Short days and long nights lend themselves to dreaming of spring, triggering an itch to get out of the house and into the garden. But while you’re fighting a full-blown case of cabin fever, plant explorers and outdoor décor vendors are turning up a whole slew of new green goods that will arrive just in time to help you scratch that gardening itch.
This spring, gardeners can find an array of great new plants, garden accessories and green products guaranteed to help them improve their outdoor space.
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PATIO-READY PLANTS. Add an instant punch of color to patios, balconies or terraces with clematis in the Raymond Evison Patio Clematis™ collection. These show-stopping beauties are the first clematis bred to be grown in a container, and are available in bold reds, dark purples and mauve. The long-blooming patio clematis grow only 3 feet, and provide vertical columns of color from spring through fall.
For more information on the Raymond Evison Patio Collection™, visit www.evisonclematis.com.
COLOR THE LANDSCAPE WITH SHRUBS. With so many shrubs being offered on the market, limiting choices to just one or two plants has become extremely difficult. To help you narrow it down, here are just a few must-haves that are sure to turn some heads this spring.
Need a replacement for a boxwood? Try the eye-catching shrub ‘Drops of Gold’ Japanese Holly. Ideal as a hedge or foundation plant, it offers striking foliage of bright gold when exposed to the sun. Or, perhaps Photinia Pink Marble™, a preppy reddish-pink & green landscape shrub, known for its extraordinary foliage and low maintenance, will suit your landscape. Both from Conard-Pyle, visit www.starplants.com for more ideas.
With the popularity of hydrangeas on the rise, Hines Horticulture’s (www.hineshort.com) new Halo Hydrangeas™ are the perfect addition to a partly shade garden. Named because of the halo of light color that surrounds the edge of each blossom, this collection includes seven stunning colors that bloom from spring to fall.
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And don’t forget shrub roses! Ever blooming and disease resistance Knock Out® rose from Star® Roses (www.theknockoutrose.com) bloom almost continuously, available in three colors, are easy to grow with little to no maintenance needed.
CONTAIN YOURSELF. Even without the space of a full-size garden, you can get the same flavor and feel with some of the latest “designer” containers from Campania International. Finding containers to complement personal style is becoming easier than ever. Vice President of Product Development at Campania International, Peter Cilio, explains, “We have responded to consumer’s desire to match containers and outdoor statuary with the style of their home and with trends in interior décor. This spring containers will be available in a wider selection of materials, patinas and contemporary colors than we have ever offered before.”
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New products on the market include funky glazed Lipstick containers, which come in a variety of shapes and colors, and distinctive cast stone urns and benches from the Longwood Gardens Centennial Collection.
Look for more containers to fit your style at www.campaniainternational.com.
GIVE PLANTS A BOOST. Gardening underground is taking on new life. More than ever before, gardeners are realizing that great gardens begin underground with nutrient-rich soil. Products like LazyMan™ Liquid Soil Aerator and LazyMan™ Organic Soil Conditioner make it easy to enhance soil quality for naturally healthy lawns and gardens. Visit www.outsidepride.com.
Turn up your plant’s own growth and defense systems with Messenger®(www.messenger.info) from Eden Bioscience. This revolutionary new plant care product is like a vaccination for plants, increasing plant vigor while protecting health. Environmentally safe, this breakthrough product enhances disease resistance. Spray it on throughout the growing season, and Messenger® will improve the overall performance of plants both indoors and outdoors.