I don’t drink all that much anymore. But when I do, Vino Verde is something I’m happy to have in my glass. It’s a Portuguese wine; its name literally means “green wine” but translates as “young wine,” meaning it is intended to be consumed soon after bottling. Sound familiar to those of you who loved Beaujolais nouveau back in its heyday?

My favorite Vinho Verde is a white varietal that is slightly fizzy with a light, fresh taste. I think the weigela Vino Verde™ is pretty fresh, too.

This is a surprising plant, with crisp green and purple-black variegation. You would be forgiven for thinking it’s a coleus instead of a weigela. That’s okay – go ahead and use it like that – just note it gets bigger (3-5′ tall and wide). Since it’s hardy in USDA 5-8, you probably won’t need to replant it the following year.

If you’re looking for weigela flowers, it will produce a light crop of red-pink blooms in late spring, but the foliage is what this plant is really about.

Flashy in the garden, durable in the landscape, and easy to grow, Vinho Verde™ weigela is one of the many interesting new plants we introduced last year. Look for it in garden centers this spring, and if you can’t find it, ask if they’ll bring it in! Garden center owners need your input to take a chance on a new variety. And this is a chance that can really pay off.

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Gearing up for 2023?

Now that it’s January, hopefully, you’re getting a chance to do some planning and professional development for the upcoming year. If you’re a garden communicator, here are a couple of events that are occurring in some very special places this year! These two events are the best kind of professional development:

August 1-5, Minneapolis, MN – GardenComm Annual Conference

September 21-24, Philadelphia, PA – The Fling (formerly the Garden Bloggers Fling)

Also, if you’re a retailer, check out Connect+, the Proven Winners® marketing tool. It can help make this spring a little less hectic and a lot more profitable.