Gardening at Mohonk: 2013? What's New?

Don't you love that question? I don't, I get it all the time. What's new? Well , new...although not always better, new plants or varieties come into the market all the time, so at Mohonk in 2013, we will feature many new varieties. So many in the show garden in fact, maybe 60%, you will have plenty to discover. Over the next few months I will introduce new varieties individually to make it easier on your "hard drive."

How new is new?

...That's tough, I am going with varieties offered since 2010. That should be fresh enough. Most come highly recommended from colleagues in the field. One new mix of Echinacea is called 'Cheyenne Spirit' (2013). My buddy and plant broker Ira Grasgreen says we will love it. It has performed well in trials all over the country. Does this picture spark your interest?

Echinacea 'Cheyenne Spirit'

How will you blend all those new colors?

Good question. In a show garden like ours, one has to be careful about the 'carnival' look. So we are going to take a tip from Crayola and arrange ours in a crayon box. (More fun than a coloring book!) And for the center bed, I was inspired by a sculpture in front of the Woodstock School of Art by Shelley Parriott (shown below).

Sculpture at Woodstock School of Art by Shelley Parriott

We will instead of tubes make crayons of rustic cedar logs and paint the ends. NICE, huh? Cory McCurdy's idea. You remember Cory from the gardens for the past three years. Mr. Peppermint Stick is his alias.

Black. A new color?

No but plenty o'... the black crayon is one of the more challenging so we are starting with two new and one almost new. Vinca 'Blackberry Jam' and Sweetunia 'Black Satin' are new arrivals, 'Black Satin' being a major improvement over others and 'Blackberry Jam' making a color break for Vinca and an A.A.S. selection. Combined with Colocasia 'Black Coral' (which stopped traffic last year) should make Bruce Wayne proud.

Blackberry Jam

Petunia Black Satin

Colocasia 'Black Coral'

Are there any good new roses?

Maybe, but 'Julia Child' is getting good reviews. I saw some at Longwood last fall, NICE. We will plant one or two this spring and will let you know. We are promised great fragrance and disease resistance, and that blush yellow... Hmmm.