Each spring I am amazed by the selection and qualities of the new plants for our west coast gardens.  I spend much of the fall and winter sorting through to choose the very best ones for our nursery; the ones that suit Campbell River and the ones that really sound like improvements on old favourites.  For 2013 we have many new items so let's get started!

... and Buddleia 'Peach Cobbler Flutterby Grande'

Two new repeat blooming buddleias that are more compact and bushy than the original in fresh new colours.  Hardy to zone 5 these buddleias will mature in your garden to 4' tall and up to 5' wide.  The flowering is also heavier with extra large flowers of either pink or peach that butterflies love.

Sugar Moon

 Hybrid Tea - Super fragrant pure white

This rose is a beauty!  I was lucky enough to get to trial this rose last year and it is the nicest fragrant white rose I have ever come across.  Lovely deep, dark green leaves compliment the classic white roses.  Sugar Moon showed good vigor and good re-bloom but it will be the fragrance you will love...  

Ketchup & Mustard

Floribunda - Ketchup red/mustard yellow bicolour

One of the easiest ways to add a splash of colour to your summer garden is with Flower Carpet Roses. If you don't have a Carpet Rose in your garden, you might be surprised to find out just how easy they are to grow and just how colorful and vigorous they are.

The original 'Pink' Flower Carpet is still my favourite. It is the most vigorous and it is a deep, hot pink that is outstanding. I've seen them planted in commercial plantings, barrels, hedged and mixed into flower borders and they always seem to steal the show. Their glossy green leaves are very disease resistant which is what sets them apart from most other roses. Carpet Rose are also available in white, yellow, coral and red.

Pruning for Flower Carpet Roses is a snap. Whether it is your late winter clean up, or you are dead heading the first flush of roses, just bring out your hedging shears and trim the bush back to the desired size. No fussy 'where to snip' decisions to be made. New flowers continue through the summer until frost.

WPlant your Flower Carpet Roses with a half a cup of bonemeal and some steer manure in a part sun to full sun position and water deeply with 'Transplanter'.

Enjoy!

...Experience the Joy of Gardening!

I can hardly wait to breathe the sweet scent of those first summer roses. The beauty of flower and fragrance has inspired many gardeners for hundreds of years.

While not the easiest of plants to grow, roses, reward the gardener for the effort made with luscious blooms that can be absolutely take your breath away. Some of our favourite tricks for growing great roses are as follows.

When you purchase a new rose bush choose varieties carefully. Take time to read the label or ask an employee at the garden centre for information about the rose you are going to purchase.

Look for a healthy plant that shows good vigour. When you go home to plant choose a nice sunny location.

Water your rose before you plant it. Roses are very heavy feeders so plant it very well. If you often skimp on amendments don't with your new rose bush.

I recommend the following for planting new roses:

Put all these good ingredients into the hole and mix them under and around your new rose bush.

Petunia 'Black Velvet' 

Brand new and velvety black;this petunia is going to get your creative side excited!What will you combine it with? Tiny white flowers of bacopa or 'Diamond Frost' Euphorbia, shimmery pink Osteospermum, or dramatic chartreuse potato vine? It's the little black dress of petunias. Goes with everything and adds drama to all occasions.

Colorific  

Very large flowers of peach, coral and salmon tintedwith scarlet and burgundy edges make each flower interestingand uniquely beautiful. Strong long stems with a light fragrance make it a lovely cutting rose also.

Dick Clark