Sweet Find at Mid-Am

I attended the 2006 Mid-Am Expo in Chicago last week. After walking endless miles with bags of catalogs, brochures, and freebies, I came upon a lovely display of blooming hydrangeas. This delightful treat (on a cold blustery day) also introduced me to the latest development in hydrangeas, the new Endless Summer 'Blushing Bride'. The Original Endless Summer® Hydrangea has been the hottest plant in the industry in many years. And now Bailey Nurseries are introducing the next Endless Summer® Hydrangea to be sold through Independent Garden centers only in spring & summer 2006. This plant has pure white blossoms that mature to a blush pink or blue depending on soil acidity and features glossy dark-green foliage. And like its parent the Original Endless Summer®, it has kept that wonderful reblooming ability. Bred by Dr. Michael Dirr at the University of Georgia in 2001, Dr. Dirr calls this Hydrangea macrophylla “my most significant introduction to date”. Tests across the country have shown Endless Summer® Blushing Bride to have the hardiness of the Original with an even faster rebloom! For the next two years we are going to rate the hardiness zone of this plant as 5 - test zone 4. Blushing Bride did survive the winter of 2004 in zone 4.
Midwest Nurseries are striving to increase it's tree stock and selection. Most tree sources are having plenty of trees at 3" caliper or less but still struggling to keep enough trees on hand to grow into bigger sizes.

Have you seen anything of interest in your tradeshows? Let me know and I will pass it on.