Gardening with Old Fashioned Flowers

Peddler’s Village is a quaint shopping district located in Bucks County, Pennsylvania. It was founded about 45 years ago. Through the years many unique shops, restaurants and an Inn have emerged. Visitors come by the thousands to celebrate the many festivals and events, but the biggest attraction is their beautiful landscapes. They have cultivated large green spaces planted with uncommon trees and shrubs, and there are areas throughout the village filled with lush plantings of flowers. Their selections are mostly annuals.

Gardens of Old Fashioned Flowers

The best time to enjoy the gardens is in the early morning before the tourists come and the shops open. Considering the thousand of visitors that come through the village, the flowers that look their best are the old fashioned ones we grew up with: the Marigolds, Begonias, Vinca, Coleus, Salvia and many of what we like to refer to as the “Old Standbys”. They’re tough and resilient. They hold up to the heat and humidity of Pennsylvania summers. Most are self cleaning and need very little deadheading, and since tourist areas are looking for more color than foliage, these combinations work out beautifully.

Their gardens are great examples for new gardeners. All these plants are easily grown from seed, which make them very cost effective. You can also find all these plants at your local garden center sold in packs for much less that the new cultivars which are vegetatively propagated and sold in larger pots.

Advice to a New Gardener

There are no large perennial gardens in Peddlers Village. Probably it’s because of the maintenance involved. It takes time and care to grow large scale perennial gardens. Many homeowners who don’t have the time to labor, but still want pretty flowers to enjoy, should start small, using a few perennials. Fill in with annuals planted tightly together to form a mass to choke out the weeds, and expand as you feel comfortable. The images in the gallery will give you an idea of how lovely a small garden can look with easily grown common annuals.

Using Annuals for Color

Many perennial gardeners like to fill in with annuals for color, and to remind them of their roots. The first flower most gardeners grew from seed was a Marigold, which gave them the desire and confidence to continue in the field of horticulture, so how could anyone walk past a Marigold with one’s nose in the air. Folks will always cherish the Old Standbys, and there will always be a place for them in our gardens.