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Primula ‘Elizabeth
Killelay’
This is a beautiful new double
flowered gold laced primula discovered in the garden of Hazel
Bolton in the UK.
In Issue 28 of PLANTS, Anthony Brooks the National Plant
Collection® holder in the UK of Rudbeckia and Echinacea revealed
that he had first noticed this particular plant in the garden of
his friend, Hazel Bolton.
He said: "It was managing to thrive despite little attention and
the best efforts of the moles, rabbits and badgers!
It was the result of a cross between a gold-laced polyanthus and
a ruby-red double primrose. She kindly gave me a small piece of
the plant and within several years I had bulked up a
considerable stock in the garden.
Bob Brown (of Cotswold Garden Flowers nursery) paid a visit and
I showed it to him because I felt it was gardenworthy, had a
strong constitution and is distinct from other varieties.
It went for trial at his nursery and is now becoming widely
available in the UK.
It has been named after Hazel’s 7 year old grand daughter
Elizabeth Killelay who is thrilled to bits because no one else
at her school has a plant named after them!"
If you know of availability at a nursery in Europe or North
America please do let me know.
dirk@plants-magazine.com
Phormium 'Merlot'
Phormium 'Merlot' is the first of New
Zealand based Lindale Nursery's Phormium breeding programme
released to the market.
'Merlot' was selected by Noelyn Parr' (Now retired Lyndale
Director) for it's fantastic rich plum to purple upright
architectural foliage.
It is ideally suited for cut foliage production or as a
landscape specimen as the foliage is highlighted with a fine jet
black leaf margin and mid - rib.
The underside of the foliage is a soft smoky blue / silver (P.
tenax type) with a height & spread 1.5 - 1.8metres.
It has been shown at trade shows in Europe during 2002 and will
be available in the northern and southern hemisphere from 2003.
(Protected by Plant Variety Rights)
Currently being multiplied in tissue & by traditional division.
http://www.nursery.net.nz/lyndale
Lyndale Nurseries Auckland Ltd, Email:
enquiries@lyndale.co.nz
World Wide Contacts
Australian Head Licensee: Greenhills Propagation Nursery, Email:
roberth@dcsi.net.au
Canadian Head Licensee: Greenex, Email:
damsted@greenex.com
European Head Licensee: Van Vliet New Plants:
info@vanvliet-newplants.nl
South African Head Licensee: Malanseuns: Email:
marketing@malanseuns.co.za
U.S.A Head Licensee: Bodger Botanicals
Salvia leucantha' Santa Barbara'
This is a great new variety of
Mexican Sage available to the trade at the moment in North
America.
Called Salvia leucantha 'Santa Barbara' it is now available in
retail after trials.
Material was received from PlantHaven Inc. (http://www.planthaven.com/)
who represent the breeder and San Marcos Growers (http://www.smgrowers.com/)
also trialed the plant which was released to the trade in July
of 2000 and is featured strongly by David Fross at Native Sons
Nursery in Arroyo Grange California. (http://www.nativeson.com/)
This variety looks and acts like its parent except that it
reaches the more manageable size of 2 foot by 3 foot without
pruning.
Rich purple-blue fuzzy flowers crown its graceful branches
virtually year round in mild climates and the flower colour
appears to be intermediate shade between the species and the
variety ‘Midnight’.
It needs planting in full sun and clipping over later in the
year to maintain a good shape and appearance.
Geranium 'Black Beauty
Geranium ‘Black Beauty’ is a
further new selection of Geranium pratense in which the very
dark foliage lasts longer than every other cultivar currently on
the world market.
Rod Richards of New World Plants told me: “Geranium 'Black
Beauty' came from Nori Pope at Hadspen Garden and has been with
me for some time but has been difficult in tissue culture - but
we have cracked it finally!
It really is the best dark form of G. pratense and is the only
one that that holds the foliage colour after July.
We have world exclusive rights and a PBR application. Not cutts
Garden Centres have it in the UK for 2003.
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Lamium 'Orchid Forest'
Lamium 'Orchid Frost' is a
superior selection which is becoming more available in North
America and in Europe and Australasia in the near future.
Mike Bovio of English Gardens in MI USA discovered the plant and
he says: "I discovered the original plant in a previous garden
of mine in 1996. Being the location of a perennial nursery as
well, I suspect that it originated as a seedling cross, possibly
of L. 'Shell Pink', L. 'Pink Pewter' or L. 'White Nancy' which
were the other varieties grown on the property.
After years of observation, I now also believe it could be a
possible self cross, pulling out a very recessive gene.
It was apparent by its unique color and the fact that it was a
very heavy bloomer that I decided it was worth protection and
introduction - in addition its foliage stayed very clean, a
problem for many growers of L. Beacon Silver', its closest
relative.
Fall (Autumn) heavy re-blooming was also a great feature of this
seedling.
I applied for US Patent in March 1998, and patent was granted 14
months later in Nov of 1999 #11122.
Originally it was introduced exclusively at English Gardens
during the spring of 1999, produced by several of my vendors who
became licensees but in 2000, I connected with Geoff Needham of
Plant Haven Inc. who has represented the plant from that time
forward.
'Orchid Frost' has also been approved for Canadian PBR, and will
be registered with Canadian Ornamental Plant Foundation.
It has also been in production in Australia, with PBR pending
there as well".
Currently the largest US distributors are Paul Ecke Ranch,
Skagit Gardens, Walters Gardens with several more plug suppliers
adding it to their list for Spring 2003.
Oenothera 'Crown Imperial'
Oenothera ‘Crown Imperial’ is a
clump forming hardy perennial that was bred by PLANTS subscriber
and noted breeder Peter Moore who once worked for Hillier
Nurseries and now enjoys his life as Assistant Manager and Chief
Propagator at Longstock Park Nursery in Hampshire, England.
(+44(0)1264 810894).
This new plant grows to 2 foot tall (40/50 cms) by about 1 foot
wide and produces large attractive rich green leaves on very
vigorous shoots that each produce prominent buds opening to
typically bright yellow evening primrose flowers.
It came about as part of Peter's ongoing Oenothera breeding
programme and in early September 1997 one plant threw up “a tall
shoot and when it opened it looked just like Crown Imperial
Fritilliary”.
It needs a well drained fertile soil in good sun or a lightly
shaded site. It has been launched this summer in the UK in
support of the Greenfingers Appeal - the registered charity of
the horticulture and gardening industry.
The National Association of Childrens Hospices is to the prime
beneficiary of the fundraising this year. The plant is not
covered by Plant Breeders Rights and Peter has generously
decided that 15 pence of his royalty per plant will go to the
Greenfingers Appeal.
The plant was bulked up by seven nurseries through the summer of
1999 - all members of the Association of Liner Producers and
more than 45,000 were distributed throughout the UK in March
this year after Peter Catt of Liss Forest Nursery suggested that
Oenothera ‘Crown Imperial’ was perfect for the task.
It is available in UK garden centres this year with a retail
price of £5.99 and should be available in other territories in
the near future.
Clematis
'Barbara'
Clematis 'Barbara' was bred in
Poland and won a Gold Medal at the internationally famous
Plantarium 2002 recently. It was named after the breeders wife
Barbara Marczynska.
Breeder Szczepan Marczynski of the Clematis Container Nursery in
Poland also scooped a silver medal for Clematis 'Julka' - after
his youngest daughter Juliana Marczynska - and bronze medal for
Clematis 'Hania' - after his mother Hanna Marczynska.
Clematis 'Barbara' is a lovely large flowered variety with vivid
purplish pink flowers with lighter spots, fading to purplish red
in autumn with a deep purplish-red bar.
It also has deep purple anthers and is free-flowering for a long
period, from late May to mid July and again from late August to
September growing up to 3 metres.
Slightly trimmed it will bloom at the end of May, and after hard
pruning blossoms will appear in mid June.
'Barbara' is seedling of 'Hagley Hybrid',
'Hania' of 'Rouge Cardinal',
'Julka' of 'Mrs. Thompson'.
http://www.clematis.com.pl/
http://www.clematis-nursery.com/
http://www.plantarium.nl/ |
Lychnis 'Jenny'
This is a new double flowered
selection of the European native Lychnis flos-cuculi (Ragged
Robin) discovered in France during the 90's with double pink
flowers with a paler centre and white markings running up into
the petals.
Rainer Kretz of Devon, England came across this unusual Lychnis
growing among a field of other 'Ragged Robin' while on holiday
in France.
He successfully propagated a small piece of plant and grew it in
his own garden for a number of years.
He later contacted Blooms of Bressingham who trialed the plant
for suitability to be launched as a mass market variety..
Lychnis 'Jenny' is named after Rainer's wife and has been
introduced exclusively by Blooms New Plant Marketing, through
their UK Licensee, R. A. Meredith (Blooms Wholesale).
The plant is also introduced at the same time in the USA, by
Blooms of Bressingham North America.
Flowers are borne at the top of long, straight stems reaching 75
cm, making Lychnis 'Jenny' ideal for both the front of the
border as a 'see through' plant or grouped with other perennials
at the back of a border.
Also great as a marginal plant. Site in the sun or in partial
shade.
Flowers continuously from May to September, trim back stems
after flowering.
Echinacea 'Prairie Frost'
Echinacea purpurea ‘Prairie Frost’ is the
world’s first variegated coneflower and has been released in
North America for 2003 by Terranova Nurseries of OR USA.
It was originally given to them 3 years ago by Alan Costa and
comes out of an Echinacea 'Bravado' seed strain.
In 1984, Alan began his own wholesale perennial business Plant
Designs. Plant Designs now occupies two acres of growing area,
producing 150,000 containers per season.
Echinacea "Prairie Frost" is a chance seedling discovered in
1996. It is Alan’s first introduction, with other promising
specimens waiting in the wings.
'Bravado' has huge 4 inch flowers with horizontal and extra wide
petals, growing about 4 feet tall - this mutant has variegated
leaf edges and the same sized blooms of rose pink.
Stable with Terranova for years now and a limited release
initially due to propagation numbers in 2003 - available to
wholesale nurseries only, but available from them to plant
enthusiasts in due course.
http://www.terranovanurseries.com
Scaevola 'ZigZag'
It must be nice to find a new
improved plant in your own garden - and that 's what happened to
plant hunter and seed collector Rachel Saunders, a PLANTS
subscriber in South Africa.
Rachel is the co-owner of Silverhill Seeds, and 'Zig Zag' is an
unusual Scaevola, being a lot less lax in habit and more bushy
and compact than previous cultivars.
The flowers are bi-coloured purple and white but the flower
colours will change with the heat and light intensity during the
summer growing months.
It is particularly suitable for yard / patio containers, but
this isn't a hardy plant in any but the mildest areas.
Available in the UK in 2002 and more widely in 2003 with other
territories soon after.
http://www.silverhillseeds.co.za/
Agapanthus 'Silver Moon'
This is a great new variegated
Agapanthus which has taken many years to bring to the market for
enthusiasts.
But it is now available from garden centres in the UK.
Released in 2001 in the UK by Notcutts Nursery it won the
Nursery 2000 Best New Plant Award at trade show GLEE 2000 at
Birmingham in England.
It has azure blue flowers with large strap-like foliage with a
grey green stripe down the middle, and Notcutts had 10,000
plants ready for shipping to garden centres at launch.
A. 'Silver Moon' (NOTFRED) is a sport from a 'Headbourne Hybrid'
plant and is a vigorous and free flowering plant originally
spotted by a member of Notcutts' own staff, Mr Fred Nichols, who
is often involved in the Notcutts Chelsea Flower displays
http://www.notcutts.co.uk
http://www.gleebirmingham.com
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