Nationalized Plant Care

Buddleia 'Evil Ways'

I think most of us would agree. In many parts of the country, the record droughts combined with a few isolated floods put a strain on both gardeners and their plants. We're certainly hoping for a better weather year after Texas hoarded everyones precipitation in 2007, and we hope the other 'Nina' sister will show up this season. Regardless of the upcoming weather, there's no need for concern over your stressed plants since there's already a heated debate by our leaders over providing Nationalized Plant Care. No longer will you need to worry if droughts, bugs or diseases threaten your plants... the government is standing by to help. How are we going to pay for this you ask? It's free, of course... paid for by the government! Is this a great country to garden in, or what?

We'd like to take a minute to thank each of you for your continued patronage of Plant Delights Nursery and for making 2007 the best business year in our history. Not only do you buy our plants, but you put up with our quirky sense of humor, which has generated more than a couple of letters from humorless victims who'd rather spend time grinding axes than smiling and

Monarda 'Peter's Purple'

gardening. Surely we've got the best customers in the world... along with the best staff. A special thank you also goes out to several large groups that visited PDN this year including the NC Master Gardener Convention, the American Specialty Cut Flower Growers Association, The Johnston County Nursery Association, the Southeast Palm Society, the International Magnolia Society, attendees of Horticulture magazines's Fall Symposium, several Master Gardener Groups and Garden Clubs, and last but certainly not least, the West Coast-based Hortisexuals.

As if you need another reason to visit PDN this year, did I mention the upcoming JC Raulston Arboretum Symposium? Go ahead and put September 25-27, 2008 on your calendar... you won't want to miss this fall symposium,

Gladiolus communis ssp. Byzantinus 'Cruentus'

"Surround Yourself with Shady Characters." Speakers include Bill Cullina (NE Wildflower Society, MA); Sean Hogan (Cistus Nursery, OR); Dave Demers (Plant Explorer, UBC, Canada); Richard Olsen (US National Arboretum Woody Plant Breeder); Larry Stanley (Stanley and Sons Conifers, OR); John Grimshaw (Colesbourne Gardens, UK); and Thomas Bonnicksen, (Author of America's Ancient Forests - Retired, Texas A&M). Now, that's a heck of a lineup!

Need another reason to visit us? ...our Open Nursery and Garden Days. Although we've only held our Winter Open House for two years, it has grown exponentially and is now second in attendance only to our Spring Open Days. In addition to the Heronswood Double Hellebores we debuted last year, we will have nearly 5,000 of our own hybrids flowering for the very first time in 2008. You will not find many of these listed in the catalog, so the only way to get them is to drop by for a visit. If you like hellebores and winter gardening, this is an event that you simply won't want to miss.

Colocasia 'Diamond Head'

So, what's new in the 2008 catalog? There is no question this is the year of the elephant ear with eight new introductions. Thanks to a lifetime of work from Hawaii's Dr. John Cho, we are pleased to present the first ever intentionally hybridized elephant ears for ornamental gardens. The list includes Colocasia 'Blue Hawaii' with its incredible veining; C. 'Diamond Head' with luscious glossy, wavy black-purple leaves; C. 'Hawaiian Eye' with ruffled leaves that have a dark purple eye; C. 'Hilo Bay' with incredibly crinkled olive-green leaves; C. 'Maui Magic' with intense red-purple stem; and C. 'Pineapple Princess' with very cool grey-purple leaves. I'm sure you'll find a few babies you can't live without when you make your way into the C-section of the catalog.

Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor'

Seven more rare variegated agaves we've added this year are: Agave americana 'Opal', Agave celsii 'Multicolor', Agave guiengola 'Creme Brulee', Agave 'Kissho Kan', Agave lophantha 'Quadricolor', Agave schidigera 'Shira ito no Ohi', and Agave 'Tradewinds'. All of these have been confined to the high-dollar collectors market... until now. Aren't market-driven economics wonderful?