I’ve really been spoilt with flower shows in the last few weeks, and now I’m at Tatton Park, hunting down the latest blooms. Some are brand new, whilst others are new to me, or just SO GOOD I had to shout about them!
Let’s kick things off!
Delphinium Princess Caroline
I was fan-girling over this Delphinium for ages, and not actually concentrate on greenhouses that the company was selling. But, come on, this is bloody amazing. Not as hardy or reliable as it’s blue eyes cousins, which is a shame, but one day hopefully they’ll become mainstream. They just need a little bit more breeders handiwork.
Hydrangea Bristol Red
Just when you think you’ve seen all the hydrangeas that can be made, another one comes along. This one has it all, psychedelic colours, and a gorgeous scalloping to the petals. I reckon it has pretty kickass autumn colour too, by the looks of it.
Hydrangea Rosie
And then another one came along, this is along the same lines as popcorn hydrangeas, also known as hopcorn, of course! I think they are super cute, and this new variety will go far.
Pineapple Amigo
The Pygmy mini pineapple may not have the flavour of its cousins, but it makes a really fun houseplant, which is so great for kids. This is a new variety, with good colouring, and seems like it’s just made for kokedama!
Streptocarpus D S Horus
I have an on-off love affair with Streptocarpus, I can keep them blooming, but I can’t get them to re-flower… yet. This new variety is super-sized, with it’s lovely pink moonlit blooms, with a striking purple lipstick edge.
Agapanthus Pom Pom
I was marvelling at this plant for ages today, it’s a miniature flowered agapanthus, the plants are only about a foot tall, and the blue heads just a few inches across. The colour is the very best agapanthus shade too! I’d never seen such a thing before. Uh wow!
Alstromemeria Golden Delight
My grandma used to grow gorgeous Alstroemerias, and this colour is reminiscent of those. These are a bit bigger flowered, and really look super tropical with the banana yellow, marked blooms! I’ve got to have it!
Delphinium Highlander Series
if you often find that your delphiniums blow away with a gust of wind, how about trying one of the pom-pom doubles. The blooms are so strong, and multibranching, and look super sexy in a container. I am low key obsessed with them… naturally!
Heuchera Orangeberry
The amazing Heuchera keep on going! I no longer think of them as border perennials, to me they are container fillers. No, make that “thrillers”!
Gladioli Pink Parrot
Oh my gosh! It’s camp, and I love it! Each individual flower is ruffled, and looks a bit like one of those creped Californian poppies (if you know you know).
Fuchsia Twist and Shout
If my memory serves me correctly, I actually named this plant about 15 years ago. An amazing fuchsia with curious, twisty petals. If you look closely, the blooms actually change colour too, giving a really lovely effect.
Eucomis Aloha Leia
The unsung heroes of the exotic patio, the pineapple lilies are fantastic. This super dwarf could be really interesting in a rockery, or in a decorative pot. They do have a curious fragrance though, which I liken to a packet of “Twiglets”!
Michael has been involved with gardening and plants since he was just five years old. He is a self-professed Plant Geek, and was listed in the Sunday Times top 20 most influential people in the gardening world, thanks to his plant hunter role at Thompson & Morgan.
Michael was responsible for new plant introductions such as the Egg and Chips plant and the FuchsiaBerry and keeps busy travelling the world in search of new plants as well as lecturing worldwide, including stints in Japan. He is very active on social media – so why not give him a follow at @mr_plantgeek or Facebook. You can also listen to The Plant Based Podcast with Michael and co-host Ellen-Mary on iTunes, Spotify and Google.
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