This may sound like heresy, but I'm not all that keen on getting the latest breakthrough plant. There are lots of gardeners out there whose pulses quicken at the thought, I know, and I also know this is human nature. Gardening is as competitive as anything else, and having the hot new thing on the market is as desirable in this arena as it is in the world of sneakers and iPods.
Still, it seems to me that this is a slippery slope. Like having the hot sneaker or electronic device, you can be be sure that as soon as everyone else has one, yet a newer version will appear on the horizon. It's no different with plants.
So I read the emails and scan the catalogues, taking note of the newest this or that, and listen with quiet amusement as other gardeners go crazy over them. I find plenty to learn and explore without taking on new stuff!
But every once in a while, a new thing comes on the market that strikes me as a find, something nice to look at and extremely practical. This year, I planted some SunPatiens (Impatiens xhybridus), which is the first impatiens on the market to take full sun and all-day heat. We've all used these little tried-and-trues to color up our shady spots and they perform admirably ... what a great idea to have one for sun.
I've had impatiens fatigue for many years, though, given that most garden centers sell acres and acres of them and most gardens seem to have them. You see, I don't have to be the first on the planet to try something. I just don't want to be one of billions!
When I saw the SunPatiens, the idea of having something bright, whose color wouldn't fade in sun, was appealing. Long about now, a lot of perennials in the garden are blanched and frazzled, especially if you don't get around to deadheading every day.
These new impatiens, which are a hybrid or combination of regular impatiens and the - I think - prettier New Guinea impatiens, come in lots of colors (white, red, lavender, salmon, etc.) and are supposed to be available at Home Depot.
I've done a lot of reading, talking and thinking about native plants lately, part of the job, and these are definitely not natives to these parts. So don't plant only SunPatiens in your garden, please.
But for a splash of color that won't wilt or fry, provided you do water once in a while, these are hard to beat. Hmmm. There's that competitive thing again ...
