Garden Splendor®

     Whether you like it or not, we live in a branded society! Brands like Polo Ralph Lauren®, Gap®, Apple, Hellmann’s® Mayonnaise, Mercedes-Benz®, BMW and Rolex are all companies we can relate to. Their names alone conjure up thoughts of quality and trust. In the garden world Scotts® Lawn Care, Miracle-Gro®, Felco Pruners, Monrovia®, Proven Winners®, Endless Summer®Hydrangea and Knock Out® Family of Roses are most likely represented somewhere in your garden. Well, here’s a new name to be on the lookout for…. Garden Splendor®!

“Garden Splendor offers an extensive range of locally grown, premium quality outdoor garden plants. They are available through a network of garden centers located in the Mid-Atlantic and the Northeastern United States” (Facebook). Unlike any other plant program in our industry, Garden Splendor® offers the consumer tried and true varieties as well as new and exciting ones. Plants known for their superior attributes can be readily seen on Facebook and YouTube. Long lasting color, improved foliage, thicker stems, better fruit, “hardier” plants and of course premium quality are all part of this program. Limited availability and unique appeal plants are offered here too and many come with “Remember-Me Markers.” Markers made of anodized aluminum, with the botanical name & common name inscribed, can be easily placed in the soil to remind you where a plant sits. Important reminders that will heed caution should you want to change the complexion of your garden in the early spring before plants poke their heads through the mulch. Gardensplendor.com tells consumers where they can find exciting new plants! In addition, the site is a plant doctor, plant encyclopedia, has a gallery of plants, talks of special collections, shows what’s arriving each and every week at qualified garden centers and has fun and informative videos.

Nandina domestica ‘Tuscan Flame’ has to be the first plant talked about here. An evergreen shrub that produces small, star-shaped white flowers in the middle of summer. More importantly, to me, its green foliage is marked by red new growth and it has red berries in the fall. A moderate grower, ‘Tuscan Flame’ will ignite your winter landscape with its fiery-red foliage.

Deutzia elegantissima ‘Rosalind’ is a deciduous shrub offering pink flowers in the early summer. A strong grower in semi-shade and direct sun, Deutzia has a tolerance for dry soil and have been reported to be quite deer resistant.

Gardenia ‘Crown Jewel’ is a low growing, prostrate gardenia with intensely fragrant, white, double flowers. Flowers that begin in the early summer and repeat until frost, this gardenia appreciates light pruning after the first flush of flowers. This will encourage even more blossoms on a plant that flowers on new and old wood. Reaching only 2-3 feet tall, ‘Crown Jewel’ has bright green foliage and is hardy to zone 6… what more could you ask for?

Blue Titmouse Hydrangea, Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Blaumeise’, has to be my new favorite hydrangea. This deciduous beauty reaches 3-5 feet tall and wide and its bloom time is June through August. PH-sensitive, blue (acid soils) and pink (alkaline soils), last summer I saw the most amazing purple-blue color on this variety in our garden center. Prune immediately after flowering to avoid harming the blooms for the following year. By reputation, this is one of the best of the blue lacecap hydrangeas (missouribotanicalgarden.org).

Pink Velour Crape Myrtle, Lagerstroemia indica ‘Pink Velour’, is a smaller Crape only reaching 8-10 feet. Fascinating velour-textured foliage, this “hardy” variety has deep wine-red leaves when they emerge and age to a dark purplish-green. Vibrant pink summer flowers, the Internet has reports of it blooming more than 120 days. An ideal accent shrub or small tree, ‘Pink Velour’ can also make a nifty hedge. Expect fall color on the foliage to be a dark orange too.

Finally, Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’! This stonecrop takes my breath away with its intense yellow color. A low-growing, mat-forming sedum, ‘Angelina’ grows just 4 inches tall and 2 feet wide. Yellow leaves and yellow flowers, this little gem does wonders in brightly colored pottery on your deck or patio. Expect reddish-orange markings on this evergreen type too in the colder months.

With Garden Splendor® it’s all about the magnificence of plants! Exciting selections that provide the perfect lure for capturing the interest of many. This wonderful collection of unique and colorful plants is quickly becoming the new standard in the horticultural world. Promising performance, unique appeal, instant beauty and superior varieties all add adventure to your gardening making these truly Plants Worth Remembering™.