Home » Plants & Animals » Herbal Landscaping » New Herbs for 2005

New Herbs for 2005

© Connie Krochmal

For hard-core gardeners in cold climates, this is by no means too soon to begin planning for the upcoming season. In 2005, you should see a number of excellent new varieties of herbs.

There's an interesting story behind the re-introduction of Salvia corrugata 'Blue Suede.' At one time this wonderful plant seems to have all but died out. Amazingly enough, a botanist happened to find some seeds stuck in the crack of a book in a herbarium. The Latin name is descriptive, for the foliage has a corrugated appearance. They're soft brown on the underside. At intervals during the late summer, this produces indigo blue blossoms. Preferring full sun to partial shade, this grows to a little over a foot in height. It is recommended for hardiness zones 9 through 11. Elsewhere, it makes an excellent container plant.

For 2005, Foxglove 'Camelot' will be available in several shades, including lavender, rose, and cream Suitable for hardiness zones 4 through 8, these plants are 3½ to 4 feet in height. Unlike most other foxgloves, this will bloom the very first year the seeds are planted. During the second year, 'Camelot' blooms very heavily. The uniform plants produce tall, sturdy flower stalks with the characteristic speckled flowers we expect from foxglove. From 'Camelot' you can expect superior garden performance. Foxglove seeds tend to be very tiny, so you may want to buy pelleted seeds from Thompson & Morgan.

Thompson and Morgan is introducing a wonderful new nasturtium, 'Black Velvet.' For these plants, black represents a new shade. The deep velvety blossoms are reddish-black, and are borne above the tidy, green foliage. These plants have a dwarf, tidy appearance. They're only about nine inches in height-a perfect size for containers.

You'll also find a new pot marigold available this year. Calendula 'Radio' is an heirloom from the 1930's that is being re-introduced to the market. Available from Select Seeds, this plant has pure orange blossoms with quilled petals. About two feet in height, the plants are upright. They're suitable for containers, and are also recommended as a cut flower. These need either full sun or partial shade.

Also new for 2005 is Calendula 'Sunshine Flashback.' This is being introduced by Nichols Garden Nursery. It has vivid yellow petals with reddish underside. The blossoms range from single to semi-double. These are recommended for mass plantings and as cut flowers. They grow from 1 to 1½ feet in height.

The copyright of the article New Herbs for 2005 in Herbal Landscaping is owned by Connie Krochmal. Permission to republish New Herbs for 2005 in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.