Hot Plant Introductions from the Cool Pacific Northwest: Terra Nova

Charles Darwin write “ Origin of the Species ” , laying out his hypothesis of phylogenesis . If Dan Heims , atomic number 27 - founder of Terra Nova Nurseries , Portland , OR , writes another Good Book , I advise he call it “ Origin of the Hybrids , Cultivars and Varieties . ”

“ Luther Burbank is my rock star , ” Dan told me in a recent sound interview , refer to the botanic wiz creditworthy for cross so many of the try - and - true plants we ’ve become accustomed to in our gardens , like Shasta daisy , Elberta and Freestone peaches , Santa Rosa plums , and Russet spuds .

Heims is no plant - breeding slouch either , with decorative plant introductions that includeHelianthemum ‘ Razzle Dazzle’,Heuchera ‘ Chocolate Ruffles’(over 120 other forms of coral Bell have originated at Terra Nova),Lobelia ‘ Cranberry Crush’and Penstemon ‘ Crushed Grapes’(and I ’m just getting start ) . These , and 100 more were conceive in Terra Nova ’s many nursery , sometimes after more than 100,000 cross - pollinating attempts .

With a diverse educational and workplace history that included a flora kid , landscape architectural courses , catching and construction , Heims has specific goal that go beyond mere appearance . This is not a cross - your - fingers - and - see - what - happens crap shooting . “ I think about how the plant we develop will rise and behave in actual gardens . ” Before works are unfreeze to the market , they are quiz and “ trialed ” by gardeners , designers and growers in a across-the-board range of growing zones . Although many retail garden heart and soul deal Terra Nova ’s works with the company brand on the recording label , Terra Nova also sell and licenses their plants to well know raiser like Proven Winners .

You might ask , “ What ’s in it for gardeners outside of the Pacific Northwest ’s growing conditions ? ” Plenty . This geographical zone 10 , Santa Barbara interior decorator ( that ’s me ) peruse their list of new founding for 2013 and constitute quite a few plant that would be right at plate in my clients ’ Central California garden . Others will expand in the Deep South , and many would joyfully survive the winters in zone 4 and lower . ( Well , maybe not gleefully , but they ’d take form mightily back when the weather warm up .

Here are six plant that turned me on and a few blueprint thought about how to use them in your own garden .

Agastache ‘ Kudos Silver Blue’(zones 5 - 10 ) is a summer blossoming perennial with soft , unmortgaged down in the mouth flowers that climb above the mystifying green foliage . It has a rectify , mound appearing and would look great compound with various shade and shades of blue , especially other industrial plant in the Lamiaceae ( mint / salvia ) family .

Begonia ‘ Cool Breeze Pewter’(zones 10–11 ) had me jump off up and down with its metallic gray foliage – the gross foil ( not an Al punning ) for setting off any identification number of pastel - florescence shade plant . The leaves are silklike , accented by a dark gullible philia pattern in the center , and contrasted by a sultry red underside . A real standout .

I have n’t used any coneflower in my designs , but here ’s one I ’d care to get my hands on . Echinacea ‘ Meteor Pink’(zones 4 – 10 ) is powerfully upright with a compact use , just right for massing toward the back of a repeated border or blend with plants sporting deep Bourgogne foliage . It ’s a vigorous bloomer strutting its poppycock summertime and decrease in full sun . Bonus : It attracts butterflies , make a great cut flower , resists deer and drouth , and is fast growing .

As I mentioned , theHeucheragenus is well lay out at Terra Nova . The one that caught my eye isH. ‘ Galaxy’(zones 4 – 9 ) . The leaves start off promising cherry , then deepen , while the counterpoint splodge cover to brighten through the season . One excogitation technique I use to create an analogous semblance scheme is compound Burgundy wine ( a cryptical form of bolshy ) with pale pink ( red ’s tint ) , possibly pairing ‘ Galaxy ’ with a green - folio Heuchera with pale pinkish flowers . According to Terra Nova ’s verbal description , this coral bells stands up to heat and humidness , but is also quite comfortable in cooler climate . await for it to flowers from May through July .

High on my list of plant life to stress out in a client ’s garden will beKniphofia ‘ Lemon Popsicle’(zones 6 - 9 ) , and not just because I have a sweet - and - sour tooth . Unlike lots of poker plant that have short blooming stop and less - than - neat leafage , Terra Nova ’s Popsicle serial publication have a dwarf riding habit , great grassy leafage , a very long bloom period and short flower spikes that put on a show give , summertime and fall . Look how it pairs with dark violet flowers that partake its vertical position .

Last up , if only for the challenging name , isPlectranthus ‘ Velvet Elvis’(zones 9 - 11 ) . Really , that ’s its name . No , it ’s not because , like its namesake , these thick lavender - flowering shade flora like scarfing down peanut butter , banana and bacon sandwiches . ( really , I forgot to demand Dan the chronicle behind the name , but no matter . ) ‘ Elvis ’ is more compendious than itsP. ‘ Mona Lavender’cousin and the leaves are a deeper honey oil . It ’s a tight - growing , stoutly shrubby perennial that ’s bully in aggregate plantings or as a star performer in containers . For those of you gardening in meek climate , it ’s a sight to behold planted under a Jacaranda Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree , as the Sir Herbert Beerbohm Tree ’s blow over lavender flowers heap up around the basis of this perennial .

Well , that ’s my daily round up of newfangled plants to front for as the 2013 planting time of year pluck around . In a few weeks I ’ll be posting more novel plant — this time with a slightly more SoCal emphasis – from my buddy Randy Baldwin atSan Marcos Growers . Until then , stop these out and have me get laid which ones be adrift your boat .

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