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Continued front page 9 they want, and realize that the plant (many Nursery in Clarkson, Nebraska, started
<br /> of the wildflowers fall in this category)may growing wildflowers as bedding plants sev-
<br /> highly artificial plants and a growing ap- take a long time to bloom. cral years ago.Previously wildflowers were
<br /> preciation for subtler qualities such as pat "Labor,energy, and water conservation handled as nursery items which were very
<br /> io
<br /> terns and texture." pressures will increase the use of low-main awkward for the retail store. They were
<br /> According to William H. Carlson, Ex- tenance, drought-resistant materials, but next sold as dormant plants. However,
<br /> ecutive Director of Bedding Plants, Inc., this concept should be approached with there were survival problems and a lot of
<br /> wildflowers started to gain attention as a moderation." But Carlson emphasizes, spoilage when the plants broke dormancy
<br /> bedding plant two to three years ago.Their "There will always be a need for well-kept while being displayed indoors. Now their
<br /> use as a bedding plant is now in the ex- grass and beautiful flowers." The money wildflowers arc grown as bedding plants
<br /> perimental and innovative stage. Bedding saved on low maintenance areas can be and the majority are sold to garden centers.
<br /> plant buyers fall into two main categories. used to support highly visible areas where Thcrc is little contract growing;usually it's
<br /> The first is the impulse buyers who want intensive maintenance is especially desir- a last-minute call with the plants being
<br /> to buy plants in full bloom. 'I'he second able. shipped USP or air freight. "I like wild-
<br /> group is horticulturally aware, know what Harlan Hamernik, owner of Bluebird flowers,"says Hamernik,"they are always
<br /> attractive, always changing—more satis-
<br /> factory to look at than bug-eaten grass. . ."
<br /> '/'.Jy'/' P" ' •'Yg" AZ, %y Fy With the increased interest in wildflow-
<br /> t,,, ',"'/,`,,@,'`,4, 4 nye' , ':, ers and other native and naturalized mate-
<br /> l'W ,I, , s' �' ��4�/ /;,4 rials the volume of production has increased
<br /> and the price differential between "wild-
<br /> " flowers" and ordinary annuals and peren-
<br /> nials is fast disappearing.
<br /> . In fact, Professor Sotero S. Salac in the
<br /> r.; ,,,�. " * �' ei" ' '' , A. Department of Horticulture at the Univer-
<br /> " ?'N ''' city of Nebraska at Lincoln has been work-
<br /> .0w24y / t ,y ;,
<br /> ing with wildflowers to develop drought-
<br /> V'
<br /> cti r Q M r f F�'%`' `" ' ;" resistant varieties as garden plants and some
<br /> `a' rs-, I' • { Y, • especially showy plants (Asclepias, Bap-
<br /> " 4:` `" t ' '* '� tisias, and Liatris) to be sold byflorists as
<br /> �. d � y I a`
<br /> irk.. cut flowers.
<br /> `5 j ''k ' t'41 .,yy;r '" Another project involves studying Max-
<br /> , � �, ";,.' .,,. o imilian's Sunflower (Helianthus maximili-
<br /> } N A , r ,, ani)as a habitat for wildlife. The seeds are
<br /> i, �` ,,, Fg� .r i •lit '0A. t edible and the plant is a perennial that will
<br /> tion *\ ,t1F regrow year after year without replanting.
<br /> Yw • �. ? � 4 11 �t1 . �/ "Work with wildflowers was pioneered
<br /> ar ,- ;'ti ,,,;"• ,, 't „,„,4041:'i: , # at the University of Nebraska", says Pro-
<br /> "• r ' fessor Salac. "When I first came in 1967
<br /> 't people thought I was crazy working with
<br /> •
<br /> h .' 'weeds'. Now I am always getting calls
<br /> ,,litz ^ i. k. `l± from people about my 'wildflower re-
<br /> ,� �w - �� 1 search, „
<br /> `. , ,;; ,S t 0. r". The work with wildflowers at the Uni-
<br /> tlir ,, versity of Nebraska probably started about
<br /> • liar 'sti fi; �A'”; 1963 when Richard Gray and the Nebraska
<br /> v��.r~"' ;4„,.../ �► ;,. ,i, ' • •
<br /> ! ' Department of Roads became interested in
<br /> r,,ir r, a highway beautification program.
<br /> ' i' c#' Wildflowers—Bythe Side of the Road `�
<br /> �,� ai
<br /> -. •.i , From the earliest times roads have served
<br /> r .,„, 4 el as highways for plants and seeds as well
<br /> 04
<br /> as people. In the past ten years the use of
<br /> +2 I' wildflowers and herbicides have increased
<br /> F� � as alternatives to mechanical mowing. As
<br /> '" r ,.4 the American Association of State Highway
<br /> P►' and Transportation Officials document in
<br /> i 411 a r ! their Maintenance Aid Digest-25 (Novem-
<br /> e 1 r +' , ber, 1980) mechanical mowing in the past
<br /> Card t
<br /> o} , ten years has decreased in 38 states while
<br /> increasing in six.
<br /> ulON e ®D. ee No
<br /> Examples of highway landscaping from
<br /> �, Texas, Nebraska, New Mexico, and Min-
<br /> '`' . nesota illustrate the evolution of the road-
<br /> ."
<br /> • 4:OX 5 4, El MONTE, . �4 <' side wildflower movement. z
<br /> ✓ "(%"f ¢ ` ` ! "The Interstate Highway project is 90%
<br /> (213) 442,31D: `€- X.. 9 1'
<br /> ', kr.,• ' ., 4, NatureScaiw_.S,*,otember 1981 '
<br /> a ru n >' .c .. wa d•
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