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Last Updated: Jul 2nd, 2008 - 21:15:22 |
(ARA) - Plants come in and out of style with time, just like with fashion. “Right now, it's very hip to use bold plants with a big wow-factor in gardens and landscapes,” says Justin Hancock of Garden Ideas & Outdoor Living magazine.
And with vibrant summer fashions already hitting the runways, “plant designers” have released their version of haute couture this spring with the introduction of the first-ever Halo Hydrangeas collection.
The collection includes seven stunning, picotee (ruffled edges) and bi-colored flower combinations, with a range of bold colors spanning from electrifying blue and grape to fuchsia and maroon.
But the bold colors alone aren’t the only reason Halos stand out in the garden. To find out what makes these new hydrangeas so high-fashion and “in-the-now,” we talked to garden experts and aficionados across the country. Here is what they had to say.
Details That Make a Difference
“The difference in this series is in the details,” says Tim Schauer of Waterloo Gardens in Pennsylvania. “Each gigantic bloom is picture perfect.”
Named because of the halo of light color that surrounds the edge of each blossom, garden design trendsetters and garden retailers like Schauer contend that the duality of color make Halo Hydrangeas a distinctive addition to partly shade gardens and a “must” for collectors.
Schauer added, “The hydrangeas’ white picotee-edged margins are truly outstanding and unusual. It’s this type of detail that more and more gardeners are opting for to set their landscapes apart from their neighbors.”
In addition to the Halos’ magnificent vibrant white edges, the collection also contains the first and only lace cap hydrangea ever bred with picotee-edged flowers.
“Angel Lace, the only lace cap in the collection, is a true breakthrough in breeding,” says Tom Doll, of Hines Horticulture. “A detail like this makes it a true collector’s plant.”
Super-Sized Chic for Small Gardens
“The movement to downsize has helped to fuel demand and interest in small-space plants,” says Susan Appleget-Hurst, of Country Gardens magazine. “And just because homeowners have traded in their four-bedroom home for a two-bedroom condo, doesn’t mean they are willing to sacrifice style.”
Halo Hydrangeas are amongst those plants that have been bred with small space gardening in mind. Growing 3 feet high by 3 feet wide, and featuring a compact mop-head habit, these plants can be easily integrated into small space beds and boarders and even oversized containers when trained.
“A lot of our customers are looking for smaller-scale plants like the Halos,” says Schauer, of Waterloo Gardens. “The Halos are very versatile, and that makes them easy to grow in vignette plantings, container gardens or used as dried arrangements inside the home.”
Modern-Day Garden Solution
“Modern day gardeners are pressed for time, and don’t want plants that need a whole lot of attention,” says Hancock, who added that plants that require minimal maintenance and bloom all season long, like the Halos, are true “in-the-now” garden solutions.
Hurst agrees. “Plants that blur the line between indoor and outdoor living spaces are appealing to gardeners today. Flowering shrubs, such as hydrangeas, not only dress up the landscape but they provide beautiful flowers for bouquets.”
Hurst suggests dressing up patio dining and end tables with fresh cut hydrangeas from your own garden like the ones shown here.
For more information about the Halo Hydrangeas collection, visit www.halohydrangeas.com. Courtesy of ARA Content
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