Humans have been breeding and selecting plants for millennia. And this ongoing endeavour has produced some truly extraordinary outcomes. One of the most dramatic being the progeny of Brassica oleracea. This single weedy looking coastal plant from the Mediterranean (it looks like oil seed rape) has been bred and developed so extensively that it has spawned numerous offspring including broccoli, cauliflower, kohlrabi, Brussels sprouts, cabbage, romanesco and kale.
That’s right, all our key brassicas are essentially just one plant developed into different shapes and forms through decades of selection and crossing. The driver behind this is of course food production and the development of palatable, (well if you exclude kale!) nutrient-rich vegetables. But what drives ornamental plant breeders and why do they continue to hybridise and develop new cultivars? It’s easy to jump to the conclusion that it’s all about the bottom line, AKA profit, but I believe a whole load of additional factors are behind the drive to create new plants.
Historically, much ornamental plant breeding was driven by curiosity, experimentation and novelty. Back in the 1930s, a nurseryman tried hybridising two conifers to create what is known as a bigeneric hybrid, in other words a plant with near equal proportions of both its parents’ genes. The outcome was a very fast-growing evergreen conifer that could be neatly clipped as a hedge. It took the public a while to embrace this new conifer but by the 1970s x Cuprocyparis leylandii (the Leyland cypress or leylandii) was outselling all other conifers combined. And, as we now know, this new wonder plant didn’t turn out quite as expected!
Today, a whole range of factors drive ornamental plant breeding.
The website greengrove.cc is an aggregator of news from open sources. The source is indicated at the beginning and at the end of the announcement. You can send a complaint on the news if you find it unreliable.
Image: Dahlia Waltzing Mathilda Dahlias are one of our top sellers for the spring season, and it’s easy to see why. They’re big and bountiful, adding colours and textures to the summer garden. And, with the new season finally upon us, we have a brand-NEW selection of impressive dahlias for you to know and grow! Here are just a few picks from our range that we’re loving. But, if you’d like to explore our full range or even pre-order your favourites, then visit our dahlia tubers page here. Dahlia Waltzing Mathilda
Plants with a silvery sheen stand out beautifully against the sea of green that fills most garden beds. In this episode, Danielle, Carol, and their guest will highlight some shimmering shrubs, drought-tolerant perennials, a tiny dwarf conifer, and even an unusual silvery vine with a bit of a back story. Perhaps one of these lovely, luminous plants could be the silver bullet solution to one of your own garden design dilemmas.
Looking for flowers that start with the letter ‘X’ is a bit like a treasure hunt and seems difficult, but there are not just one or two but many that start with X.
If you are not so good at maintaining green specimens and always end up murdering one, then don’t worry! Here’s a list of resilient plants that refuse to give up, no matter what!
YOU NO DOUBT have seen news that the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map was just updated, and that half the country once again got reclassified a half-zone warmer just as many of us did after the previous update of the map in 2012. But what does it all mean to gardener’s practically speaking?
There are a bazillion bigleaf hydrangeas out there. So when a new one comes out, it really needs to stand out from the crowd. Meet Eclipse® bigleaf hydrangea—a unique selection with dark purple leaves that hold their color throughout the gardening season. In summer the dramatic foliage is accompanied by striking cranberry blooms with white centers.
These Plants that Have Christmas in Their Names are popular choices for holiday decoration, adding a festive touch to homes with their color, texture, and seasonal cheer!
Wildlife gardening has many benefits. By growing plants, digging a pond and creating other habitats, such as log piles and compost heaps, we can provide homes for wildlife that would otherwise be homeless. There are around 30 million gardens in the UK. Potentially, if enough of us garden with wildlife in mind we can help slow down or even reverse declines of some species, like hedgehogs, right across the country.
Henry Mustin popped open the trunk of his electric Volkswagen to reveal his arsenal: Loppers, pruners, saws and trowels, tucked into bags. Taking up the most space was Mustin’s weed wrench, an L-shaped specialty tool branded The Extractigator, which leverages the ground to yank deeply rooted vegetation from the earth.
Did you know that some of the most delicious and nutritious fruits don’t actually grow on trees? From ground-hugging strawberries to climbing passion fruits, there are many more to discover in this article!
Just as we cherish a day of pampering, your green friends can greatly benefit from special treatments, too! These unique, out-of-the-box Plant Spa Day Routine tips not only boost plant health but also deepen your connection with your leafy companions.