Top Gardening Trends For 2011
December 28, 2010 Which gardening trends will be in come 2011? Robert Zimmer, owner of The Chocolate Iris: Olde English Gardens, Gifts and Design, shared a list of gardening trends for 2011 in a recent column he wrote for The Post Crescent.
Black. “Perhaps the hottest color in demand in the plant world is black. Gardeners love black and realize the uniqueness and beauty of flowers that bloom in black. … Examples of favorite flowers that bloom in black are Black Barlow columbine, Storm of the Century iris, Black Gamecock iris, perennial black violas, ‘black’ daylilies, hollyhocks, Queen of the Night tulips and more.”
White. “White is equally in demand, and this year, more plant varieties than ever will be available in pristine white. New delphiniums, iris, daylilies, daisies, lilies, hibiscus and more are set to hit the market. As with black, white is often used generously. In some perennials such as daylilies, true perfect white has yet to be developed, as it is always mixed with barely noticeable shades of green, yellow or cream.”
Miniature conifers. “[They] are exploding in popularity. Growing anywhere from 6 inches to 6 feet in height, conifers classified as miniatures are often as immaculately cared for and sculpted as bonsai.”
Rainbow-colored veggies. “There are blue potatoes, red carrots, yellow carrots and purple. Cabbages come in more colorful varieties each year, as do lettuce and the extremely colorful swiss chard. Colored corn is also available.”
Native perennials and grasses. “Nowhere has the trend been more apparent than the explosive popularity of rain gardens nationwide. Rain gardens, consisting of native plantings of deep-rooted prairie and wet meadow wildflowers and grasses, serve many purposes, the main one of which is to provide rainwater the opportunity to be properly and naturally filtered rather than running down the road directly into our lakes and rivers, full of chemicals and runoff.”
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