Hot Plants for 2020!
Photo Courtesy of Proven Winners - www.provenwinners.com
Let’s face it. New plant offerings are fun and exciting. Even though I’m a big supporter of native plants, I’m always intrigued by what’s new for the garden.
Usually on the first Tuesday of the month I join with other master gardeners at the Boardman River Nature Center in Traverse City where we break bread over potluck dishes and hear a speaker. This month, because of shelter in place orders, our meeting was via Zoom. While the format was different, the information presented by Robin Smillie, manager of local gardening store Garden Goods couldn’t have been more interesting.
With Michigan’s shelter in place orders Smillie isn’t sure when Garden Goods will open this year but if the other master gardeners listening in were as inspired as I was by the plants she presented, we’ll look forward to the opening.
Smillie talked about what Garden Goods looks for in the plants they sell. Not only do they want plants that will look beautiful in planters in the early part of the summer - they need to perform in the heat and humidity of late July and August..
She also talked about how the houseplant industry has grown 50% in the past three years, taking me back to the early 1970’s when every home was filled with greenery; ficus, rubber trees, spider plants, snake plant and more. And the demographics of the buyer is changing. Retailers are seeing more pre-teens, teens and millennials buying plants, especially house plants.
From her introduction Smillie moved on to a list of plants worthy of our consideration in 2020. Since I’m looking for shrubs, I was particularly interested in two hydrangeas she featured.
Hydrangea Paniculata Fire Light. No it’s not the usual white that turns pink as it ages or lime color. It blooms white and ages to a bright fuschia/hot pink and it’s spectacular. It tolerates more sun than many hydrangas and the more you cut it back the more it blooms. It does like water if you plant it in full sun but can be planted in part sun as well. It is hardy to Zone 3 and grows 6-8 feet tall and 6 feet wide. (Pictured above)
Hydrangea Macrophylla Summer Crush. This grows about 18 inches tall and 3 feet wide. It’s very cold tolerant and even can put into a pot. It is sensitive to soil acidity. so you’ll get raspberry red blooms in alkaline soil and blue/purple in acid. It will tolerate partial sun but Smillie suggests if your yard is sunny planting it on the east side of the house, away from the blistering sun of the south and west exposures. It’s not a plant for deep shade.
Giving the site where I want to add hydrangeas in our yard I’m pretty much focused on the Fire Light, but I’m seriously considering some Summer Crush for a shadier spot in the year. The color is just so spectacular and so much fun.
More on new plants for 2020 in future posts…
Creative and targeted programs that make an impact are the hallmark of experienced marketing professional Ruth Steele Walker. Focusing on results that improve the bottom line, she accelerates projects from conception to implementation with a mastery of writing, production, placement, budgeting and coordination.
During more than 25 years with Foremost Corporation of America, the nation's leading insurer of manufactured housing and recreational vehicles, Walker consistently produced effective communications programs that resulted in increased net written premium. Her expertise in crisis communications was a vital part of Foremost's exemplary customer service in the wake of hurricanes, floods and earthquakes. Walker specializes in communications targeting the 50+ demographic, with an emphasis in communications for the 65+ segment.
Among other achievements, Walker developed communications for the merger of Foremost and Farmers Insurance, addressing audiences including customers, employees, trade and consumer media. For Foremost's 50th anniversary, she created a celebration program of internal and external promotions, special events, recognition and a 162-page commemorative book.
Earlier in her career, Walker was a newspaper reporter, a TV and radio producer, and worked in national sales and traffic at network TV affiliates. Walker earned a BA in journalism from Michigan State University and an MS in communications from Grand Valley State University.
She and her husband Scott operate a small vineyard in Michigan's Leelanau Peninsula, producing premium vinifera wine grapes. The vineyard has been the largest local supplier for Suttons Bay wine label L. Mawby, recently named one of the world's top producers of sparkling wines.
