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Sunday 29 January 2017

Garden Plants "New or Old" ?

Ok .. I am holding on to the last vestiges of sanity without my computer which funny enough I thought I would be fine without for it's time away at the computer spa.
NOT !!! .. the same old adage " you don't miss what you have until it is gone" or nearly blew up and the computer ambulance had to be called .... BIG sigh !
However .. I am trying to navigate Garden PA's computer (and newly suggested wireless keyboard and mouse) while he does somewhat the same on his new tablet (graciously gave me his old one .. which I will probably blow up within two weeks if I try playing with it at all).

OK .. aside from my moaning and groaning this is supposed to be about garden plants !!
First a curious question .. do you look especially for the newest plants available for 2017 ?
Or do you restock with ones you can count on for hardiness (cold/heat, and drought wise)

My favoutie mail order plant company has come on line with the new catalog and I have ear marked a few plants that I don't have but I noticed they are tried and true older varieties for the most part.
I wish I could illustrate with pictures but I can't manage that with Garden PA's computer but I will have a link to them.
If you have had experiences with any of these plants please drop a note to me and let me know how they did ? Thanks !
So here is my first draft of a few :

Corydalis "Blue Panda" .. I don't have a corydalis and this one looks so pretty ! and has been around the block so to say .. tested and true.

Anemone "Elfin Swan" .. I wanted a more compact anemone after trying to deal with the monster ones which were sent to the allyway garden to duke it out with the goosneck loostrife .
I loved Pamina but it doesn't love me to make it through the winter, so this one I am hoping will !

Astilbe "Mighty Chocolate Cherry" I tried getting this one last year and missed out .. I have a thing for astilbe and really wanted to see this one in action because of the contrasting colours but tidy mound .. all of the plants I am picking are more of the compact and tidy type due to lack of space.

Geranium "Azure Rush" ... I have a few Rozanne and it really does stretch out .. maybe too much. So this one being a sport of the mother plant is bred to be more compact with some marbling of the deeply cut leaves .. I think it will be very pretty .. fingers crossed.

Heucherella "Buttered Rum" Yes this one has been around for quite a while but I am a sucker for that colour which will look perfect on the shady side of my garden .. compact and perfect !

Primula vulgaris Balerina Pink Ice ... I don't have a lot of primula and none with double blooms like this .. and that heavenly pink that changes in colour value .. well I just fell for it no questions asked!

Penisetum alopecuroids "Cassian" I am a fool for fountain grass .. this is an older variety but I haven't tried it out before and those amazing masses of fluffy flower heads .. well it just had to be.

So this is a first draft .. it might be tweaked ..and sometimes the garden centers here have very surprising and unexpected plants (boy does that send a shiver up my spine !)
The total thrill of the hunt which lands you a fantastic prize you didn't expect ?

8 comments:

Lisa at Greenbow said...

All I can say is that I have the Corydalis Lutea. I think it a wild flower, it blooms yellow. I let it sow itself around. It is fun when it pops up here and there. It is easy to pull if you don't want it someplace. I would love to have the blue one or the purple one.
I can't grow astilbe. I have tried I don't know how many. My garden gets too hot and dry during summer. I love they way they look but I have given up trying to grow them.
All the rest of your choices i have never tried. They all look good. Just going to that sight made my fingers twitch. I wanted to purchase everything. :)
I hope you get your computer back soon.

Lisa at Greenbow said...

In answer to the another question you had is that I often buy the same plant I have success with but possibly a different cultivar.

Anonymous said...

I am doing a little of both: Adding plants that i know will do well and trying to make larger groups of them. Then adding the untried ones as specimens. Some of what I am ordering are the latest versions of things like Hellebores that I know do well. It is always a tough choice when you see things online that you know you are unlikely to find locally.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Lisa girl !
That is wonderful to have a plant like that corydalis pop up here and there but not in a bad way .. I wonder why that survives our heat and drought but not the astilbe .. maybe because it is a type of native where you are .. have you tried an astilbe in a pot ? that way you can keep an eye on it ... then plant it in the garden in the winter ... and it might acclimate for you better ? I am a sucker for astilbe don't know what I would do without them.
Yes ! that is what I do too .. different cultivars of a successful plant in the garden .. grow and learn each year .. thanks for the hopes on my computer .. I didn't think I would miss it as much as I do ... BIG sigh ! haha

Hello there Linda and thanks for stopping by !
Yes .. selective choosing of tried and true and a touch of the unknown is what I like as well .. there are work horses I will always keep in the garden but new ones have me curious or as Lisa said new cultivars of the same tried and true too.
You have impressive record keeping ! I wish I was that detailed too !

Nadezda said...

I like your garden plans, Joy. I'd buy geranium and anemone too. I'm going to visit Garden center OBI, it's not far from my summer cottage. I don't want to order on net because I think they can send other variety that I didn't order.
So actually I'm not well now and when am better go there to see to plants and perhaps to purchase.
Have a nice week!

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hello Nadezda girl ...I am so sorry you are not well .. hopefully you will feel better soon !
I am waiting for a while before I actually send my order in ... just in case I want to make changes .. and you never know what has not made it through our dodgy winter ? Weather .
Take care girl !

Hoover Boo said...

I tried Geranium 'Azure Rush' in 2013. Hard to tell based on only two plants, but it was like a 'Rozanne' without vigor--not satisfactory.

Have you tried Geranium 'Tiny Monster'? Seems very good in its second year here. Sterile like 'Rozanne', so a long bloom season.

CanadianGardenJoy said...

Hey HB .. just saw what you are up to in your garden .. love those exotic plants !
I am taking your review on board about Azure Rush .. and yes I have Tiny Monster so may add another one instead of AZ .. Thanks !