Clockwise from top left: Heuchera 'Frosted Violet,' Caryopteris 'Jason' (Sunshine Blue), Geranium 'Bob's Blunder,' Papaver paeoniflorum 'Black Peony,' Dianthus 'Cranberry Ice.' Center: Geranium 'Blogold' (Blue Sunrise) with Lettuce 'Merlot.'
Some of them I haven't mentioned often, such as the Heuchera 'Frosted Violet.' This is now my new favorite, displacing 'Raspberry Ice' in my affections. 'Frosted Violet' may have slightly less showy flowers, but the foliage stays much darker and the plants bloom longer and more profusely.
I didn't expect the Caryopteris to bloom as long as it did, and then I was surprised by how attractively the bracts aged. It is borderline hardy here, so I'm crossing my fingers that it will make it through the winter.
I've raved about Geranium 'Bob's Blunder,' a small plant with small flowers, but such beautiful dark foliage and such an extended bloom time. For latest bloom, it beat out all the other Geraniums here at Squirrelhaven, including 'Gerwat' (Rozanne). Coming in a close second is Geranium 'Blogold,' which is like a bleached blonde Rozanne. The new foliage kept the bright chartreuse, while the older foliage became more green during the summer. On the whole, it is a very striking plant all season long.
I've gushed over the Poppy ad nauseum; it will be making a return appearance next year. Another annual that will be making a return appearance is Lettuce Merlot. Tasty, beautiful and healthy, I couldn't ask for more in an edible plant.
I've never grown Dianthus, so I have no standard by which to compare 'Cranberry Ice.' What I can say is that its glaucous (bluish) foliage looked great all season, and the plant was in bloom until the freeze knocked it out in October.
What were your top performers this year?
15 comments:
All of these plants are worthy of recognition! That 'Frosted Violet' is particularly stunning, and I like the 'Bob's Blunder' foliage too!
These are all pretty plants. I will be interested to hear if the caryopteris survives. I have tried several of them and have had no luck. I hope you have a great 2010.
Hi~~ Gorgeous collage! Bob's Blunder cracks me up. I'm curious about how it got this name. The foliage and flowers are very nice. And interestingly all of your plants harmonize really well. Nice job.
I'll have to get busy and assess my hits and misses this past summer.
What beautiful plants and flowers. I think this coming year I need to really work on adding much more compost and fertilize a little more often!! (A Worthy Goal, as I see your plants!) I'll be thinking about how to answer your question. In the meantime, I really enjoyed your reminiscing (and was interested to see that 'Rozanne' has some serious competition!)
Those are beautiful flowers. This year I dipped a hoe into rose growing and enjoyed the three shrub roses I planted.
(The word verification for my comment is "better", which I take as a sign of what 2010 is going to be... Better!)
Any plant with the cultivar name 'Bob's Blunder' deserves a place in my garden! Your photos are like eye candy: thanks. As for highlights: Pulmonaria 'Roy Davidson', Alopecurus pratensis 'Variegatus', and Hosta 'Gold Standard.'
Christine in Alaska
I'm a big fan of the heucheras and the caryopteris! All your 2009 selections look great. You can hedge your bets with the caryopteris with a couple cuttings. It roots extremely easily!
Some great plants MMD and I will be definitely looking out for 'Bob's Blunder' next year. Wishing you happy growing in the new decade :)
I'm a huge Heuchera fan and Frost Violet does seem dandy. So, you have a bit of a pink flower thing going on, huh? Happy new year!
ROR - I think a dark Heuchera would look great under a Japanese Maple (hint, hint).
Lisa - that's discouraging news. I had wanted to get Caryopteris 'Summer Sorbet' because it is reputedly hardier, but this one was what I found. I mulch the base of it with shredded leaves, so I hope that's enough.
Grace - the person behind the naming of the plant refuses to say what the blunder was. I'm hoping he will eventually divulge it.
Shady - Rozanne is the standard now, so every new long-bloomer is going to be compared with it.
Carol - I hope 2009 is better too, and that you will have even more success with Roses next year.
Thanks, Christine! My Pulmonaria 'Roy Davidson' had a bad year. I think it got mildewed because we had so much rain in the spring & early summer.
Dave - I tried to take cuttings of the Caryopteris over the summer, but the squirrels got at them.
Thanks, Anna! I hope you like 'Bob's Blunder' as much as I do.
Monica - pink, purple, mauve, yep, I'm a sucker for those colors.
Well, I've just added at least three things to my wish-list - must have both geraniums and definitely the dianthus. I'm a sucker for that blue foliage but a dianthus that stays in bloom? Hold me back. I just posted my top faves too, 9 of them anyway... Happy New Year!
It all looks lovely! Must have the dianthus and the Merlot. Heucheras would look good in my garden (as photographs on a stake)! My favorite new one this year is variegated Dianella. Happy New Year!
I remember seeing "Bob's Blunder" here before; definitely a geranium I'm going to look for. I've fallen in love with Heucheras, so I'll definitely look for "Frosted Violet"--that's one I don't remember seeing in local nurseries here. I had intended on doing an annual review of my best performers, too, MMD, but right now summer blooms seem such a distant memory that I will have to spend some time going through the photo files to remember what they were!
Kris - I can't wait to see what did well for you last year.
Linda - LOL about photos of Heuchera.
Rose - Looking through photos of last summer's garden is a good activity for a cold winter day.
I'll have to look for the Dianthus and the lettuce. Maybe I'll label the latter with an empty bottle of Merlot. If it warms up to 40 tomorrow, I'll sow a few of the black poppies!
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