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In the last decade osteospermums have moved from sprawling more-or-less hardy plants for the front of the sunny border – with a few used in containers – to valuable bushy container plants in a very wide range of colours and flower forms. Almost all container plants are developing as trailing types as...
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There’s a lot happening in columbines these days and the latest innovation is red, orange gold and yellow doubles. And you can see from this first picture (click to enlarge)… They really are startling. Carrie Thomas, who runs Touchwood Plants near Swansea, is the holder of two Plant Heritage National...
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When nurseries propagate delphiniums from cuttings it’s a slow business. Each plant only yields a few cuttings so it can take many years to build up sufficient stocks of new varieties so that they can be introduced. So, naturally, thoughts turn to raising them from seed. However, as with hellebores,...
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Over on my Transatlantic Plantsman blog I've just posted about a brand new vegetable - a hybrid between kale and Brussels sprouts ! Seed and plants are available. And... it'll be in the shops next week. Flavour reports would be welcome.
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We see so many new roses launched every year, mostly through the familiar rose nurseries we see at the Chelsea and Hampton Court shows, that it's refreshing to see some good new varieties from a less familiar source. Delbard Roses in France has a long tradition of introducing fine varieties. They...
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Nurseries have been turning their attention to cordylines this last year or two, and both introducing brand new varieties and picking up existing varieties from other parts of the world and bringing them to British gardeners. One of them, ‘Southern Splendour', was introduced at Chelsea and there's...
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The African fountain grass, Pennisetum setaceum , is an elegant and attractive, but rather tender, ornamental grass most often seen in the form with burgundy red foliage – ‘Rubrum’. But now the first variegated form has been released. And it’s not a variegated form of the wild green-leaved version but...
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Last month I published two articles on recent and upcoming developments in hellebore breeding. Both are now available online at the RHS website. In the December issue of The Garden I wrote about hybrids between the Christmas rose, Helleborus niger , and other hellebore species. Read it here. In the December...
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On this the last day of the year, I'm looking ahead to 2010 and picking out five perennials to watch for in the coming year (click the picture to enlarge it). One or two may have been available in very restricted quantities recently, but I expect all to become available by mail order during the year...
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Edward Wilson began breeding penstemons in the little Worcestershire village of Pensham in 1985. In all he raised almost seventy varieties before he passed away in August and his final introductions from his breeding programme are now available from Hayloft Plants. These include ‘Pensham Skies',...
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Back in February I mentioned a new petunia from Suttons that was needing a name. Well, I just thought I'd mention that the winning entry in their competition to name the plant was - ‘Midnight Eclipse'. The blue flowers have a very dark throat and are edged in green - a unique combination. And...
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Last month I wrote up a new dicentra from Japan - Dicentra 'Burning Hearts' . I had so many comments, emails, tweets and even a phone call about it that over on my Transatlantic Plantsman blog - recently shortlisted for the Garden Blog of the Year award! - I've discussed all the varieties...
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Something important is happening this month... In the run up to Christmas and into January the RHS plant centres will be stocking a new hybrid between H. niger , the Christmas Rose, and H . x hybridus , the Lenten Rose, for the first time. And, from what I've seen. it looks to be a great plant. Over...
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Plants with both good foliage and good flowers are always welcome, especially in small gardens where the benefit of being rewarded by two seasons of colour from one plant is invaluable. Caryopteris , long known for their prolific late summer and autumn flowers, have been receiving a great deal of attention...
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Heucheras are now the second most popular perennials with RHS members, so with three brand new varieties available to order it only seems reasonable to feature them. They are ‘Electric Lime', ‘Midnight Bayou', and ‘Shanghai'. All are from the extensive Heuchera breeding programme at Terra...
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