Re: Future trends?

Hi Chris,

I'm usually happy to read what others have to say here unless I have a question. However you struck a few familiar chords in your recent post so I'm chiming in.


What about specific genera that you're familiar with, but would like to
see become 'hot'?

Veronicas. I love all kinds, spicata, longifolia, incana, teucrium and all sizes from Blue Giant down to Giles van Hees or smaller. I seem to buy all that I see and now have apparent hybrids to boot. I brought a wild veronica up from our river beach that is similar to the two V. teucrium cultivars that I have but a lighter blue. The blues are my favorite but I'd like to see a hardier pink/red than Red Fox or Minuet which don't seem happy or long-lived in my Zone 4 garden. (Giles van Hees does fine but I'd also like a taller red.)

Delphiniums with stronger stems. I'm weary with twist-tying, trying to beat the rain, sometimes failing. The delphs are forgiving when they are re-straightened and tied, and they love it up here in the north, but stronger top stems would be a boon.


Nepeta will
also become more popular as more and more species are introduced and
made aware to gardeners, like Nepeta subsessilis.

I put Nepeta subsessilis in last year. I love it. It grew taller than expected but looks great in front of the delphiniums. I cut one plant back early in the year hoping for less height but it's now as tall as the others. Also a nice seedling is coming up from seed thrown by one of the plants last year. Like the shasta daisies, I'll find more places for the nepeta. By the way, this is the only nepeta I've ever seen that I liked.


I also think that Clematis are going to make a big show in the next
couple of years -- not necessarily with new hybrids, but the rediscovery
of the old stand-bys by gardeners.

That's great news! I have somewhere around 50 clematis. They give me fits. Wilt, etc. Mrs. Cholmondely, Hagley Hybrid, Colonel Sikorsky, Guernsey Cream, C. terniflora, etc. never fail. Some others show up each year, disappear or fail to thrive. Most plod along. I was thrilled with Sunset this year, which after years of poking along finally put on a spectacular display. And someday I'll find a double that works for me. But I'm ready to phase out those cultivars that don't perform well and simply replace them with those that do, even if it means repeating those I already have.


In the woody plant world, European Spiraea cultivars will start appearing
like S. betulifolia 'Tor' and var. aemiliana.

Spiraea's love it here and I have them all over the place whether I want them in the places they chose or not. I have one with both pink and white inflorescences and I've never bought one! One of my favorite cultivars is Spiraea 'Crispa' but I've never seen it for sale again since the time I bought mine. I had to look up the S. betulifolia 'Tor' you mentioned. I like it for the great fall color and will try it even though I'm Zone 4; I can grow some Zone 5 plants on my south facing riverbank property.

I'm especially interested in shrubs now because I want to transition from perennials to shrubs. At least I keep saying I do while I continue to buy perennials.


OK, those are my predictions.  Come on, share yours!


Chris, I come here to hear your predictions.  :-)

Best,
Alyce Elliott
Northern New York Zone 4




Chris

http://www.bonvivantnursery.com/
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