Tesselaar introduces 2010 plants

Four new plants are slated for U.S. introduction in 2010 by Anthony Tesselaar Plants, all in keeping with the company’s commitment to high-impact, colorful, easy-care, prolific bloomers that achieve amazing results with minimum effort.

“No need to be a slave to the garden. Start your own garden revolution next year by planting easy-care hardy plants,“ said Anthony Tesselaar, president and co-founder, Anthony Tesselaar Plants. “We promise savvy, time-pressed garden lovers that they can achieve amazing results with a minimum of effort—not to mention less pesticides, pruning and watering—and these plants are all remarkable testaments to that.”

Phormium ‘Black Adder’ is the black gardeners have been waiting for
Tall, dark, and dramatic, Phormium ‘Black Adder’ is a burgundy-black spike of glossy sword-leaves shooting upward from the base, notable for its blacker-than-ever color, elegant architectural form and drought- and wind-tolerance. Hardy to Zone 8, ‘Black Adder’ grows to just 3’ with a slight curve at the tips. Unlike its parent, Phormium cookianum ‘Platt’s Black,’ ‘Black Adder’ is a strong, healthy grower suited to exposed conditions and coastal planting. Gardeners in cooler climates will appreciate its drama in container and accent plantings; it can also be overwintered indoors.

Design Ideas: Stunning as a garden focal point or specimen, this exciting new twist on New Zealand Flax also makes a striking stand-in for grasses in garden beds. ‘Black Adder’ also softens the look of boulders and pairs particularly well with low-growing, dainty foliage like perennial geranium, Artemisia ‘Silver Mound’ and coreopsis. In containers, ‘Black Adder’ works hard as a spiky centerpiece among companion plantings or as a singular specimen. Or, cut the leaves and add some sophisticated ‘wow’ to your favorite flower arrangements.

Ceanothus ‘Tuxedo’ offers black and blue in a well-branched habit
This first-ever black-foliaged ceanothus, or California lilac, made its U.S. debut in California last year, and will be available across the U.S. in 2010. Powder-blue flowers provide a stunning contrast against glossy, deep purple-black foliage in a shrub that grows to 8’ x 6’ and blooms in the fall. ‘Tuxedo’ occurred as a sport in Kilkenny Ireland, where ceanothus-loving hybridizers were quick to recognize its importance. In 2008, ‘Tuxedo’ was honored with a bronze award at Plantarium, the prestigious international nursery plant exhibition held annually in Boskoop, Netherlands. ‘Tuxedo’ is also drought-tolerant, able to handle a windy slope and well-behaved when it comes to pruning.

Design Ideas: Ceanothus ‘Tuxedo’ is the perfect dark backdrop for artistic expression. Pair it with lime-green ipomoea (sweet potato vine) for a high-contrast combination planter. In the garden bed, plant it behind shorter, yellow-green ornamental grasses like Japanese Forest Grass or with other purple-blue beauties like ‘Johnson’s Blue cranesbill geranium.

Fairy Magnolia ‘Blush’ is delicate and fragrant
The first of the long-awaited michelia hybrids bred by renowned New Zealand breeder Mark Jury to be released in the U.S., Fairy Magnolia ‘Blush’ delivers lilac-pink, fragrant flowers, preceded by russet-colored buds and accompanied by evergreen foliage resembling a camellia without the gloss. ‘Blush’ is an upright, compact, bushy shrub that reaches 8’ high and 6’ wide. Hardy in Zones 7b through 10, it blooms in late winter to early spring when sited in full sun to partial shade. “It could shape up to be the next big thing among savvy gardeners and landscapers,” raved the Taranaki Daily News (in Taranaki, New Zealand). “Gardeners looking for an alternative to the tried-and-true camellias or the elegant but sometimes too-big magnolias should swoop in on this michelia.”

Design Ideas: ‘Blush’ is recommended for use as a hedge, espalier, topiary or on its own as a specimen. With its enchanting ‘Fairy’ name and pink color, consider it as a special planting in honor of a granddaughter, mother, grandmother, or breast cancer survivor.

Hydrangea 'Strawberries and Cream' brings a new color palette to an old favorite
First presented as a gift idea in a Mother’s Day sneak peek in 2009, Hydrangea ‘Strawberries and Cream’ makes its available-all-season debut in 2010. A striking, dark rosy-red, white-centered lacecap Hydrangea macrophylla, ‘Strawberries and Cream’ is compact at 3’ to 4’, prefers some shade, and will delight either as a long-lived indoor container plant or a border or specimen planting outdoors. Hardy to Zone 7, the plant will be marketed by Tesselaar as an ideal plant for gift-giving and will be packaged as a ready-for-the-table centerpiece.

Design Ideas: ‘Strawberries and Cream’ is a welcome surprise at Mother’s Day, the Fourth of July or just a “thanks for having us for dinner” day. Far from the expected bouquet of fast-fading hybrid tea roses or the quick-to-fade pastel pot of blue or pink hydrangeas, the white and red of “Strawberries and Cream” is a unique, long-lasting addition to any table, patio or border.