Have you ordered seeds yet?

It's time again to go through letters, news releases, bulletins and other garden-related mail that found its way onto my desk. I try to sift through it all because you never know what fascinating tidbits I might run across.

A day doesn't go by that a new garden catalog doesn't show up in the mail. They all boast of new, exclusive plants to tempt us. I've decided I must be an easy sell since I plan to order or search out locally a number of these new introductions.

Out of Renee's Garden catalog I thought I'd try three exclusives.

The first is a complete baby mesclun salad mix called Paris Market Mix. The packet of seeds promises to produce a collection of lettuces, mild chicory and endive, along with a touch of chervil and arugula. Wouldn't this make a colorful and interesting combination growing in a basket?

Sweet peas are such a delightful, old-fashioned garden flower. This spring I am going to try an exhibition sweet pea called North Star. This Royal Horticultural Society winner is touted as having luminous, ruffled blossoms in colors of rich claret and violet-blue. Impossible to resist.

I am not sure about this last one. It's a cerinthe named Pride of Gibraltar. It's a rangy annual, but its flowers are charming. This particular variety has indigo-violet flowers that dangle from bronzy- blue bracts.

Look for Renee's Garden Seeds at local garden stores.

High Country Gardens is one of my all-time favorite catalogs. This year they are offering a pollen-free strain of buffalo grass called Legacy. It has been developed specifically as a lawn turf grass by researchers at the University of Nebraska.

If you're looking for a lawn grass that requires little supplemental water (up to 75 percent less water than Kentucky bluegrass), less mowing and only one fertilization a year, this may be the grass. Legacy spreads to form a dense, soft, narrow-bladed grass carpet. If you try it, I would like to know how it performs.

High Country Gardens is also offering a hardy Claret Cup cactus called White Sands Strain. It's a robust, spiny stemmed plant covered with scarlet flowers in late spring. Wouldn't it be fun to add another hardy cacti to our winter-hardy collection?

For a High Country Gardens catalog, call (800) 925-9387.

Citrus tips

I am often asked about the culture of citrus houseplants. Following are a few excellent tips from citrus grower Ken Durio of Louisiana Nursery.

Durio recommends getting your plants off to a good start by planting them in an 18-inch-wide pot with two to four good-sized drainage holes. The potting soil should be a lightweight mix that contains enough humus to keep the soil evenly moist and slightly acidic. African violet soil works great.

Citrus plants prefer bright light, good air circulation and plenty of humidity. Set them in a southfacing window with temperatures in the 60- to 70-degree range until they can be taken outside for the summer. Providing enough humidity is always a tricky task.

Try setting them in shallow trays filled with pebbles and warm water or group them with other plants. Better yet, set up a humidifier nearby.

Citrus must be kept moist, yet they cannot tolerate wet feet. Water them only when the top half-inch of soil feels dry. In order to monitor the plant's water needs accurately, you might invest in a moisture meter. This is an excellent tool for gauging the water needs of not only citrus plants, but all houseplants. Fertilize with an acid-based fertilizer or a plant food formulated for citrus. If the leaves turn a mottled yellow, fertilize with an acid food containing chelated iron.

Mark your calendar

Tired of winter? Think spring by attending the Home and Yard Show at the Spokane Interstate Fairgrounds. It runs Thursday through Feb 25. I will be on hand throughout the show to answer gardening questions.

Please stop by even, if it's only to say "hi."

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