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New Plants - Coming Out Party
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| Rohdea 'Zansetsu' |
If you're like us, 2008 was an exhausting year. Although we experienced
much better weather than 2007, it seemed like other distractions were
everywhere including Hurricane Ike, the gas price spike and decline, the
mortgage crisis and ensuing market meltdown, the decline in consumer
spending, and the fall elections. What's next ... airlines charging to
use seatbelts? Otherwise, it's been a great year!
2008 saw the bankruptcy of Hines Nursery, formerly the largest nursery
in the US, along with many other smaller nurseries and garden centers.
At least one of the largest mail order nurseries in the country hasn't
paid most of its suppliers since last spring and is on life support.
I've got an idea ... a Federal nursery bailout! Where's a lobbyist when
you need one? No doubt 50% of you are happy after the elections and the
rest are concerned at the promise of wealth redistribution. We've decided
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| Buddleia 'Miss Ruby' |
to take the bull by the proverbial horns and have already signed up for
the wealth redistribution program ... as a recipient, so feel free to
commence at any time. I'm betting all of us need something to take our
mind off the problems of the world, so could I suggest getting back into
gardening?
We're looking forward to 2009, which brings with it another exciting event
at Plant Delights. From September 23-26, Raleigh will host the Garden
Writers of America annual convention. If you are involved in garden
communications, whether in the form of writing, speaking, blogging, or
publicity, etc., we hope you will join us for area tours, talks,
networking with an array of gardening personalities, and a trade show.
You can find out more about the meeting at
www.gwasymposium2009.com
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| Agave 'Blue Ribbon' |
Enough about events, let's talk plants. For 2009, we continue to expand
the availability of collector edition agaves including four new
variegated selections starting with the winter hardy Agave parryi
'Excelsior' and Agave victoriae-reginae 'Kazo Bana'. Unless you live in
the deep South, the other two, the lovely Agave macroacantha 'Blue Ribbon'
and the large growing Agave salmiana 'Butterfingers' are for containers.
From the other branch of the woody lily tree, the wild and crazy Yucca
'Cousin It' and the return of the dwarf Yucca 'Tiny Star' highlight our list.
For regions which are short on precipitation, plants with underground
water storage organs are always a favorite. We continue to expand our
lycoris offerings with the superb but rarely available Lycoris straminea.
After many requests, we also have included a second giant calla, the
famous Zantedeschia 'Hercules'. A new hidden cone curcuma that is not
to be missed is the newly released Thai hybrid, C. 'Sulee Sunshine'.
After years of waiting, we finally have enough of two of our favorite
black-purple flowered Agapanthus inapertus to share, A. 'Nigrescens'
and A. 'Graskop'. For the woodland garden, we are pleased to add two
more rarely available Martagon lily hybrids to our offerings, L. 'Chernova'
and L. 'Moonyeen'. For something shorter to plant around the base,
two new wonderful clumping oxalis, O. 'Silverado' and O. 'Francis' are
simply charming.
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| Hosta 'Zebra Stripes' |
Got shade? If so, focus on some great new hosta additions. Four new
Plant Delights introductions include H. 'Capitol Hill' ... a lovely edged
form of H. 'Potomac Pride', H. 'Deliverance' with amazingly wavy leaves,
the long-awaited striped leaf H. 'Zebra Stripes', and H. 'Appetizer', a
vigorous dwarf hybrid. If small hostas are your thing, then check out
H. 'Imp', and H. 'Cat and Mouse', the latter a sport of the popular
H. 'Blue Mouse Ears'. While we're into sports, Hosta 'Andrew' is a
cream-centered sport of H. 'Blue Mammoth', H. 'Mango Tango' is a
reverse of the popular H. 'Stitch in Time', H. 'Roy Klehm' is a sport
of H. 'Summer Serenade', H. 'Change of Heart' comes from H. 'Cheatin Heart',
and H. 'Spartacus' mutated from H. 'Sea Gulf Stream' ... whew, that's a
whole lotta mutating going on.
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| Arisaema serratum 'Ulleung Treasure' |
To go with your new hostas, how about a giant Japanese painted fern,
Athyrium 'Godzilla' ... a PDN introduction sure to strike terror in the
hearts of smaller plants. Finally, we are able to share our
jack-in-the-pulpit selection, the Korean Arisaema serratum 'Ulleung Treasure'
... a clone that we think is possibly the best arisaema we've ever grown,
along with our favorite new rohdea, R. 'Zansetsu'. Five new ladyslipper
orchids join our 2009 mix including Cypripedium 'Inge', C. 'Sebastian',
the rare white-flowered form of the native C. reginae, and both the large
and small-flowered forms of Cypripedium parviflorum. Need a woodland
groundcover? Try Alpinia pumila, Iris odaesanensis, or the white-flowered
Iris japonica 'Wuhan Angel' ... all fascinating woodland plants that have
performed very well in our trials.
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| Epimedium 'Amber Queen' |
This is an exciting year for epimediums and our list includes the
yellow-flowering Epimedium 'Amber Queen' ... a plant so superb you have to
see it for yourself. E. 'Domino' is another epimedium that is simply not
to be missed, as is the Japanese hybrid E. 'Yokihi'. We have continued
to expand our hellebore selection into one of the country=s top offerings.
For the first time, we are including many of our own color strains, selected
by hand after flowering. Add to that, Helleborus x hybridus 'Elegance White',
a superb double-flowered, spotted clone and the fall flowering H. niger
'HGC Josef Lemper', and you=ve got an unsurpassed addition to the winter
woodland.
We continue to expand our cast iron plant offerings to what is possibly the
largest commercial selection in the world. This year's additions include
three new Aspidistra elatior selections, A. 'Fuji-no-Mine', A. 'Sekko Kan',
and A. 'Stars and Stripes'. Additionally, A. fimbriata 'Secret Stalker'
and A. 'Yellow Polka Dot Bikini' make great house plants in climates where
they don't prove winter hardy.
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| Buddleia 'Orange Sceptre' |
One of the most exciting introductions for 2009 includes three new
buddleias that have set new standards for the genus. From NC State's Dr.
Dennis Werner comes B. 'Miss Ruby', the closest to red of any buddleia,
and Buddleia 'Blue Chip', the shortest buddleia on the market. Both
ranked at the top of the recent voting at the Wisley Gardens, UK buddleia
trials. From Dr. Jon Lindstrom of the University of Arkansas, comes B.
'Orange Sceptre', the first true spiky orange-flowered hybrid that must be
seen to be believed.
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| Colocasia 'Mojito' |
The tropical look gets ratcheted up a notch with the introduction of
Colocasia 'Mojito', whose leaves simply defy description. Back it up with
a clump of Fargesia denudata ... another addition to our list of hardy
clumping bamboos or Punica 'Eight Ball' ... a black-fruited hardy
pomegranate we introduced. If you're into big and bodacious, you haven't
gardened until you've tried the true Equisetum giganteum ... just don't
plant it in the ground. We're also able to offer plants of Sabal palmetto
'Tifton Hardy' after finally getting our first good seed crop. If you're
a fan of lantanas and variegated plants, you'll flip over Lantana 'Southern
Fried' ... a variegated sport of the popular L. 'Miss Huff'.
If you're into US natives, we are pleased to present Chasmanthium 'River
Mist' which adds a whole new dimension to the native sea oats with its
amazing variegated foliage, while Cissus trifoliata is one of my favorite
native vines. We continue to add more nursery-propagated trilliums to our
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| Echinacea 'Tomato Soup' |
offerings, now including both T. rugelii and T. recurvatum. How about
the amsonia-leaf ironweed, Vernonia lettermannii? Very cool! Lest I forget,
the new variegated Jacob's ladder, Polemonium 'Touch of Class' is not only
beautiful, but has amazing vigor.
The work to improve natives through selection and hybridization continues
at a fever pitch and the 2009 results include the pompom-like Echinacea
'Pink Poodle', along with the deliciously-colored E. 'Tomato Soup'. In
the coral bell world, Heuchera 'Paris', has been a floral standout in our
trials, so we've got some to share. Three new native iris also made the
cut, including the vigorous Iris x louisiana 'Sinfonietta', the amazing
Iris cristata 'Tennessee White', and the lovely Iris x robusta 'Dark Aura'.
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| Hemerocallis 'Freewheelin' |
The best of the rest includes a wonderful heat tolerant snapdragon,
Antirrhinum hispanicum and a nice companion, the dwarf pink-flowered
Lychnis 'Rolly's Favorite'. The superb, but little-known spurge, Euphorbia
'Canyon Gold' with its colorful bracts is a great combination for Lychnis
'Orange Sherbet'. We're pleased to add one of each of our favorite
daylilies and iris, the wild Hemerocallis 'Freewheelin', and the amazing
Iris x pseudata 'Kimboshi' ... just darling.
We hope you'll find a few choice plants that pique your interest as we get
2009 off to a great start!
Enjoy
-tony
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Where Credit Is Due
The majority of the text was written by Tony Avent, who is solely responsible for its absurd nature and content.
Unless indicated, all photos were taken at Plant Delights Nursery by Tony Avent. Other photos were provided by:
H. Blumen, Boo Shoot Gardens, C. Brashear, Briggs Nursery, Casa Flora, T. Davis, R. Determann, K. Druse, J. Elsley, R. Gardner, G. Gusman, H. Hamernik, H. Hansen, R. Heuermann, Hillside Nursery, Hoffman Nursery, C. Husby, Itsaul Plants, J.C. Raulston, L. Klinkhamer, R. Livingston, J. McClements, North Creek Nurseries, Inc, S. Ogden, Pine Knot Farms, PlantHaven, Primrose Path, D. Probst, N. Rijnbeek, J. Roethling, J. Sacks, P. Schmidt, C. Seaver, Skagit Gardens, B. Solberg, D. Steinbrunner, W. Taylor, Terra Nova Nurseries, The Garden Shoppe, T. Van Paemel, M. Weinert, D. Werner, www.perennialresource.com, B. Yinger, and J. Yourch.
We are deeply indebted to those who have allowed us to use their photographs and to photograph plants in their wonderful gardens.
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