2011 New Plant Introductions

Each year I look forward to the announcement of the new plants that will be introduced for that gardening season. I have never been disappointed in the wide variety of perennials, annuals, vegetables, or trees/shrubs that have been offered. This year was no exception. Here are a few of the most interesting introductions.

Echinacea 'Guava Ice' - I love echniacea, and the interesting color combination sounds too good to pass up. This flower is advertised as having enormous double orangish-pink (or guava colored) blooms.

Echinacea 'Hot Summer' - This cone flower opens yellowish-orange, matures to a deep orange, and then, as it peaks, turns deep red. Very interesting.

Calibrachoa 'Blackberry Punch' - This tiny petunia is very dramatic with its coloring...deep violet-purple edges surround inky black centers which make the yellow eye jump.

Petunia 'Phantom' - This petunia is toted as having black flowers with a perfect yellow star shape in the center. It could be interested when planted in a basket with 'Blackberry Punch'.

Hosta 'Cherry Tomato' - I am a lover of hosta, with over 200 varieties residing happily in my shade-filled yard. This hosta is a mini with long, narrow lance-like leaves. They are yellow to creamy white with green, and have red on the lower part of the petiole and up the back.

Peony 'Bartzella' - 10 years ago I planted my first tree peony and I've never looked back. If you've never planted one, DO IT NOW. You won't regret the amazing flowers. 'Bartzilla' is a cross between the regular garden-variety herbacious peony and tree peopny. The gigantic flower is bright yellow and has a sweet/spicy scent. The bloom of this plant has the qualities of a tree peony; the leaves are those of the herbacious variety.

Crabtree 'Ruby Tears' - Weeping trees hold a special place in my heart. Combine the weeping form of this small tree along with the pink blooms and dark red fruit that stays on well into winter, and you definitely have a winning specimen tree for the garden.

For more new plant introductions, go to Goodsearch.com, enter the charity of your choice, then search "2011 new plant introductions." You'll not only get a ton of information, you'll also be giving free money to your favorite charity!

shel

My Love of Garden Catalog from Plant Delights

Caution: this blog is aimed at the TRUE gardeners...

Here it is, the middle of January, and I'm ready to get outside and work the soil. It's too bad the ground is covered with 6" of snow.

My gardening need is somewhat satisfied by the arrival of one of my favorite garden catalogs from Plant Delights Nursery. I have a puddle of drool on the floor just thinking about (and lusting for) the pictures and descriptions of the thousands of plants that are featured .

This catalog is far from the ordinary. I'll try to explain a little about why I love it so much...

First of all, you don't have to send money to get a catalog. Instead, the original-thinking owners ask that you send either a box of chocolates or a book of stamps to be put on their mailing list. I sent a box of Fannie May Trinidads (more drooling and lusting) last year and have been blessed with a couple of their catalogs. Each one comes with a politically incorrect cartoon cover which laughingly applies to the ardent gardener, as well as the issues of the day. The covers are a hoot. They are so funny, in fact, that you are able to purchase them as a t-shirt!

Open the catalog and find a plethora of information. There's a "welcome" section that tells you a little about the Juniper Level Botanic Gardens, their policies, and gift certificates, to name a few of the paragraphs.

Page 6 & 7 hold a handy guide of "Hostas Grouped by Color, Width and Fragrance". There are charts that boasts the merits of each hosta in the group (Blue, Bluish Green W/Gold-Cream Edge, Green w/Gold-Cream Edge, and much more.)

Pages 8 & 9 contain a "Guide to Plants by Group or Common Name" which is worth its weight in gold. If you need to find groundcovers, for example, you can look under that title and find a list with the variety name, common name, and Latin name.

There's a delicious picture for every plant listed in this catalog. Smart move for the nursery; who can say no to such beautiful pictures?

I have to admit that I have a fondness for echinacea. Plant Delights offer 15 echinacea in the most recent catalog. Out of that 15, I absolutely, positively MUST have 'Coral Reef', 'Hot Papaya', 'Avalanche', 'Fatal Attraction', 'Green Envy', 'Milkshake', 'Pink Poodle', 'Tiki Torch' and 'Tomato Soup'. Prices are from $16 to $18 each. Will I get them? Nope, no matter how blue I turn from holding my breath, or how hard I kick, I will not be able to purchase them all. I will have to remind hubby that Mother's Day is coming up, and that he didn't get me anything for our anniversary, so I deserve at least three or four of the coneflowers!

I enjoy reading the descriptions of the plants. Tony has that wild and crazy sense of humor that really carries over to his writing. An example: Helicondiceros muscivorus (Pig Butt Arum) "You can bet this common name wasn't coined by a Wall Street marketing firm....The open flower resembles the backside of a flatulent pig...in image and in fragrance. If you grow this, it's best not to mention it on your eHarmony profile." (page 59) The entire catalog is full of surprising wit, making the literature worth reading cover to cover. Kudos for the original thinking behind the marketing!

If you decide that you simply cannot live without getting a copy of this catalog, go to www.plantdelights.com or write to them at 9241 Sauls Road, Raleigh, NC 27603. Tell them Shelly sent you!

Happy drooling,
shel

Garden talk

The heat has finally hit central Illinois and my gardens are feeling it. The container plants are looking rather wilted, even with deep waterings every single day. My banana tree and elephant ear are actually thriving at this point. I'll have a nice tropical feel in the sunroom when I bring them into the house in a few short months.

'Alaska Nasturtium' is one of my favorite annuals. Earlier in the spring I soaked the hard, large seeds in warm water for two days. Then I stuck my finger into the soil in my planters, dropped in the seed, and pushed the soil back over it. Easy as pie. I am now rewarded with jewel like blooms in vibrant red, yellow and orange. The real star of this annual, however, is the leaves of the plant. The 3" round leaves are splashed and segmented with creamy white on the yellow green. Planted in a hanging basket with bright pink Wave petunias and 'Diamond Frost' euphorbia (trust me...you must plant this next year), my nasturtiums are a sight to behold. I'll try to download a pic of one of the baskets.

I've stopped pruning back the mums and asters. Quite a few years ago I learned from a pro that the best way to prune them is to use your hedge shears and just whack the tops off about four times in the season, with the last time being the first part of August. This will give you a spectacular professional show in October.

The black-eyed susans and echinacea are blooming like crazy. I love the "messy" comfortable look that they give the gardens. I do need to deadhead them because they will completely take over the world...okay, the garden...if I let them all go to seed. The goldfinch love to eat the seeds, but so many get away that I end up pulling out starts each year.

Have you seen the commercial elderberry 'Black Lace'? It's an interesting plant. I don't have one, however...instead, I have a love-hate relationship with the elderberries that are so generously planted by the birds. I love the elderberry jelly my mom makes, but I hate the mess that they make in the gardens. I consider elderberries a noxious weed. Same with poke weed. Be careful that you don't mix up the two plants. Elderberries are clusters of berries that are pointed UP, and each berry has its own stem. Poke berries are extremely poisonous. The hang down in clusters like grapes do. Avoid them at all costs.

I need to mow the lawn again. The mower blade is set at the highest setting. I keep the grass higher so that it can shade the roots and retain moisture. It also keeps weeds choked out. Well, most weeds, anyway. Creeping Charlie is pretty hard to discourage.

The good thing about the heat is that it will help the tomatoes ripen. It will also give them that great home-grown flavor that we have all been missing.

I can't wait to have a BLT.

Happy Gardening,

shel