Out With The Old And In With The New
Are You 'Heirloom Annie' Or 'Trendy Tom'?

As in all retail industries, those retailers in the plant world are out to make a buck selling plants. The successful businesses are the ones that sells the most plants to you, the consumers, who are the gardeners and home landscapers of the world. Like all retailers, they leverage the power of marketing to sell you those plants. And there’s no doubt that hot and trendy sells well; just look at the fashion world, or home decor.

But there are garden purists out there who find this troubling, and they have valid reasons. Many valuable heirloom or heritage plants of old are lost to commerce as retailers seek out the latest and greatest fads. No question, some of these new plant introductions are vast improvements, but there’s also no doubt that many worthwhile gems have been condemned to the annals of history just because they’re “old news”.

Are you the type of gardener who’s always on the prowl for the latest trend in the plant world, always looking for the next great star to illuminate your gardens? Or are you a traditionalist who values the venerable plants of the ages, or even a  fundamentalist who values what’s best rather than just what’s new? Here’s where our debaters stand;

Stefan Says:

Just what is going on in the horticultural industry? Each year there are new and improved strains of plants being introduced to the market, which I cannot condemn, as it is great to hear about these successful achievements. But what I really find appalling is that the market economy in which we live forces out of existence those plants we have grown to love and rely upon through years of testing by ourselves, our parents, and our grandparents.

Occasionally, your stumble on a relic that brings back memories of when you were a kid, or that your grandmother planted, earning accolades from the neighbors. But all to often, trendy colors, sizes, shapes etc. manipulate the market so that you end up changing your design. One example I recall is a geranium which my uncle use to grow in his bedding plant operation named ‘Vermillion’. It was red - really RED, not this orangish, cherryish, crimson-scarlet-fluorescent-burgundy crap that floods the market these days. And why has it been lost? Because the neo-plant growers are only interested in sales - not memories, not longevity.

Though most prevalent with annual bedding plants, this trend has since crossed the horticultural fence and is now controlling the perennial market as well. Check out a catalogue and compare it to one from ten years ago. What you’ll find is that the species and cultivars have changed drastically. With reduced production of older plants, they soon fall into the “Heirloom” plant category, and then what happens? The consumer ends up paying more for a plant that used to be very commonplace!

How do we respond to this? When you go into your favorite garden center, and there is a plant that you used to buy every year prior, and now it’s no longer there when you go in May to buy your bedding plants - let the grower know that this plant has been a staple in your landscape for years and you wish to keep it that way, especially if they want you as repeat customer! They often have seed left over from the last season which they can grow for you, but this year may be out of the question, as some seeds need very long germination times. But they may be able to accommodate you for next year.

By doing so, they can inform the plant breeders that there is a strong desire to maintain this plant in the market. Also, you may have been a recognizable regular customer, and thus can let your local garden center know just what your requirements are for the following year. This way, if the grower sees that the plant which many of their clients request appears to be getting phased out in favor of a “new and improved” plant, they can either stock up for themselves and ensure their customers are always satisfied, or inform the plant developers that the loss of a desired plant may hurt their business!

Jim Says:

I’ll have to admit here and now, I’m not a very nostalgic individual. That applies to most aspects of my life - I don’t keep baby pictures around, I don’t horde away old high school notebooks, and you won’t find me shopping in many antique boutiques. The same goes for my plants - I’m not easily moved to purchase a plant simply because it was discovered growing in Queen Victoria’s flower beds, or because it once graced my grandmother’s garden. In fact, I tend to shun the plants that once graced my grandmother’s garden...

Now much of that is just me and my eccentric personality, but I do have substantive reasons when it comes to plants. All marketing hyperbole aside, many of the new introductions bring us attributes that simply weren’t there before. We get new flower and fruit colors, new plant shapes and sizes, improved flavors and atypical flowering times. Breeding improvements have brought us variegated Jacob’s ladder, orange-fruited crab apples and the inimitably delicious Honeycrisp apple! And as the ultimate testament, we’re now on the verge of a zone 3-hardy magnolia!

So while I may shed a tear or two for the loss of a truly flavorful rich red tomato or a hardy yellow-flowered rose, a brief stroll through my cutting-edge garden is all I need to regain my composure and go on with life. Out with the old, in with the new!

What do YOU say?

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