New Plants From Proven Winners
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- July
- 7
As a garden writer, I sometimes get sample plants from growers and nurseries, to evaluate and see how I like them. This year, Proven Winners sent me a big box of new plants that they’re bringing to the retail market next spring:
They arrived in very good shape — a total of 19 new plants in 4.5-inch pots.
I really like these two new varieties of sweet potato vine, Ipomoea ‘Emerald Lace’ and Ipomoea ‘Midnight Lace:
So does my new nemesis, The Groundhog.
I immediately moved the pots to the screened porch, even though they’ll remain in shade for most of the day. Better than certain death at the hands of The Groundhog. It took the poor plant right to the ground:
The box included three pots of Lobularia ‘Snow Princess.’ It’s like the alyssum we know, but on steroids.
A lovely violet-colored annual called Nierembergia ‘Blue Skies’:
Two pots of a hybrid verbena called Superbena ‘Pink Parfait’:
The box also included two pots of Egyptian papyrus, three containers of Diascia ‘Flirtation Orange’ and two new hydrangeas.
Hydrangea ‘Incrediball’ offers huge pure-white pompomlike blooms. It’s supposed to be an improved version of ‘Annabelle,’ with stronger tougher stems that don’t get floppy. I have tons of that one, so I’m very curious to see how ‘Incrediball’ does.
The other, Hydrangea ‘Invincible Spirit,’ is a pink bloomer.
I’ll keep you updated on how they do.
This entry was posted
on Tuesday, July 7th, 2009 at 9:52 am by Bill Cary.
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Bill Cary grew up in Louisville, Ky. His gardening was limited to growing parsley and impatiens on the windowsill of Manhattan walkups until the mid-1990s when he bought a rundown old chicken farm on 8 acres in the Hudson Valley. Now he spends his weekends chasing deer, hacking away at invasive shrubs and vines and wondering why he doesn`t have more meadow and less lawn.
Bill,
I planted the Snow Princess with Heuchera ‘Blackcurrant’, another PW intro. They look spectacular, The Superbena Pink Parfait is looking gorgeous with Lamium ‘Pink Chablis’ also from PW. Almost the exact same color but very different flower form of course and the silver leaves edged with emerald make a beautiful contrast!\Ruth
Sounds great, Ruth. Thanks for posting.
Bill,
I laughed when I came to the groundhog destruction picture – looks like some of my pots. What to do?
And what rips off semi-ripe tomatoes from my patio tomatoes? The critter doesn’t even eat them, just ruins them with a few bites. Does anyone know a deterrent that works? They are now shrouded in plastic netting – ugh!
I blame everything on the squirrels.