Sunlight breaking through the trees in the New Forest
In typical Hardy’s style, plans are well under way for their grand pavilion display for the 2013 Chelsea Flower Show. This show will be especially important to Rosy and Rob as they will be celebrating their own quarter of a century as one of Britain’s most celebrated herbaceous perennial nurseries. Continual winners of coveted RHS gold medals at Chelsea and all of the RHS flower shows throughout the year, the Hardy’s team are hoping for their 18th CFS Gold in 2013.
It’s all about the best of British for Hardy’s and this show will be no exception, they will be introducing three new plants all bred by British growers on British soil and displayed in traditional Hardy’s style on a 12m x 9m stand complete with a walk through path.
New Introductions this year include Leucanthemum ‘Real Neat’, a striking impactful plant with quirky pure white fluted blooms with contrasting yellow centres carried on very strong stems that grow in clumps. The petals have a feather like look and texture. They bloom early to mid summer and then again in autumn. Plant in well drained soil in full sun, they are wind resistant, great for cutting and happy in garden borders or pots and containers.
Also new is Nepeta Grandiflora ‘Summer Magic’. Affectionately known as Bertie by the breeder, Nepeta ‘Summer Magic’ is very free-flowering and blooms continuously from May to October. It has a compact and sturdy habit with outstanding performance even in the terrible 2012 season! Neat, compact and bushy with dark green foliage, this plant is a guaranteed robust garden performer which grows to a height of 40cms by 40cms, making it ideal for edge of pathway planting with a sunny aspect.
Finally there is Gaillardia ‘Fanfare Blaze’. These jolly plants have unique pinwheels of warm orange tubular blooms with an exceptionally long flowering period from early spring to autumn. The foliage is hairy greyish green and it grows with a compact mounding habit spreading 12 – 18 inches. Happiest in full sun and well drained soil, this plant is drought tolerant once established and grows in containers, beds and borders.
Rosy will work her magic weaving in these new introductions to her magnificent display of cottage garden classics for which she is duly famous.
