SPEND ALL SUMMER WITH SNOW PRINCESS
Oh my, it’s the bomb! To be exact, it is the Cherry Bomb, an incredible mix that I’ve been seeing at garden centers this year featuring Superbells Cherry Star Calibrachoa, Supertunia Black Cherry petunia and the pristine white Snow Princess sweet alyssum.
This explosion of color should last all summer on your porch, patio or deck. If you don’t find this readymade mix, look for the separate ingredients and make your own at home.
This mix once again shows the versatility of Snow Princess sweet alyssum. To be honest, this plant deserves a name like Xenon Warrior Princess of the Garden. Consider this: My son James, a color design guru in Columbus, Ga., planted it in a container in April 2019. It has not stopped blooming a year later.
Snow Princess has been out for 11 years, and as they told me in 2009, it is a sweet alyssum that will bloom all summer in Orlando, Fla. I didn’t believe it then, but I am now totally convinced. It is the perfect “Pansy Pal.”
Snow Princess sweet alyssum combines wonderfully with just about everything, making the combos look better — and the fragrance is oh so sweet.
As good as it is in the landscape, it may be even more dazzling in baskets, containers and boxes. Anywhere you can allow it to drape or blanket, it creates an amazing look.
Snow Princess will reach about 12 to 16 inches in height with a spread up to 48 inches. Soil should be fertile and well-drained. It thrives in both full sun and part sun. It doesn’t require deadheading or cutting back, but don’t be afraid to cut it back if it outgrows its allotted space.
The virus has everyone hunkering down, and rightfully so. If your garden center doesn’t allow foot traffic, perhaps it has car pickup. Getting out in the garden with flowers like Snow Princess will be a magic kind of medicine this season.
Winter, who writes for Tribune News Service, is a horticulturist and author.