I’ve covered new plant introductions for Horticulture for more than 15 years, and in so doing there’s one word that I think I’ve typed a million times: compact.
There’s no doubt that breeders have worked to shrink plants into smaller cultivars that suit scaled-down gardens, city and suburban lots and patio containers. I’m not knocking the trend—far from it! My own home sits just 15 feet back from the street, so I understand the necessity for smaller selections.
But let’s not lose sight of large plants, including perennials that are downright shrubby. They have their own places and purposes in today’s gardens. Here are nine fine reasons to go big.
MEGHAN SHINN is Horticulture’s editor. She gardens in USDA Zone 6 Massachusetts.
