SUN CITY – A little care and a lot of patience, two traits that Albert Pollastrini credits to helping his common garden flowers grow to an astonishing six feet.
Sun City resident Albert Pollastrini was looking for an easy flower to grow and ended up growing six-foot-tall zinnias. (Photo by Tony Pratt/Sun Day)
“I planted them around Mother’s Day. I bought them from Menard’s and they came with a bit of fertilizer. By the Fourth of July, they started to really bloom. They moved pretty rapidly. Now they reach to just above the windowpane. I almost need a step latter to cut flowers for the house,” Pollastrini said.
Pollastrini has planted zinnias in his garden before. In fact, he has been planting them for a few years now. Much to his surprise, this is the first time that they have exceeded their usual height. A spectacular achievement, considering that the tallest variety of zinnia flowers are only known to grow to four feet.
“We moved to Sun City in April of 1999. We were one of the first people to buy a house here. Within the last three years, I started planting zinnias. I was looking for something easy that required little care. They just need some water to get them started,” he said.
Gardening is no easy feat. It ranges to include everything from beautiful flowers to useful plants such as vegetables or fruits. While it is considered by many to be a relaxing activity, it does involve active participation. However, this labor-intensive hobby is no match for the almost 80-year-old Pollastrini.
“I’ve been doing this for almost 30 years. It’s nothing big. I owned a deli around the Carol Stream area for 39 years. It was called Al and Tony’s Deli and right across the street we had an acre of land where I grew mostly vegetables like pumpkins, pickles, and tomatoes that we would use in the deli. Around fall we would sell up to 250 pumpkins. After I retired and sold the deli, it was torn down to make room for a strip mall. The land across the street was also used to build more strip mall,” he said.
For those looking for some tips in gardening, Pollastrini advises, “Patience is the key. Start with some good soil and use enough water to get them started.”
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