Zantedeschia Nashville, by Brighter Blooms, www.brighterblooms.co.uk: A short cultivar with a bicolour combination. Plant of the Year competitor.

Iris Comme un Sourire, by Cayeux Iris, www.iris-cayeux.com: Raised standards of apricot pink, large falls with rosy white centres and wide amaranth toned edges. Thick mandarin beard. Plant of the Year competitor.

Iris Fascinant, by Cayeux Iris: Cream white standards infused with lemon, deep purple falls that turn lavender under beards of golden yellow tipped white. Pale 2mm lavender border.

Iris Libellule Jaune, by Cayeux Iris: Standards of pure white and semi-horizontal undulated falls of vivid golden yellow, edged with tiny ripples. Pale orange beards.

Iris Moustache Rose, by Cayeux Iris: A cross of Folie Douce and Élégant × La Vie en Rose has resulted in a space-age iris in two-tone pink with long red beards ending in a spur. Plant of the Year competitor.

Iris Pesselières, by Cayeux Iris: Resulting from Magnétisme and Ciel Gris sur Poilly – white standards with a hint of grey, round and thick semi-horizontal velvety falls to frame a bronze beard.

Iris Si Tendre, by Cayeux Iris: Light pink beige standards framed by wide and ruffled falls of pale lavender pink turning white toward the centre. Light orange beards.

Iris Terre à Silex, by Cayeux Iris: White standards with aubergine-toned edges, falls of a nearly black crimson purple and a luminous burnt-red beard resting on a white area with dark purple striations. Plant of the Year competitor.

Rosa Roald Dahl (Ausowlish), by David Austin Roses, www.davidaustinroses.co.uk: English shrub rose, peach-coloured blooms, free-flowering, 1.2m tall x 1m wide. Plant of the Year competitor.

Rosa Bathsheba (Auschimbley), by David Austin Roses: Fragrant English climbing rose with large flowers that are a blend of apricot, pink and yellow. Exceptional fragrance is myrrh – floral and warm with hints of honey, later developing tea notes. Repeat flowering.
Grows up to 3m.

Rosa Imogen (Austritch), by David Austin Roses: Delicately frilled petals and soft lemon blooms, delicate fragrance with hints of fresh apple. Grows to approximately 1.2-1.5m tall
× 0.9-1m wide.

Streptocarpus Freya, by Dibleys Nurseries, www.dibleys.com: Compact with masses of white flowers on short stems. The face of the flower has seven deep purple lines, delicately smudged over the centre. Flowers appearing continuously for 10 months.

Streptocarpus Polka-Dot Red, by Dibleys Nurseries: Deep blossom pink veining, contrasting white background. Blooms continuously for over 8 months.

Lavender in honour of Ian Lavender, by Downderry Nursery, www.downderry-nursery.co.uk.

Cirsium rivulare Frosted Magic Lowcir, by Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants, www.hardys-plants.co.uk: A mutation from Cirsium rivulare Atropurpureum. This pure white cultivar
is a new colour variety. Plant of the Year competitor.

Gaura Rosy Shimmer, by Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants: Open pollinated selected seedling from Gaura lindheimeri Chiffon × Gaura sinuata. Upright habit and large pale pink flowers with dark veins. Foliage starts with a purple hue, going dark green, with dark flower stems. Plant of the Year competitor.

Geum Scarlet Tempest, by Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants: Bred by Elizabeth MacGregor from
G. Beech House Apricot × G. chiloense Red Dragon. A great colour, re-blooming until late summer. Plant of the Year competitor.

Hebe Celebration by Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants: Bred in 2011 in Lincolnshire, variegated evergreen foliage and bright pink flowers. Plant of the Year competitor.

Nepeta × faassenii Crystal Cloud, by Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants: Unknown parentage, soft-coloured catmint of low, neat stature. Plant of the Year competitor.

Rosa Sweet Syrie (Harwilling), by Harkness Roses, www.roses.co.uk: Climbing rose, to honour the work of the founder of Barnardo’s wife, Syrie. Flowers change colour, from pink to apricot, repeat-flowering, blooms 12cm across. Height 2.5m (8 ft) tall x 2.0m (6 ft) wide. Plant of the Year competitor.

Primula aurantiaca Harperley Pink, by Harperley Hall Farm Nurseries, www.harperleyhallfarmnurseries.co.uk: Pink-flowered form of P. aurantiaca. Plant was found as a sport on the nursery, with unusual pink flowers on a dark stem. Plant of the Year competitor.

Primula vialii Alison Holland, by Harperley Hall Farm Nurseries: A white selection of P. vialii, traditionally a two-tone pink/purple flower. Clear white with a hint of green. Plant of the Year competitor.

Heuchera Magic Flute, by Heucheraholics, www.heucheraholics.co.uk: Deeply fluted pewter foliage with dark charcoal veining and pinky hues. Maroon underneath. Neat and compact habit with spires of flowers, pink in bud and opening green with white petals. Plant of the Year competitor.

Heuchera Hocus Pocus, by Heucheraholics: Massive leaves of platinum have dark charcoal veining and soft pinky tones on new growth. This darkens, becoming more silvery. Spires of pink buds opening to white flowers. Plant of the Year competitor.

Heuchera Silver Gilt, by Heucheraholics: Highly serrated, shiny pewter foliage with dark charcoal veining and edging on a compact but vigorous plant. The underside is deep maroon and masses of gingery lemon flowers. Plant of the Year competitor.

Acer shirasawanum Moonrise (Munn 001), by Hillier Nurseries, www.hillier.co.uk: Resistant to disease and leaf burn. In spring, new shoots emerge bright red making a beautiful contrast with the fully opened, fresh, chartreuse leaves. Foliage turns vibrant red in autumn. Hardy to -22°C. Grows to 3m tall by 1m wide. Plant of the Year competitor.

Lavandula angustifolia Silver Line, by Hillier Nurseries: Launched in aid of The Silver Line charity, to be officially launched by Dame Esther Rantzen on Press Day. Hardy, silver-green evergreen foliage and elegant, tall spikes of pure white flowers. Height 25-30cm x spread 25-30cm.

Hosta Smiling Mouse, Hogarth Hostas, www.small-hostas.com: A sport of Frosted Mouse Ears, found at Jan van den Top's nursery in Holland. Plant of the Year competitor.

Rhododendron Huisman’s Sun Star, Millais Nurseries, www.rhododendrons.co.uk: Deciduous azalea, glowing salmon pink in bud, opening bright yellow, changing to soft orange, double fragrant flowers in late May. Height 150-175cm in 10 years. Plant of the Year competitor.

RHS Chelsea Flower Show 2016 new plants and trends

IF you like to keep up with garden fashions, then this is the page for you - the new introductions at Chelsea by our hard-working nurseries and the Plant of the Year Competition. There's also a list of plant trends in the Show Gardens (let's face it, they really don't change much from year to year). Just picture what's in flower in May/June and you've pretty much got it - a lot of plants can't be forced (or held back) successfully.

IF you're one for garden fashion, then you'll need to know the plant trends surfacing at the
RHS Chelsea Flower Show (24-28 May).

Peonies are a design favourite this year and roses feature prominently. Other popular flowers include alliums, achillea, foxgloves, irises, lavender and geum.

Box hedging features in the plans of eight gardens, including Charlie Albone’s The Husqvarna Garden but many clipped alternatives to box, such as yew and bay are also used.

Ferns are proving popular with some designers, while others have turned to plants such as
bracken and horsetail.

Oak trees are a predominant feature being used by designers such as Cleve West.

David Austin Roses launches the new English shrub rose, Roald Dahl, which marks 100 years since his birth.

Appropriately, the blooms are peach, acknowledging James and the Giant Peach, which was his first literary success in 1961.

The Princess Charlotte chrysanthemum by Deliflor is launching in honour of the royal baby.

Other new plants include Acer Moonrise by Hillier Nurseries and hosta Smiling Mouse by
Hogarth Hostas.

Haven't we seen these somewhere before? Alliums, foxgloves, lavender, roses, ferns...

Plant trends 2016 - or are they?

New blooms on the block...

Flying the North East England flag: the two new Primula from Harperley Hall Farm Nurseries, County Durham