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| A blue primrose that is no longer available. |
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| "Lucie's Pink' mums bloom in late October and November |
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| Persicaria 'Blackfield' is a wonderful rich color. |
I am beginning my annual, very tedious and lengthy review process of all of the perennials I have pre-booked for the 2012 spring growing season. This work begins in late summer of the year previous. I finally got my master print out last night.
I am a bit worried about a trend that is happening in the world of plants. Many large, wholesale nurseries have closed recently. The recession and the changing demographics have taken their toll. The ones that are surviving or thriving have tended to reduce their offerings, eliminating the really rare and unusual plants that they only sold in small numbers. Branding is big (think Proven Winners) and I am seeing homogenization in the industry. Everyone is growing the same varieties of the most popular plants.
Being a total plant geek and wanting to offer fascinating diversity to my customers, this makes me worried and sad. I have one acre at Natureworks and close to two acres at home. I have lots of rare and unusual plants in the ground as a "safety net" in case I can't get them any more. A few of my favorites are shown above. Super late, heirloom mums that extend the season by a month. Unusual colors of long blooming plants. You get the picture.
If you are reading this, you should pay attention to this trend. If you are growing something that you LOVE and couldn't live without, grow lots of it. That way, you can be sure to have it if the growers decide it's not worth their time and costs them too much money to produce it for market.
I would love to know what plants you are growing just in case...
Gorgeous primrose! My garden here is so new (last year was the first year of probably 60% of my garden space) that I don't know if I have anything that is really unusual/in danger of not being sold anymore. Double bloodroot, and 'Little Honey' oakleaf hydrangea are probably the most unusual things I am growing. I'm also growing a ton of agastache, both the foeniculumn types(like golden jublilee), and the rupestris and rupestris hybrids western type ones (they're my favorite - I just have to keep their spots very well drained!)
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