CH

AR

LO

TT

E A

LB

ER

S /

AH

S A

RC

HIV

ES

14 the American Gardener

LIKE EVERY business sector, theAmerican gardening industry hasbeen affected by the world’s cur-

rent economic troubles. Many nurseriesreported lagging sales in 2009, with gar-deners being more frugal about their pur-chases and reduced demand for plantsfrom landscape contractors. But there ishope for the future. “Up to several yearsago, there was a lot of gloom-and-doomtalk about how no one wants to gardenanymore,” says Marty Wingate, gardencolumnist for the Seattle-Post Intelligencerand author of several gardening books.“Now there is a real surge of interest ingardening again—especially vegetablegardening.”

Will gardening make a healthy come-back in America in 2010? We talked to sev-eral horticultural professionals across thecountry to get their perspectives.

WHAT GARDENERS ARE LOOKING FORAll the horticultural professionals agreethat the biggest trend is growing edi-bles—driven by people wanting to savemoney by growing some of their ownproduce or those dedicated to the “loca-vore” movement who grow their ownfood so they know where it comes from.

Sandi Hillermann McDonald, presi-dent of Hillermann Nursery & Florist inWashington, Missouri, says, “We’ve seengreat interest in edible gardening, not onlyin the old-fashioned vegetable gardens ofour grandparents, but in square-foot [in-tensive] gardening and especially combi-nation container gardens.” McDonaldpredicts that gardeners will be seekingcompact varieties of edibles, such as bushtomatoes and cucumbers and dwarf egg-plants and peppers, that can be grown incontainers. She is planning to capitalize onthis trend by offering pre-planted combi-nations of edibles in containers. “We’regoing to stress the ease of growing yourown food by offering these to our cus-tomers, along with recipes.”

This burgeoning interest in gardeninghas brought many beginners to gardencenters. Gardening has often been viewed

as a pastime for middle-aged people, butthis may be changing. “The nurseries herein the Northwest had a great spring lastyear,” says Wingate, “and they noticed alot of young people coming in who didn’tknow the difference between a petuniaand a zinnia, so there was a need to edu-cate along with making the sales.”

In addition to vegetable gardening,many gardeners want to learn moreabout ways to garden in harmony withthe environment. Janet Carson, an Ex-tension horticulture specialist who headsthe Arkansas Master Gardener program,says, “People have been asking for moreprograms on sustainability or ‘green’ gar-dens. Rain gardens, rain barrels, and low-input gardening are also popular newerprograms for us.”

In Arizona, landscape designer ScottCalhoun uses rainwater-harvesting tech-niques in the gardens of clients who wantto maintain vegetable gardens and citrustrees. In other parts of the gardens, he re-lies on plants suited to the arid conditionsof the Southwest that don’t require sup-

plemental watering to thrive, includingcacti and other succulents.

“One of the biggest trends is the in-creasing availability of new hybrid Amer-ican plants,” says Calhoun. “A lot of ouragaves, for example, were once rare col-lectors’ plants that can now be mass-produced because of tissue culture.”

Calhoun also cites a design trend ofusing succulents for their bold forms ingardens outside the Southwest. “This ispart of another trend of integrating succu-lents into gardens among other plants,” hesays, “instead of segregating them in theirown part of the garden or in containers.”

Plants that provide a long period ofbloom are always in demand. At WilliamsNursery in Westfield, New Jersey, part-ner Dave Williams has noticed thatwoody ornamentals that have been bredto flower multiple times during the yearare very popular with his customers.“This trend began with the introductionof the Endless Summer® hydrangeas andEncore® azaleas a few years ago,” saysWilliams. “We’re starting to sell moreEncore azaleas, although I’m not yet to-tally convinced as to their winter hardi-ness in New Jersey.”

IT’S ABOUT THE PLANTSWith so many new gardeners in the gameand economic recovery likely to be slow,2010 looks to shape up as a year of gettingback to basics.

“Over the last three years, I have no-ticed a change in what my clients want—for the better,” says Calhoun. “People usedto spend a lot of money on frills like spasand bars in the garden. They have dialedback on those things and gone back toplants and solving problems with plants.”

“There’s going to be loads more inter-est in beginning gardening,” Wingate pre-dicts. “People are going to start with whatinterests them most—usually growingplants for their flowers. But from therethey’ll broaden their horizons.” �

Mary Yee is managing editor and art direc-tor of The American Gardener.

2010 Garden Forecast

BY MARY YEE

What’s in store for the new

year? More choices and a

return to the fundamentals.

15January / February 2010

More new vegetables■ ‘Jumbo’ green bean. Stringless even at 10 inches. (Johnny’s Selected Seeds)■ ‘RSVPEA’ pea. Early variety that can grow in marginally cold regions. (W. Atlee Burpee & Co.)■ ‘Skyphos’ lettuce. Heat-tolerant butterhead lettuce with attractive red leaves, grows up toeight inches in diameter. (Johnny’s Selected Seeds)■ ‘Sweetheart of the Patio’ cherry tomato. A determinate tomato ideal for growing in containers. (W. Atlee Burpee & Co.)

Edibles

NEW PLANTS FOR 2010Each year the plant industry introduces a lengthy list of new plants aimed at grabbingthe gardener’s attention. On the following pages, we’ve selected a variety of promisingnew plants to pique the interest of both beginning and seasoned gardeners.

Dove hybrid melon. A super-sweet melonwith five- to six-inch-diameter fruitsweighing three to four pounds. (Park Seeds) Purple Pak (F1) carrot. Eight-inch-long

purple carrots with yellow cores. (Johnny’sSelected Seeds)

‘Golden’ beet. Sweet mild flesh is goldenand doesn’t bleed like red-fleshed beetswhen cut or cooked. (Renee’s Garden)

‘Scarlet Empire’ runner bean. A selection ofa British heirloom with improved vigor andfaster germination. Flavorful pods are longand stringless. (Thompson & Morgan)

‘Catalogna’ garnet stem endive. Red stemswith bright green leaves and savory flavor.(The Cook’s Garden)

16 the American Gardener

Perennials

Above: Agave neomexicana‘Sunspot’. A very hardy selectionof variegated agave that grows to12 inches tall and 20 incheswide. Zones 6–10, 10–5. (HighCountry Gardens)

Left: Andropogon gerardii ‘MegaBlue’ (big bluestem grass). Thisselection of a North Americanprairie native grows to over fivefeet tall, with gray-blue foliagethat turns coppery in autumn.Zones 3–8, 8–1. (High CountryGardens)

Echinacea ‘Heavenly Dream’. This cone-flower has fragrant, white, four-inch blooms.Compact plants grow to two feet high. Zones4–9, 9–1. (Terra Nova Nurseries)

Penstemon ‘Prairie Twilight’ (beardtongue).Pink-and-white flowers bloom from early tomidsummer on vigorous 22-inch-tall plants.Zones 4–9, 9–5. (Blooms of Bressingham)

Hemerocallis Jersey Earlybird™‘Cardinal’. Bred by renowneddaylily hybridizer Darrel Apps, thisis the first in a series of early-blooming daylilies. Red flowersstart blooming in May and continuefor up to nearly 100 days. Pest anddisease resistant and droughttolerant. Zones 4–10, 9–1.(Centerton Nursery)

17January / February 2010

Retail SourcesDavid Austin Roses, Tyler, TX. (800)328-8893. www.davidaustinroses.com.Great Garden Plants, Holland, MI.(877) 447-4769.www.greatgardenplants.com.High Country Gardens, Santa Fe, NM.(800) 925-9387. www.highcountrygardens.com.Jelitto, Louisville, KY. (502) 895-0807. www.jelitto.com.Johnny’s Selected Seeds,Winslow, ME. (877) 564-6697.www.johnnyseeds.com.Park Seed, Greenwood, SC. (800)213-0076. www.parkseed.com.Renee’s Garden, Felton, CA. (888)880-7228. www.reneesgarden.com.The Cook’s Garden, Warminster, PA.(800) 457-9703. www.cooksgarden.com.Thompson & Morgan, Jackson, NJ.(800) 274-7333. www.tmseeds.com.W. Atlee Burpee & Co.,Warminster, PA.(800) 333-5808. www.burpee.com.

Wholesale NurseriesVisit these companies’ websites to findretail sources for their plants.Athens Select, www.athensselect.com.Anthony Tesselaar Plants,www.tesselaar.com.Bailey Nurseries,www.baileynurseries.com.Ball Horticultural Co.,www.ballhort.com.Blooms of Bressingham,www.bobna.com.Centerton Nursery,www.centertonnursery.com.Conard Pyle, www.conard-pyle.com.Gardener’s Confidence,www.gardenersconfidence.com.Monrovia, www.monrovia.com.Plant Development Services,www.plantdevelopment.com. Proven Winners,www.provenwinners.com.Spring Meadow Nursery,www.springmeadownursery.com.Terra Nova Nurseries,www.terranovanurseries.com.Walters Gardens, Inc.,www.waltersgardens.com.

Disporum cantoniense ‘GreenGiant’ (Chinese fairy bells).Evergreen collected byplantsman Dan Hinkley inChina. Plants grow to six feettall. Pink, white, and greenbamboolike shoots mature togreen. Fragrant white flowersbloom in spring on newgrowth. Zones 6–9, 9–5.(Monrovia)

Deschampsia caespitosa ‘Pixie Fountain’(tufted hairgrass). This compact selectiongrows only two feet tall and forms featheryblooms in June. Zones 4–8, 8–1. (Jelitto)

Monarda didyma ‘Purple Rooster’ (bee balm).Deep purple flowers and mildew resistant.Grows to three feet tall on strong stems.Zones 4–10, 10–1. (Walters Gardens)

More new perennials■ Chasmanthium latifolium ‘River Mist’ (Northern river oats). Plants grow 30 inches tall; bothleaves and seedheads are variegated white and green. Zones 5–9, 9–1. (Great Garden Plants)■ Coreopsis ‘Ruby Frost’. Bright red flower petals are widely edged with white. Plants growabout two feet high and three feet wide. Zones 7–9, 9–1. (Terra Nova Nurseries)■ Gaillardia ‘Georgia Yellow’ (blanket flower). Solid yellow flowers, compact habit. Heat andhumidity tolerant. Zones 4–9, 9–1. (Athens Select)■ Leucanthemum ✕superbum ‘Banana Cream’ (Shasta daisy). Four-inch-wide, lemon-yellowflowers mature to creamy yellow and white. Compact plants grow to 18 inches tall. Zones5–9, 9–1. (Great Garden Plants/Walters Gardens)■ Pulsatilla vulgaris ‘Perlen Glocke’ (Pasque flower). Low-growing early-spring bloomer withsoft-pink, cupped flowers. Zones 5–7, 7–5. (Jelitto)

Annuals & TenderPerennials

Pennisetum setaceum ‘Fireworks’ (purple fountaingrass). Foliage isvariegated pink, red, white, and green. Plants grow to 28 inches talland bear burgundy-colored inflorescences. (Great Garden Plants)

Ipomoea batatas Ilusion™ Midnight Lace (sweet potato vine). Darkpurplish, deeply lobed leaves have red venation. More compact andless agressive than most sweet potato vines, growing eight to 10inches in length. (Proven Winners)

Zinnia ‘Profusion Yellow’. The first yellow inthe Profusion series. Compact plants growto 15 inches high and are heat and droughttolerant. (Park Seed)

Cosmos ‘Rubenza’. Deep ruby-red flowers onthree-foot-tall plants. Fleuroselect’s 2010Flower of the Year. (Thompson & Morgan)

Pretty Much Picasso™ hybrid petunia. Hot-pinkflowers have contrasting lime-green margins.(Proven Winners)

More new annuals■ Ipomoea Carnival™ (morning glory).Five- to six-foot vines bear a mix of largewhite trumpet flowers with pink or bluestreaks. (Park Seed)■ Cyperus involucratus Graceful Grasses™Baby Tut™ (umbrella plant). Grasslikeplant ideal for small water gardens;grows two feet tall. Zones 8–11, 12–1.(Proven Winners)■ Osteospermum Voltage Yellow™ (Africandaisy). A cool-season plant with improvedheat tolerance. Yellow flowers bloom allsummer. (Ball Horticultural Co.)■ Phormium cookianum ‘Black Adder’(New Zealand flax). Burgundy-blackspikes of foliage; grows to three feet tall.Zones 9–11, 12–1. (Anthony Tesselaar)

the American Gardener18

19January / February 2010

Trees & Shrubs

Rosa Princess Alexandra of Kent(‘Ausmerchant’ rose). Large, fully doublepink blooms have a strong tea fragrance.Plants are compact, growing under four feettall. Zones 4–9, 9–1. (David Austin® Roses)

Lagerstroemia indica Berry Dazzle® (‘GAMADVI’ dwarf crape myrtle). Early-bloomingfuchsia-colored flowers cover plants thatgrow to three feet tall with similar spread.Zones 7–9, 9–6. (Gardener’s Confidence)

Syringa Bloomerang® (‘Penda’ lilac). Growsto a compact five feet tall and four feet wide.Fragrant purple flowers bloom in spring andagain in midsummer to fall. Zones 6–9, 9–4.(Spring Meadow Nursery)

Quercus nuttallii Charisma® (‘Mon Powe’Nuttall oak). Deciduous native selection hasattractive chocolate-colored spring foliagethat matures to green. Grows to 60 feet tall.Zones 5–9, 9–4. (Monrovia)

Clethra alnifolia Sugartina® (‘Crystalina’ sweet pepperbush). Dwarf selection with dark glossyleaves grows about 30 inches tall and wide. Fragrant white flowers bloom in late summer tofall. Zones 4–9, 9–1. (Spring Meadow Nursery)

More new trees and shrubs■ Magnolia grandiflora Baby Grand® (‘STRgra’southern magnolia). Dwarf evergreen growsto 10 feet tall and wide. Zones 6–9, 7–1.(Anthony Tesselaar/Monrovia)■ Prunus sargentii First Editions® SpringWonder™ (‘Hokkado Normandale’ Sargentcherry). This hardy tree provides year-roundinterest: red-brown bark, pink spring flowers,and purplish spring foliage that turns darkgreen in summer and yellow, orange, or red infall. Zones 5–9, 9–5. (Bailey Nurseries)■ Rhododendron Autumn Lilac™ (Encore®

azalea ‘Robles’). Lavender-colored flowersbloom from spring to fall. Zones 5–9, 9–5.(Plant Development Services)■ Rosa Sunny Knock Out® (‘Radsunny’ rose).Vigorous, disease-resistant plants growthree to four feet tall and wide; yellowflowers bloom from spring to fall. Zones5–9, 9–1. (Conard Pyle)