by Matt Hall, Wildwood Nursery –
Autumn is an exciting time of year for us in the nursery industry. Our daily mail is full of catalogues from our growers, that are brimming with plants to fill our nurseries with in the spring. It’s also when the new cultivars and varieties of plants, bulbs and seeds are first revealed to our curious eyes. These plants are often the fruits of months (or even years) of horticultural innovation, cultivation, and research and include varieties that may become prevalent players in our future gardens. With the theme of innovation in mind, here are some new plants that have us looking forward to 2018.
The “Desdemona” Rose – A new offering from the David Austin stable of English roses. This is a very long blooming shrub rose whose peach buds break into a strongly scented white flower. It’s also no slouch in our wet climate.
“Bella Bellissima” Potentilla – Maybe it’s because I’m from the prairies, but I have a real soft spot for Potentilla. I try to talk more coastal gardeners into choosing them for their hardiness but I’m told, time and again, that they’re a bit dull. That’s why I’m really excited for the intense pink flowers of Bella Bellissima. Now try and tell me they’re boring …
“Little Miss Figgy” Patio Fig – Not only does it have the funniest cultivar name I’ve seen in ages, it also is touted as a very reliable dwarf fig. At five feet tall and three feet wide, this plant won’t challenge your space requirements and can even be grown in a pot. It also sports attractive blue-green leaves and will produce a good quantity of dark purple figs.
“Harbor Light” Tulip – This is one of the most unusual tulips I’ve seen in a while. The white flowers stack on top of one another in a bloom redolent of alfalfa. It is a very strong presence in spring borders and will turn heads.
“Tête a Tête Boucle” Daffodil – Although more correctly called a “rockgarden narcissus,” the Tête a Tête has been a staple for alpine and small space gardeners for years. New for this year is “Boucle,” which has a double flower for added texture and colour in your garden.
“Goldfingers” Mexican Orange – Although it was developed a decade ago, 2018 will be the first year that Goldfingers will be available in reliable quantities. It’s a great shrub that has the gold colour of “Sundance” but with a narrow leaf that gives it a feathery look from afar. It doesn’t scrimp on strength of scent either.
“Mad Hatter” Pepper – This is one of the most oddly-shaped peppers I’ve ever seen. Its wacky four-lobed shape and angry red colour belie its gentle sweetness and ease of growing in coastal gardens.
These are just a taste of some of the new varieties of plants that are available to us for the coming season. If there are any plants that you want to know more about or want me to bring in especially for you, don’t hesitate to drop me a line at matt@wildwoodoutdoorlivingcenter.com.
Have questions to ask our team of experts? Send your gardening queries to news@seasidemagazine.ca.
