European horticulture signals a promising new environment
Every few years I feel it's important to visit some of the major horticultural events in Europe to get a sense of the future in our industry. As a rule of thumb, Europe is between three and five years ahead of North America in their use of horticultural technology, robotics, environmental issues, new plants and plant breeding and floral design.
The 40th edition of the International Plant Fair, IPM Essen, in Germany, is the world's leading horticultural trade fair. This year, under the banner “Great, Green and Gorgeous,” 1,403 exhibitors from 43 countries showcased new products, the latest innovations in technology and equipment, and their expertise in floristry to about 36,000 visitors. I found it interesting that Turkey had a significant exhibition this year, with some stunning selections.
Major breeding companies also had a strong presence, showing off their newest plant introductions and many were spectacular. One of the greatest things about the show is being able to speak directly with the breeders to learn more about the their trials, tribulations and successes.
I was able to spend some time with two different hydrangea breeders and was blown away by the fact there soon will be varieties of mop head hydrangeas that will not wilt when they become dry. One grower showed me two plants that were bone dry and not at all wilted. This is huge in the future of both indoor and outdoor varieties. He also had on display the newest heat and drought-tolerant macrophylla types, which will open new doors and opportunities for gardeners.
One company owner explained the many variations of so-called repeat bloomers. It can mean cutting them back to rebloom the same season, so when one crop finishes blooming, new growth develops new buds and some varieties will reward you with a sequence of blooms, some will rebloom without being cut back, but it can also mean sporadic, less vigorous repeat blooming after the main blooms finish.
Discovering new plants is one of the primary goals of many attendees and the show did not disappoint. There were numerous new tropicals like pepperomias; p. Cape Montevideo with rust-coloured undersides to glossy black-green leaves; Cayenne, with glossy taupe-pink variegated foliage and Buenos Aires, with a multicoloured splash on the leaves. Add to that the new alocasias, philodendrons, syngoniums, and tradescantias like Pink Paradise, featuring vibrant magenta stripes, and you have just a hint of what's new out there.
I saw spectacular new perennials like primula acaulis Chinese New Year, a stunning fireworks-burst of yellow and red variegated blooms, new annuals like variegated-flowered lobelia Rift, salvia Vibe, with masses of small flowers that are very drought tolerant and super pollinators. I was most impressed with the Spider-flowering rhododendrons, and camellia Femme Fatale with its deep bronze new foliage.
I discovered some new broadleaf leucothoe, Rant01 Firestar, with brilliant, variegated foliage and some stunning new deciduous holly called Magical Yellow and Magical Orange, which I can't wait to use in Christmas planters.
Dianthus are really becoming mainstream with so many of the new varieties being more heat tolerant and sporting vibrant new colours that are maintaining longer blooming periods. Other hardy garden perennials like the repeat blooming veronica Skyward, iberis Summer Snowdrift, which blooms longer than any other variety, and the Cheers series of wallflowers, which bloom from March to September, will be worth watching for. Also noteworthy were the non-flowering heathers in various shades that were featured in eye-catching combo plantings.
There were new roses, both climbing and shrub varieties, which offered greater disease resistance and wonderful perfume. I loved the rose series: rosa hybrid Plant 'n' Relax. The Kordes rose folks were there with some of their amazing 2025 introductions, too.
There seemed to be a return to growing standard forms of flowering shrubs. Ideal for containers and small space gardens, standards feature a main stem, approximately three feet tall, with the foliage and flowers grafted on top with stunning results.
Evergreens like boxwood and yews were meticulously trimmed into columns, pyramids, and rounded ball forms. They create a classy, formal look in containers or beds for year-round beauty and for years to come.
Another increasingly popular practice is to plant fast-growing evergreen varieties on a tall trellis to create instant privacy. They can be grown in containers, or better still, in beds, but it creates a beautiful screen for either balconies or patios.
My favourite, the laurus nobilis or Bay trees, were on display too, but with more extreme climate temperatures, they are now having more difficulty surviving winters.
I saw them a few years ago and appreciated them again this year: three- to 3.6-metre stemlike frameworks with trellises on top. Placed strategically, these can provide you with instant shade or privacy screening from tall apartments and neighbouring decks looking down on your patio. Brilliant.
There was an increasing number of tall potted specimen trees in a wide selection of varieties for shade in a hurry. These are great for much-needed urban forestry in strata and condo developments, as cooling sun breaks.
It was good to see the overall emphasis was the environment. As members of the European Union will soon not be allowed to use peat moss in either the horticulture industry or home gardens, they are doing a lot of work with many types of substrates including coir, a palm tree fibre.
There are improved formulas for soil and soilless mixes in use today, and they will only get better.
Plastic pots are still with us, but are being made with recycled plastic, and biodegradable alternatives are being perfected.
Drought- and heat-resistant plants are now being produced as lawn and boulevard alternatives. I saw exciting planting combinations that featured biodiversity assortments, drought-tolerant mixes, and urban jungle themes, all of which would incorporate beautifully into our gardens.
My only disappointment was those amazing olive trees. Some nurseries in Spain are marketing huge old olive trees that have been pruned back hard into an almost bonsai look. They will flush out with new growth and produce olives quite quickly. Surprisingly, these olives are hardy enough for some European climates, even down to -15 C. But no more. For various reasons it is extremely difficult and expensive to get them across the ocean to B.C., but there is always hope.
There was so much to see it was hard to take it all in, but clearly the global horticultural industry is moving in a good direction.