In total they entered 11 new plants into this year’s awards; three new shrubs and eight herbaceous perennials. The Digitalis Firebird caught the imagination of the visitors and scooped the converted Best in Category – visitor award.
Brett Avery, Farplants Managing Director, is delighted with the positivity and feedback: “It was fantastic to see the industry out in force. After a roller-coaster season, everyone is feeling optimistic and the response to our new introductions has been incredible. We are constantly focused on innovation to help our customers’ stand out and it’s wonderful to receive recognition from the industry.”
The Digitalis Firebird is a cross between Digitalis purpurea and Digitalis canariensis (Isoplexis canariensis). Firebird is hardy, its cold tolerant nature provides excellent garden performance and value for money. The 90cm spikes of striking pink and apricot flowers start opening in June and then smaller flowering side branches develop through the summer. This award winner is available to reserve from the 2019 Hotspots catalogue.
From world leading plant breeder David Tristram, Spiraea Walberton’s Plumtastic won a silver HTA New Plant award in the Shrub category. The new Spiraea has rich plum-purple foliage with beautiful cerise flowers. Also, in the autumn the foliage transforms into vibrant orange. The neat compact habit makes this new hardy shrub idea for smaller modern gardens. Available to reserve from the 2019 Hotspots catalogue.
Salvia Rockin Deep purple
Due to its intense flower colour its a perfect match for Pantone Colour of the Year: Ultra-Violet. It has a more compact habit than varieties such as Amistad, which opens up new planting positions. As a result, you can bring the stunning purple centre stage in borders or used in medium-sized patio containers. Available to reserve from the 2019 Hotspots catalogue.
Gaura Walberton’s Gold Fountain
Another new introduction from Walberton Nursery’s breeding programme to receive a silver HTA New Plant award at this year’s show. Spotted in 2014 as a variegated sport in a crop of Walberton’s Snow Fountain. Gaura Walberton’s Gold Fountain attractive variegation is stable – giving it excellent garden performance. The other main variegated Gaura, Corrie’s Gold, doesn’t have the same stability. Delicate white flowers compliment the rich gold colour foliage from June through till October. It has a rounded dome habit and is hardy down to between -5c and -10c.
Other new introductions:
- Euphorbia Honey Pot
- Hibiscus Starburst Chiffon
- Three Alstromerias from the Garden Jewel series (Peaches, Pink and Yellow)
- Two Alstromerias from the Summer Series (Relieve and Saint).
As well as new plants, another new innovation Farplants showcased was their mobile and desktop friendly web shop. The live demo on a tablet showed how easily you can order on the go.