Wyevale Nurseries scoops six awards at HTA Show

Staff at one of the UK’s leading commercial nurseries are celebrating this week (June 21, 2017) after winning three silver awards and three bronze awards for six of its new plants at the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA) National Plant Show.

Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, won silver awards for its Phormium ‘Blondie’, Morus ‘Mojo Berry’ and Alstroemeria ‘Little Miss Zoe’ and bronze awards for Edelweiss ‘Blossom of Snow’, Agapanthus ‘His Majesty’ and Hydrangea ‘L.A. Dreamin’.

Adam Dunnett, Sales & Marketing Director at Wyevale Nurseries, said: “We’re delighted to be coming away with six awards at the New Plant Awards at the HTA National Plant Show. During the past six years, the awards have grown and are now seen as the place to find the next best-selling plant for retailers.

“The show is a great place for us to display our new plants for the industry to see and it’s fantastic that six of our new plants have been crowned with awards.”

Phormium ‘Blondie’ won a Silver Award in the Shrubs and Climbers Category. It is a distinct new Phormium, which has a unique weeping habit unlike any other. ‘Blondie’ will grow into a tight clump up to 80cm tall and 60cm wide with a distinct, strongly arching habit, similar to a chlorophytum.

The leaves are variegated with a cream stripe down the midrib and a green margin. ‘Blondie’ is particularly suited to growing in a patio container where it can be left to gracefully arch over the pot.

Adam added: “Morus ‘Mojo Berry’, which is a revolutionary new dwarf variety of Mulberry that fruits at a young age, also won Silver in the Shrubs and Climbers Category. Reaching just 75cm tall and 45cm wide, ‘Mojo Berry’ is a perfect patio plant suitable for any garden.

“It is self-pollinating, fully hardy and fruits on both new and old wood, meaning it will be producing mulberries within the first year as opposed to the usual eight or nine years it would take. Another unique feature about ‘Mojo Berry’ is that it will produce fruit throughout the summer from May until September, not just a three-week period at the end of summer.

“Morus ‘Mojo Berry’ also won 2017 Chelsea Flower Show’s Best New Plant. It was marketed at Chelsea as Mulberry ‘Charlotte Russe’, but will launch commercially as ‘Mojo Berry’.”

Alstroemeria ‘Little Miss Zoe’ scooped Silver for Wyevale Nurseries in the Herbaceous Perennials Category. The plant starts out as green and cream and gradually develops into a bold green and white as the season develops. Deep pink to red flowers are produced all summer long, which creates an eye-catching contrasting display. ‘Little Miss Zoe’ has a very neat, compact and rounded habit, forming a small ball up to 40cm by 40cm over time.

Adam continued: “Another of our new plants we entered in to the prestigious awards was Agapanthus ‘His Majesty’. We were pleased to see it take home a Bronze Award in the Herbaceous Perennials Category. From June through summer, it offers a stunning display with large heads of vivid, deep blue to purple flowers, which are held proudly on slightly taller stems.

“It is a complex hybrid, which gives it vivid colour, strong stems and a long blooming period. It was bred by Rod Richards of New World Plants in Herefordshire.

“Edelweiss ‘Blossom of Snow’ was also awarded a Bronze Award in the Herbaceous Perennials Category. This Edelweiss flowers like no other, not just once but twice a year, in summer and again in autumn.

“‘Blossom of Snow’ has large star-shaped, pure white flowers with a yellow centre, which gives a refreshing look combined with its silvery foliage. It grows to 40cm high and 60cm wide. This perennial is an excellent choice for rock gardens, mixed planting, perennial borders and as solitary in a container.”

Hydrangea ‘L.A. Dreamin’ was awarded Bronze in the Shrubs and Climbers Category. It is different from other hydrangea macrophyllas because of its ability to generate different coloured flowers on the same plant. Besides pure blue flowers and pure pink flowers, lavender and shades of all of these colours are produced. This trait becomes more pronounced as the plant ages in the landscape.

The product selection available from Wyevale Nurseries is enviable across the industry and the talented team regularly introduces new, award-winning plant varieties.

Its main business is to supply garden centres, landscape contractors, local authorities, foresters and landowners with a comprehensive array of trees, shrubs, hedging, herbaceous and specimen plants.

For further details about Wyevale Nurseries, which is based in Hereford, please call 01432 845 200, visit www.wyevalenurseries.co.uk, follow the company on Twitter at www.twitter.com/WyevaleNurs or log on to www.facebook.com/WyevaleNurs.