Buy easy plug plants, new for 2007, for great summer colour – they're good value, simple to handle and give fast results
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| Lophospermum 'Summer Cream'
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'Buying plug plants does away with the time-consuming task of raising from seed or overwintering tender perennials from cuttings, and works out at a fraction of the price of finished plants.'
Plug, miniplant, easiplant, cell-raised, pot ready - these are all specifications seen in young plant catalogues, and you can order now for despatch in spring. Most of the plants listed here are half hardy, so need to be grown on in a glasshouse, conservatory or kitchen windowsill until mid-May when there's no danger from frost. They will quickly develop into healthy, mature specimens ready for planting out in flowerbeds, containers and hanging baskets. Buying plants this way does away with the time-consuming task of raising from seed or overwintering tender perennials from cuttings, and works out at a fraction of the price of finished plants. So go for a really lavish display this year and try out new varieties too - even vegetables are available as young plants.
Banana: superb for foliage
The advantage of plug plants is really seen with the reasonably priced banana
Musa 'Tandarra Red'. This is a superb foliage plant for large pots or a tropical border - feed and water well for the largest possible leaves, but don't expect it to fruit. One large plug is listed at £5.95; if you buy two plugs for £11.90 you get one free from
Mr Fothergill's.
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| Yellow begonia
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| Pink begonia
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Begonias: new pink and yellow varieties
Begonia 'Pink Cloud' is a new variety with masses of small, perfectly-formed, dainty, pretty, double pink flowers, offset by fresh green foliage. Plants grow to about 30cm (1ft) high. Five pot-ready plants cost £8.95 from
Sutton's Seeds.
Begonia Tenella Bella series, bred by S&G Flowers, is reliable and has been around for about five years. Yellow is a new colour for 2007. These plants are easy to manage in mixed container plantings because the young growth is upright and tidy. As the season progresses, a graceful trailing habit develops. Five pot-ready plants for £7.95, and 10 for £11.95, are available from Dobies.
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| 'Sunpatiens'
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| Spellbound
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Busy Lizzies: trailing and heat-tolerant
Spellbound busy Lizzies bred by S&G Flowers are characterised by their trailing habit and generous flowering through the summer months. There's a selection of five colours, including new introductions for 2007. Five young plants cost £8.49; 10 young plants, £10.95; and 20 young plants, £18.95, from
Thompson & Morgan.
Busy Lizzie 'Sunpatiens', unlike many busy Lizzies that perform best in the shade, has exceptional sun and heat tolerance, so you can grow it in a sunny position too. This new plant is a hybrid between a New Guinea and an
Impatiens species, and has vigorous growth. The list prices are £9.99 for five plants; £19.99 for 20 plants from
Thompson & Morgan.
Calibrachoa: like a small petunia
Calibrachoa Cabaret is a new series of this petunia lookalike. Smaller than petunias, with a mounded, trailing habit, there are five colours, including yellow and apricot, They are sold in garden centres in biodegradable rice husk pots, priced £1.10 per pot, as part of the Gold Premium range from
KinderGarden Plants. KinderGarden plants are sold in garden centres from late January onwards.
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| Cape daisy
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Cape daisy: sun-loving
Osteospermum 'Dodoma Light Purple' is a variety with striking white and pink petals. Cape daisies are a major standby for patio pots and containers, thriving in full sun. 'Dodoma Light Purple' features as a special offer when buying other plants, or stands alone at five plugs for £7.95, from
Mr Fothergill's Plant Preview collection 2007.
Fuchsia: climbing type
Fuchsia 'Lady Boothby', originally introduced in the 1930s, is sold by a number of specialist nurseries and is now becoming more widely available. Referred to as a climbing fuchsia, this tall, hardy variety can reach 5m (15ft) if the long shoots are supported or trained against a wall. Five plants cost £9.99; 15 plants, £14.99, from
Thompson & Morgan Young Plants.
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| Helichrysum
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| 'Lady Boothby'
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Helichrysum: ideal for dried flowers
Helichrysum Visual White Rose Bicolour is a new colour of
H. bracteatum or straw flower from S&G Flowers. Grow in a sunny position and you'll get a steady supply of flowers for drying, on stems about 30-40cm (12-16in) in height. Cut regularly to encourage the plant to produce more. Five pot-ready plants are listed at £7.95 in the
Suttons Seedscatalogue.
Lofos: climbing or cascading
Lophospermum 'Burgundy Falls' and
'Summer Cream' (pictured top of page) are two new varieties for 2007. You can grow lofos as a climber up a trellis, or cascading from a hanging basket. Developed from
Lophospermum, a genus from Central and North America, a variety called 'Wine Red' was introduced in 2005. For 2007. Five pot-ready plants cost £8.45 from
Dobies.
Pelargonium: regal newcomer
Traditional varieties of regal pelargonium are rather exotic creatures, more for a conservatory or growing indoors as a houseplant. But the new
Pelargonium Aristo series is suitable for outdoor summer bedding and container plantings. It features as a mixed selection. Five plants cost £9.99; 10, £14.99; from
Thompson & Morgan Young Plants.
Petunias: early double
Double petunias 'Cherry Ripple' (pictured bottom of page) and
'Rosy Ripple' are new varieties for 2007 in the much-loved, British-bred
Tumbelina series. These flower earlier, are more compact than other double petunias and prefer full sun. Quoting £7.95 for five pot-ready plants, suppliers include
Dobies,
KinderGarden Plants (Gold Premium range) and
Mr Fothergill's.
Snapdragon: upward-facing
Antirrhinum 'Rhubarb and Custard' is one of several fancy snapdragons to be developed in recent years. The flowers are upward-facing rather than a pendulent bell, on spikes growing to about 45cm (18in). Five pot-ready plants cost £7.95 from the Dobies catalogue. A mixed collection of similar varieties of antirrhinum is available from
Sutton's Seeds.
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| Verbena Aztec 'Light Pink'
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| Sweet pea 'Tutankhamum'
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Sweet pea: hardy type
Sweet pea 'Tutankhamum' is unlikely to be found in the Pharaoh's tomb, but it is an unusual, old variety. Flowers are produced generously on tall, bushy plants, up to 1.2-1.5m (4-5ft), and are followed by interesting seed pods. These are hardy plants, so they can be planted out early. Five plugs cost £7.95 from
Sutton's Seeds.
Verbena: new colour
Verbena 'Light Pink' from the Aztec series, is a new colour with dreamy pink and white flowers and ferny leaves. The spreading growth habit of verbenas makes them ideal for combining with other plants in mixed container or hanging-basket arrangements. 'Light Pink' costs RRP 75p per pot from the Blue Standard range of
KinderGarden Plants. KinderGarden plants are sold in garden centres from late January onwards.
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| Double petunia 'Cherry Ripple'
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