The Hort Report: 16th May 2025
A brand new sunflower, Plant of the Year, and more!
Here’s your weekly Hort Report - the round-up of industry news, retail insights, home gardener gossip, influencer spotlights, social media news, and so much more.
Grab a hot drink, and catch up on the latest below…
NEWS FLASH
Vote for your favourite Plant of the Year 2025 finalist
The RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year will be chosen by expert judges next week - but what if the public had their say? Would the outcome be vastly different? You can vote for your favourite here, and I’ll announce the People’s Choice winner and runner up after the official award has been presented!
NEWS FLASH
New sunflower found in Texas
It doesn’t quite look like your typical sunflower, but Ovicula biradiata - known commonly as the Woolly Devil - was found in Texas’s Big Bend National Park, and is a wild sunflower, which thrives in harsh conditions.
Find out more about it here.
INFLUENCER SPOTLIGHT
Rosy Hardy Gardening
Rosy is an RHS Vice President, winner of 24 Chelsea gold medals and the owner/proprietor of Hardy's Cottage Garden Plants in the UK. Her YouTube channel, Rosy Hardy Gardening, is a project that allows Rosy to delve into gardening topics outside just the nursery's plant list, allowing her to bring a broader plant focus for everyone.
Follow @rosyhardygardening on YouTube.
SOCIAL NEWS
Thompson & Morgan interviews Cosmos National Collection holder Jonathan Sheppard
Cosmos National Collection holder Jonathan Sheppard is showcasing a variety of Cosmos bipinnatus at this year’s RHS Chelsea Flower Show, including the new ‘Fondant Fancy’ from Thompson & Morgan, featuring deep pink, saucer-like blooms. Grown without peat or pesticides, his sustainable approach offers a behind-the-scenes glimpse into eco-friendly floriculture.
Read the interview here.
PRODUCT NEWS
Wonder Blocks
Wonder Blocks create a smart nature habitat designed to provide shelter and nutrition to your backyard pollinators, including butterflies and solitary bees. With different segments, including a ‘stream’, a native flower base, and an AI camera that can ‘see’ which animals visit your habitat, this is the most innovative backyard conservation kit we’ve seen in recent years!
Find it on Kickstarter here.
HOME GARDENER PLANT OF THE WEEK
Agapanthus ‘Zambezi’ shortlisted for RHS Chelsea Plant of the Year
Keith Kirsten, a renowned South African horticulturist and author, began his career at Durban Botanical Gardens before opening a garden centre focused on rare plants. Known internationally for promoting South African horticulture, he discovered Agapanthus praecox ‘Zambezi’ as a natural mutation and refined it through careful trials. This standout variegated Agapanthus features broad green leaves striped with golden-yellow and cream, and produces large pale blue flower heads each summer – with variegation extending even to the stems and seed pods.
BOOK
Colour in the Garden: Stylish ideas for year-round colour by Lucy Bellamy
Gardening writer Lucy Bellamy and photographer Jason Ingram offer a deep dive into a modern approach to colour, exploring how to choose plants and use them creatively and inventively. With inspirational planting schemes and plant lists, advice on colour in containers, tiny back gardens and compact front gardens, this book will change the way you approach your outdoor space.
Pre-order it here.
WHAT TO DO NOW
Queer Ecology Walks with Connor Butler
Get engrossed in nature with Connor Butler’s Queer Ecology Walks. Set amongst London’s urban parks, these are outdoor tours with a difference, as Connor’s love of science and humour transforms everyday natural sights into stuff of wonders!
Find out more here.
QVC PRODUCT PICK
Thompson & Morgan Petunia Vista Bubblegum
Petunia Vista Bubblegum from Thompson & Morgan brings a cheerful splash of colour to your garden with cascades of soft pink blooms and a gentle fragrance, perfect for brightening patios, balconies, or containers. Flowering continuously from summer until the first frosts, this variety thrives in full sun and fertile, free-draining soil, reaching up to 50cm tall.
Buy it here.