What's new for 2008
The Gardener's Corner

A Brandywine Viburnum plant.

Gardening trends are determined from surveys by various sources and the Garden Writers Association has a couple of interesting results about indoor gardening.

One survey has found that the number of households planning to do indoor gardening has risen to 57 per cent, representing 46.3 million homes and the top two reasons for indoor gardening are decoration and emotional enjoyment.

Two new shrubs to watch for next year are Brandywine Viburnum and 'Pinky Winky' Hydrangea. Brandywine has a spectacular berry display in the autumn garden with blue and hot pink berries appearing simultaneously and followed by rich burgundy foliage. Although possibly only hardy to Zone 6, gardeners are finding that here in our Zone 5 we can often push the zone limit of plants with the changing climate.

It does well in full sun to part shade but does not like alkaline soils and reaches 150-180 centimetres at maturity.

A few years ago, when the new viburnum Blue Muffin was introduced pictures portrayed it loaded with bright blue berries making it irresistible. However, my two shrubs produce hardly any berries at all and I've since found that some viburnums fail to fruit because they have lacked a pollinator. Brandywine will reliably produce fruit even without a pollinator.

Pink Winky has late summer blooms that can extend up to 30 to 40 cm long, which is almost double the size of Limelight. The blooms open pure white but transform to a deep pink on the base giving a bicolour appearance which is not typical of paniculata hydrangeas. Pinky Winky is named after the teletubbie character Tinky Winky.

The Perennial Plant Association's perennial plant of the year for 2008 is the geranium Rozanne.

To be considered, a plant must be suitable for a wide range of climates, exhibit low maintenance characteristics and be easy to grow. Rozanne is a crane's bill geranium, so named because the seed pod resembles a crane's beak. She has large saucer-shaped violet-blue flowers that bloom from spring until frost with a vigorous, but not invasive growth habit. Preferring a partial shady location, Rozanne is perfect in the front of a border, as a groundcover, in a planter or window box with the trailing stems cascading over the sides.

Butterflies are attracted to the flowers and the plant is listed as deer and rabbit resistant.

Rarely needing dividing this perennial can benefit from a shearing to about eight cm in late summer to rejuvenate it or allow it to ramble and extend seasonal interest by weaving the long stems through shrubs or to fill in bare spots. Garden companions to consider with Rozanne are irises, garden phlox, heliopsis and ornamental grasses.

Canada Blooms celebrates their 12th anniversary in 2008 from March 12 to 16 and new for next year is that each day of the event will have a theme.

Living Green Day and Communities in Bloom Day are a couple of the themes. The educational speaker series will also have specific themes.