Plea for permanent plantings

Good response from the ISU Expert Talks

Too little researched and considered in plant descriptions is the lifespan of plants, stated the garden designer and author Dr. Noel Kingsbury presented in his lecture at the ISU Expert Talks on February 13th. Echinacea are a good example of consistently good sales of plants that do not have a long lifespan in the bed. Capacity for coexistence and self-renewal must be given greater attention in the planting.

Viola alpina, Primula minima, Gentiana verna and brachyphylla, Soldanella pusilla, Saxifraga mutata, paniculata and corymbosa, Gymnadenia rhelioni ... the biodiversity of the alpine plants in the Romanian Carpathians was also shown by the Norwegian botanist Geir Moen to a very diverse audience. Over 80 perennial friends from 12 European countries and the USA experienced a short trip to the Carpathian Mountains in the severe frost. Cultivation becomes problematic outside of alpine conditions with increasing climate change. Among other things, it was discussed whether the mostly smaller growth forms are genetically determined or based on an adaptation to the climate. The enthusiasm of the plant collector infected the audience. There is already a well-filled list of interested parties for the excursion planned by the International Perennial Union with Geir Moen to the mountains of Romania in July 2023. The ISU is considering offering two trips in a row or in consecutive years. Interested parties can now register as interested parties at info@isu-perennials.org.

Aad Vollebregt, President of the International Hardy Plant Union, highlighted the challenges facing the industry in his address, such as climate change, labor shortages and the avoidance of plastic packaging. He also highlighted the solutions to problems with plants, both in the biodiversity of insect nutrition and in the greening of cities. The moderator of the Expert Talks and board member Gerben Tjeerdsma explained the perennial sighting in the Czech Republic together with the President of the ISU Viewing Commission, Jonas Bengtsson, and Petr Hanzelka, who supervised and rated the 55 new perennials in the Botanical Garden.

The next Perennial Plant Conference will be held from November 11-13. February will take place again in Grünberg. The Summer Days will take place from 22.-28. August 2022 in the Netherlands.