I love new plants.  It always feels a little bit like Christmas morning when I see a new plant come into flower for the first time–except I have to be patient as it unwraps itself.  That slow-reveal of a new bloom is so rewarding, especially when the plant is one that we have sown from seed here in the greenhouse.  We spend our winters planning and hoping and seeding, so when July comes around and we get to see the flowers we’ve dreamed of and cared for over several months, it is a special type of joy.

Here are a few of the new flowers blooming at Blithewold that have us ooohing and aahhing

Everything in the above gallery (except Hemerocallis ‘Zella Virginia’) was started from seed here at Blithewold’s greenhouses.  We seeded them in packs in February, March, and April.  Our volunteers came in and helped us transplant many, many seedlings over the course of the months leading up to planting season.  In the Rose Garden you will see Ageratum houstonianum ‘Red Sea’ and Dianthus barbatus ‘Jolt Pink’, which are also new plants for us this year started from seed in the greenhouse.  The lavender color of the ‘Red Sea’ is exactly what we were hoping for, but we watched the initial buds emerge with slight trepidation, as you never quite know how the color will be on a new plant! Case in point, Dianthus barbatus ‘Jolt Pink’ is aptly named and provides quite a color jolt when you enter the Rose Garden.  We like it anyway and have decided that it is just the bright, cheerful color we needed at the front of that garden.

What are the new plants you are enjoying in your garden?  Which new flower at Blithewold is your favorite?  Happy gardening!