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New Arrivals
Gardeners are instinctively attracted to the new and exciting! It is human nature to crave the latest and the greatest, and what gardener doesn’t want to show off just a bit to his fellow gardeners! Unfortunately, new doesn’t always mean better, so we are cautious in our recommendations in this category. Indeed, some are of these selections are not “brand spanking new” but all are recent introductions to the trade or to our catalog listing. |
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Astilbe chinensis ‘Mighty Pip’ This new Astilbe can lay claim to being one of the largest Astilbes available! Topping out at nearly 4 feet, this tall robust variety produces vary large wands of bright salmon pink flowers, which are accented by a red midrib, for an even more colorful show. As a member of the chinensis group of Astilbes, it shows greater drought and sun tolerance than most, but will perform best in rich, moist, well-drained soil in partial shade. The bloom time is mid to late July, possibly into August. This award winner at the 2009 Plantarium Exhibition in Holland is now becoming more widely available in North America. Use ‘Mighty Pip’ when you need to make a statement! |
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Gaillardia ‘Arizona Apricot’ Joining ‘Arizona Sun’ and ‘Arizona Red Shades’, this 2011 All America Selections winner provides a softer color palette than the flashier combinations common in Gaillardia. The delicate apricot-orange color blends gently to yellow at the petal edges, with the colorful red centers lending a tri-colored effect to the 3” – 3.5” wide flowers. Like the other members of this series, ‘Arizona Apricot’ is a compact grower reaching only 12” tall. It is ideal at the front of the perennial border, growing only 12” tall, with equal spread. Gaillardia grows best in full sun and well-drained soil, and is very drought tolerant. It even performs well in sandy, gravelly or infertile soil.
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Hemerocallis ‘Stephanie Returns’ Named for Perennial Diva Stephanie Cohen, this reblooming daylily provides exactly what gardeners are looking for – a dwarf, everblooming daylily in a color other than yellow! The soft salmon pink petals are heavily veined with reddish purple, with matching purple midribs and eyezone, accented by a chartreuse throat. Growing to a height of 16-18”, this little gem produces well-budded scapes in early summer, with nearly continuous bloom for the rest of the summer. The flowers are what daylily aficionados call “pony sized” – about 4” cross – in perfect proportion to the height of the plant. |
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Hosta ‘Dancing Queen’ This is a very unique large yellow hosta! Unlike many other yellow hostas, which emerge yellow in the spring, but turn chartreuse or apple green by summer, ‘Dancing Queen’ stays pure yellow all season long. The large rippled leaves, which are deeply veined and impressed, cascade into a dramatic flowing mound that really commands attention in shady gardens. ‘Dancing Queen’ reaches a spread of 30” when mature, with a mound height of about 18”, bearing 2 ft tall scapes of lavender flowers in mid to late summer. This distinctive Hosta will add drama to your garden! |
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Monarda ‘Fire Marshall’ With Bee Balm being one of our most popular perennials, we’re always happy to grow and sell the newest and best varieties available in this genus. ‘Fire Marshall’ is the latest Monarda introduction from the Chicagoland Grows Plant Introduction Program. A hybrid between two already-great varieties, ‘Marshall’s Delight’ and ‘Jacob Cline’, the new ‘Fire Marshall’ inherits qualities from both. Huge flowers, red with pinkish undertones, are borne atop sturdy 2-3’ stems, making it shorter and better proportioned than its red parent ‘Jacob Cline’. Good mildew resistance is inherited from both parents. We have no doubt that gardeners and hummingbirds alike will be happy with this new introduction! |
