DAN'S PAPERS, January 11, 2008 Page 46 www.danshamptons.com
The Garden At Rock Cottage by Lance Brilliantine New Year Cleanup January begins the start of another gardening season and provides thoughts of potential, especially with an emphasis on what will be new and interesting for the garden. A perusal of gardening catalogs and some research suggests that there is much to look forward to when it comes to garden plants in 2008. Leading catalogs show more than 90 new hybrid varieties of annuals, perennials and shrubs with which to adorn the garden. I for one always find a few of interest and place mail orders quickly to ensure that I get first choices before vendors run out. Colors for 2008 seem to be focused on plants that come in reds, pinks, yellows and oranges. There are plenty of new annuals to select for 2008. One in particular has caught our attention. It is a new series of impatiens introduced for 2008 called “Fanfare.” The new variety is interspecific, meaning the breeder crossed New Guinea impatiens with the standard garden variety. The result is heat-tolerant impatiens that grow in either sun or shade. The hybrid offers wonderful colors, grows fast and provides excellent, glossy foliage. Its unique mounding habit is covered with large flowers and is reported as filling garden beds quickly. Supposedly it even recovers from water stress without losing flowers or buds. This is going to be a must. We predict lilies will be a popular garden item for 2008. This year look for dwarf varieties in oranges, reds and pinks. A number of new Asiatic lilies will be popular and hard to find as the season progresses. Tiny Bee produces bright yellow flowers with small black speckles. “iny Dino produces large, bright orange
flowers on small plants. Tiny Ghost produces scarlet blooms and makes it particularly attractive tucked into flowerbeds. And Tiny Icon produces bright pink flowers with a heavy bud count that blooms for nearly two months. Prizewinners are always to be considered because they have gone through rigorous testing and are known to be durable. One newcomer for 2008 is a geranium called Orange Appeal. It won the European Fleuroselect Award and is noted for its fine plant and superb orange-colored flowers. Another prizewinner to look for is a dwarf nicotiana hybrid called Starship. This new hybrid is shorter in stature and more compact. It produces rosy, red-pink flowers that fade to a mottled white. Combined with the standard sylvestris. The combination is said to be breathtaking. Quite intriguing is a new lavender introduction from Hillier’s Nursery. This alba form (white) is said to be extremely fragrant and produces long, sturdy spikes. Another English introduction is the hardy geranium named John Elsley. The flowers are a large, rosy pink. It is a hybrid of G. sanguineum and G. lancastriense. Apparently the plant is drought-resistant and also has a spreading quality (available from Wayside Gardens in South Carolina). For 2008 gardeners will also focus on preserving the environment. There is likely to be renewed emphasis on plants from the local landscape and native plants
that thrive in an area. While many people pride themselves on growing marginal plants, the requirement for water, fertilizers and unusual methods needed to preserve these plants will be replaced by what is called xeriscaping. These local plant selections provide more disease and insect resistance, are climate tolerant and easier to tend than harder-to-grow exotics. Because it looks like winter on the East End will be tolerable, spring will require a greater emphasis on pest controls. The use of insecticidal soaps and oils and other naturally derived materials such as chrysanthemumbased pyrethrins, hopefully, will replace some of the more toxic chemicals that are used. This year these products will help fend off the annual onslaught of caterpillars, which we believe, unfortunately, will be of plague proportion this spring. Because some landfills are closing and there is a trend to ban the disposal of yard wastes in many local communities, we expect many more individuals will begin composting in 2008. The use of compost instead of fertilizers will mean less seepage into the ground waters on the East End – not a bad thing. And plants will benefit from the improved condition of soils. Regardless of how trends play out, spring is only a few months away. In the interim make a resolution to save one beastie in the landscape. Imagine the joy of giving one creature the enjoyment of spring! You can contact Lance Brilliantine with any questions or comments at GardenLance@yahoo.com.
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