Friday, August 19, 2011

How Does Your Garden Grow (Part 2)

As I ventured out into the fields, it was row after row of color.  All of the plantings were labeled with the variety, NEW if they would come out next year and EXPERIMENTAL with the type of plant and a number.

The New introduction Red Whopper Begonia is on the left in full sun!

This is Angelonia Archangel Pink
(looks more purple than pink but very full flowered)

This is an Experimental Celosia
(no name yet just a number)

Gomphrena Qis Red and Fireworks
This is a large airy spreading selection, have not seen this in the nurseries.

Experimental Hanging Begonia

Experimental Curly Parsley
(much tighter crown development)

What I am beginning to figure out is that if it is experimental it does not have a name just a number, test garden plants have names and if they work out well they are marked "New" and put on the market in the near future.  Many of their previous introductions are mixed in with all of these others so it does become confusing if you are not already acquainted with the selections.

Zinnia Zahara Double Fire is available through Burpee Seed, in fact I grew this for the south side of my home.  However, it was in very limited supply as a grown plant at the nurseries.


Veronica Atomic Blue

Spreading Salmon SunPatiens

Phlox Top Shelf Grenadine Dream
There were several phlox in the test garden already given names but this one looked the best after all the heat we have had.

There are many perennials in the test gardens but they have suffered with the intense heat we had, coneflowers were not worthy of photographing and many plantings had completely died out.

This was a great looking Butterfly Bush, no name that we could find, upright and full of flowers.  They do not deadhead at Ball, so this drove me crazy wanting to make these look even prettier than they were.  They just do not have the manpower to do this with all of their plantings.

Ninebark Ruby Spice

Hydrangea Sweet Summer
This was a wonderful looking hydrangea, smaller about three feet full with white flowers speckled with some pink tones.

Hydrangea Fire and Ice
(smaller hydrangea and most of the blooms were gone on this one, supposedly the flowerheads make stunning color changes throughout their blooming season)


Hibiscus Luna Rose
(a rounded bush type hibiscus)

Coleus Redhead Container

Cleome Container

Dicondra Groundcover With Petunias
(I have seen this groundcover in the nurseries but have never bought it, looked wonderful spilling over the rocks)

Container planting with impatiens and gold coleus in upper right corner, never have seen a coleus like this!


Wall of Coleus


I think they might be using the Woolly Pockets for the hangings on arbors and pergolas.

This is a new succulent that looked interesting called Bush Pearl.