IT began with annuals and bedding plants, as new varieties of petunias, geraniums, busy Lizzies and other seasonal summer flowers were introduced every year. Then attention focused on hardy perennials, and plant breeders and nurseries around the world brought us more and more new perennials.
Now, the spotlight is moving on, and while new perennials are still coming it’s new shrubs and climbers that are catching our attention. Also, modern methods of propagation ensure that the time taken to propagate a new shrub variety from a single, newly discovered plant to a garden centre display is shorter and shorter.
New introductions
In garden centres new varieties are sometimes flagged up with special displays, but it’s often mail-order sources that first offer us new varieties for the first time. Some mail-order nurseries make a point of checking out all the latest new introductions offering the
