Excerpt of SNEAK PEAK OF NEW PLANTS FOR 2004 By Rita Pelczar

We gardeners don’t ask for much. We only want bigger, longer-lasting flowers, in dazzling new shades, on plants that are taller, shorter, or more statuesque, and, perhaps, a fragrance we’ve never experienced. And as long as we’re talking about improvements, how about some tastier, heavier-yielding, more disease- and pest-tolerant, tomatoes, cucumbers, squash, and beans?

In our endless quest for perfection, we have come to expect plant breeders to provide us with an annual parade of new and improved varieties for our gardens. Amazingly, each year breeders attempt to fulfill our expectations, and this year is no exception.

The following is a sampling of some of the most exciting new plants we’ve uncovered for the new growing season.

Herbaceous Perennials

Terra Nova Nurseries (http://www.terranovanurseries.com) continues its effort to expand the options for color, size, and form among several ornamental perennial species, this year introducing 42 new varieties, many that you can look for at your local garden center.

For shady locations, a new lady fern, Athyrium filix-femina ‘Dre’s Dagger’ (Zones 4–9, 9–1) makes a dramatic presence with its deep green, criss-crossed fronds that narrow to a point with a small crest.

As usual, some of Terra Nova’s most exciting introductions are heucheras, tiarellas, and heucherellas. Heuchera ‘Lime Rickey’ (Zones 4–9, 8–1) bears ruffled, lime-green leaves and pure white spring flowers. H. ‘Pink Lipstick’ (Zones 4–9, 8–1) produces a low mound of green foliage that supports 24-inch spikes of bright pink flowers. The evergreen leaves display red overtones in winter. The large green leaves of Tiarella ‘Candy Striper’ (Zones 5–8, 8–5) display a deep red stripe down the center of each lobe. The foamy white flowers emerge from pink buds. xHeucherella ‘Party Time’ (Zones 4–9, 9–3) bears pink flowers over a long season above its bronze and silver leaves.

A new heucherella from Monrovia Nursery (http://www.monrovia.com) named ‘Heart of Darkness’ (Zones 4–9, 9–3) is purported to have one of the most interesting foliage patterns of any available heucherella. Leaves are large and lobed, with dark burgundy centers and mint-green margins, all overlaid with metallic silver-gray. The white spring flowers, borne on 18-to 24-inch stems, are excellent for cutting.

Another Terra Nova introduction is a heuchera relative, Mukdenia rossii ‘Crimson Fans’ (Zones 4–9, 9–5). This plant, native to China, has red-splashed green leaves and bears white bell-shaped flowers from February to April. It needs a site in part shade with evenly moist soil.

Aquilegia chrysantha var. chaplinei ‘Little Treasure’ (Zones 3–8, 8–1), is a High Country Gardens introduction suited to compost-enriched soils and part shade. This dwarf columbine grows to 15 inches tall, with bright yellow, upward-facing flowers with prominent spurs.

For gardeners in warm climates, Monrovia offers the gold stripe flax lily (Dianella tasmanica ‘Yellow Stripe’, Zones 8–11, 12–1) to add color to shady corners. The strap-shaped, evergreen leaves are striped green and bright yellow along their entire length. Small sprays of blue spring flowers are followed by blue-black fruits that persist into winter.

For sunny cottage gardens, Terra Nova offers two new barrenworts (Astrantia major, Zones 4–7, 7–1). The large pink buds of ‘Magnum Blush’ open to ivory flowers with a pink blush. ‘Sunningdale Gold’ produces golden foliage and white flowers. As summer progresses and flowers fade, the leaves deepen to green.
Mulleins (Verbascum spp.) are particularly at home in the sunny cottage garden. Terra Nova’s ‘Plum Smokey’ (Zones 5–9, 8–2) is a compact variety bearing dense clusters of large purple flowers on 16-inch stems.

A pair of campanulas—also from Terra Nova—may be hard for many to resist given their long-term ornamental displays. Campanula punctata ‘Plum Wine’ (Zones 3–9, 9–1) is easy to grow in the sun, producing red winter leaves that turn dark green in summer, setting off large rose-purple flowers. Campanula ‘Royal Wave’ (Zones 3–9, 9–1) is a sturdy and floriferous selection that bears two-inch-wide, blue-purple flowers with white centers from late spring through summer.

If really big flowers are your aim, look for Hibiscus moschuetos ‘Luna Red’ (Zones 5–11, 12–1), from Ball Horticultural Company. Each bloom measures seven to eight inches across and makes an impressive display on bushy two-to-three-foot-tall plants.

Gardeners in drier climes may want to investigate two introductions from High Country Gardens. Pineleaf garden pink (Dianthus pinifolius, Zones 4–9, 8–5) forms low mounds of blue-green foliage, and dark red blooms that are held above the leaves on wiry stems. It thrives in hot, sunny gardens. Delosperma ‘Tiffindell Magenta’ (Zones 8–10, 10–8), a carpeting ice plant, is native to the mountains of South Africa. It produces a tight mat of evergreen foliage and bears small purple flowers early in spring. It prefers a lean soil.

Most coneflowers bear flowers ranging from white to various shades of purple. Echinacea ‘Art’s Pride’ (Zones 4–9, 9–3)—offered by Monrovia as the trademarked Orange Meadowbrite—brings a new tropical color to the palette. Like all coneflowers, it attracts butterflies and prefers a sunny, well-drained location.

Roses

Bailey Nurseries is expanding its Easy Elegance™ rose collection—roses bred for easy care, hardiness, and disease resistance—with several new varieties this spring. Among these are ‘Firecracker’ (Zones 4–10, 9–4) which bears bright pink-red flowers with white centers, and ‘Funny Face’ (Zones 4–10, 9–4), with variable flowers in shades of pink, some with darker pink splotches, freckles, or blushes.
Conard-Pyle (http://www.starroses.com) is introducing several new easy care and disease-resistant roses, most prominently Blushing Knock Out™ (‘Radyod’, Zones 4–10, 9–4), a pink-flowered shrub rose that blooms profusely, is extremely hardy, and thrives even in humid regions.
 

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Photo credits:
Hibiscus moschuetos ‘Luna Red’ courtesy of Ball Horticultural
Echinacea ‘Art’s Pride’ courtesy of Monrovia
Easy Elegance rose courtesy of Bailey Nurseries
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