Shrubs and Perennials to Watch For
October 6, 2020 We will be in the grasp of the coronavirus for many more months, vaccine or not. And yes, we will be sheltering in place, socially distancing ourselves from our grandchildren, and covering our faces. For those of us who have dodged this enemy and stayed well, it seems that we live out the movie “Groundhog Day” every day, and that there is nothing to look forward to.
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That’s not so!
We are part of the greatest industry on Earth. Everything we share provides something to look forward to. This is not a cliché; it is the truth. From a seed, to a seedling, to a 4-inch annual, to a sapling — everything we share with others only gets better with time.
Something to look forward to is my mantra, because if I am going to be stuck in these unbelievable times, then I want to get behind something I can believe in.
Apologies to Maria Von Trapp, but here are a few of my favorite things — and oh my, how I enjoy the smiles they bring.
Perennials That Really Look Good
Echinaceas: Yes, I know we are echinacea-ed out. However, what I have seen in trials this year gives me hope that breeders are understanding the market. Mango, tangerine, and pistachio colors may be exciting to talk about, but the shades of red, the brilliant yellows, and the clean whites are what gardeners and landscapers want. While the weird stuff is cool, it is usually less vigorous, less persistent, and, well, a little creepy.
The Artisan, Sombrero, and Kismet series have certainly caught my eye. I am not sure I have seen a better red than in ‘Artisan Red Ombre’, a better yellow than in ‘Sombrero Poco Yellow’, or a cleaner white than in ‘Kismet White’.
Rudbeckias: Good old ‘Goldsturm’ is still everywhere, and let’s face it — it has earned its place. And its place may be at the front of the line as long as people buy at the box stores. That is just fine, but a couple of other prolific flowerers are ‘Glitters Like Gold’ and ‘American Gold Rush’. While they can’t be called new, they are quite wonderful. Both are from Brent Horvath at Intrinsic Perennial Gardens. I was also taken with ‘Blackjack Gold’ from Jelitto Perennial Seeds.
Shrubs I am Taken With
Crape Myrtles: I visited GardenGenetics a couple of years ago and was ecstatic to see the fabulous work of Rick Grazzini. As we walked, I spied some crape myrtles among his petunias, zinnias, salvias, and lantana. I stopped right there and asked Rick to please think about breeding dwarf crapes. We have enough trees, and they all get crape murdered anyway. He just smiled at me and said. “Already working on it.”
I love the GreatMyrtle program Rick and Ko Klaver have developed, and as I walked around the trial gardens at the University of Georgia, I was thrilled with what I saw of them. They all look good, but I loved ‘Cherry Delight’. It was 3 feet tall and full of flowers. Crape-murder may finally be over.
Deutzias: I confess; I love all deutzias. Unfortunately, they don’t have the Pavlovian response of hydrangeas or roses, and more’s the shame. Most gardeners know little of them, and they are seldom on the top-five list of landscapers. Yet there are dozens of cultivars, many of which have been bred in the last 10 years. I love old-fashioned D. gracilis. I don’t see ‘Yuki Snowflake’ nearly enough. If I had to choose one deutzia for Father’s Day, it would be ‘Chardonnay Pearls’. I have talked about this one before, but suffice it to say the golden foliage, white flowers, and flowing habit just improve with age.
Great Reading Material
Allan Armitage’s fourth edition of “Herbaceous Perennial Plants” is now available at AllanArmitage.net. It provides easy-to-read information for more than 500 genera, species, and cultivars of perennials used in the gardening and landscape trade.
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