely will this year. If you purchase disease-free Impatiens this season, it is only a matter of time before the disease will spread and overtake the plants.

Tough Decision

Due to Downy Mildew, we at Nino’s have made the tough decision NOT to carry Impatiens for the 2013 season. Knowing what we know about Downy Mildew, we felt it would be misleading to our loyal customers to offer a flower that would most certainly be infected, if not dead, 6 to 8 weeks after purchase.

Other Alternatives

The most common alternatives to Impatiens are Begonias, Periwinkle, and New Guinea Impatiens. For those who have religiously planted Impatiens year after year, you will find that these alternatives brighten your landscaping nonetheless.

I hope you find Nino’s to be your spring landscaping tutor. We will have a great selection this season with:

● Flats and 4-inch pots of annuals
● Over 12 varieties of hanging baskets
● Patio planters
● Wall bags
● Hundreds of perennials
● Vegetable plants
● Potted herbs
● Colored mulches–Cypress, Black, Brown, and Red
● And a variety of bagged soils

All we need now is a little warm weather and your flowers from Nino’s will be ready to admire.