April Showers Bring May Flowers

When it comes to flowers in bloom, black is all the rage this season at . 

The garden center has added black velvet petunias to its offerings this year, according to sales associate Kathi Lawrence. 

According to Lawrence, the nursery decided to include black petunias after it saw how fast phantoms — yellow and deep purple pansies — flew off the shelves. 

“They were the first to go,” Lawrence said. “They are a great contrast to other colors.”

Lawrence added that another product, brand-new this year, is a variety of peony called the Itoh, a cross between a regular peony and a tree peony.

“The story is that the guy who created them died, and his wife named it after him,” Lawrence said.

With a multitude of flowers in a variety of colors housed in its heated greenhouse, Lawrence explained that the nursery is prepared for the chill that comes with a Michigan spring. 

“We check the temperature toward the end of the day, and if it drops to 32 degrees, we bring everything in for the night,” she said.

When it comes to offering advice, Lawrence suggests that planters do not put sun-loving plants in shaded areas or place plants in areas that are confined. She also suggests that gardeners wait until after Memorial Day to start planting.

“The weather needs to be at least 55 degrees,” Lawrence said.

At on Five Mile Road in Plymouth, Marvaso Greenhouses vendor Kori Leach was spotted stocking annuals inside the chilly greenhouse.

“Pansies are the big thing because they’re cold-hardy,” said Leach. "They’re perfect for right now.”

Leach added that with more than 40 acres of covered greenhouses in Romulus, the flowers from Marvaso are produced locally.

“All of our annuals are grown in Michigan … you know, that 'Pure Michigan' thing,” she said with a smile, referring to a state tourism slogan.

According to Leach, petunias are growing in popularity. 

“Lemon zest, orange zest, rhythm and blues, blue and white and cappuccino … brown in the middle with pink outside,” she said.

She suggests pansies for April, impatiens for May and wave petunias for June.

Mary Reitenga, gardening cashier at The Home Depot, agreed. 

“Pansies are wonderful for cold weather, and anything from wave petunias are really good sellers,” Reitenga said.

She said specialty perennials such as the Mandevilla are also popular,  and she suggests hanging plants for Mother’s Day.

Reitenga said that when it comes to the time to start planting, the rule of thumb has changed.

“It used to be that the rule of thumb was after Mother’s Day,” said Reitenga, “but now a lot of people say not until after May.”

While in Plymouth does not have a nursery, the store does give advice on how to take care of plants and soils — “especially when it comes to diseases and insects,” staff member Valerie Saxton said.

According to Saxton, many area residents come in with samples of fungus that she said can be caused by humidity and can be spread by being tracked from one lawn to another and from rainfall.

Saxton said rain barrels have become very popular because they are environmentally friendly. Large, ornamental terra-cotta pots are expected to be big sellers this year.

“We went to a garden supply distributor show in October, and they caught our eye,” Saxton said of the brownish-orange clay pots. “People are using them a lot.”