A new age has begun in the gardening world with the introduction of product lines such as Altman Plants Top Performers. Thanks to science and modern hybridizing the music in the garden no longer refers only to the chirps of a goldfinch, chatter of a chipmunk, or the babbling of a brook. The flowers are now singing with unprecedented colors and vigor through procedures like vegetative propagation and virus indexing for increased health and hardiness. Who knew a couple of years ago what a Sutera (Bacopa) was? Now from the humble beginnings of the plain white Bacopa, hybridizers have developed an array of colors: pinks, blues, lavenders even red. Calibrachoa, a tropical cousin of the Petunia, was until recently unknown to the general gardening public but has added a new note of excitement with its hardiness, flexibility and ever increasing color options. Take advantage of what they have to offer in container and border plantings: compact growth, longer blooming, higher bud count. Conduct your own horticultural symphony with your favorite container. Imagine Bacopa spilling over the edge fronting a fanfare of Nemesia, then climbing higher to a crescendo of hybrid Argyranthemums (Marguerites). Place it anywhere you want an audience! Sounds like music to me, how about you? Original Article by Bob Reidmuller printed in Garden Compass magazine, March/April 2002 Used with permission.