Lately I’ve been getting a new garden catalog in the mail almost every day. Today brought a packet of info from the Trial Gardens at the University of Georgia in Athens. Ooo la la….the gardeners there have given their thumbs-up to some stunning new plants for 2009. Known as the Athens Select 2008-2009 Plant Collection, these flowers and foliage varieties are recommended for our region thanks to their high tolerance for heat and humidity.  The plants were selected by Dr. Allan Armitage of UGA–a popular gardening speaker who will appear at the flower show on Saturday, Jan. 31.  Look for him at 3 P.M. on the Home Depot Stage (Don’t worry.  We’ll give you a map of the stages and gardens when you arrive.)

Here’s a sample of  what you’ll find in the Collection:

• Coleus ‘Gold Brocade,’ which features gold leaves with deep maroon variegation
• Coleus ‘Mariposa,’ a coleus with large, dark crimson leaves edged in deep pink.
• Verbena ‘Homestead Carpet Red,’ a cousin to ‘Homestead Purple,’ this vibrant red verbena has a trailing habit

Want to know more about other sizzling hot varieties for sultry Southern gardens?  Come to the flower show!

green blessings,

Lynn

Tags: Allan Armitage, Athens Select

This entry was posted on Monday, December 29th, 2008 at 8:01 PM and is filed under Flowers. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.