Re: Future trends?

There was a time whrn I used to write annual reviews of all the new 
introductions in the seed catalogs. The seed companies would send me 
seed samples a year in advance of their introduction, I'd grow them 
and then write them up for a British magazine when they appeared in 
catalogs. And every year I'd get letters from readers saying: What's 
so good about new varieties? What about the old varieties that have 
been ignored too long?

So, my response to Chris's question is that new plants will set 
trends and old plants will too.

There's still a long way to go in echinaceas. I'm growing twenty or 
thirty cultivars this year (I haven't actually counted) and one thing 
I notice at once is that some of the new interspecific hybrids do not 
fade very elegantly. The same is true of achilleas - and the 
achilleas that have really taken hold are those that fade 
harmoniously.

There will be many new hybrid phlox introduced, I think, (it remains 
to be seen how good they are). Not only new forms of Phlox x arendsii 
(P. paniculata x P. divaricata) but other hybrids too - many not seen 
before. Some will be sold as P. paniculata (indeed I think they 
already are). Disease resistance, I think, is rarely possible in more 
than the short term - my P. paniculata 'David's Lavender' is snowy 
with mildew.

New baptisias, from the UK and the US, are on the way and at first 
sight seem excellent but it remains to be seen how good they are; I'm 
trying some of the newcomers this year.

One of the things that determines popularity of perennials these days 
is adaptability to propagation by tissue culture (look at all the new 
heucheras every year...). If Itoh peonies (herbaceous crossed with 
shrubby) can be tissue cultured easily and cheaply they will take 
off. Terrestrial orchids (Cypripediums in particular) are now being 
tissue-cultured and the price is coming down - and the hybrids that 
are being tissue-cultured are often vigorous and easy plants in the 
garden. These could start a stampede if the price comes down more. 
Wayside and White Flower Farm are doing their best to keep the price 
up!

But what about neglected old timers? Top of the list must be the old 
Korean chrysanthemums developed in Bristol CT - and, it has to be 
said, newcomers in the old style. So much more elegant and so much 
easier to fit into companionable mixed plantings than so many of the 
recent Yoder introductions these, I think, have a good future. I'm 
now growing some old timers which have hung on in England - we shall 
see how they do here in PA.

There also has to be a time before too long when old daylilies make a 
come back. So many modern introductions are so, well, gross! Bring 
back 'Golden Chimes'!

Well... that's a few quick thoughts.

Graham Rice


Coming this fall - two new books from Graham Rice
The American Horticultural Society Encyclopedia of Perennials
http://www.ahsperennials.com
and
All-in-One Garden
http://www.all-in-one-garden.com



>I was recently talking to a prominent garden author about future trends
>in gardening.  I have my own thoughts, and they're definitely going
>to come into play with some new plant introductions that I'm making.
>
>I'm wondering what the rest of you think.  What plants do you see taking
>center stage next year?  What about the year after, or the year after that?
>Will coneflowers still be hot?  What about hydrangeas?  What new plants
>are coming up?
>
>Chris
>
>http://www.bonvivantnursery.com/
>http://www.hort.net/gallery/      3991 online plant photos and growing!
>http://www.hort.net/gallery/date/2006-06-25/       The latest additions
>
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