Spring is flowers' time to bloom and flourish

C. O. and Curtis Smith began growing sprigs of privet and its cousin wax leaf ligustrum long before opening the city’s first garden nursery on Beverly Drive, an endeavor that easily spans beyond 75 years.

Before the Beverly Drive startup site, a small selection of plants grew behind the Smith home and were sold on street corners in downtown Wichita Falls. At Beverly, Curtis and his children Katherine and Steve gathered empty clay pots and scrubbed them clean for new arrivals.

Today, Smith’s Gardentown ranks as one of the oldest and largest family-owned nursery centers in Texas. Its range of plant offerings is vast, but just as important, is the gardening expertise it shares with customers.

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"Selecting the right flower, tree or shrub for specific locations is more than just looking at the descriptive tag inside a pot which is often vague,” said Greg Pollock, general manager and 19-year veteran at Smith’s. “You want customers to make wise choices and our role is to help them with information they need to succeed. The role of any good business is customer satisfaction.”

For the novice to experienced gardener and landscape aficionado, now is the time to renew flower beds, vegetable gardens and home accent areas where small and large plants develop and thrive. And within any gardening project there are many considerations that lead to lush greenery and healthy splashes of color.

The focus here is on the countless varieties of flowers and plants that have become homeowner favorites. From the street front beds to backyard patios, the choices today are greater than ever. However, any good nurseryman will give you a sound blueprint to follow.

Location, for one, is vital. Does the plant like full or part sun? Morning or afternoon sun? Does it prefer deep or speckled shade? What kind of soil amendment is required for specific plants?

There is an old saying among nurserymen: “A penny for the plant. A dollar for the dirt.” Obviously little if anything but weeds thrives in poor soil.

"It’s like building a house,” Pollock said. “A good foundation is critical. So it is with soil amendments. Everything begins with the soil. Proper lighting is also important.”

For example, if you are looking for things to grow in shade and filtered light, consider coral bells, caladium, Turk’s cap, hostas, and columbine. Coral bells thrive in the ground or hanging baskets. Same goes for caladium. Turk’s cap not only shows vivid red buds but it excels at attracting butterflies and hummingbirds.

Where colorful, forever blooming flower go, Calibrachoa may be the best of the best. Also called “million bells,” this is a smallish petunia look-alike that comes in a variety of color. Its prolific blooms and trailing habit excels in hanging baskets. It tends to work best with morning sun and light afternoon shade.

Impatiens is a long-time favorite for variety of color and endurance. A typical tag for this flower often recommends full sun. Not necessarily true. Morning sun and speckled shade may be best. When purchasing impatiens stay clear of plants that have grown leggy. Although, after time in the soil impatiens usually rebound well after being trimmed back.

Sun favorites include petunia, periwinkle, lantana, marigold, geranium, salvia, sedum and coreopsis among others.

Finally, to do right by whatever’s in your checkout cart ask a professional about the proper balance of fertilizer and whether a specific plant does best with liquid or slow-release nourishment.

“No question is insignificant,” said Pollock. “Ask away.”

This article originally appeared on Wichita Falls Times Record News: Spring: Flowers' time to bloom and flourish