2007 wasn't a banner year for me in the garden. Family responsibilities hit in a big way when my mother passed away in early April. Between running back and forth to Dad's house on weekends and dealing with other issues, the garden ended up taking a back seat.
To be honest, I didn't even get my front yard replanted after I had all the old over-grown plants removed. So my house, sad to say, doesn't really look like the home of a gardener.
But I did manage to get some garden time in the backyard beds, and I've found a few new plants that are very worthy of recognition.
For starters, there was the box of test plants I received from Proven Winners. They will be available for sale this spring, and there were a few standouts: the annuals Lantana 'Luscious Grape'; Angelonia 'Angleface White Imp' and 'Angelface Dark Violet'; Calibrachoa 'Superbells Apricot Punch,' 'Superbells Dreamsicle' and 'Superbells Saffron' and Cuphea 'Totally Tempted.'
The Angelonia is a shorter, less leggy variety that I highly recommend over the old types. In containers, with water and regular fertilizing, they kept going all season right up until frost.
The lilac 'Beauty of Moscow' is another plant that I wouldn't be without. The smell of this beauty is beyond description, far outstripping the scent of the old garden lilacs at the bottom of the yard. This isn't a new plant, but it certainly is well worth seeking out if you're looking for a lilac.
The small ornamental shrub Weigelia 'My Monet' really came into its own this summer. This is the second year for it, but the lovely little shrub, which is very small, topping out at about a foot, sports multicolor leaves that last all season. It's a great accent plant in the front of the border, and some of my friends have had luck with it in containers.
Kolkwitzia amabilis 'Dream Catcher' is a beauty bush that has golden yellow foliage and an orange fall color, which complement the flowers and make it a shrub for many seasons. This is the first year for the plant in my plot, but it promises to be a winner.
For those who like rose of Sharon, a new variety called 'Lil Kim' may be of interest. Though I've never been a big fan of these semi-weedy plants, this little guy might change my mind. It tops off at 3 to 4 feet tall with large white flowers sporting a red eye. The flowers last three days, instead of the usual one. As with most rose of Sharon, which you couldn't kill with a torch, it seems to be quite hardy. This just might be the plant to stick in that difficult spot.Look for this plant
In the new issue of Fine Gardening magazine, Allan Armitage mentions a new Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium) called 'Phantom.' Usually when Mr. Armitage mentions something, it's worth a look, and this plant sounds like just the ticket for those of us who have smaller gardens. This plant gets no bigger than 3 feet, unlike the 6- to 8-foot varieties. While it is not proven if this plant will remain reliably short, it's worth a try. He mentions two outlets for this plant: Big Dipper Farms, http://www.bigdipperfarm.com/ or Plant Delights Nursery at http://www.plantdelights.com/.Garden shows
Now here's a few gardening related things you might want to mark on your calendar. Two outstanding out-of-town garden shows are coming soon.
The first one is the National City Home & Garden Show in Cleveland. Held at the IX Center, this show is always full of interesting things for gardeners, along with many exhibition gardens, and it is, in my experience, worth the drive. This season the garden theme is "Bella Italia." The show will be Feb. 2-10, for more information visit www. homeandflower .com.
The other is the queen mother of all U.S. garden shows, the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The show will be March 2-9 and the theme is "Jazz It Up!" If you have the time and the ability, this is one show that all gardeners should see at least once in a lifetime.
Absolute nirvana for gardeners with unbelievable garden displays. And after you finish marveling at the displays, you can shop in the gardener's market. For more information, visit http://www.theflowershow.com/.
More locally, the Phipps Plant Auction will be May 2 at the Phipps Garden Center and the annual May Market, also at the Garden Center, now in its 73rd year, will be open to the public May 16-18.Feeling good and dirty
And lastly, cut this item and wave it in front of the clean unbelievers in your life, who think getting dirty in the garden is a nutty way to spend time. In the Jan./Feb. issue of Garden Gate magazine, an item says that researchers at Bristol University and University College London have found that a soil bacteria called Mycobacterium vaccae helps elevate mood. Studies with mice found that the bacterium affects the brain in a similar way to antidepressants. So you really aren't crazy after all! Garden on.
To be honest, I didn't even get my front yard replanted after I had all the old over-grown plants removed. So my house, sad to say, doesn't really look like the home of a gardener.
But I did manage to get some garden time in the backyard beds, and I've found a few new plants that are very worthy of recognition.
For starters, there was the box of test plants I received from Proven Winners. They will be available for sale this spring, and there were a few standouts: the annuals Lantana 'Luscious Grape'; Angelonia 'Angleface White Imp' and 'Angelface Dark Violet'; Calibrachoa 'Superbells Apricot Punch,' 'Superbells Dreamsicle' and 'Superbells Saffron' and Cuphea 'Totally Tempted.'
The Angelonia is a shorter, less leggy variety that I highly recommend over the old types. In containers, with water and regular fertilizing, they kept going all season right up until frost.
The lilac 'Beauty of Moscow' is another plant that I wouldn't be without. The smell of this beauty is beyond description, far outstripping the scent of the old garden lilacs at the bottom of the yard. This isn't a new plant, but it certainly is well worth seeking out if you're looking for a lilac.
The small ornamental shrub Weigelia 'My Monet' really came into its own this summer. This is the second year for it, but the lovely little shrub, which is very small, topping out at about a foot, sports multicolor leaves that last all season. It's a great accent plant in the front of the border, and some of my friends have had luck with it in containers.
Kolkwitzia amabilis 'Dream Catcher' is a beauty bush that has golden yellow foliage and an orange fall color, which complement the flowers and make it a shrub for many seasons. This is the first year for the plant in my plot, but it promises to be a winner.
For those who like rose of Sharon, a new variety called 'Lil Kim' may be of interest. Though I've never been a big fan of these semi-weedy plants, this little guy might change my mind. It tops off at 3 to 4 feet tall with large white flowers sporting a red eye. The flowers last three days, instead of the usual one. As with most rose of Sharon, which you couldn't kill with a torch, it seems to be quite hardy. This just might be the plant to stick in that difficult spot.Look for this plant
In the new issue of Fine Gardening magazine, Allan Armitage mentions a new Joe-Pye weed (Eupatorium) called 'Phantom.' Usually when Mr. Armitage mentions something, it's worth a look, and this plant sounds like just the ticket for those of us who have smaller gardens. This plant gets no bigger than 3 feet, unlike the 6- to 8-foot varieties. While it is not proven if this plant will remain reliably short, it's worth a try. He mentions two outlets for this plant: Big Dipper Farms, http://www.bigdipperfarm.com/ or Plant Delights Nursery at http://www.plantdelights.com/.Garden shows
Now here's a few gardening related things you might want to mark on your calendar. Two outstanding out-of-town garden shows are coming soon.
The first one is the National City Home & Garden Show in Cleveland. Held at the IX Center, this show is always full of interesting things for gardeners, along with many exhibition gardens, and it is, in my experience, worth the drive. This season the garden theme is "Bella Italia." The show will be Feb. 2-10, for more information visit www. homeandflower .com.
The other is the queen mother of all U.S. garden shows, the 2008 Philadelphia Flower Show at the Pennsylvania Convention Center. The show will be March 2-9 and the theme is "Jazz It Up!" If you have the time and the ability, this is one show that all gardeners should see at least once in a lifetime.
Absolute nirvana for gardeners with unbelievable garden displays. And after you finish marveling at the displays, you can shop in the gardener's market. For more information, visit http://www.theflowershow.com/.
More locally, the Phipps Plant Auction will be May 2 at the Phipps Garden Center and the annual May Market, also at the Garden Center, now in its 73rd year, will be open to the public May 16-18.Feeling good and dirty
And lastly, cut this item and wave it in front of the clean unbelievers in your life, who think getting dirty in the garden is a nutty way to spend time. In the Jan./Feb. issue of Garden Gate magazine, an item says that researchers at Bristol University and University College London have found that a soil bacteria called Mycobacterium vaccae helps elevate mood. Studies with mice found that the bacterium affects the brain in a similar way to antidepressants. So you really aren't crazy after all! Garden on.
