Never Say “Never”
Al Sydnor
Sitting here on our deck in early September, I am admiring ‘Amigo’ with its large round blossoms of salmon and reddish purple. For having such large blossoms it survived the July heat wave nicely.
I have always advised people to select well-shaped plants at the nursery. If you cannot find a good looking plant of ‘Swingtime’ for example, pick another red and white with good structure that can be nurtured into a show quality plant or stand out in your garden.
In March the San Jose Branch went to John’s Nursery to buy plants. John’s is a wholesale outfit in the Daly City-South San Francisco area. My wife Elsie, AFS Editor, picked out ‘Amigo’ for its wonderful blossom color. When we got it home I was aghast at the misshapen plant with old, woody limbs.
At the San Jose Show, I used ‘Amigo’ at the culture table as a prime example of what NOT to buy. Now in the fall, after the hot weather, it is standing erect in an artistic bonsai form, flaunting its many blossoms at me!