![]() Jensen plans to carry more of the Main Street coleus series and more tropical and foliage plants next spring.Ĭustomers are also looking for flowering annuals that are less demanding but offer good performance and plenty of blooms. The Main Street coleus series was also a top pick for its compact size, late flowering, and versatility in sun and shade. "Customers want less deadheading, less trimming - I see this trend continuing," Jensen says. Jensen is exactly right, though, that the desire for low-maintenance plants is one of the top garden trends. Still, succulents continue to have a dedicated following. Demand for tropical foliage plants and all types of houseplants now exceeds demand for succulents, Jensen says. Oakridge carried several colours this year and will carry more next year.īoth Wiebe and Jensen say that consumer interest in tropical plants continues to rise. This is largely due to the popularity of the Colorita series, a tissue culture series with long-lasting blooms. Easy to grow, caladium comes in a range of shapes, colours, and patterns.Īlstroemeria (also known as Peruvian lily) has grown in its appeal in the past few years. Wiebe says that customers snapped up two varieties, Summer Breeze and Red Alert, and combined them with Belleconia begonias or Miss Montreal, part of the Begonia Unbelievable series. Caladium has long been grown as a houseplant, but this foliage plant is going mainstream as a good choice for shade containers. Big, bold foliage and unusual flowers proved to be a strong draw this year. Wiebe says that customers are looking for plants that are unique and different. While Kanmara is surely one of the trendiest plants of 2019 (if not the ‘it’ plant of the year), what are some of the other plant varieties that really stood out this year? I asked Erna Wiebe, co-owner of Oakridge Garden Centre in Steinbach, and Susan Jensen, co-owner of Jensen Nursery and Greenhouse in Winnipeg, to name some of this year’s most popular plants. The answer is no to all three questions however, a number of readers plan to bring Kanmara indoors for the winter. Readers also questioned whether the blooms need to be deadheaded or if the Kanmara continues to produce new blooms during the summer, and whether it can be overwintered outdoors. By midsummer, Kanmara’s hefty mophead blooms - regardless of whether they start out white, blue or pink - eventually transition to green as the blooms age. ![]() A common concern is the colour of the blooms as they age - even though they age very well. Of course, Kanmara did not win over everyone. Why have we gone gaga over Kanmara? The long-lasting nature of the blooms is one reason, but also the fact that a potted hydrangea doesn’t require the addition of fillers and spillers, plus its small footprint and big impact provide instant colour in the garden, on the patio or on the balcony. So long as this shade-loving plant is not exposed to sunlight and is watered regularly, the showy foliage stays pristine and dark green. ![]() Indeed, in the nearly 10 years that I have been writing this column, no other plant variety generated as much reader response.Īs advertised, Kanmara’s prolific blooms are massive and the stems are sturdy. From May to October, in heat, drought or soaking rain - no matter the wacky weather - Kanmara was worth the investment. What induced me, for example, to buy nine Kanmara hydrangeas when one or three would have done just as well? I have no buyer’s remorse. Flowering annuals, in particular, can have a powerful attraction. Winter is a great time to plan container recipes like this one created by Earl Lieske.Įach year there are new plant introductions that have almost a magnetic force. We still love succulents, but in 2019, tropical foliage plants ruled. In 2019, many of us went gaga over Kanmara potted hydrangea. Lysimachia FanciFillers Sunburst is a trailing annual with larger leaves and sunny flowers. ![]()
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