Recently I attended New England Grows, a regional trade expo for green industry professionals. In addition to seeing lots of inspiring products and attending some worthwhile educational seminars, I attended my first Garden Writers Association luncheon. In addition to meeting and networking with other garden writers, we were treated to a preview of some of Proven Winners newest shrub introductions for 2010. Proven Winners introductions all have similar characteristics: colorful foliage, multi-season interest and smaller stature, meaning they are easier to fit into a wide array of garden situations.
Here’s a look at a few interesting offerings you should see in your local nursery this season:
Bloomerang lilac: Finally, a reblooming lilac. Bloomerang is touted as the first reblooming lilac with a strong bloom in the spring followed by a rest and then a rebloom later in the summer. As with many reblooming shrubs, conditions need to be right to get a strong secondary bloom. Another plus is Bloomerang’s height. At 4′ – 5′ tall it certainly isn’t a dwarf but it is smaller than many other lilacs which means it should be easier to find a place for it in your garden. Bloomerang is also supposed to be powdery-mildew resistant. I’ll be keeping my eye out for this shrub because I lost two lilacs last year to some strange insect infestation and I know I will miss their color and scent in my garden this year.
Lo & Behold buddleia: This low-growing butterfly bush actually starting showing up in some nurseries in late summer 2009 but should be much easier to find this spring. Growing to about 30″ x 30″, this non-stop blooming machine loves full sun and is hardy in zones 5 – 9. It does not need to be deadheaded and is deer and pest resistant. It’s small stature makes Lo & Behold the perfect addition to a mixed border or a groundcover. I planted three Lo & Behold’s in my garden (zone 6) late last summer and they were still blooming the first week of November!
Invincibelle Spirit hydrangea: A pink version of the ever popular Annabelle smoothleaf hydrangea. Like Annabelle, Invincibelle Spirit grows in full to part sun and blooms all summer long. It looks great as part of a woodland garden and blooms on new wood so there’s no worry about deer or a late spring frost damaging delicate buds. Another plus is that a portion of the proceeds of Invincible Spirit go towards breast cancer research. To learn more, click here.
We also saw some of the shrubs Proven Winners has just released to growers and will be available for your garden in 2011. Stay tuned to learn more…
Note: All photos courtesy of www.provenwinners.com
