This time of year all
the buzz is about new introductions, award winners, and old favorites
being “reintroduced.” Catalogs appearing in mailboxes aren’t shy
about “what’s new.” Nurseries in the avant garde such as Plant
Delights and Heronswood are particularly good sources of information.
I also check the major plant “introducers”— FloraStar, Monrovia,
Proven Winners, Blooms of Bressingham, Ball Seeds. News about
award winners should also get special note as well as opinions
of those in the industry. If you visited any trial fields, check
your notes for what’s now in the limelight.
Hopefully we won’t
have a repeat performance of the Coreopsis ‘Limerock Ruby’ fiasco,
the red coreopsis that didn’t winter over for a lot of gardeners.
It’s now listed as a tender perennial by Blooms of Bressingham
and most sources consider it winter-hardy only to Zone 6 (not
Zone 4 as originally claimed). Even so, it’s pretty enough to
grow as an annual if the price is right.
Undeterred, Blooms
is introducing another gorgeous coreopsis —’Sweet Dreams,’ a hybrid
of Coreopsis rosea. It’s reported to be as vigorous as Coreopsis
'Moonbeam' with thread-like foliage and large bi-colored petals
shifting from raspberry to white at the tips. As it matures under
high light and temperatures, the raspberry color develops further
out on the ray petals. The overall habit is bushy, reaching 18
inches in height and 24 inches in width. Zones 4-9.
Five flowers won the
coveted 2004 All-America Selections awards:
Celosia ‘Fresh Look
Red’ and
‘Fresh Look Yellow’
Gypsophila ‘Gypsy Deep Rose’
Hollyhock ‘Queeny Purple’ and
Petunia‘Limbo Violet’.
Celosia ‘Fresh Look
Red’ also won the 2004 Fleuroselect Gold medal.
Celosia ‘Fresh Look’
was trialed by the University of Georgia and took home the Classic
City Garden Awards for 2003. In those trials, UG reported that
‘Fresh Look Red’ stood out even more brightly than its yellow
version. From early summer, the plants produced an endless supply
of bright neon red plumes. Once the main flower started to fade,
it was removed and additional plumes emerged. ‘Fresh Look’ should
grow 12 -18 inches tall and spread 12 - 20 inches across.
Another AAS winner,
Baby’s Breath Gypsy Deep Rose is a cultivar of the annual Gypsophila
muralis. Baby’s breath has always been useful for creating airy
fillers with its dainty foliage and white flowers, but ‘Gypsy’
goes further. It promises a generous size flower, often double
and semi-double flower; a darker rose color than similar cultivars;
and larger flowers, produced in great number over a longer season.
The plants grow into a compact mound 8-10 inches tall and spread
about 12 -14 inches.
A dwarf hollyhock,
‘Queeny Purple,’ took the third award. ‘Queeny Purple’ stands
out because of its unusual purple color and the ability to bloom
the first year from seed. The frilly edged, 3-4-inch blooms are
double with a tuft of short petals in the center of the blossom.
Mature plants will reach a size of only about 3 feet tall and
2 feet wide. Most hollyhocks are twice the size, reaching 5-6
feet. (If starting Gypsy from seed, note that it takes 12 weeks
for it to bloom, so start seeds indoors in March. Germination
may take three weeks.)
‘Limbo Violet’ petunia
is a unique combination of large flowers on a compact plant. This
petunia grows into mounds only 6-7 inches tall, spreading 10 -12
inches, and is covered with large 3-inch wide violet-purple flowers.
‘Limbo Violet’ is excellent for small garden spaces, containers
and formal gardens requiring neat, tidy plants.
While visiting the
Ball Seed trial fields a few months ago, several plants caught
my fancy. One was the yellow Strawflower ‘Dreamtime Everlasting.’
A massed planting of the large yellow blooms in mounds made a
bold statement. ‘Dreamtime’ is also available in Antique Shades,
Copper, Cream, and Rose Pink. Height is 12 inches tall and wide.
Thunbergia ‘Sunny’
(Black-Eyed Susan Vine) trellised up a post was not to be passed
up. The sun-loving vine grows up to 8 feet. It’s also available
as Orange Wonder and Lemon Star.
Another vine that couldn’t
be passed up was a blue-flowering Ipomoea (Morning Glory Vine)
Good Morning. Its unique picotee bloom pattern, variegated creamy
white and green leaves and a vining yet compact habit. It’s also
available in pink, red, and violet.
Clumps of Rudbeckia
hirta 'Prairie Sun' were scattered throughout the Ball Seed trial
fields. It’s bold yellow color and 5-inch flower head made a strong
color statement. Up close, I could see that the flower petals
were tipped in yellow and had an unusual green eye. This green-eyed
Susan is a sturdy, 3-foot tall plant. It was All-American Selection
in 2003 and a Fleuroselect gold-medal winner.
A gaillardia that caught
my eye and has proven itself in my Zone 10B garden, is 'Torch
Yellow'. In the University of Georgia trials, the Ball Seed plant
generated a prolific display of bright yellow flowers all summer,
and was said to be as pretty in October as in July. It earned
UG’s 2003 Classic City Garden Award.
Another flower that
impressed me at Ball Seed’s trial fields was Luna Hibiscus (H.
moscheutos ‘Luna’ Blush or ‘Luna’ Red). Plate-size flowers 6-8
inches across created quite an eye-catching display. Blush has
white flowers with a pink blush and dark red eye. Red is deep
burgundy. In my garden, that genus insists on having even moisture,
and I would expect Luna to be the same. Garden height is 2-3 feet
and 2 feet wide. Zone 5.
Perilla ‘Magilla’ was
strategically placed to good effect all over the trial fields.
It’s guaranteed to be one of the most popular 2004 plants. What’s
not to like about it’s showy coleus-like foliage in hot pink,
green, and deep plum? In shade or intense Florida sun, it provides
strong color. Mature height is about 3 feet in my garden. Late
in the season, a coleus-like flower emerges.
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