First of its kind!

Everyone has probably seen the old purple coneflowers that grow along old homesites right?  Well did you know that the world of coneflowers have been turned upside down?  The very first orange echinacea or coneflower in cultivation was 'Orange Meadowbrite'.  It was a controlled cross of Echinacea paradoxa and Echinacea purpurea, which is a yellow one bred to a purple one.  This has been around for only a few years, but I truly think it's one of the best.  The colors are a bright orangey red that stand out good in the heat and drought of the summertime.  Coneflowers will always hold a special place in my heart, because if you can't grow coneflowers - you should find another hobby other than gardening!  :)

This is an actual picture of the plant right before it will burst into bloom at my mothers house.  It has been planted there for around 8 years now, and is still going strong!  The plant holds itself up well and my mother loves the variety of the seedlings that come from this beautiful orange flower.  Coneflowers are heavily in the breeding process by some of the world's top plant breeders.  Keep your eye out because there are some beautiful colors coming out that range from a bright red to a bright yellow and everything in between - including doubles!

Lastly here is another one planted at my mothers called 'Harvest Moon', if my memory serves me correct.

Awfully beautiful...

I consider this plant awfully beautiful!  Since I've mentioned some pretty fancy weeds in the past, I thought I would mention another one!  This is 'Summer Chocolate' Mimosa, the first purple leaved mimosa on the market.  Mimosas grow into a beautiful umbrella shaped tree that will last for years.  It still bears the lovely pink puffs of smoke flowers that look great against the purple foliage.  I know some people are scared to plant something like this in their yard, but just think about it.  Most of the other plants we have in our landscape are just as invasive i.e. redbud, silver maple, Bradford pear.  I consider an invasive plant to be one that displaces natural plants.  I've never considered this invasive because it usually grows along the tree line, not actually choking out native plant life.  

There is a new one that is supposed to be darker than 'Summer Chocolate' called 'Merlot Majik', but I can't say that for sure yet.  As soon as I can see if in person, I will let everyone know!

That's not a Holly!

This plant's common name is "false holly", because it is not a holly at all - it is an Osmanthus.  The real name is Osmanthus heterophyllus 'Goshiki' - Goshiki meaning "five colors".  If you are one who loves things that are variegated, this plant is great.  It seems to have a different shade of colors each season.  An array of colors show up on this plant including green, yellow, pink, red, and cream.  Resembling something that a paintbrush has splashed on, this plant shows its colors off remarkably.  It is a slow growing evergreen shrub, that could eventually reach over 10 feet.  Pair this plant with darker foliage plants, to show off the bright cream flecks of color!

Hackena What??

This plant's real name sounds like it affects the respiratory system in humans, but it does not!  Pronounced - hah-koe-neh-KLOE-uh.  Hakonechloa 'All Gold' is a beautiful shade loving grass!  The common names, which are easier to pronounce, include Japanese Forest Grass and Hakone Grass.  This grass screams "LOOK AT ME", when planted in the shade due to it's bright yellow foliage!  Forming a beautiful clump in the shade, this plant spreads slowly by stolons - which is a specialized type of root.  As this plant grows, it will eventually reach anywhere from 12" - 18" in height.  Pair this plant with dark foliage, for a fantastic contrast of colors!  If you're looking for a grass that does great in the shade try Hakonechloa! 

Blood Red!

This is hands down my favorite quince.  The color of this is equal to the blood of a dragon apparently.  'Dragons Blood' is a deep red and double blooming quince.  What's even nicer, is that this plant is thornless!  This particular variety will stay shorter, topping out around 3-4'.  Most of the old quinces that are still growing at homesteads, have the most wicked thorns.  Dr. Tom Ranney took 'Dragons Blood' and used it to breed the new and exciting Double Take Series of quinces that Proven Winners are putting out.  The new ones all have Storm in the name - 'Pink Storm', 'Orange Storm', and 'Scarlet Storm'.  They are fantastic and all of them are equally thornless!  If you're looking for something to replace an old thorny quince, try one of the new ones that are thornless.

It's a what??

This is one plant that probably everyone has seen, but doesn't realize that there are different varieties!  What you are looking at is Nandina 'Ori Hime'...AKA 'San Gabriel' & 'Filamentosa'.  Nandina's are quite possibly the most popular landscape in the entire world due to their ability to handle tough landscape situations.  This variety is a beautiful lacy specimen that will eventually reach 2'-3' tall.  I have had one planted at my parents near Crossville for around 4 years, and it seems to be doing fine!  Their hardiness is questionable above zone 6.  I recently planted one in Lebanon at the farm and will keep everyone posted on its growth!  So if you're looking for something that will stump some of your plant nerd friends, try Nandina 'Ori Hime'!

Twister!

We've all seen twisted plants in the landscape like Harry Lauder's Walking Stick and Corkscrew Willow, but what about a twisted blackgum?  'Zydeco Twist' is a twisted and contorted form of a hardy native tree!  This would make a fun addition to any existing garden.  It also has fantastic fall foliage, which turns a bright red!  Since this plant is a tough native, it is pretty free of disease and insect problems!  The pictures were taken at Shadow Nursery and the plants were around 10' tall.