2/01-02 FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE For more information contact: Christine Kelleher, 800-321-9573, Ext. 512, or Gary Doerr, 916-716-1889 Jane Cigard is a freelance garden writer living in the Kansas City area. Formerly the editor of a landscape industry trade magazine, her articles have appeared in the Kansas City Star, Kansas City Magazine and other local and regional publications. Feel free to use this release in its entirety or in part, with or without the author’s byline.

Of all the perennials available to gardeners, none are more exclusive than those being offered by selected Blooms of Bressingham retailers. These exquisite plants bear the name of Alan and Adrian Bloom, two of Great Britain’s most prominent horticulturists and nurserymen. For their many contributions to the world of plants, both have received the Royal Horticulture Society’s prestigious Victoria Medal of Honour.

It was Alan Bloom’s experimentation with island beds that pioneered a new style of gardening that was well-suited for perennials, thus opening the way for the widespread popularity that perennials enjoy today. Adrian Bloom has become as widely known throughout North America as he has in Great Britain for his writings and his appearances on the popular PBS television show “Victory Garden.”

The Blooms of Bressingham nursery was founded by Alan Bloom in 1926 and is recognized around the world as the leader in developing and releasing new, distinctive perennial plants. More than 5,000 of these lovely plants are magnificently displayed for public viewing at Alan Bloom’s beautiful Dell Garden at Bressingham Hall in Norfolk, 90 miles northeast of London. In his own six-acre garden at Foggy Bottom near his father’s, Adrian Bloom uses conifers widely with other plants and has created many areas applicable to smaller gardens. The garden is known for its display of year-round color.

As president of Blooms of Bressingham in the United Kingdom, Adrian Bloom travels the world looking for new plants. His frequent visits to North America have uncovered a vast resource of new plant material for use on both sides of the ocean.

These four varieties from Blooms of Bressingham will bring color and vitality to any spring garden.

Campanula ‘Blue Waterfall’

Campanula poscharskyana (cam-PAN-yew-luh po-shar-ski-AH-nuh) ‘Blue Waterfall’, or Serbian Bellflower, is a vigorous trailing variety that grows 8 to 10 inches tall and 2 feet wide. A good plant for the front of the border or island bed, it also works well in patio containers and hanging baskets. The flowers are bell-shaped, deep blue with a bit of a white center.

“The Serbian Bellfower is a better Campanula for the Midwest,” says Bill Ruppert, sales and marketing representative for National Nursery Products in St. Louis, Mo. “Many of the Campanulas are susceptible to a melting out due to heat, but this variety manages our heat very well,” he says. Ruppert, who grew ‘Blue Waterfall’ in his St. Louis garden last year, says the plant covered the ground with color when it first bloomed in early May, and later rebloomed when temperatures cooled in the fall.

With its low-growing, mat-forming habit, Ruppert recommends using ‘Blue Waterfall’ where it will creep out from under other plants, such as Stella d’Oro and similar Daylilies. It also combines well with Coreopsis varieties such as ‘Golden Gain’ and Rudbeckia ‘Viette’s Little Suzy’.

‘Blue Waterfall’ is suitable for USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 7 (AHS Heat Zones 7 to 4). Plant in full sun or partial shade in rock gardens, along walls or slopes and border fronts. It may spread rapidly in well-drained soils but is reasonably drought tolerant once established. ‘Blue Waterfall’ may need dividing in spring or fall every two to three years.

Centaurea ‘Gold Bullion’

Centaurea montana (sen-TAW-ree-uh mahn-TAN-uh) ‘Gold Bullion’, also known as the Perennial Bachelor’s Button, has yellow to chartreuse foliage and deep blue flowers on upright stems.

“Centaurea ‘Gold Bullion’ is a great plant to warm up the garden in the spring,” Ruppert says. Excellent in the rock garden or the front to middle perennial border, the golden foliage gives added interest and contrasts nicely with the darker foliage of Echinacea, Anemone and Ornamental Grasses. Ruppert also suggests Creeping Phlox, dwarf Daylilies and Sedums, and Lavandula ‘Blue Cushion’ (Lavender) as good companion plants.

‘Gold Bullion’ is normally hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 3 to 8 (AHS Heat Zones 9 to 1). The mature plant size is 12 to 15 inches tall and 18 inches wide. Plant three to four plants per square yard in full sun or partial shade. ‘Gold Bullion’ prefers average well-drained soils; avoid areas that remain soggy, especially during the winter. Moist organic soils will promote spread. Remove spent flower heads to encourage rebloom.

Coreopsis ‘Sweet Dreams’

Coreopsis rosea ‘Sweet Dreams’ (core-ree-OP-sis ROSE-ee-uh) is the first bicolored perennial Tickseed. Flower petals are white-tipped with a dark raspberry center. Under high light, the raspberry color develops further on the ray petals as summer progresses, developing a slowly changing color pattern. Flowers bloom in late spring to midsummer atop plants with fine, needle-like foliage. Clumps spread rapidly to form a groundcover.

“This plant really shows its vigor in tough situations,” Ruppert says.

‘Sweet Dreams’ is nice planted with purple Coneflower (Echinacea), Black-Eyed Susan (Rudbeckia) or in front of Shrubs and Ornamental Grasses.

Plants are normally hardy in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 9 (AHS Heat Zones 12 to 1). The mature plant size is 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide. Plant four plants per square yard in full sun, or try it in combination with other perennials in containers.

‘Sweet Dreams’ prefers average well-drained soils, but is drought-tolerant once established. Shear plants after flowering to allow a new flush of flowers in fall. Divide in spring or fall when needed to control spread.

Dianthus ‘Oakington’ (dye-ANN-thuss)

Also known as Border Pinks, Dianthus varieties often have a tendency to “birdnest” or die out in the center leaving an outer ring of foliage. ‘Oakington’ does not have this problem. Discovered by Alan Bloom at the site of the first Blooms nursery in England, ‘Oakington’ produces fragrant, double pink flowers atop tufts of blue-gray foliage with a free-spreading habit.

“Even when it’s out of bloom, it has nice foliage interest, “ Ruppert says, “and it does well through our heat in the Midwest.” Dianthus ‘Oakington’ is a great plant for the front of beds and borders and is ideal for planting in rock gardens and stone walls. Combine it with Lamb’s Ear, Coreopsis, Thyme and Sedum. Dianthus also pairs well with Bellflowers, such as Campanula ‘Blue Waterfall’.

Dianthus prefers a spot in full sun in well-drained, slightly alkaline soil in USDA Hardiness Zones 4 to 8 (AHS Heat Zones 9 to 1). The plant grows 4 inches tall and spreads to about 10 inches wide. Remove spent flowers to extend the bloom period, and divide in spring when the plants become too crowded.

Pictures available