NEW PLANT IDEAS
FOR 2006

Seeing how new varieties of plants will grow in baskets, containers and ordinary garden soil is a valuable way to decide on what looks good and what's not. Seeing the trials at Ball Colegrave in July really was interesting and gardeners can expect that the company's continuous dedication to developing new and better varieties of existing favourites and the introduction of some unusual plants was an eye-opener.

Trailing busy lizzies that make a flower-filled hanging baskets have been around for some time but the new Doubles from the Fiesta series produced some spectacular results. The double Fiesta Ole Peppermint has variegated foliage carrying good sized double blooms of rich pink, while Fiesta Sparkler Cherry has plain green foliage but the red flowers are speckled with white splashes. The flowers of Petunia 'Fanfare' Flame have a mixture of strawberry centres and pink colour edges linked by darker veins in each petal. They make spectacular baskets when grown under cover so that rain doesn't knock the blooms about.

A mixed container showing the bright red and chartreuse green foliage of Coleus Kong Rose backed by the dark purple foliage of Millet Purple Majesty.

For a different garden plant to contrast the bright colours of bedding plants then the decorative millet Purple Majesty has proved to be a winner with not only the retail trade, but also the public who have seen this exciting new plant at Ball Colgrave and at Chelsea Flower Show. The foliage is dark purple and the seed heads are a similar colour. They can be grown in mixed containers or in flower beds where they make a great statement that will be admired by all. For a great contrast of light and shade mix alongside Plectranthus Silver Shield where the two plants side by side make an interesting contrast of colour shape and texture.

Dark purple foliage really is the fashionable contrast colour of the year and there are many new plants to use. Try the first black-leaved ornamental pepper on the market called Capsicum 'Black Pearl' - it's one of the Ball Colgrave Fantastic Foliage collection.

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