Plant Preview

Shadyside on January 24, 2012

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Tue, 24 Jan 2012 14:53:00 +0000

We're having one of those soft, gold-kissed mornings after days of rain; the fog burned off early and everything is damp and I can almost hear it growing. Golden sunbeams slant into my woodland and turn the salad burnet (Poterium sanguisorba) to glistening diamonds with a dewdrop on every point on every serrated leaflet of every compound leaf.

Phalanxes of individual green grass seedlings are sprouting up. It is a simple cover crop of annual rye grass (Lolium multiflorum) for now, two inches high so far and brilliant green where I plan to have a small zoysia lawn in the future. This morning I tossed out more grass seed in the bare spots that I missed the first time. I mixed my seed with a mycorrhizal soil inoculant with an organic kelp and molasses base, plus I scattered two bags of lime to sweeten up the soil for good measure.

Last weekend we finished rooting out by hand the tall goldenrod (Solidago altissima), briers (Rubus spp.) and cat briar (Smilax laurifolia) from a sunny triangle about 20 feet on a side. Then we mulched it heavily with 18 wheelbarrow loads of rotted wood chips and I have high hopes for a new vegetable garden this summer. I limed the future garden too, and now pulverized dolomitic lime is on my shopping list once more.

Tearing myself away and dragging myself indoors to work on my presentation for GGIA 2012 Wintergreen this Friday.

The Winter Solstice is a Balmy Planting Day in Atlanta

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Thu, 22 Dec 2011 18:30:00 +0000

Although it is late December and the shortest day of the year, we are having an incredibly balmy day in #Atlanta. I was delighted to spend 3 hours outside this morning under a light mist (or perhaps it was inside a low-flying cloud), planting Japanese irises along the sometimes-wet dry creek bed, star magnolia in a prime spot, forsythia near the road, plus camellia, hardy ageratum, Chinese sacred lily, Italian arum and 2 huge native azaleas. O, the anticipation of spring.

Everything is green and still growing; in fact the hardy ginger already is sending up spring sprouts. Ferns are thriving, Amarcrinum and Crinum still green, lots of fall-blooming crocus still photosynthesizing. Herbs that I planted almost a week ago look great as they begin to make contact with the rich brown soil. 108 Helleborus x orientalis that I grew from seed and put out as quarts this fall are each beginning to offer a new leaf. Left over from summer, I still have late roses, Encore azaleas, pink daisy mums and yellow ones in bloom, as well as camellias blooming for the first time.

After awhile even my and hair face felt a little green and mossy. So satisfying to breathe the good, rich earth smells and suck in the endorphins. What a lucky gardener I am, to live in Zone 7B.

Urban™ Columnar Apple Series Yields Fruit in a Square Foot!

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Wed, 28 Sep 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Tasty Red™, Tangy Green™, Blushing Delight™ and Golden Treat™ Urban™ Columnar Apples yield good taste in a square foot!

Edible gardening is taking the forefront as the locally-grown food movement gains ground, and more and more gardeners are finding success harvesting their own crops. Enter Urban™ Columnar Apples by Garden Debut®, new introductions that yield great tasting apples in a tiny space. Now it’s easy to produce delicious, full-sized apples on slender, vertical trees that grow in large pots on sunny decks or balconies.

Urban™ Columnar Apple trees are loaded with fruiting spurs along the main leader, and branches are short and upright, producing straight, upright-growing, cylindrical apple trees. Plant Urban™ Columnar Apples in the ground, or transplant to larger containers coordinated with home and architecture and enjoy moving them around as desired.

Romantic apple blossoms in spring will enchant homeowners, apartment dwellers, condo owners, suburbanites and those short on space. Urban™ apple trees mature at 8 to 10 feet tall but less than two feet in diameter(!) , and are extremely healthy and disease resistant. When grown in full sun expect full-sized fruit the first year from planting, so long as there are two or more varieties for cross pollination. As trees mature, the yield of apples will increase. Be sure to maintain fertility levels for good growth and yields.

A choice of four varieties in the Urban™ Columnar Apple Series developed by Dr. Jaroslav Tupy of the Czech Republic ensure a wide selection of flavor, plus good cross-pollination and fruit set:

Tasty Red™ is a bright red apple with a sweet, juicy flavor

Blushing Delight™ produces a blush of reddish green fruit with a slightly sweeter taste

Golden Treat™ greenish-gold apples are tart in early fall, but get sweeter the longer they are on the tree

Tangy Green™ lime green apples add a crisp, tart flavor to the series

Harvest tasty fruit within easy reach of the patio table, or host a pick-your-own on the porch and watch heads turn. Try Urban™ Columnar Apples in large tubs flanking the entrance or plant alongside a border or fence to add value. The impact of a loaded apple tree in a tiny space is irresistible.

Statistics Chart for Urban™ Columnar Apple Series:

Tasty Red™ Urban™ Columnar Apple Malus ‘UEB 3449-1’;

Blushing Delight™ Urban™ Columnar Apple Malus UEB ‘3727-4’;

Golden Treat™ Urban™ Columnar Apple Malus UEB ‘3358-3’;

Tangy Green™ Urban™ Columnar Apple Malus ‘UEB 3812-2’

Plant Category:	Deciduous flowering fruit trees
Mature Height:	8 to 10 feet
Mature Spread:	1 ½ to 2 feet
Mature Form:	Extremely narrow, columnar form with multiple fruiting spurs on central leader
Growth Rate:	Vigorous
Sun Exposure:	Best grown in full sun
Soil Type:	Garden loam, amended clay, soil-less potting mixes with good fertility
Soil Moisture:	Moist, well-drained soils
Chilling Requirement:	800 – 1200 hours for good bud set (number of hours the temperature is below 45 degrees F. but above 32 degrees F. ) .
Flower Color:	Romantic pink and white apple blossoms on bare branches in early spring
Fruit Set and Yield:	Two varieties are required for cross-pollination and good fruit set: expect full-sized fruit from the first year
Fruit:	Four varieties of Urban™ Apple Series provide a wide choice of taste and color on full-sized apples: Tasty Red™ Urban™ Columnar Apple Malus ‘UEB 3449-1’, Blushing Delight™ Urban™ Columnar Apple Malus UEB ‘3727-4’; Golden Treat™ Urban™ Columnar Apple Malus UEB ‘3358-3’; Tangy Green™ Urban™ Columnar Apple Malus ‘UEB 3812-2’
Summer Color:	Apple green leaf color
Fall Color:	Negligible
pH Level:	5.5 – 7.5
Zones:	4 – 9 (-30 degrees F or 23 Degrees C), well suited for most of the continental U.S.
Heredity:	Developed by Dr. Jaroslav Tupy, Czech Republic

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions

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Summer Solstice 3 Ways: Science, Plant Photoperiodism & Lore

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Tue, 21 Jun 2011 00:16:00 +0000

SCIENCE

June 21 is a significant day for Planet Earth and its relationship with the sun. The Earth spins on its axis, an imaginary line going through the globe between the north and south poles, with each complete revolution taking 24 hours. However, the Earth’s axis is tilted 23.5 degrees off the plane of its revolution around the sun, and so for several months of the year, one half of the earth receives more direct rays of the sun than the other half. The four seasons are a result of this tilt.

The Summer Solstice is the date when the rays of the sun directly strike one of the two tropical latitude lines. Astronomers in the northern hemisphere calculate that the summer solstice occurs when the sun reaches the Tropic of Cancer thus causing the northern hemisphere to experience the longest day and the shortest night of the year, June 21, 2011 at 1:16 p.m. EDT (17:16 UTC). Similarly, astrologers know this as the date on which the sun enters the sign of Cancer in the starry heavens. Simultaneously it heralds the longest night of winter in the southern hemisphere. And far north of the Equator in the Artic Circle, there are 24 hours of daylight on June 21.

PLANT PHOTOPERIODISM

Plants respond to day length in direct ways. Photoperiodism is the term used to discuss plant responses to day length or more accurately, night length. “Long day plants” (like clover, foxgloves and garden pinks) bloom as the days get longer and when the nights are short.

After Midsummer, these plants stop blooming and other plants (like goldenrod and chrysanthemum) begin to bloom. These are called “short day plants” because they are triggered to flower as the days grow shorter (after the Summer Solstice) during late summer and fall. Well-known as a Christmas flower, the poinsettia develops its showy bracts as the year approaches the Winter Solstice, while the day length is decreasing and there are a long, unbroken periods of darkness each night.

Still other plants are “day neutral plants” because they are less responsive to the length of the dark period. Spring and Fall Equinoxes are the midway point of the solar year. (See also http://plantpreview.blogspot.com/2010/12/winter-solstice-full-moon-lunar-eclipse.html )

HISTORY & LORE

Awed by the power of the sun, for centuries civilizations have celebrated the Summer Solstice, also known as Midsummer, St. John’s feast day, or Litha. Although modern usage suggests that ‘summer begins’ at the summer solstice, the old folk calendar placed the beginning of summer on May Day (May 1) and the end of summer on Lammas (August 1). This more reasonably placed the summer solstice midway between the two, marking midsummer as the peak of old sun god’s strength.

The traditional Celtic Midsummer was celebrated on the fixed date of June 24, which coincides with the Christian feast of John the Baptist and his flower, St. John’s wort. Faery lore held that Midsummer night was a time of magic, when pixies and evil spirits went abroad. To thwart them, people wore protective garlands of herbs and flowers. One of the most powerful of them was a plant called 'chase-devil', also known as St. John’s Wort, and is still used by modern herbalists as a mood stabilizer.

Other flower-based customs included decking the house (especially over the front door) with birch, fennel, St. John’s wort, orpin, and white lilies. Five plants were thought to have special magical properties on this night: rue, roses, St. John’s wort, vervain, and trefoil. St. John’s wort was picked by young maidens in the hopes of finding her true love.

St. John’s connection to the wilderness (from whence “the voice cried out”) was often emphasized by the rustic nature of his shrines, and by his alternate name, “the Oak King”. Perhaps the archetypal ‘Green Man’, or ‘wild man of the wood’, whose face appears through the leafy masks that adorn early Church architecture, was based on St. John.

Celts and Slavs celebrated the eve of the first day of summer with dancing and bonfires representing the sun's energy (Shakespeare’s Midsummer Night’s Dream, June 23), staying up all night to welcome the dawn.

Couples would leap through the flames, believing their crops would grow as high as they were able to jump. Chinese marked the day by honoring Li, the Chinese Goddess of Light, in Spain it’s called the “Night of the Verbena (Vervain)”, while the Druids celebrated the day as the "wedding of Heaven and Earth", resulting in the present day belief of lucky June weddings. The Midsummer full moon was known as the "Honey Moon" for the mead made from fermented honey that was part of wedding ceremonies performed at the Summer Solstice.

Thanks to Mike Nichols at twpt.com and Chiff.com for background, to Chuck Tague for the photo of St. John's wort via wqed.org, rhe Green Man is from The Glouster Cathedral's South Porch Facade, c.1455 and to Wikipedia for the bonfire photo.

Patented Tiny Gold Barberry Grows Knee-High to a Grasshopper

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Tue, 07 Jun 2011 16:00:00 +0000

Tiny Gold Adds color to G-Scale Model Rail Road Gardens, Rock Gardens, Containers & Borders

Tiny Gold Barberry (PP17084) is a truly diminutive woody shrub. Itty bitty gold leaves cover the cupcake-sized shrub 10 months of the year until winter. The small leaves attain best color in full sun, although this dwarf shrub also will grow in partial sun with a chartreuse leaf color. Brown twigs have deep grooves and a zig-zag appearance, with a sharp spine at each leaf node. Tiny Gold Barberry grows slowly to attain a mature spread of 12 to 15 inches with a maximum of 15 to 18 inches in height.

Insignificant pale yellow flowers bloom in late spring or early summer but do not set viable seed. Northern gardeners will be happy to learn that Tiny Gold Barberru is non-flowering, therefore the plant does not set viable seed and invasiveness is a non-issue with this cultivar.

Extremely adaptable, Tiny Gold grows in USDA Zones 5 to 9 in a wide range of soil types and exhibits average water needs, preferring well-drained soils; do not overwater. In the landscape, Tiny Gold is grown for its foliage color and pocket size.

Some landscape uses for Tiny Gold Barberry include mixed perennial borders, smaller more detailed gardens, miniature landscapes, G-scale model train landscapes and inclusion in containers for color.

Statistics Chart for Tiny Gold Barberry (PP17084) (Berberis thunbergii 'Tiny Gold')

Plant Category:	Dwarf deciduous woody shrub grown for its leaf color and tiny size
Mature Height:	6 – 18 inches
Mature Spread:	12 – 15 inches
Mature Form:	True dwarf, rounded shrub
Branching:	Brown branches deeply grooved, somewhat zig-zag in form and bearing a single sharp spine at each leaf node.
Growth Rate:	Moderate, low maintenance, durable, no serious pests, resistant to rust
Sun Exposure:	Full sun for best leaf color, will grow in partial shade
Soil Type:	Widely adaptable, Loam, Sand or Clay
Soil Moisture:	Well-drained; adaptable to drought when established
Roots:	Wiry and yellow in color
Flower:	Pale yellow in spring
Berries:	Does not set viable seed, therefore not invasive, A patented plant will not come true from seed.
Summer Leaf Color:	Bright, cheerful yellow to chartreuse
Fall Color:	Lovely red-orange fall color, becoming deciduous in early winter ?
pH Level:	6.1 - 7.8
Hardiness Zones:	5 - 8
Heredity:	Michal Andrusiv in the Czech Republic Registered in 2005

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® great new plants.

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Full of ADMIRATION for this Blazing Barberry

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Thu, 02 Jun 2011 12:12:00 +0000

A showstopper with a blaze of red foliage set off by golden leaf margins, Admiration Barberry (PP16921) holds its vibrant color throughout the season. Initially new leaves are a flaming coral-red with bright golden edges, and by late summer the oval leaves mature to a purple-red contrasted with the yellow rims. Plant Admiration in full sun to produce the best color when vivid foliage colors are desired.

Although a dwarf, this low-maintenance shrub is very strong and bushy with a compact rounding growth habit. Admiration Barberry reaches only 12-15 inches tall in 4 years, (ultimately 2 feet x 2 feet, untrimmed). Any trimming is best done in early spring. A true dwarf that will not outgrow the site, Admiration Barberry (Berberis thunbergii 'Admiration') is a low maintenance shrub that is hardy to USDA Zone 5.

Landscape designers often select shrubs that contribute accent colors to the landscape and red foliage plants are one of the most popular additions. Admiration Barberry creates a spectacular display of stunning color in a garden border, is ideal for banks and slopes as well as for large containers. Use additional plants that compliment red shrubs to set off this barberry.

Admiration Barberry tolerates a wide variety of soil conditions and withstands dry periods, although during establishment it does need a moderate amount of water. Northeastern gardeners will be happy to learn that Admiration is non-flowering, therefore the plant does not set viable seed and invasiveness is a non-issue with this cultivar.

Statistics Chart for Admiration Barberry, PP16921, Berberis thunbergii 'Admiration'

Plant Category:	Deciduous woody shrub
Mature Height:	12 inches after 4 years; a true dwarf ultimately reaching only 2’ x 2’
Mature Spread:	15 inches
Mature Form:	Compact, bushy woody ornamental shrub with a compact, rounded growth habit
Branching:	Remarkably dense, compact, multi-branched dwarf ornamental
Foliage:	Outstanding color form, new growth is coral red with golden leaf margins, maturing to wine red leaves with golden yellow rims
Growth Rate:	Vigorous
Sun Exposure:	Sun for outstanding leaf color
Soil Type:	Sand, loam or clay,
Soil Moisture:	Well-drained soils; drought resistant once established
Flower Color:	It’s a bonus that this cultivar is non-flowering and does not set seed; thus eliminating any misgivings about invasive spread in the Northeast
Landscape Value:	Brilliant accent color contrasts with green of typical landscapes
Season:	Deciduous; drops leaves in late fall, November
pH Level:	5 – 7 ?
Zones:	4 – 8
Heredity:	U.S., Hybridized by Andrusiv; Year of Registration or Introduction: 2005 Greenleaf Nursery Selection, Park Hill, OK ?

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® great new plants

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Pillars of Landscape Color & Grace: Golden Rocket & Orange Rocket Barberry

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Tue, 24 May 2011 17:25:00 +0000

Unique Columnar Shrubs with Brilliant Color are the Shape of Things to Come!

Two great new Barberry hybrids are rocketing onto the landscape scene. Garden Debut® is pleased to announce two outstanding introductions from breeder Michal Andrusiv in the Czech Republic being grown for Plant Haven, Inc.: Golden Rocket and Orange Rocket Barberries. Both Golden Rocket and Orange Rocket may be used as either a specimen or border plant. Their bright unique colors work well in most landscapes, plus they have tight upright habits in contrast to other similar plants. These two barberries are rocketing to fame after extensive trials throughout the U.S. demonstrated that they perform exceptionally well in U.S.D.A. Climate Zones 4 through 9. As with all new barberries, the varieties were held in quarantine for wheat rust testing at the USDA Cereal Disease Laboratory in Minnesota for more than 2 years and both are certified rust resistant.

Golden Rocket Barberry (PP#18626) This rocket-shaped barberry ascends in a unique narrow upright or tight columnar habit, ultimately reaching 5 feet tall by only 2 feet wide. Bright golden yellow foliage with contrasting coral colored stems in summer provides a golden specimen plant for the landscape, or adds height when placed in the mixed border, while the foliage turns to orange-red in autumn and is deciduous in early winter. Pale yellow, insignificant flowers in spring are attractive to pollinators and are followed by bright red berries in fall, without viable seed set.

Orange Rocket Barberry (PP#18411) Soaring to even greater heights at the Oregon Association of Nurserymen’s Far West Show, Orange Rocket Barberry was awarded Best Shrub for 2010. Orange Rocket has a tight missile-shaped habit, ultimately reaching 6 – 8 feet in height but only 2 feet in width in ten years. Plants have vibrant coral-orange new foliage that matures to mid-green. In early summer, pale yellow flowers are followed by small, crimson red berries that do not set viable seed. By autumn, the foliage is bright orange-red; for best foliage color, grow in full sun.

For more information on Yellow Rocket Barberry (PP18626) or Orange Rocket Barberry (PP18411) and other superior plant introductions brought to gardeners by Garden Debut®, visit GardenDebut.com. To set-up an interview contact Jim Thompson toll-free at 877-663-5053 or jim_thompson@greenleafnursery.com.

Statistics Chart Yellow Rocket Barberry (PP18626) (Berberis thunbergii 'Yellow Rocket'), Orange Rocket Barberry (PP18411), (Berberis thunbergii 'Orange Rocket')

Plant Category:	Deciduous Woody shrubs
Mature Height:	Golden Rocket to 5 feet tall Orange Rocket to 8 feet tall
Mature Spread:	Both cultivars are only 2 feet in width even after 10 years
Mature Form:	Upright, compact, columnar, deciduous shrubs befitting their name
Branching:	Brown branches, deeply grooved, somewhat zig-zag in form and bearing a single sharp spine at each leaf node.
Growth Rate:	Moderate, low maintenance, durable, no serious pests, rust resistant
Sun Exposure:	Full sun for best leaf color, will grow in partial shade
Soil Type:	Widely adaptable, Loam, Sand or Clay
Soil Moisture:	Well-drained; adaptable to drought when established
Roots:	Wide-ranging
Flower:	Pale yellow insignificant flowers, attractive to pollinators
Berries:	Crimson berries without viable seed set, therefore not invasive
Summer Leaf Color:	Golden Rocket: Day-Glo Golden Yellow maturing to chartreuse green Orange Rocket: Flaming coral-red with torch-like fall color
Fall Color:	Lovely red-orange fall color, becoming deciduous in early winter
pH Level:	5.5 – 7.5
Hardiness Zones:	4 – 9, includes nearly all of the continental U.S.
Landscape Impact:	Colorful columns of color in the landscape, provides a vertical element in mixed borders or as specimen plants for interest
Heredity:	Lifetime Breeder Michal Andresiv in the Czech Republic through Plant Haven, Inc.

When performance counts, use Garden Debut®’s great new plants.

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Marvelous Montego Melon™ Daylily Never Stops Blooming

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Tue, 17 May 2011 19:11:00 +0000

Continuous blooms from spring through fall add value to the landscape.

The desirable, soft butter-yellow color of Garden Debut®’s new introduction Montego Melon™ Daylily is superior to previous long-blooming daylilies because it represents advances in both color selection and disease resistance, along with an incredibly long bloom season. Plants in the Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection” share outstanding characteristics that appeal to gardeners, homeowners, landscape designers and contractors.

Bright, cheerful Montego Melon™ Daylily flowers are a clear yellow to cream melon color with an apple-green center that act as a magnet for the eye across a green landscape. Delightfully wide petals are sculptured or pleated with heavy substance, and recurve to form a very round flower. Large, looping ruffles extend into the throat area. Throughout the year, branched flower scapes produce dozens of flower buds, enhancing the display.

Montego Melon™ Daylily is a 2011 introduction in the Tetraploid series Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection” from Garden Debut® that features shorter plants with large, brightly-colored flowers. Flowering begins six to eight weeks earlier than standard daylilies and flowers develop even during cooler weather and cold nights, a big plus for retailers whose customers will be captivated by the colorful display on their springtime shopping trips. Branched scapes are loaded with buds that begin blooming eight weeks earlier than standard daylilies and continue blooming until hard frost ends the growing season.

What’s more, Montego Melon™ Daylily is resistant to Daylily Rust, the scourge of previous long-blooming daylilies. Short, grassy foliage, clean shedding of old blooms, prolonged reblooming that extends the season, and rapid increases of divisions add up to a finer and more saleable daylily. Compact plants with short flower scapes and foliage of this daylily eliminate blow-over in garden centers common to taller daylilies sold in gallon pots,

The culmination of seven years of targeted plant modification by renowned daylily breeder and author Dr. Ted Petit of Le Petit Jardin, McIntosh, Fla., Garden Debut® is pleased to provide the green industry with superior plants through this new partnership. Montego Melon™ Daylily is available in summer 2011. The series is named for the luscious, soft dawns and tropical island colors of the Beach Boys’ classic song, Kokomo, and future introductions in this daylily collection will continue with enjoyable names derived from this hit recording.

Montego Melon™ Daylily, Hemerocallis ‘SPd 06-13’ PPAF

(Hybrid 2011 introduction of the Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection”)

Plant Category:	Perennial
Mature Height:	18 inches, shorter plants won’t blow over in gallon pots
Mature Spread:	12 inches
Mature Form:	Grass-like foliage, short mounds (like cushion mums)
Growth Rate:	Vigorous; rapid increase in landscape or garden quickly forming large plants
Disease Resistance:	Very Rust resistant, “No Work Plant Collection”
Sun Exposure:	Full sun to partial shade
Soil Moisture:	Wide range, tolerant of dry to damp soils
Soil Type:	Loam, Sand, Clay, tolerant of all soil types
pH Level:	Wide range, tolerant of soil reaction
Flower Genetics:	Tetraploid. More flowers with heavier substance, yet the series are shorter with narrow leaves that will not blow over in gallon nursery pots.
Intensity:	Light-colored butter cream yellow blooms
Flower Color:	Bright, cheerful Montego Melon™ Daylily flowers are a clear yellow to cream melon color with an apple-green center. The wide petals are sculpted with heavy substance, and recurve to form a very round flower. Large, looping ruffles extend into the throat area. Delightfully wide, overlapping, yellow melon petals recurve, creating a round flower form
Flower Size:	4 inches
Bloom Time:	Continuous bloom spring through summer. Starts blooming 6 to 8 weeks earlier than standard commercial varieties, blooms during spring retail rush. Branched flower scapes have dozens of flower buds, enhancing the display.
Weather:	Flowers even in cool weather and cold nights
Repeat bloomer:	Outstanding re-bloomer or continual-bloomer with multitudes of buds and flowers on well- branched scapes
Self-cleaning:	Clean shedding of old blooms
Season:	Flowers extremely early (with Azaleas and Redbud) and throughout summer and fall, until hard frost
Landscape Value:	Improved garden mainstay; popular perennial now blooms earlier, fits into retail racks and has greater landscape application
Zones:	5 – 9
Heredity:	U.S., Dr. Ted Petit, McIntosh, FL

When performance counts, use Garden Debut®'s great new plants

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Luminous Key Largo Moon™ Daylily Blooms Non-Stop

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Tue, 10 May 2011 20:26:00 +0000

Continuous blooms from spring through fall add value to the landscape.

Light-years ahead of previous long-blooming daylilies, Garden Debut®’s new introduction Key Largo Moon™ Daylily "the no work plant collection" delivers brilliant flower color, long blooming season and disease resistance. Enjoy 24/7™ plants share outstanding characteristics that appeal to gardeners, homeowners, landscape designers and contractors.

Flowers of Key Largo Moon™ Daylily are a gleaming golden yellow with a deep green throat and petals with heavy substance recurve to form a symmetrical, round flower. The incandescent, medium-sized blooms of Key Largo Moon™ capture attention from across the garden. The petals are heavily ruffled with a combination of tight crimped ruffling to large, looping ruffles along petal edges.

This shimmering moonlit daylily is one of the Garden Debut® Tetraploid daylilies in the Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection” that features three seasons of continuous bloom on short plants with large, brightly-colored flowers. Plants in the series are each named for the luscious, soft pink dawns and tropical island colors evoked by the Beach Boys’ classic song, Kokomo.

Key Largo Moon™ Daylily is a 2011 introduction from Garden Debut® that features flowering that begins six- to eight- weeks earlier than standard daylilies and flowers that develop despite cold spring nights, a big plus for retailers whose customers will be captivated by the colorful display on their springtime trips to local garden centers. Compact plants with short flower scapes and foliage eliminate blow-over in garden centers common to taller daylilies sold in gallon pots.

Blooming continues throughout the summer and fall until cut down by hard frost (as late as Thanksgiving in U.S.D.A. Zone 7). What’s more, Key Largo Moon™ Daylily is resistant to daylily rust that blights older daylily varieties. Short, grassy foliage, clean shedding of old blooms, prolonged reblooming that extends the season, and rapid increase of clumps add up to high customer demand.

The culmination of seven years of targeted plant modification by renowned daylily breeder and author Dr. Ted Petit of Le Petit Jardin, McIntosh, Fla., Garden Debut® is pleased to provide the green industry with superior plants through this new partnership. Key Largo Moon™ Daylily is available in early 2012. Additional introductions in this daylily collection will continue with enjoyable names derived from the Beach Boys hit, Kokomo, and the flowers will evoke a tropical feel of freedom and fun.

Key Largo Moon™ Daylily, Hemerocallis ‘SPd 06-14’ PPAF one of Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection”

Plant Category:	Perennial
Mature Height:	18 inches, shorter plants won’t blow over in gallon pots
Mature Spread:	12 inches
Mature Form:	Grass-like foliage, short mounds (like cushion mums)
Growth Rate:	Vigorous; rapid increase in landscape or garden quickly forming large plants
Disease Resistance:	Very rust resistant, “No Work Plant Collection”
Sun Exposure:	Full sun to partial shade
Soil Moisture:	Wide range, tolerant of dry to damp soils

Soil Type:	Loam, Sand, Clay, tolerant of all soil types
pH Level:	Wide range, tolerant of soil reaction
Flower Genetics:	Tetraploid. More flowers with heavier substance, yet the series are shorter with narrow leaves that will not blow over in gallon nursery pots.
Intensity:	Brightly colored, rich, golden-yellow blooms
Flower Color:	Key Largo Moon™ Daylily flowers are a brilliant golden-yellow color. The flowers have a deep green throat and petals with heavy substance petals recurve to form a symmetrical, round flower. The medium sized blooms of Key Largo Moon™ are a luminous gold and grab attention from across the garden. The petals are also heavily ruffled with a combination of tight crimped ruffling to large, looping ruffles.
Flower Size:	4 inches
Bloom Time:	Continuous bloom spring through summer. Starts blooming 6 to 8 weeks earlier than standard commercial varieties, blooms during spring retail rush.
Weather:	Flowers even in cool weather and cold nights
Repeat bloomer:	Good re-bloomer with multitude of flowers on well- branched scapes
Self-cleaning:	Clean shedding of old blooms
Season:	Flowers extremely early (with Azaleas and Redbud) and throughout summer
Landscape Value:	Improved of garden mainstay; popular perennial now fits into retail racks and has greater landscape application
Zones:	5 – 9
Heredity:	U.S., Dr. Ted Petit, McIntosh, FL

When performance counts, use Garden Debut®'s great new plants

Enjoy 24/7(TM) Daylilies from Renown Daylily Breeder Dr. Ted L Petit

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Thu, 05 May 2011 18:10:00 +0000

Ted Petit was born near New Orleans and completed his Bachelor and Masters degrees at L.S.U. before moving to the University of Florida to get his Ph.D. in Psychology and Neuroscience. He joined the faculty at the University of Toronto where he continues to work as a Professor. His conducts research on how the brain changes to store memories, and has written two books about the brain.

Ted and his wife, Susan, purchased 25 acres of land near Gainesville, Florida, where they raised their son, Gavin, with Ted commuting between Canada and Florida. Ted had always been an avid gardener, so he soon created a large garden at his Florida home. He soon met Bill Munson, arguably the foremost daylily hybridizer of his time, who lived nearby in Gainesville. Ted fell in love with daylilies, and Bill became his mentor, teaching him everything about breeding them.

Soon, Ted’s garden was filled with daylilies, and his love for the daylily turned into a passion. It has now been 25 years since he first started breeding daylilies, and the gardens have transformed into a major undertaking, including two 30 x 100 feet greenhouses used for hybridizing. Ted has also co-authored 3 books on daylilies, The Color Encyclopedia of Daylilies, Daylilies: A Guide for Gardeners, and The New Encyclopedia of Daylilies, all published by Timber Press. He has also written articles for gardening magazines as well as appearing on House and Garden TV. Read Ted's Blog at http://petitdaylilies.blogspot.com/

His first hybrids were introduced into commerce in 1994 through his daylily nursery, Le Petit Jardin. To date, he has introduced 492 hybrids into commerce, which he sells through his web page (http://www.petitdaylilies.com/) and full-color catalog. His plants have won numerous awards from the American Hemerocallis Society, including 20 Honorable Mentions and 1 Award of Merit. Some of Ted’s most popular daylilies have included Ferengi Gold, Bill Munson, Gavin Petit, Larry’s Obsession, Gary Colby, April LaQuinta, Ted's Tribute to Linda and Blue Eden.

The Enjoy 24/7(TM) Daylilies (three pictured here) are introduced and marketed through Garden Debut(R) and excel in the size and beauty of the flowers, length of bloom season which begins in April and blooms until frost, resistance to rust and short scapes with grassy foliage on plants in the collection. Find out more about this collection on this blog and at the Garden Debut(R) website.

Ted has broken the world record for the most expensive daylily sold at auction three times. Prior to 2002, the most expensive daylily sold at auction for $2,300. In 2002, Ted’s “Lady Betty Fretz” broke this record by selling at auction for $4,200 at the Canadian-American Daylily Meeting. In 2004, he broke his own world record with “Larry’s Obsession” selling for $6,300 at the Canadian-American Daylily Meeting. Ted again broke his own world record in 2008 with “Ted’s Tribute to Linda” selling at auction for $7,500 at the Lake Tahoe International Daylily Symposium. His latest record has yet to be broken. (http://www.petitdaylilies.com/index.php/world-record-breakers)

Photos from top: Dr. Ted L. Petit, Bahama Pink Sky(TM), Key Largo Moon(TM) and Bermuda Peach(TM)

Jamaica Sunrise™ Daylily Awakens Landscapes

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Tue, 03 May 2011 13:15:00 +0000

Continuous blooms from spring through fall provide added value for gardeners and landscapers.

Far and away superior to older long-blooming daylilies, Garden Debut®’s new introduction Jamaica Sunrise™ Daylily adds an eye-catching lavender-rose flower color to the daylily palette, while delivering both disease resistance and an extended season of bloom. Daylilies in the Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection” share valuable characteristics that appeal to gardeners, homeowners, landscape designers and contractors.

Extraordinary flowers of Jamaica Sunrise™ Daylily are an unusual, clear lavender-rose or light burgundy color with a contrasting lemon-yellow and chartreuse throat. Flowers have a darker burgundy or grape-maroon eye zone with a thin maroon-red halo toward the flower center. Wide, overlapping petals have a light ruffle and heavy substance, creating a round flower shape on this outstanding cultivar.

This out-of-the-ordinary lavender-rose daylily is one of the Garden Debut® Tetraploid daylilies in the Enjoy 24/7™ series that features three seasons of continuous bloom on short plants with large, brightly-colored flowers. Originator Ted Petit named the series for the luminous, soft purple dawns and tropical island colors of the Beach Boys’ classic song, Kokomo.

Jamaica Sunrise™ Daylily is a 2011 introduction in the Tetraploid series Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection” from Garden Debut® that features shorter plants with large, brightly-colored flowers. Flowering begins six to eight weeks earlier than standard daylilies and buds develop into flowers even during cooler weather and cold spring nights, a big plus for retailers whose customers will be captivated by the colorful display on their springtime shopping trips. Blooming continues throughout the summer and fall until cut down by hard frost (as late as Thanksgiving in Zone 7).

What’s more, Jamaica Sunrise™ Daylily is resistant to Daylily Rust that blights previous long-blooming daylilies. Short, grassy foliage, clean shedding of old blooms, prolonged reblooming that extends the season, and rapid increase of divisions adds up to an extraordinary daylily. Compact plants with short flower scapes and foliage eliminate blow-over in garden centers common to taller daylilies sold in gallon pots. [Photo at left was taken 4/28/11 after -12 degree F. winter lows; 6 budded scapes in evidence on plant! ]

For more information on Enjoy 24/7 “the no work plant collection” and other superior plant introductions brought to gardeners by Garden Debut®, visit GardenDebut.com. To set-up an interview with daylily breeder Dr. Ted Petit, contact Jim Thompson toll-free at 877-663-5053 or jim_thompson@greenleafnursery.com.

Jamaica Sunrise™ Daylily, Hemerocallis ‘SPd 06-12’ PPAF

(Hybrid 2011 introduction of the Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection”)

Plant Category:	Perennial
Mature Height:	18 inches, shorter plants won’t blow over in gallon pots
Mature Spread:	12 inches
Mature Form:	Grass-like foliage, short mounds (like cushion mums)
Growth Rate:	Vigorous; rapid increase in landscape or garden quickly forming large plants
Disease Resistance:	Very rust resistant, “No Work Plant Collection”
Sun Exposure:	Full sun to partial shade
Soil Moisture:	Wide range, tolerant of dry to damp soils
Soil Type:	Loam, Sand, Clay, tolerant of all soil types
pH Level:	Wide range, tolerant of soil reaction
Flower Genetics:	Tetraploid. More flowers with heavier substance, yet the series are shorter with narrow leaves that will not blow over in gallon nursery pots.
Intensity:	Brightly colored red blooms
Flower Color:	Superior flowers of Jamaica Sunrise™ Daylily are an unusual, clear lavender-rose or light burgundy color with a contrasting lemon yellow/chartreuse throat. Flowers have a darker burgundy or grape-maroon eye zone with a thin maroon-red halo. Wide, overlapping petals with heavy substance have a light ruffle, and unusual lavender-rose daylily petals are gently recurved, creating a round form on medium size flowers.
Flower Size:	4 inches
Bloom Time:	Continuous bloom spring through summer. Starts blooming 6 to 8 weeks earlier than standard commercial varieties, blooms during spring retail rush.
Weather:	Flowers even in cool weather and cold nights
Repeat bloomer:	Good re-bloomer with multitude of flowers on well- branched scapes
Self-cleaning:	Clean shedding of old blooms
Season:	Flowers extremely early (with Azaleas and Redbud) and throughout summer
Landscape Value:	Improved of garden mainstay; popular perennial now fits into retail racks and has greater landscape application
Zones:	5 – 9
Heredity:	U.S., Dr. Ted Petit, McIntosh, FL

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions

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Compelling Caribbean Coral™ Daylily Delights Gardeners

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Tue, 26 Apr 2011 13:00:00 +0000

Continuous blooms from spring through fall add value to the landscape.

Light-years ahead of previous long-blooming daylilies, Garden Debut®’s new introduction Caribbean Coral™ Daylily delivers compelling flower color, long blooming season and disease resistance. Plants in the Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection” share outstanding characteristics that appeal to gardeners, homeowners, landscape designers and contractors.

Flowers of Caribbean Coral™ Daylily are a glowing, captivating coral color sometimes described as a blend of orange overlain with raspberry pink, and anchored by a rich golden-yellow heart. Wide, overlapping petals with heavy substance have a gentle ruffling, which can range from piecrust ruffles to tightly crimped ruffles. The coral/light tomato red petals are gently recurved, creating a round form on medium size flowers.

This irresistibly compelling coral daylily is one of the Garden Debut® Tetraploid daylilies in the Enjoy 24/7™ series that features three seasons of continuous bloom on short plants with large, brightly-colored flowers. The series is named for the luscious, soft pink dawns and tropical island colors evoked by the Beach Boys’ classic song, Kokomo.

Caribbean Coral™ Daylily is a 2011 introduction in the Tetraploid series Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection” from Garden Debut® that features shorter plants with large, brightly-colored flowers. Flowering begins six to eight weeks earlier than standard daylilies and flowers develop even during cooler weather and cold spring nights, a big plus for retailers whose customers will be captivated by the colorful display on their springtime trips to local garden centers. Blooming continues throughout the summer and fall until cut down by hard frost (as late as Thanksgiving in Zone 7).

What’s more, Caribbean Coral™ Daylily is resistant to Daylily Rust that blights previous long-blooming daylilies. Short, grassy foliage, clean shedding of old blooms, prolonged reblooming that extends the season, and rapid increase of divisions adds up to high customer demand. Compact plants with short flower scapes and foliage of this daylily eliminate blow-over in garden centers common to taller daylilies sold in gallon pots.

The culmination of seven years of targeted plant modification by renowned daylily breeder and author Dr. Ted Petit of Le Petit Jardin, McIntosh, Fla., Garden Debut® is pleased to provide the green industry with superior plants through this new partnership. Caribbean Coral™ Daylily is available in summer 2011. Future introductions in this daylily collection will continue with enjoyable names derived from the Beach Boys hit, Kokomo, and the flowers will evoke a tropical feel of freedom and fun.

Caribbean Coral™ Daylily, Hemerocallis ‘SPd 06-14’ PPAF

(2011 introduction of the Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection”)

Plant Category:	Perennial
Mature Height:	18 inches, shorter plants won’t blow over in gallon pots
Mature Spread:	12 inches
Mature Form:	Grass-like foliage, short mounds (like cushion mums)
Growth Rate:	Vigorous; rapid increase in landscape or garden quickly forming large plants
Disease Resistance:	Very rust resistant, “No Work Plant Collection”
Sun Exposure:	Full sun to partial shade
Soil Moisture:	Wide range, tolerant of dry to damp soils
Soil Type:	Loam, Sand, Clay, tolerant of all soil types
pH Level:	Wide range, tolerant of soil reaction
Flower Genetics:	Tetraploid. More flowers with heavier substance, yet the series are shorter with narrow leaves that will not blow over in gallon nursery pots.
Intensity:	Brightly colored red blooms
Flower Color:	Caribbean Coral™ Daylily flowers are a glowing coral color sometimes described as a blend of orange overlain with raspberry pink, and anchored by a rich golden-yellow heart. Wide, overlapping petals with heavy substance have a gentle ruffling, which can range from piecrust ruffles to tightly crimped ruffles. The coral/light tomato red petals are gently recurved, creating a round form on medium size flowers
Flower Size:	4 inches
Bloom Time:	Continuous bloom spring through summer. Starts blooming 6 to 8 weeks earlier than standard commercial varieties, blooms during spring retail rush.
Weather:	Flowers even in cool weather and cold nights
Repeat bloomer:	Good re-bloomer with multitude of flowers on well- branched scapes
Self-cleaning:	Clean shedding of old blooms
Season:	Flowers extremely early (with Azaleas and Redbud) and throughout summer
Landscape Value:	Improved of garden mainstay; popular perennial now fits into retail racks and has greater landscape application
Zones:	5 – 9
Heredity:	U.S., Dr. Ted Petit, McIntosh, FL

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions

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Bermuda Peach™ Daylily Never Stops Blooming

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Continuous blooms from spring through fall add value to the landscape.

It’s a win-win for gardeners and the landscape industry with the new three-season Bermuda Peach™ Daylily. The enchantingly beautiful, continuously re-blooming, care-free daylily delivers brightly colored, four inch, intensely ruffled clear peach flowers on a non-stop basis spring through autumn.

This strong growing, early-blooming daylily blooms continuously throughout three seasons. Big (4 inch), showy peach flowers with pleated petals of heavy substance and remarkable large, looping ruffles descending into the flower’s throat on round flowers, are held on short scapes. Bermuda Peach™ is a vigorous grower producing compact plants with grassy foliage, and double or triple the number of flower stalks and offsets each year. Enjoy 24/7™ Daylilies are a garden mainstay used in perennial borders, massed, for erosion control on slopes, or as a color accent.

Excellent re-blooming extends the season and promotes development of new offsets, producing vigorous increases annually. Bloom starts 6 to 8 weeks earlier than regular daylilies, during cool spring nights, a plus for retailers whose customers will be captivated by the colorful display on their springtime shopping trips.

Compact plants fit on retail racks and flower during the spring rush continuing through fall. Rust resistant; flowers are self-cleaning and old blooms are cleanly shed. Compact plants and shorter flower scapes eliminate blow over in retail outlets. This Bermuda Peach™ Daylily is Cold Hardy to -10 to -20° F. (Zone 5 - 9); enjoys full sun exposure and has wide tolerance of soil types and moisture levels, and may be grown in loam, sand or clay on a wide pH of 5 – 8. A long bloom-season, and multiple flowering cycles are perfect for mass plantings and perennial beds.

Bermuda Peach™ Daylily is a 2011 introduction in the Tetraploid series Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection” from Garden Debut® that features shorter plants with large, brightly-colored flowers. Look for all eight daylilies in the Enjoy 24/7™ “no work plant collection“ line-up that continue with enjoyable names derived from The Beach Boys hits. These flowers evoke a tropical feel of freedom and fun.

What’s more, Bermuda Peach™ Daylily is resistant to Daylily Rust, the scourge of previous long-blooming daylilies. Short, grassy foliage, clean shedding of old blooms, prolonged reblooming that extends the season, and rapid increases of divisions add up to a finer and more saleable daylily. Compact plants with short flower scapes and foliage of this daylily eliminate blow-over in garden centers common to taller daylilies sold in gallon pots,

The culmination of seven years of targeted plant modification by renowned daylily breeder and author Dr. Ted Petit of Le Petit Jardin, McIntosh, Fla., Garden Debut® is pleased to provide the green industry with superior plants through this new partnership. Bermuda Peach™ Daylily is available in summer 2011. The series is named for the luscious, soft dawns and tropical island colors of the Beach Boys’ classic song, Kokomo. Look for the other seven introductions in this daylily collection with enjoyable names derived from this hit recording.

Bermuda Peach™ Daylily, Hemerocallis ‘SPd 06-08’ PPAF

(Hybrid 2011 introduction of the Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection”)

Plant Category:	Perennial
Mature Height:	18 inches, shorter plants won’t blow over in gallon pots
Mature Spread:	12 inches
Mature Form:	Grass-like foliage, short mounds (like cushion mums)
Growth Rate:	Vigorous; rapid increase in landscape or garden quickly forming large plants
Disease Resistance:	Very Rust resistant, “No Work Plant Collection”
Sun Exposure:	Full sun to partial shade
Soil Moisture:	Wide range, tolerant of dry to damp soils
Soil Type:	Loam, Sand, Clay, tolerant of all soil types
pH Level:	Wide range, tolerant of soil reaction
Flower Genetics:	Tetraploid. More flowers with heavier substance, yet the series are shorter with narrow leaves that will not blow over in gallon nursery pots
Intensity:	Light-colored butter cream yellow blooms
Flower Color:	Bright, cheerful Bermuda Peach™ Daylily flowers are a clear peach color. The wide petals are sculpted with heavy substance, and recurve to form a very round flower. Large, looping ruffles extend into the throat area. Delightfully wide, overlapping, peach petals recurve, creating a round flower form
Flower Size:	4 inches
Bloom Time:	Continuous bloom spring through summer Starts blooming 6 to 8 weeks earlier than standard commercial varieties, blooms during spring retail rush. Branched flower scapes have dozens of flower buds, enhancing the display.
Weather:	Flowers even in cool weather and cold nights
Repeat bloomer:	Outstanding re-bloomer or continual-bloomer with multitudes of buds and flowers on well- branched scapes
Self-cleaning:	Clean shedding of old blooms
Season:	Flowers extremely early (with Azaleas and Redbud) and throughout summer and fall, until hard frost
Landscape Value:	Improved garden mainstay; popular perennial now blooms earlier, fits into retail racks and has greater landscape application
Zones:	5 – 9
Heredity:	U.S., Dr. Ted Petit, McIntosh, FL

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions

# # #

Bahama Pink Sky™ Daylily Enjoys Uninterrupted Bloom All Season Long

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Tue, 12 Apr 2011 19:50:00 +0000

Enjoy 24/7 “the no work plant collection” adds landscape value.

Better than other long-blooming daylilies, Garden Debut®’s new introduction Bahama Pink Sky™ Daylily delivers fabulous color, a long bloom season and desirable disease resistance. Daylilies in the Enjoy 24/7 “the no work plant collection” share outstanding characteristics that appeal to gardeners, homeowners, landscape designers and contractors.

Sophisticated flowers of Bahama Pink Sky™ Daylily have wide, medium flesh-pink petals accented by a wide, rosy red eye-zone and a contrasting yellow throat; the combination evokes soft pink tropical sunsets. Wide, overlapping petals are lightly ruffled with the barest hint of a faint rose picotee outlining some edges. The rosy-red eye covers nearly half of the rich and clear pink petal surface, creating a dramatic two-tone effect in the landscape. In warm weather, the medium size flowers recurve, presenting a chic, round shape.

This luscious pink daylily is one of the new Garden Debut® Tetraploid daylilies offered in the Enjoy 24/7™ series that features three seasons of continuous bloom on short, disease-resistant plants with large, brightly-colored flowers. The series is named for the lush, tropical colors of the Beach Boys’ classic song, Kokomo.

Bahama Pink Sky™ Daylily is a 2011 introduction in the Tetraploid series Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection” from Garden Debut® that features shorter plants with large, brightly-colored flowers. Flowering begins six to eight weeks earlier than standard daylilies and flowers develop even during cooler spring weather and cold nights, a big plus for retailers whose customers will be captivated by the colorful display on their springtime garden center trips. Blooming continues on branched flower scapes throughout summer and fall, until cut down by hard frost (as late as Thanksgiving in Zone 7).

What’s more, Bahama Pink Sky™ Daylily is resistant to Daylily Rust that afflicts all previous long-blooming daylilies. Short, grassy foliage, clean shedding of old blooms, prolonged reblooming that extends the season, and a rapid increase of divisions adds up to a fine, desireable daylily. Compact plants of this daylily with short flower scapes and foliage eliminate blow-over in garden centers common to taller daylilies sold in gallon pots.

The culmination of seven years of targeted plant modification by renowned daylily breeder and author Dr. Ted Petit of Le Petit Jardin, McIntosh, Fla., Garden Debut® is pleased to provide the green industry with superior plants through this partnership. Bahama Pink Sky™ Daylily is available in summer 2011. Future introductions in this daylily collection will continue with enjoyable names derived from the Beach Boys hit, Kokomo, and the flowers will evoke a tropical feel of freedom and fun.

Bahama Pink Sky™ Daylily, Hemerocallis ‘SPd 06-01’ PPAF

(2011 introduction of the Enjoy 24/7™ “the no work plant collection”)

Plant Category:	Perennial
Mature Height:	18 inches, shorter plants won’t blow over in gallon pots
Mature Spread:	12 inches
Mature Form:	Grass-like foliage, short mounds
Growth Rate:	Vigorous; rapid increase in landscape or garden quickly forming large clumps
Disease Resistance:	Very Rust resistant, *Enjoy 24/7 “the no work plant collection”*
Sun Exposure:	Full sun to partial shade, very resilient
Soil Moisture:	Wide range, tolerant of dry to damp soils
Soil Type:	Loam, Sand, Clay, tolerant of all soil types
pH Level:	Wide range, tolerant of soil reaction
Flower Genetics:	Tetraploid. More flowers with heavier substance, yet overall, plants in the series are shorter with narrow leaves that will not blow over in gallon nursery pots.
Intensity:	Bright colored, luscious, two-toned pink blooms
Flower Color:	Bahama Pink Sky™ Daylily have wide, flesh-pink petals accented by a wide, rosy red eye-zone and a contrasting yellow throat; overlapping petals are lightly ruffled with the barest hint of a faint rose picotee outlining some edges. The rosy-red eye covers nearly half of the rich and clear pink petal surface, creating a dramatic two-toned effect in the landscape. Recurved petals yield a round flower shape.
Flower Size:	4 inches
Bloom Time:	Continuous bloom spring through summer. Starts blooming 6 to 8 weeks earlier than standard commercial varieties, blooms during spring retail rush.
Weather:	Flowers even in cool weather and cold nights
Repeat bloomer:	Good re-bloomer with multitude of flowers on well- branched scapes
Self-cleaning:	Clean shedding of old blooms
Season:	Flowers extremely early (with Azaleas and Redbud) and throughout summer
Landscape Value:	Improved of garden mainstay; popular perennial now fits into retail racks and has greater landscape application
Zones:	5 – 9
Heredity:	U.S., Dr. Ted Petit, McIntosh, FL

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions

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New Endless-Blooming Aruba Red™ Daylily Finds Favor

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 17:00:00 +0000

Continuous blooms from spring through fall add value to the landscape.

Superior to previous long-blooming daylilies because of its rich, saturated red color, Garden Debut®’s new introduction Aruba Red™ Daylily represents an advance in performance in color, long blooming season and disease resistance. Plants in the Enjoy 24/7 “the no work plant collection” share outstanding characteristics that appeal to gardeners, homeowners, landscape designers and contractors. http://gardendebut.com/_catalog_67846/Enjoy247Daylilies

Aruba Red™ Daylily flowers are deep crimson red, with a heavy substance. Delightfully wide, overlapping, red petals recurve, creating a round flower form. Petals are heavily ruffled, with tons of ruffles continuing down the petal edges into an appealing yellow throat. Branched flower scapes have dozens of flower buds, enhancing the display.

Aruba Red™ Daylily is a 2011 introduction in the Tetraploid series Enjoy 24/7 “the no work plant collection” from Garden Debut® that features shorter plants with large, brightly-colored flowers. Flowering begins six to eight weeks earlier than standard daylilies and flowers develop even during cooler weather and cold nights, a big plus for retailers whose customers will be captivated by the colorful display on their springtime shopping trips. Blooming continues throughout the summer and fall until cut down by hard frost (as late as Thanksgiving in Zone 7).

What’s more, Aruba Red™ is resistant to Rust that plagues previous long-blooming daylilies. Short, grassy foliage, clean shedding of old blooms, prolonged reblooming that extends the season, and rapid increase of divisions add up to a finer daylily. Compact plants with short flower scapes and foliage of this daylily eliminate blow-over in garden centers common to taller daylilies sold in gallon pots.

The culmination of seven years of targeted plant modification by renowned author and daylily breeder Dr. Ted Petit of Le Petit Jardin, McIntosh, Fla. Garden Debut® is pleased to provide the green industry with superior plants through this new partnership. Kokomo Sunset™ Daylily was available in fall 2010. Future introductions in this daylily collection will continue with enjoyable names derived from the Beach Boys hit, Kokomo, and the flowers will evoke a tropical feel of freedom and fun.

Aruba Red™ Daylily, Hemerocallis ‘KOK 06-02’ hybrid PPAF

(First of the Enjoy 24/7 “the no work plant collection”)

Plant Category:	Perennial
Mature Height:	18 inches, shorter plants won’t blow over in gallon pots
Mature Spread:	12 inches
Mature Form:	Grass-like foliage, short mounds (like cushion mums)
Growth Rate:	Vigorous; rapid increase in landscape or garden quickly forming large plants
Disease Resistance:	Very rust resistant, “No Work Plant Collection”
Sun Exposure:	Full sun to partial shade
Soil Moisture:	Wide range, tolerant of dry to damp soils
Soil Type:	Loam, Sand, Clay, tolerant of all soil types
pH Level:	Wide range, tolerant of soil reaction
Flower Genetics:	Tetraploid. More flowers with heavier substance, yet the series are shorter with narrow leaves that will not blow over in gallon nursery pots.
Intensity:	Brightly colored red blooms
Flower Color:	Deep, rich red flowers and a yellow throat; wide, overlapping petals are edged with heavy ruffles shading to pink
Flower Size:	4 inches
Bloom Time:	Continuous bloom spring through summer. Starts blooming 6 to 8 weeks earlier than standard commercial varieties, blooms during spring retail rush.
Weather:	Flowers even in cool weather and cold nights
Repeat bloomer:	Good re-bloomer with multitude of flowers on well- branched scapes
Self-cleaning:	Clean shedding of old blooms
Season:	Flowers extremely early (with Azaleas and Redbud) and throughout summer
Landscape Value:	Improved garden mainstay; popular perennial now fits into retail racks and has greater landscape application
Zones:	5 – 9
Heredity:	U.S., Dr. Ted Petit, McIntosh, FL

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions

# # #

Scentimental Journey with Sweet Treat™ Lilac

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Wed, 30 Mar 2011 13:20:00 +0000

Beloved Lilac fragrance is combined with superior disease resistance and red to burgundy fall color.

The intoxicatingly sweet lilac fragrance so beloved of generations is enveloping gardeners through an improved selection known as Sweet Treat™ Lilac from Garden Debut®. Heavy with a profusion of blooms and redolent with a fragrance more perfumed than roses, this selection has also proven marvelously disease resistant, performing flawlessly in the brutal heat and humidity of lower Midwestern summers.

Sweet Treat™ Lilac presents a profusion of fragrant blossoms each spring that are dark lavender in bud and fade to a soft lavender-ice blue when fully opened. The plant is particularly floriferous when planted in full sun, and its fragrant blossom trusses stand out beautifully against dark green, glossy leaves. But there’s more. Sweet Treat™ has the best fall leaf color of any Lilac, when its green foliage turns a deep burgundy red, adding color in the autumn landscape.

Sweet Treat™ Lilac is well-branched, compact and upright-rounded in form, slowly growing to a height of five to six feet tall and a mature spread of four to six feet, with foliage stretching to the ground. It is small enough to be ideal for nearly every garden. Sweet Treat™ Lilac makes a wonderful addition to shrub borders or foundation plantings where proximity to a gate, walkway, patio or entrance door provides perfumed enjoyment. It grows well in a wide range of soil conditions and is hardy in Zones 3-8, making it the most versatile lilac in the country.

Sweet Treat™ is a great improvement over the well-known variety of Dwarf Korean Lilac, Syringa pubescens subsp. patula 'Miss Kim'. Sweet Treat™ Lilac reliably displays clean foliage and vigor with no disease or die back during the hottest summer temperatures, that normally sound the death knell for the older variety.

Statistics Chart for Sweet Treat™ Lilac, Syringa patula ‘Greswt’ PPAF

Category:	Deciduous flowering shrub known for sweet fragrance
Mature Height:	5 – 6 feet
Mature Spread:	4 – 6 feet
Mature Form:	Rounded-upright, multi-stemmed shrub, easy care
Growth Rate:	Slow to Moderate
Sun Exposure:	Plants require full sun for best flowering
Soil Moisture:	Well-drained soils, shrub is drought resistant; no wet soils
Soil Type:	Loam, Sand or Clay; wide range from dry to moist
Flower Color:	Dark lavender in bud, opening to light lavender or ice blue; sweetly- scented; a hummingbird magnet
Flower Arrangement:	Individual ½-inch tubular flowers arranged in dense, terminal clusters (upright panicals 3" in length) envelop the shrub with flowers.
	Profuse bloomer, flowers each spring, flowers from late April to May
Fragrance:	Powerful sweetly-scented aroma perfumes the entire landscape
Wildlife:	Flowers attractive to wildlife, hummingbirds, honey bees; deer like to eat the flowers
Summer Leaf Color:	Deep green, glossy leaves showcase the blooms
Fall Color:	Red to burgundy fall color; Best color of any Lilac!
Disease Resistance:	Resistant to powdery mildew; vigorous with no disease or die back even in the hottest, most humid summers
pH Level:	5.5 – 8.5
Zones	3 – 9, extraordinarily wide range makes it the most versatile Lilac
Heredity:	U.S., Greenleaf Nursery Company, Park Hill, OK

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions.

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Native Shade Tree Snow Flurries™ Black Gum Has Variegated Leaves

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Thu, 24 Mar 2011 12:00:00 +0000

Attractive white-margined leaves on this native shade tree are unusual.

Anticipating the first flurries this summer! An easy-grow native shade tree, Snow Flurries™ Black Gum has unbeatable green and white summer color, rare in the world of shade trees. Snow Flurries™ has shiny, variegated leaves with generous white margins and green centers and is riveting in the landscape. Garden Debut® expects a blizzard of orders once this extraordinary plant hits the market. Overall, the variegated leaves are narrower and smaller than the species, turning a ruddy color in early autumn.

The tree reaches 30 – 40 feet in height, with gracefully draped lower limbs creating an oval form. This Garden Debut® introduction is easy-care and trouble-free. Snow Flurries™ has clean leaves without leaf spot and with no significant pest problems. Aided by its deep tap root, it is adaptable to an extremely wide variety of soil moisture conditions from poorly drained soils and low spots subject to periodic flooding, through average garden soils, and also on dry sites.

Small flowers are a great nectar source and attract honey bees resulting in prized Black Gum or “Tupelo” honey. Small, dark blue, football-shaped fruits are a favorite of birds and wildlife in August and September, and do not stain decks or paving. Left, leafing out in early spring.

Statistics Chart for Snow Flurries™ Black Gum, Nyssa sylvatica ‘Grechrist’ PPAF

Plant Category:	Native tree, budded cultivar
Mature Height:	Reaches 30 – 40 feet
Mature Spread:	25 - 30 feet
Mature Form:	Oval
Branching:	Lower branches with graceful drape
Growth Rate:	Moderate, faster growth on moist soils
Sun Exposure:	Full sun (recommended) to part shade
Soil Type:	Loam, Sand, Clay
Soil Moisture:	Native to wet soils; adaptable to periodic flooding; also grows in dry locations; grows readily in a wide variety of soil moisture levels
Flower Color:	Greenish white, insignificant flowers; excellent nectar source for honey bees resulting in prized Black Gum or “Tupelo” honey
Bloom Season:	April – May
Foliage:	Shiny, medium green leaves with white margins are smaller than the species, 1” wide by 2.5 – 3 “ long
Fall Color:	Ruddy red
Fruit pods:	Small, Dark Blue Football-shaped Drupe, August to September; does not stain sidewalks; birds and wildlife love them
Bark:	Dark Gray to Brown, Thick, Fissured
Root:	Taproot, patented variety is budded onto Black Gum seedling rootstock
pH Level:	5 – 8, very adaptable
Zones:	4 – 9, wide range
Heredity:	U.S., Greenleaf Nursery Company, Park Hill, OK

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions!

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Fire Dragon® Shantung Maple Flames Red

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Wed, 16 Mar 2011 17:24:00 +0000

Maple Selection Brings “New England Red” Color to Midwestern Fall Landscapes

Fire Dragon^® Shantung Maple delivers vivid reds and dazzling scarlets rarely seen in the Midwest or lower-Midwest landscape in autumn. A tough, hardy and well-behaved mid-size maple (to 35 feet), Fire Dragon^® is the first introduced selection of Acer truncatum, commonly known as Purple-blow or Shantung Maple (pronounced ‘Shan-doon’ ).

Fire Dragon® was selected from thousands of seedlings for its glorious, brilliant red fall color so elusive to the lower-Midwest. Finding a consistent red for hot, sunny climates has long been a challenge for plains states gardeners and designers. With the straight species, new spring foliage is a beautiful reddish-purple leaf color in spring (“purple-blow”), turning to dark green for summer, then presenting brilliant yellow color in fall. However, each autumn Fire Dragon® reliably provides the sought-after, luminous reds found in New England to the Midwest (and the rest of the country). Grower Keith Johansson has observed three different autumn reds (anthocyanin compounds based on soil pH and environmental factors) including: bright, true, cardinal red; currant red with Chinese yellow margins; and a compelling reddish-orange.

Spring and early summer leaf color on Fire Dragon^® turns from burnt orange to pink and rose-red, and then to bright red when growing vigorously in May. Red pigments help protect the new leaves from ultra-violet rays and from insects until they can harden-off. Summer leaf color is a pleasing, sparkling green on thick, waxy leaves; lowered transpiration rates help trees thrive in hot summers. New summer growth put on by this cultivar is typically a dark red throughout the season, although it may vary with temperature, soil pH, soil nutrients or levels of sunshine, and can range from dark red to brighter red to mostly green.

The elegant, distinctive leaf shape of Fire Dragon® is reminiscent of curly parsley. The species name, truncate, refers to a broad, flat leaf base at the petiole, however, the two basal lobes of Fire Dragon® face downward. While most Shantungs have a larger central lobe, in Fire Dragon® the leaf lobes are equal in size and fit inside a perfect circle.

Small, lemony, greenish-yellow flowers appear in late spring on 3-inch corymbs, followed by winged, purplish samara fruits that form a 90 degree angle.

Young bark on Fire Dragon® can have a purplish tone and eventually turns grayish brown, while older bark is two-toned brown, heavily fissured, and very attractive. Shantung maple branches are flexible but old wood is dense and very hard, much like an oak, and according to a Kansas State University study they were the least damaged/best performing in ice storms, and are similarly good for windy sites.

Fire Dragon® Shantung Maple has a very efficient, non-aggressive root system that is reminiscent of a Japanese maple. Shantung is a preferred maple for under-planting in park and landscape settings because it is not shallow-rooted like some notorious maples, so the roots do not over-compete. In addition, the canopy provides open shade, perfect for an understory of rhododendrons, native azaleas and other ornamental shrubs, perennials and groundcovers.

Acer truncatum is a very lovely medium-sized maple tree reaching up to 35 feet in height and spread. Growth habit is low-branching, round-headed, quite dense and uniform. It is a hardy, adaptable species, tolerant of heat and drought, with no serious pests. This tree is tougher than and just as beautiful as any maple growing “back east”. Hardy and heat tolerant, it grows on both acidic and alkaline soils. Shantung maples are in high demand in the lower Midwest and are gaining popularity throughout the upper-Midwest and upper-South to the east coast.

Fire Dragon® tolerates pollution and fits most urban landscapes. About the only thing it will not tolerate is poor drainage. With a vigorous growth rate, Fire Dragon® Shantung Maples grow 2 to 5 feet per year. This very lovely maple has application as a street or residential shade tree.

Statistics Chart for Fire Dragon® Shantung Maple, Acer truncatum Fire Dragon® Plant Patent #17367, by Keith Johansson, owner of Metro Maples who patented this cultivar.

Plant Category:	Shade tree, budded cultivar, patented
Mature Height:	Mid-sized, reaches 35 feet
Mature Spread:	35 feet
Mature Form:	Round crown
Branching:	Low branching with graceful curves; wood is exceptionally strong and resists ice and wind
Growth Rate:	Vigorous, 2-5 feet per year
Sun Exposure:	Full sun (recommended) to part shade
Soil Type:	Loam, Sand, Clay
Soil Moisture:	Well-drained soils; good with heat and drought; will not tolerate wet soils
Flower Color:	Lemony, greenish yellow corymbs of small flowers; excellent early nectar source for honey bees
Bloom Season:	March - April
Foliage:	Spring: burnt orange to pink and rose-red, and then to bright red when growing vigorously in May. Summer leaf color: a pleasing, sparkling green on thick, waxy leaves; lowered transpiration rates help trees manage the hot summers; new growth put on by this cultivar during the summer is typically a dark red throughout the season Leaf drop is sudden and efficient; leaves compost quickly
Fall Color:	brilliant, true cardinal red; sometimes currant red with Chinese yellow margins; and occasionally reddish-orange after heavy rainfall
Fruit:	Purplish, 90 degree angle winged samaras or “helicopters”
Bark:	Attractive, two-toned, dark gray to brown, thick, fissured
Roots:	Regular root system, not a shallow-rooted maple; non-competing and excellent for under plantings
pH Level:	5 – 8, very adaptable
Zones:	6– 9, wide range
Heredity:	U.S., Keith Johansson, owner of Metro Maples, Fort Worth, TX

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions

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Merlot Redbud is Drought- and Heat-Tolerant with Wine-Colored Leaves

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Wed, 09 Mar 2011 15:00:00 +0000

Raise a toast to this drought- and heat- tolerant redbud with Merlot-colored leaves. Merlot Redbud (PPAF) is the preferred vintage for those gardeners in hotter, drier zones (U.S.D.A Zones 6 – 9) looking for a small ornamental tree with dark foliage. A cross between Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy' and Cercis canadensis var. texensis, Merlot Redbud is much more drought- and heat- tolerant than eastern redbud trees and has appealing shiny wine-red foliage that laugh at heat.

The glossy leaves of Merlot Redbud are dark wine-purple like the color of a fine Merlot wine and are smaller and more rounded, free of scorch well into fall. The reduced size and rounded shape (without a point) accommodates the stress of hot climates, while the shiny leaf surface slows transpiration or water loss of this hybrid redbud. These strategies to ‘beat the heat’ are inherited from their texensis parentage, and thick, glossy Merlot Redbud leaves hold up well during the heat of Southern and Southwestern summers without browning margins.

At 12’ x 15’ Merlot is the perfect tree for small yards. Overall the small ornamental tree has as a semi-upright vase-shaped growth habit. The plant is tighter and denser than Cercis ‘Forest Pansy’.

Mature trees flower heavily with strong, bright magenta-pink flowers on bare branches. They are self-cleaning and have a low seed set. Thus the homeowner or landscaper enjoys a heavy bloom but the seed pods tend to drop early before ripening and turning brown, and don’t hang on the tree. These flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies and nectar-loving birds.

The name ‘Merlot’ means ‘young blackbird’ in French, after the dark maroon-black color of both the varietal grape from Burgundy and the leaf of this redbud, a ‘grand cru’ among Cercis cultivars.

Statistics Chart for Merlot Redbud (PPAF), Cercis canadensis var. texensis x Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'

Plant Category:	Deciduous flowering tree
Mature Height:	12 feet
Mature Spread:	15 feet
Mature Form:	Semi-upright vase, shaped habit. The perfect tree for small yards.
Growth Rate:	Vigorous
Sun Exposure:	Best grown in full sun
Heat Tolerance:	Great tree for those gardeners in hotter zones looking for a darker foliage small flowering tree.
Soil Moisture:	Well-drained soil, drought resistant tree due to texensis parentage
Soil Type:	Loamy, Sandy, or Clay; wide range
Flower Color:	Strong, bright pink flowers
Bloom Time:	Flowers on bare branches in Early Spring
Seed Pods:	Merlot is self-cleaning and has a low seed set. The homeowner or landscaper enjoys a heavy bloom but the seed pods tend to drop early before ripening and turning brown, and don’t hang on the tree.
Summer Color:	Deciduous, small rounded glossy dark purple leaves, the color of Merlot wine.
Fall Color:	Red-Burgundy color holds in fall
pH Level:	5.5 – 7.5
Zones:	6 – 9 (-10 degrees F or 23 Degrees C), well suited for hot climates
Heredity:	U.S., Breeder Dr. Dennis Werner, through PlantHaven, Inc., CA on behalf of North Carolina State University

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions

Photo credit: Flowers by PittState.edu

Unique Ruby Falls Redbud Combines Deep Color & Weeping Habit

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 22:18:00 +0000

The exciting landscape potential of this new cultivar is electrifying the nursery industry.

Ruby Falls Redbud is exploding off the charts of woody plant desirability as an entirely new variety, displaying purple foliage on a small weeping form of this native understory tree. A new and distinct cultivar, this attention-getting combo of features sets Ruby Falls apart from all other existing cultivars of redbud tree.

Ruby Falls, an F2 hybrid, inherited its weeping form from one parent plant: the weeping green 'Covey' redbud (aka Lavender Twist™), and its dark ruby-purple leaf color from another parent: 'Forest Pansy' redbud. In combination these traits set Ruby Falls apart as a new specimen form.

Weeping, pendulous, cascading Ruby Falls Redbud exhibits an excellent branching structure. Zig-zaging branches form a cascading crown. The weeping tree reaches a moderate height of 4-6 feet and a spread 6-8 feet.

Redbuds are true harbingers of spring. Ruby Falls blooms profusely in early spring when clusters of tiny hot pink rose-purple, pea-like flowers accentuate the bare, pendulous branches and mature trunks for 2-3 weeks (March-April) before the foliage emerges. Flowers are attractive to pollinators and seed pods resembling snow peas appear in summer.

The rich, purple, heart-shaped leaves open bright ruby-purple in spring, then gradually mature to deep purple, and ultimately change to green as the season progresses. Fall color on this deciduous ornamental is yellow until leaf drop in early winter.

Ruby Falls Redbud provides a spectacular pendulous waterfall of alluring color for garden and landscape and is perfectly suited to be a specimen or garden feature plant due to its eye-catching weeping form and large red foliage. Small gardens enjoy the elegance and small stature of Ruby Falls. The cultivar benefits from an exposure of part sun to shade and is easily grown in a range of well-drained soil types; do not overwater. It is hardy in U.S.D.A. Zones 6 – 9. Birds, butterflies and bees find Ruby Falls attractive and visit frequently.

For more information on Ruby Falls Redbud (PPAF) and other superior plant introductions brought to gardeners by Garden Debut®, visit GardenDebut.com.

Statistics Chart for Ruby Falls Redbud (PPAF), F2 hybrid of Cercis canadensis ‘Covey’ (synonym Lavender Twist™) x Cercis canadensis 'Forest Pansy'

Plant Category:	Deciduous flowering tree
Mature Height:	4-6 feet
Mature Spread:	6-8 feet
Mature Form:	Weeping, pendulous, cascading form. The perfect specimen tree for small yards.
Growth Rate:	Moderate
Sun Exposure:	Best grown in part sun to shade
Heat Tolerance:	Lovely choice for those gardeners and landscape designers looking for dark foliage on a small, weeping tree with added bonuses of flowering and native.
Soil Moisture:	Well-drained soils, regular watering when establishing a new specimen
Soil Type:	Loamy, Sandy, or Clay; wide range
Flower Color:	Tiny, bright pink, rose-purple, pea-like flowers, profuse blooming
Bloom Time:	Flowers on bare branches in early spring
Seed Pods:	Flat pods resembling snow peas in summer
Summer Color:	Deciduous, heart-shaped dark purple leaves, ultimately changing to green
Fall Color:	Yellow color in autumn
pH Level:	5.5 – 7.5
Zones:	6 – 9
Heredity:	U.S., Breeder Dr. Dennis Werner, Plant Haven, Inc., CA on behalf of North Caroling State University

When performance counts, use Garden Debut® introductions

White Frost™ Birchleaf Spirea from Garden Debut

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Sun, 27 Feb 2011 16:56:00 +0000

Growing up in Ohio, several rounded shrubs of the straight species of Birchleaf Spirea, Spirea betulifolia, grew across the back of our neighbors’ garage. Reliably every spring or early summer, fountains of white flowers (actually flat-topped cymes of tiny flowers) would coat each arching branch of this rounded native shrub. We called it “bridal wreath” and one tiny cyme was just the right size for a Barbie doll wedding bouquet.

The new White Frost™ Birchleaf Spirea from Garden Debut® is an improvement over the species, with a lovely range of fall color including shades of purple, orange, yellow and rust. In summer, the leaves are a dark green and iridescent silver-green beneath. White Frost™ is a long-lived, deciduous shrub that grows at a moderate rate to reach a height and width of three feet. In the Rosaceae, its tiny white flowers are attractive to bees, butterflies, and birds, but this cultivar is sterile and does not set seed.

White Frost™ Birchleaf Spirea has average water needs but a low tolerance to drought. It is adaptable, accepting a pH of 5.5 to 7.5 and /USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8. It is also good in containers. White Frost™ Spirea is botanically known as Spirea betulifola ‘Tor’ and is vegetatively propagated by permit. Contact your independent Garden Center to locate this shrub for your garden.

Crown Jewel Gardenia does well in Acidic, Loamy Soil

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Tue, 22 Feb 2011 22:05:00 +0000

Crown Jewel® Gardenia PP19896 is a low-growing, spreading to prostrate Gardenia with intensely fragrant, white, medium-sized flowers in early summer. Bright green foliage is medium to small sized for the species. While cold-climate gardeners must grow their gardenias in pots, in USDA Zone 7 and warmer gardenias are grown outdoors, permeating the garden with fragrance.

Providing an acidic loam is crucial for plant health and successful blooming in some plants. Gardenias, along with blueberries, fragrant native azaleas and beautiful evergreen camellias, all prefer moist, loamy, acid-rich soils with the pH ranging between 5 and 6. Amending the soil with organic soil conditioners facilitates the development of the right blend. Compost made from pine needles, oak leaves or Douglas fir sawdust, followed after planting with a mulch of pine straw, goes a long way toward this goal. Soybean meal, cottonseed meal or alfalfa as a green manure also create more acid conditions.

Another organic tip is to add powdered sulfur to the soil a few months before planting according to package directions to lower the pH, making the soil more acidic (also a good tip for Iris ensata, Japanese Iris).

Iron Chelate is an organic form of iron, and provides micronutrients in a form available for absorption by plants. Spraying the foliage with iron chelate typically eliminates yellow, mottled choloritc leaves deficient in iron by supplying iron and facilitating the uptake of nitrogen.

These wonderful woody plants are best provided with full to partial sun (a bit of afternoon shade is great) and good air circulation in a cooler, woodsy environment. Don’t plant near the reflective heat of concrete or asphalt. Protection from cold winter winds helps to prevent tip dieback at the colder regions of the plants’ range. Light applications of commercial azalea fertilizer or diluted acid-forming fertilizers are ok, but too much can burn tender roots.

In particular, Crown Jewel® Gardenia was selected from a controlled cross between the dwarf ‘Kleim’s Hardy’ and the cold-hardy, twice-blooming ‘Chuck Hayes’ by Philip Dark of Oakmont Nursery in Chathem County, North Carolina. Heavy June blooming repeats until frost. Highly perfumed Crown Jewel® Gardenia grows about 6 inches /year with the potential to reach 2 feet in height and a spread of 4 to 6 feet wide, ideal for garden beds. Dark is a member of the consortium of growers and breeders that make up Garden Debut®.

Christmas Jewel(R) Holly and the Great Backyard Bird Count

noreply@blogger.com (gardengeri) — Fri, 18 Feb 2011 15:27:00 +0000

Today, Friday, February 18, 2011 begins the Great Backyard Bird Count which runs through Feb. 21. Although it is called “Backyard” participants are encouraged to count in parks, woods, farms, and campuses for minimum intervals of 15-minutes. Then post the count on the website, sponsored by Cornell and Audubon. This Video explains in detail just how to participate.

Since it is easy to count birds while they are distracted by feeding, consider planting berried shrubs to attract birds to the garden. An adaptable broadleaf evergreen shrub perfect as a specimen plant or grown as a narrow, dense hedge, Christmas Jewel® Holly PP14477 is a beautiful Ilex pernyi hybrid hardy in USDA Zones 6-9. Fifteen year old plants are 9' tall by 6' wide with an upright, dense pyramidal shape achieved naturally without pruning. Polished dark green leaves of Christmas Jewel® are small, narrow and long with blunt spines that are not very sharp to the touch. Christmas Jewel® Holly is a lovely, low maintenance addition to the landscape.

Christmas Jewel® Holly plants are female, producing abundant, large, apple-red berries without the need of a pollinator. The berries turn red before Christmas and last until early summer or until they are eaten by wild birds. Typically, birds won’t eat Ilex berries until late in the winter season when they have been softened by alternate freezes and thaws.

According to docstoc, holly berries have among the highest nutritive value for [British] berries with a value of 4.75, and these highly nutritious berries that are available at the right time of year.

Bird species that eat holly berries include flickers, mocking birds, thrashers, flickers, catbirds, waxwings, cardinals, blue jays, as well as mourning doves, ruffed grouse, bobwhite and wild turkeys. Deer, voles, squirrels, chipmunks, rabbits, hares and even bears, red foxes, raccoons and box turtles all eat holly fruit.

Some birds like robins normally eat insects and worms, but become fruit-eating birds or frugivores in late winter, and the nutritious red holly berries are available to them.

By planting Christmas Jewel® Holly or other berried shrubs in the landscape, your bird species counts may be enhanced for the Great Backyard Bird Count.

Photo credits: Garden Debut(R) and bird photos courtesy StateSymbolUSA.org