|
Every year, the plant suppliers come up with new species and cultivars for our gardening pleasure, and for dedicated gardeners, it is more fun than a treasure hunt to search for them in the nurseries. If you are a plantaholic and enjoy that annual search, here are some "new" plants to put on your must-find list.
A new Mimosa, Albizia julibrissin 'Summer Chocolate' is creating a lot of excitement. This graceful small deciduous tree has deep rich burgundy foliage that contrasts well with the bright pink summer flowers. With arching branches, Chocolate Mimosa matures at about 20' tall x 15' wide, needs full sun and decent drainage and is hardy to about zero degrees. It is suitable for small gardens, as a shade tree or garden focal point. Gardenias are notoriously difficult to please in our area. Preferring warmer southern California, they often bud here but drop their flowers just before they open and release the delectable fragrance - they have broken the heart of more than one local gardener. One grower has discovered that the rootstock of Gardenia thunbergii grafted to one of the good flowering cultivars produces plants that can be counted on to flower in cooler climates like Santa Cruz. If you want to succeed at getting gardenias to flower, ask at your favorite garden center for grafted gardenias. They need acid soil and fertilizer, iron chelate if the leaves yellow, sun and regular deep irrigation. Experienced local gardeners know that the decorative sages love our climate, and that our hummingbirds flock to the flowers of these lovely and reliable plants. New this year, and sporting enormous fat spikes of vivid purple-blue is Salvia 'Mystic Spires'. Extremely cold hardy, and growing to about 24", this plant has low water needs and loves sun. The flowers are very long lasting in the garden and in arrangements, and are truly stunning. Another plant to grow for excellent cut flowers is Alstroemeria, or Peruvian Lily. New, more compact plants in an enormous array of colors have been introduced recently; ask at the garden centers for plants in the vibrant new colors. Purples, bright reds, oranges, watermelon, gold are available in dwarf (to about 12") and mid-range mature sizes (to 24".) Give them at least 5 hours of sun, good drainage and occasional watering, and you'll have the most glorious bouquets in town. |
New Plants
Everyone knows Impatiens
walleriana, or Busy Lizzie, as a reliable annual for shady spots, with flowers
in white, pinks, purples, orange tones and reds. Have you seen the new annual
hybrid Impatiens 'Fusion' series? 'Fusion Glow' has flowers of soft yellow with
orange in the throat, 'Fusion Heat' produces blossoms of bright coral pink with
touches of white, and 'Fusion Sunset' sports apricot blooms with red in the
centers. The flowers are less flat and open than I. walleriana, with a more
interesting form. All like shade or partial shade and grow 8 - 12". Many in
Santa Cruz also know Impatiens oliverii, or Poor Man's Rhododendron, with faded
lavender flowers, as a tough perennial for dry shade. What you may not have
seen yet are the new colorful I. oliverii hybrids, perennials both. 'La Vida
Rosa' produces showy large white blooms with a deep pink throat. 'Central Coast
Rose' has hot vibrant pink flowers. Both plants like shade or filtered sun, are
reliable even right on the beach, and grow to 4-5' tall, 5' wide. These plants
are not reliably winter-hardy in the colder regions of the county but for those
in Sunset Zone 17 where it seldom freezes, these plants have great
potential.
