Fab new f aces f or 2017
A round-up of the wonderful (and sometimes weird) plants hitting the shelves this year
THE humble French marigold hasn’t been in vogue since the 1970s, when it was impossible to escape its yellow, orange and mahogany-red pompoms. No suburban front garden, public park or seaside resort’s flower beds were considered complete without a glut of these compact annuals.
A move towards more natural-looking displays and our changing tastes led to French marigolds (Tagetes patula) falling out of favour. Yet this bedding plant looks set to make a return this year with the launch of several shiny newcomers.
Tagetes patula ‘French Solan’ is a dwarf variety with tight orange petals above a skirt of wider red petals, while taller ‘Fireball’ produces red flowers that turn bronze and gold as they mature. ‘Creme Brulee’ boasts large, semi-double pale yellow flowers with petals that are flecked with red at the tips. But for me, the pick of the bunch has to be ‘Strawberry Blonde’, which has been added to the ranges offered by a number of seed firms. It’s a real breakthrough, as the sturdy, 12in plants provide a multi-coloured effect – red buds open into 2in-wide, deep pink flowers that age to yellow.
Marigolds are not the only plants set to cause a stir this year. Britain’s l eading mailorder nurseries have taken the wraps off scores of new flower and vegetable lines. Some of them are truly ground-breaking, while others are an improvement on existing varieties, or are simply worth growing for their novelty value.
Annuals are well represented. Antirrhinum ‘Sunset Mix’ produces 8in spikes of fragrant flowers in shades of red and yellow – its compact habit makes this snapdragon perfect in pots or at the front of beds. Cosmos ‘Rubies in Sunshine’ is a seed mixture containing ‘Xanthos’, the first yellow variety, along with reddish-pink ‘Rubinato’.
‘Snow Princess’ is the world’s first calendula with white flowers, according to the seed companies. In reality, they’re very pale yellow but they’re still different from anything else available. Sow seeds directly into gaps within beds and borders, and plants will bloom in about ten weeks.
Zinnias have long been admired for their flamboyant flowers, but in the past they have performed poorly in our unpredictable summers. Modern breeding has led to varieties that are more suited to our climate. Among those launched this year is ‘Sombrero’, a real head-turner with red and yellow flowers from midsummer until the first frosts.
If you’re looking for perennials, check out Gaillardia ‘Firewheel’, with its bright red flowers on 2ft stems from June until September, and Iris ‘Blue Riband’, for its huge purple flowers with intricate yellow and white markings. The yellow, red and bi-coloured daisies of Helenium autumnale ‘Western’ are perfect for late-summer colour.
Most angel’s fishing rods have pink or pur- plish blooms, but Dierama ‘Blood Drops’ is blessed with bright red bells carried on arching 3ft stalks in summer. Several sweet peas are set to make their debut. Lathyrus odoratus ‘Kingfisher’ has gorgeous lavender-coloured flowers with a big scent, while ‘Scarlet Tunic’ has been named after the coats worn by Chelsea Pensioners. Another climber worth looking out for is Nasturtium ‘Troika Spotty Dotty’, with its spotted flowers. Elsewhere, there are some cracking new vegetable varieties. Carrot ‘Snowman’ forms long, tapered white roots, and radish ‘Viola’ has a violet skin and white flesh. Tomato ‘Red Eros’ is notable for its long, knobbly red fruit.
CHILLI pepper ‘Lemon Drop’ is ideal for containers, producing lots of fiery fruit that turn from pale green to yellow as they mature. Those who are brave enough can grow ‘ Carolina Reaper’, which is the world’s hottest pepper and 100 times more fiery than a jalapeno.
Broad beans are generally harvested in early summer, but ‘Luz de Otono’ is the first autumn-cropping variety, with picking possible until November.
Runner beans tend to require bees to pollinate flowers to ensure a bumper crop, but ‘Firestorm’ is said to be virtually self-fertile, meaning it should still produce good crops in a poor summer.