Penn State Ag Sciences Newsline -- February 3, 2009
Don't be seduced by seed catalogs -- pick the right flowers and vegetables (:52)
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Suggested Intro:
THEY'RE ALLURING, THEY'RE GLOSSY AND THEY'RE FILLING UP YOUR MAILBOX. THE GARDENING CATALOGS ARE COMING, AND A SPECIALIST IN PENN STATE'S COLLEGE OF AGRICULTURAL SCIENCES HAS TIPS TO AVOID BEING SEDUCED BY A PRETTY PICTURE. GARY ABDULLAH HAS THE STORY:
Story:
(:13) THE EXPENSIVELY PHOTOGRAPHED CATALOGS ARE MEANT TO ENTICE GARDENERS WHO ARE PLANNING THEIR SPRING PLOTS WHILE WINTER'S SNOW STILL COVERS THE GROUND. BUT GINGER PRYOR, STATE COORDINATOR FOR PENN STATE'S MASTER GARDENERS PROGRAM, SAYS BEFORE DIVING INTO THE CATALOG, TAKE A MINUTE TO DECIDE WHETHER YOU WANT LOTS OF PRETTY FLOWERS, A BOUNTIFUL HARVEST FOR CANNING OR A SEASON-LONG SUPPLY OF FRESH VEGETABLES.
(:10) PRYOR SAYS ONCE YOU'VE ESTABLISHED YOUR GARDENING GOALS, THEN IT'S IMPORTANT TO LOOK PAST THE LUSH IMAGES IN THE CATALOGS AND READ THE DETAILS ABOUT EACH PLANT VARIETY:
Pryor Actuality:
(:17) "THEY'LL HAVE SYMBOLS LIKE COOL-SEASON CROP, WARM-SEASON CROP. THEY MIGHT HAVE A SYMBOL FOR 'GOOD FOR CANNING OR PRESERVING' OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. EVERY CATALOG'S A LITTLE BIT DIFFERENT, SO YOU'LL WANT TO READ THE GLOSSARY, SEE WHAT ARE THEIR SYMBOLS AND HOW THAT APPLIES THROUGHOUT THE CATALOG."(:13) PRYOR SAYS PLANTS WON'T THRIVE UNLESS THEY'RE WELL-SUITED TO YOUR AREA AND TO YOUR SPECIFIC SITE. FROM PENN STATE, I'M GARY ABDULLAH.
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