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New Roses 2021 - I

Four new roses for this year and next from Star Roses & Plants

images: Star Roses

Fiesta Veranda® Rose
(Rosa 'Korhesanwes')

This new rose, hybridized by Kordes®, looks well worth waiting for.  A strong, bright yellow, it contrasts beautifully with glossy dark green leaves.  It's a heavy bloomer and is perfect as a low hedge and does well in containers, too.  It has a bushy habit, a slight fragrance, and reaches a height of 3.5-4 feet with a spread of 2-3 feet. It requires full sun and is hardy in zones 5-11.  BUT .. available at retail in 2022.

 

Ruby Red™ Rose
(Rosa 'Meizilena')

You have to wait another year for this rose, too, but don't forget it.  It has a compact habit, just four feet high with a 2-3 foot spread, and the dark red blooms do not fade.  It has dark green, glossy leaves and is said to great in containers or in a garden bed.  It requires full sun and was hybridized by Meilland® .

 

Enchanted Peace™ Rose
(Rosa Meizoloi')

This rose is new at garden centers this coming spring, and its multi-colored blooms and great fragrance make it a real winner.  A hybrid tea, it's compact enough (up to 5' high, 2-3' spread) to be planted in containers and it's also disease resistant.  It has dark green, very glossy foliage and is hardy in zones 5-9.  It requires full sun.  Also from Meilland.

 

Sunset Horizon™ Rose
(Rosa Meisistoma')

Also available this spring, Sunset Horizon is a new floribunda from Meilland with excellent disease resistance and large, multi-colored flowers that start out a bright yellow and later take on a deep pink/cherry hue. It's 3-4' high with a spread of 3', and it needs full sun.  Hardy in zones 5-11.

New Plants 2021- I

From Bailey Nurseries, :

photos: Bailey Nurseries

First Editions® Cool Glow™ Pomegranite Nandina
(Nandina domestica 'ZhNan53')

What's different about this Nandina is that it has a spectacular red fall color as well as a compact habit, just 3-4 feet high and wide.  It has lacy dark green foliage most of the year, until it takes on its "pomegranite" hue in autumn.  It has an upright, rounded shape, making it a good choice for foundations and mass plantings.  Bred by the University of Georgia, it did not flower over four years of trials, so maybe it would not likely be considered invasive.  Zones 6-9.

Two other nandinas in the Cool Glow series include Cool Glow Lime (Nandina domestica 'ZhNan102'), with yellow-green fall foliage

 and Cool Glow Peach (Nandina domestica 'ZhNan28'), with peach-colored fall foliage.

 

First Editions® Electric Lights™ Red Azalea
(Rhododendron 'UMNAZ 633')

This azalea has fire engine red blooms in early spring, and it tolerates both sun and part shade.  It has a rounded, compact shape at 4-5 feet high and 3-4 feet wide.  The flower buds are hardy to -30F, and the shrub is hardy from zones 4-7.  That's a pretty wide range, and it will surely be a standout in the garden.

 

First Editions® Little Hottie™ Panicle Hydrangea
(Hydrangea paniculata 'Bailpanone')

This small hydrangea, 3-5 feet high and wide, was bred in Georgia for heat tolerance, but it also does very well in Minnesota, for a truly wide range. It's full flower heads emerge with a greenish hue and then turn sparkling white, and the flowers do not turn brown in high heat.  In fall the blooms fade to soft pink.  It takes full sun to part shade and is hardy in zones 3-8.

 

First Editions® Jade Parade® Sand Cherry
(Prunus pumila 'UCONNPP002')

Bailey says that this low-growing cherry is perfect as a mass planting groundcover.  Just 2-3 feet high, it has a 4-6 foot spread and arching, upward reaching branches.  Profuse, small white blooms in spring are followed by small black cherries in late summer.  The glossy, bluish-green leaves turn to shades of yellow, orange, and red in autumn.  Once established, it's tolerant of full sun and dry conditions. 

New Plants 2021: Monrovia

Monrovia is featuring some of its new 2021 plants at Cultivate ... the horticultural show that's going online this year ... July 13-16.  Here are a few plants to be introduced by Monrovia.

Nitty Gritty™ Groundcover Roses

They come in five colors -- peach shown here -- but also pink, yellow, red and white.  At three feet tall and four wide, they're said to offer exceptional disease resistance, along with a sweet fragrance and repeat blooming from late spring to fall.  What's not to like about that?  Hardy in zones 4-9.

 

Jazzy Jewel® Tropical Hibiscus

There aren't too many shrubs with orange flowers, so this is a candidate if you're looking for something different.  Flowers last for three days, with glossy deep green foliage and good disease resistance, including to bacterial leaf spot.  Flower colors come in ruby, gold, amber, and opal. Zones 10-11, two feet tall, spreading to six. It can also be grown as an annual in colder climates.

 

Seaside Serenade® Newport Hydrangea

There's always room for another hydrangea, and this one is perfect for either large or small gardens. It's a new part of the Seaside Serenade collection and is said to have particularly strong stems that do not flop in wind or rain. It has a compact habit and re-blooms from early summer until fall.  The flowers are either deep plum or pink, depending on the acidity of the soil.  Four feet tall and wide, it's hardy in zones 4-9. 

 

 

Books: Inspiration from an Expert

If you ever get a chance to visit Brandywine Cottage in Downington, PA, make sure you don't miss the tour.  I once saw it in pouring rain, and believe me, it was worth getting soaked through to the bone. But now, no matter what the season or weather, you can tour Brandywine Cottage through David Culp's latest book, A Year at Brandywine Cottage: Six Seasons of Beauty, Bounty, and Blooms (Timber Press, 2020).

Culp, a horticulturist, author, designer, and VP of Sunny Border Nurseries in Connecticut, has spent 30+ years creating his own spectacular garden in Pennsylvania.

The book is divided into seasons, and it features scores of beautiful photos, a plan of the garden in the frontispiece, and recipes scattered throughout.  In Culp's garden, there are six seasons:  early and late spring, summer, followed by early and late fall and winter. 

And just to give you a hint of what you'll find, in early spring there's a discussion of snowdrops, including three species (of the 20) and myriad cultivars.  As Culp says, "Once you can see the differences among them, chances are you'll want to start a collection of  your own -- perfect for those with obsessive tendencies." Beautiful photos of his favorites will get your orders going.

He tells you how to get the best from your hellebores, why you should grow a silverbell tree -- for the magical carpet of petals -- and the delight of moveable containers, where you can "create looks that you may not be able to replicate" in the the garden. In early fall, Culp delights in the plants that self-seed everywhere, including Corydalis lutea, a small geranium (Geranium robertianum), Pulmonaria and violets, just to mention a few.

In winter, he brings in branches with berries and evergreens, and delights in the plants that look good covered with frost or snow.

And how about trying some of his favorite recipes:  persimmon pudding, leek and cheese tart, black walnut cookies, summer squash pizza, cream of sorrel soup.

The photos in the book are simply spectacular,and will start you searching for that garden tour that takes you to Brandywine Cottage.

 

 

New Plants 2020 -- II

New this year from Bailey Nurseries

First Editions® Tianshan® Seven-son flower
(Heptacodium miconioides 'Minhep')

Named after the mountain range in China where the species is native, this variety has a compact habit (yay!), only 8-12 feet high and 5-7 feet wide.  It's a rounded, upright shrub or small tree with fragrant white flowers in late summer.  The exfoliating bark is another nice attribute, especially in the winter season.  Use as a specimen or an informal hedge.  Zones 5-9, takes full sun to part shade.

 

First Editions® Autumn Inferno® Cotoneaster
(Cotoneaster 'Bronfire')

What makes this cotoneaster quite unusual is the small red berries that form along the stems in fall ... berries that stay on the plant until the birds come and take them away.  Plus, it has spectacular autumn color.  it has an upright, arching form with a height of 5-6 feet and a spread of 4-5 feet.  Dark green leaves in spring and summer make it perfect to use as an informal hedge.  Zones 5-7, takes full sun to part shade.

 

First Editions® Love Child® Sweetspire
(Itea virginica 'Bailteaone')

There's always room for another sweetspire, and this one is particularly nice because of its compact habit and heavy, sweet-scented blooms in May to June.  It has bright green leaves in spring that turn a noticeable burgundy color in fall.  Three to four feet high and wide, takes sun or shade and is deer resistant, too.  Zones 6-9.

 

First Editions® Iceberg Alley® Sageleaf Willow
(Salix candida 'Jefberg')

Great plant to contrast with other shrubs, this native willow was discovered by the Memorial University of Newfoundland and Labrador Botanical Garden.  At just three to six feet high and wide with silvery leaves, in spring it has silver catkins with red stamens that can be cut an brought inside for early displays.  Best in full sun and moist soils, zones 2-6.

photos: Bailey Nurseries, click to enlarge

 

 

New Roses 2020 - II

Lovely new beauties from Star Roses & Plants:

photos: Star Roses & Plants, click to enlarge

Petite Knock Out® Rose
(Rosa 'Meibenbino')

What's not to like about a tiny knockout rose that's just 18" high at mature height? For those with small patios and decks, it's the perfect solution. (Nothing is worse than trying to grow a full-size rose in a pot on a small balcony -- believe me, I've tried).  This rose is compact and bushy, with tons of deep, non-fading red blooms, and of course, like the regular knockout, it blooms continuously until frost.  The dark green glossy leaves contrast beautifully with the flowers, and the plant is very resistant to black spot.  USDA Zones 5-10. 

 

Bright & Shiny™ Rose
(Rosa 'Radapshin')

The color of this shrub rose is quite remarkable, apricot-orange with tones of yellow, and it finishes up a light pink.  Dark green and glossy leaves provide a perfect background for the flower color.  It has only a slight fragrance, but the color alone would make it a welcome addition to almost any garden.  Five feet high, bushy form, needs full sun.  Hybridized by William Radler

 

Pretty Polly® White Rose
(Rosa 'Zlepoltwo')

This white polyantha flowers from spring until fall, and its compact habit -- just three feet tall and wide -- make it a great candidate for the smaller garden.  It has good disease resistance, is almost thornless, and has a light, sweet fragrance.  USDA Zones 4-10, takes full sun. Hybridized by David Zlesak.

 

Stiletto™ Rose
(Rosa Meizolnil')

A hybrid tea with large magenta non-fading blooms, a very strong scent, and an upright growth habit up to five and a half feet tall.  The leaves are a dark glossy green, and it requires full sun.  Hybridized by Meilland International.  A real beauty, best for climates in the West.

New Plants 2020 - I

The following from Spring Meadow Nursery, new for 2020, although they won't show up at retail centers until next year.

The Velvet Fog™ Smokebush
(Cotinus coggygria 'SMNCCPP3')

If you're into showy plants, this may be the one for you: huge puffs of pink fog in mid-summer that cover the entire plant. To top it all off, the waxy leaves are a blue-green hue, with red new growth. So it's a show-stopper for almost all year. It fits in the garden as either a shrub or a small tree.

Five to eight feet tall, six feet wide, to USDA Zone 5, deer and disease resistant, drought tolerant., takes full to part sun.

Bred by Tim Wood of Spring Meadow.

 

Stonehenge Dark Druid™ Yew
(Taxus x media SMNTHDB')

Everybody thinks that yews are boring, but not this one, folks. It could even be a stand-in for all those places you might use boxwood. The foliage is deep green, the habit is round and tight, and it has great winter coloration and hardiness.  Use as a low hedge or as a stand-alone specimen. 

Two to three feet tall, three feet wide, to USDA Zone 5-6.  Takes part sun in Zone 5, part sun to shade in Zone 6.

Bred by Tim Wood of Spring Meadow

 

Sunjoy Neo™ Barberry
(Berberis thunbergii 'NCBT2')

Not sure the true color shows up in this photo, but the foliage on the this barberry is orange. It's a semi-dwarf selection that holds its color all season, but is electrifying in spring when the new growth emerges.  Small yellow flowers in spring.

Two and a half feet high and wide, USDA Zones 5-8, deer and disease resistant, drought tolerant, use in garden beds. 

Bred by Dr. Tom Ranney of N.Carolina State University.

 

Tortuga™ Juniper
(Juniperus communis 'SMNJCB')

I'm always looking for another groundcover juniper that looks attractive, and this new one fits the bill.  It has jade-green foliage and grows naturally into a low mound, so it would be perfect in many a garden bed. 

Two feet high, three to four feet wide, USDA Zones 2-7.  Tolerant of deer, drought, dry soil, air pollution, poor fertility, polar vortexes, black walnut toxicity,  sand, rocks, groundhogs, limestone and road salt.  What's not to love about this plant?

Bred by Tim Wood of Spring Meadow.

 

 

 

Happy Valentine's Day

 

O, my luve's like a red, red rose,
That's newly sprung in June.
O, my Luve's like a melodie,
That's sweetly played in tune...
               Robert Burns

And this rose is surely what the poet had in mind.

"Valentine's Day," new from Weeks Roses in 2006,
is a climbing mini-flora with canes 6-10 feet high, medium-size, deep red velvet blooms,  and very dark green leaves.

It's a repeat bloomer which flowers the first year on new and old wood.  Said to be ideal for fences, balconies (think Juliet) or trellises, and of course, valentines.

(Photo by Gene Sasse © courtesy of Weeks Roses)

New Plants 2019 - II

Some of the new plants this year from Bailey Nurseries

First Editions® Lotty's Love™ Rose
(Rosa rugosa 'BOC rogosnif')

This new ever-blooming rugosa won a gold medal from the American Rose Society, most likely because it has huge clusters of semi-double deep pink blooms with golden stamens and a strong cinnamon aroma. It's cold hardy to Zone 3, tolerant to salt, and forms red rose hips in autumn.  Size is about 3,5 high and wide, and it takes full sun.

 

First Editions® Berry White™ Hydrangea
(Hydrangea paniculata 'Renba')

There can never be enough new Hyd paniculatas, and this is no exception. It has strong, upright stems and blooms, which emerge white in midsummer and then fade to deep pink.  The color of the flowers can vary according to zone, climate, and soil type.  But -- it flourishes in Zones 3-8, and grows six to seven feet high and four to five wide.  Sun to part sun.

 

First Editions® French Cabaret™ Red Hibiscus
(Hibiscus syriacus 'Mindoub1')

Grow this tree-form Rose of Sharon for its lovely flowers, with dark pink buds that open to a blush pink with shades of white.  It has large double blooms that provide a show from July to October.  Moreover, it's heat and drought tolerant and can be grown in alkaline soils.  Zones 5-8, five to eight feet high and four to seven feet wide.

 

First Editions® Flip Side™ Chastetree
(Vitex x 'Bailtexone')

You might late summer blooms are the main reason to grow chastetree, but this one is an exception because of its unusual foliage -- olive-green leaves that are purple on the underside, for a show even when the shrub is not in flower.  The deep purple flowers re-bloom and attract a number of pollinators.  It's hardy in Zones 7-9 and is more compact than other varieties, at 6-8 feet high and 8-10 feet wide. 

 

New Roses 2019 - II

New Roses for 2019 from Star Roses & Plants:

Cherry Frost™ Rose
(Rosa Overedclimb')

A lovely disease-resistant climber that repeat blooms throughout the season and is hardy to USDA Zone 4.  What's not to like about that?  It has dark green leaves that contrast beautifully with the deep red blooms, which are small and cup-like.  It grows up to six and one-half feet tall and was hybridized by Jule Overom.  Good choice for smaller gardens that need a little height here and there.

Pinkerbelle™ Rose
(Rosa Melvanae')

This hybrid tea has a strong, spicy verbena fragrance and it's said to be highly disease resistant.  It has performed well in climates where roses are subject to black spot and it's hardy in zones 5-10, so it will come back strong even after cold winters. It has a bushy habit, with dark green foliage and pink cup-like flowers.  It grows to 5.5 feet high and was hybridized by Meilland®.

Candy Sunblaze® Rose
(Rosa 'Sproulsun')

This is a miniature rose in Star's Sunblaze® series, perfect for containers and the first striped rose in the series.
It has a compact rounded habit and the blooms are deep pink to red striped with finishing touches of white.  It'll reach a height of two feet, a good choice for patios and small gardens.

Sweet Spirit™ Rose
(Rosa 'Meithatie')

Another rose from Meilland, this grandiflora has a bushy habit and reaches 3-4 feet high.  The double flowers have a strong, sweet aroma and it's said to perform well in hot and humid weather and has good disease resistance, so it might be something you want in your garden as climate change continues to increase temperatures.  It has dark green leaves and reddish-deep pink blooms, hardy in Zones 5-10.