Ferne's Favorites - Part 1

I have many favorites, but will share a few that have come in to the nursery recently. Some are new to me and some I am just happy to see showing their faces once again in Spring with the promise of a summer full of blooms ahead. The Flamenco Linarea above has always caught people's attention when used in pots no matter what you use it with. People will follow me around with one little bud in their hand that they have plucked from a pot and want to know where this plant is. I have been able to order this year in jumbo packs and also 4" pots so there has been plenty around to keep customers satisfied in that area.

Nemesia's are always a favorite of our customers. It blooms year round here, but there are some varieties that tend to go to seed faster than others and just look a little weedy. The best performer has always been 'Blue Bird', but last year I discovered 'Blue Lagoon' which I like better. It is a solid color flower with no yellow in the center and the blue is real iridescent. Now this year I have discovered 'White Lagoon' and it is a pure solid bright white. I have to try it out to see if it performs as well as its counterparts so 'White Lagoon' will be finding a test spot in my garden soon.

Last year there was a yellow impatiens that was a hit. Everyone wanted one and they were hard to come by. They were one of the Fusion Impatiens called 'Infusion Glow'. After I started getting them in and seeing the flowers I found that all the colors were really different and they were great performers all summer long. So I have wasted no time bringing them in this year and people are buying them even though they are just barely in bud. This is another that is on my list of must haves for this year. If you haven't tried any of the Fusion impatiens and you have a shady spot I would highly recommend trying any or all of the great colors available.

I don't understand the craze over wave petunias when there are so many trailing petunias out there that flower like there is no tomorrow. This supertunia called 'Cotton Candy' is so yummy looking and once the weather warms up will flower non-stop for months. It spreads about 24" which makes it great in a hanging basket. I suggest that you don't just look for the Waves when it comes to spreading petunias because there are so many others that are just as good. Also keep your eye open for 'Bubble Gum' it is really similar in color to 'Cotton Candy' and just as yummy!


A lot of my favorite plants have come from Proven Winners and I have several vendors that are using Proven Winners plugs. I have to admit that they seem to be picking some real winners in the plant world lately. Check out their website to see their new introductions and get info on some older plant varieties. We do have to read their labels here in Northern California with caution though because sometimes the info doesn't always pertain to our area. Trail and error is a good teacher when it comes to plants and many other things for that matter. I know that I love trying new plants and will be having more trial and a few errors in my garden for years to come.

this post was written by Ferne