By Susan Mason, GWMG
During spring and summer, like many gardeners, I confess to being drawn to any and all new plants featured at garden centres. Newly introduced plants are “eye candy” to avid gardeners. We want to have them!
During the winter months, away from temptation, I take a more measured approach to researching plants that demonstrate verified, excellent performance.
There are many online sites for trialed and tested plants, using criteria such as: excellent for ordinary use, available, wide conditions and with good disease resistance.
TRIALED
Proven Winners tests plants for two yearswithtrial sites across the USA. Their 2019 National Plants of the Year are: Lemon Coral Sedum, ‘Autumn Frost’ Hosta, ‘Berry Awesome’ Hibiscus, Low Scape Mound Aronia, ‘At Last’ Rosa, ‘Firelight’ Hydrangea, and ‘Sonic Bloom’ Weigela.
Mt. Cuba Center is a USA botanical garden that researches and conserves native and woodland plants. It has a Plant Finder, Sources for Native Plants and Trial Garden. The latest research evaluates and posts results for Phlox. Top performers are: P. paniculata Jeana, Glamour Girl, Delta Snow…You can view results for Monarda, Baptisia, Coreopsis, Heuchera, Echinacea, Aster and Helenium.
Chicago Botanic Garden has 19 trials underway including 2019: Echinacea, Leucanthemum, Sanguisorba and Silphium. The reports are published as numbered issues and through articles in ‘Fine Gardening’ magazine. Included is Sheridan Nurseries recommended hardy boxwoods: Green- Gem, Mound, Velvet and Mountain.
TRIALED ROSES
Canadian research excels in developing hardy roses since the 1970’s with AAFC government support, research stations such as Morden and in 2010, Vineland Research.
Series include: Explorer, Parkland, Artists and 49th Parallel’s 2019- ‘Chinook sunrise’.
David Austin has an extensive breeding program. Online you can explore criteria such as roses for shade, disease resistance and colour…
TESTED
The Royal Horticultural Society RHS has ongoing expert panels to determine plants worthy of its AGM (Award of Garden Merit). Online you can use a Plant Finder and various criteria. There are 7,500 AGM among 75,000 listings!
RHS for its Chelsea Flower Show Centenary has named a Plant for each decade. The Centenary overall winner is Geranium ‘Rozanne’.
The Perennial Plant Association awards Perennial Plant of the Year. 2019 is Stachys monieri ‘Hummelo’.
Field Tests
There are many open field tests across North America. The University of Guelph along with trade sponsors, hosts one yearly in August. The public views new introductions and votes. Results are posted.
Penn State and Cornell University also field test.
TRIED AND TRUE
There are local nurseries that grow and display plants from around the world under local conditions- Lost Horizons and Whistling Gardens.
Missouri Botanical Gardens is an excellent Plant Finder site.
Buy from Garden groups selling plants dug up from their own gardens!
I hope you can curl up this winter in front of these online resources to explore plants that are trialed, tested, tried and true. Informed choices may counteract the ‘eye candy’ effect this spring, saving you time and money!
Susan Mason
GWMG