I get set a number of plants every year. Some are drop-dead gorgeous, like this one. In the last few years I have had some real traffic-stoppers (literally) and have enjoyed trialing many new echinacea, coreopsis, dozens of heuchera, etc.
Every year in Washington Gardener Magazine I share a "New Plants and Picks" spread and almost all of these choices come from the plants I've personally trialed and know work well for us in the Mid-Atlantic US. I also enjoy sharing new plant discoveries that I know are coming to market soon in the "Spotlight" column of the monthly Washington Gardener Enewsletter.
The only plant I think I have to say "enough!" to are all the bare-root roses. I do not want to sound ungrateful, but there IS a such thing as too much of a good thing. I just don't have one-inch left in my garden in a spot with the full sun that they need. Recently, I visited a convent in Washington, DC, while on the Brookland House and Garden Tour and I noticed they had a half-acre or so of clear, sun-filled space just crying out for planting. So I'll be taking any more I get down to donate there.
The majority of trial plants I receive are like the annual above. I have plenty of containers to stuff annuals and move around into available sun spots... and when those spots are gone, I start hanging and stacking them up on any wall or fence space that I can, so there is always room for more of them.
What is blooming in your garden today?
Cacti, Heirloom, Sparkle and Shine roses, canna lilies.
ReplyDeleteThanks, for stopping by Lawrence Phelps. It has been a fabulous spring for roses, hasn't it?
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