Every gardener has favorite plants they rely on and grow every year, but we all like to try something new once in awhile. Hundreds, if not thousands of new plant varieties are developed and each year. Some of them won’t stand the test of time, but many are too tempting to pass up. The plants showcased here are some of the new introductions for 2008 that have tempted me. Take a look to see if any might look good in your garden.
Photo: © National Garden Bureau, Inc. Used with Permission.Those cleaver plant breeders keep playing with a plant’s best feature and making them better: a dark leaved hibiscus, a tri-color ornamental corn and a foxglove that faces up are some of new annual flowers we’ll see in seed catalogs and nurseries this spring. Keep in mind that although new plants are tested in gardens across hardiness zones, until you actually grow them in your garden, you won’t know how they perform. Soil, weather, and even the attention of the gardener are all variables that will effect how well any grows. So put these to the test and then let me know what you grew and how it did.
Photo: © National Garden Bureau, Inc. Used with Permission.New vegetable varieties have seen great improvements in size, yield and disease resistance. None of this matters unless the final result tastes good. On the other hand, if a plant doesn’t grow well, there is no result to taste. There has to be a balance and hopefully, these vegetable varieties have found it. (With a healthy dose of taste.)
Photo: © All America Selection. Used with Permission.There was a time when new it took forever to get the word out about new plant introductions. There was no organized method of testing and comparing new plants. In 1932, the All America Selections (AAS) designation was created as a means for seed companies to work cooperatively to test and market new flower and vegetable varieties, with the goal of being able to tell home gardeners which new introductions were actually improved varieties.
To appreciate their efforts, consider how standard these classic AAS winners have become: Petunia F1 'Wave® Purple' (1992), Rudbeckia 'Indian Summer', Kentucky Blue Pole Bean (1991) and Fernleaf Dill.
There are only 3 winners this year. Time will tell if they become as popular as Kentucky Blue.
Photo: © All America Rose Selections. Used with Permission.No gardeners are harder to impress than rosarians. They concentrate on the queen of the garden and discriminate even further into classes. So when the All-America Rose Selections™ (AARS) winners are announced, you can consider it a safe bet that the winning roses deserve a look.
AARS winners are tested for 2 years against 15 criteria, before being selected. Besides their outstanding beauty, winning roses must exhibit good disease resistant and ease of maintenance. Not what you'd immediately think of in exquisite roses, but exquisite they are.
Photo: © Blooms of Bressingham. Used with Permission.OK, Geranium ‘Rozanne’ is not a new plant for 2008, but it is being honored this year. The Perennial Plant Association (PPA) was formed to get the word out about great perennial plants to grow. It’s hard to remember a time when gardeners didn’t know about perennials like hardy geraniums, but that just shows you how well the PPA has done its job. The PPA and other gardeners. Because Geranium ‘Rozanne’ has gotten a good amount of buzz from gardeners, like me, who have grown it and recommended it to others.
Marie IannottiCalendula is even older than Geranium 'Rozanne', but you'll be seeing a lot of it this year, since the Herb Society of America has chosen it their Herb of the Year. Calendula, or Pot Marigolds, are bright, cheery flowers that blur the lines between ornamental and herb. You can grow them for their profuse blooms or use them in cooking, herbal medicines or as a dye plant. If calendula is new to you, you'll enjoy becoming acquainted.
