With so many growers present at the Gardeners’ World Live show, it would be inconceivable if there weren’t a good number of new plants making their debuts.
Some new chrysanthemums particularly caught my eye on the Devine Nurseries stand - the two-tone blooms of “Orinoco” (pink and crimson) and “Yellow Orinoco” (yellow and crimson) were highly unusual, and the vivid pink and yellow centres of “Dublin” were cute. But the one that really stood out was “Lemon Zembla” which dazzled like a lemon ice sorbet.
The demand for Japanese maples is increasingly diversifying and two variations on a theme were introduced by Larchfield Trees and Hippopottering, respectively. Both are varieties of acer palmatum - “Shirazz” has deeply variegated pink, maroon and khaki foilage while “Taylor” is a less intense variety with pink and grey-green foliage.
Hardy geraniums with deep beetroot-coloured foliage and pure purple flowers were in geat evidence - under a number of names, such as “Black Beauty”, “Midnight Reiter” and “Purple Haze” - I can honestly say that I couldn’t tell one from another.
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Most of the other hardy perennial introductions were very delicate in form. Cairnsmore Nursery’s new heuchera “Snowfire” is a vigourous, variegated green-leaved plant with tiny nodding pink flowers; Whetman Pinks showed two new varieties - “Starlight” and “Coconut Sundae”, the latter having a beautiful scent; and Edrom Nursery debuted an unusual deep-green petalled primula.
But the pick of the bunch was on the Stonecrop Nurseries stand - an exquisite multi-bloomed lavendar called “Blue Rider”.
The diascia is not normally hardy but Hopleys Plants’ new variety, diascia personata “Hopleys”, survived a Hertfordshire winter and at 4ft high and a spread of 3ft with traditionally-shaped pink flowers could become a proper herbaceous border plant.
Roses are always showstoppers and there were four roses to be seen for the first time, presented by Roses UK in the Rose Garden in the main exhbition halls.
“Lichfield Angel” from David Austin Roses, is named after the an eighth-century, limestone-sculptured panel depicting the Archangel Gabriel, which was recently discovered in Lichfield Cathedral, has blooms of creamy apricot petals which appear white in sunlight, and a scent of cloves.
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“Parky”, from Harkness Roses, was introduced by its namesake, Michael Parkinson on the first day of the show. “Parky” - the rose that is - has subtle tones of white, going from soft pearl on the opening bloom, glowing light apricot in certain conditions and almost pure white when fully open.
TV presenter Phillip Schofield was also on hand to introduce a vivid scarlet rose which opens to reveal yellow stamens in the heart of the flower. A royalty from the sale of each “Schofield” rose will go to the Chase Hospice Care for Children, of whom Mr Schofield is a patron.
“Cherie” is a dark red, velvety floribunda, resistent to disease and with a distinctive spicy scent. The rose, from Harkness Roses, will be officially launched on Friday, June 16, by Cherie Blair, whom it is named after, and royalties will go to Refuge, the charity for helping victims of domestic violence.