Denny's Soapbox

2008 New Plants

Spring is officially a couple of weeks away. It’s certainly not too soon to start planning your spring landscape improvements. Last year at this same time I wrote about all the new plant varieties available for spring ’07. Well, the plant breeders haven’t slept much as you will soon discover. This year’s introductions are every bit as exciting as last year’s, maybe even more.

Let’s start right here at home and formally introduce a new prize winning rose that was bred by our own Dr. John Pottschmidt who brings us one of the new roses of the year ‘Dream Come True’, a grandiflora with golden yellow blooms edged and blushed with ruby, very fragrant, repeating blooms on a plant with very shiny leaves. Dr. Pottschmidt, a retired Cincinnati OB responsible for bringing thousands of babies into this world has also been doing the same with thousands of roses he has worked with over many years. “Dream Come True” will be a featured blooming plant at this spring’s Cincinnati Flower Show.

2008 will also see the newest Knock Out Rose, ‘Sunny’, a bright yellow blooming plant as strong growing as the other Knock Out’s.

Drift Roses from Star™ Roses is a new family of ground cover roses, comes in four colors, grows to only 12” tall. Great for planters, hanging baskets and garden, very hardy.

The hydrangea family continues to grow (pardon the pun). Pinky Winky is a new very unique hydrangea with very large two-toned white and pink flowers starting in mid-summer. The bloom stems are very strong holding large 12 to 16” blooms up so they don’t droop, even in wet weather. The blooms are two toned of pink and white and are of the P.G. variety meaning the blooms grow on same season stem growth making the bloom very dependable.

Other new hydrangea varieties:

‘Color Sensation’ – deep pink, almost red.

‘Mystical Opal’ – pink ball of ruffled florets

‘Mystical Ruby’ – fiery red blooms

Hypericum (St. John’s Wort), a smaller growing family of flowering shrubs averaging 36” wide by 36” tall has a new series to add to the family. All hypericum have bright yellow flowers in mid-spring, but this new family also gives you a choice of different colored large berries that give this variety additional seasonal color.

Dream Catcher Beautybush –new foliage has bright copper tones which quickly change to bold yellow, mid spring brings soft pink blooms along arching stems. In summer chartreuse and lime-green toned leaves, and in autumn they turn deep shades of orange and gold, with darker tips. Fast growing reaching 6-9’ tall and 4-6’ wide. Best of all it is deer resistant.

Moonglow Sweet Bay – distinct upright growth habit (usually multistem), beautiful dark green, semi-evergreen foliage and blooms over a long period of time during the late spring. Flowers 2-3” sweet lemon fragrance. Can grow to 35-45 ft tall by 18 feet wide with a moderate growth rate, very winter hardy.

Shirazz Japanese Maple – strongly marked variegated foliage combining green and cream with a strong pink edge and overall pink flush. Colors intensify in autumn, with green turning to strong purple red. Growing 12-15’ tall, 10’ wide, prefers well drained soil and sun to part shade locations.

Robust Clumping Bamboo - Vigorous, non-invasive clumping bamboo, can reach 12-17’ tall, 4’ wide. Narrow, upright growth habit with dark green leaves on light green stems. Able to withstand cold winters and windy conditions showing minimal leaf stress. Versatility to grow well in sun or shade.

Rufa Clumping Bamboo – Non-invasive, clumping bamboo, gently weeping habit, reaching 8-10’ tall, 6’ wide. Elegant fountain-like growth, narrow green leaves. Wonderful choice for those wanting the ornamental grass look in a part-shade location. Clump sheaths are reddish-brown.

Autumn Magic Chokeberry – Dramatic bright red and purple autumn hues. Fragrant white spring flowers lead to late-summer deep purple/black berries against dark green, waxy summer foliage making this a three season plant. Birds love the berries but not deer. This is a deer resistant plant! Performs best in full sun to part shade, tolerant of most soil types. Mature size 5-7 feet.

This listing with these new varieties and others available are worthy of your opinion. To do so, use your eyes and not the phone.