With Spring’s arrival, here are the new trends you will be seeing:

It’s Not All About Flowers

While there is so much beauty in flowers we are finding the foliage is just as gorgeous. Here are some new varieties to look out for this season.

Royal Hawaiian ‘Aloha’: This Colocasia is a new addition to the large dark elephant ears we have been seeing the past few years. This one has glossy dark foliage with contrasting light green veins.

Begonia Rex Shadow King ‘Black Cherry’: These begonias are easy to grow. You can grow them outdoors or bring them indoors too. They are perfect for the shadiest conditions and are good for containers.

Purple Prince Alternanthera:  These beautiful burgundy-purple leaves have a ruby-red underside. This plant is drought tolerant and makes a great a container “spiller” in a container.

Resurgence Of Cut Flower Gardens

Breeders have developed new varieties of our old favorites that look great in vases. These are the flowers we are looking to add to our garden this season.

Double Zahara Raspberry Ripple Zinnia: The color of this pretty Zinnia can vary under different conditions. Cooler temperatures accentuate the rose color and as the flower ages or under intense heat, the white comes out more.

Maryland Dark Orange Snapdragon: This new variety has improved color over past varieties. It blooms early spring through winter.

Gardenette Passion Fruit Dahlia: This Dahlia has big blooms and is bred for powdery mildew tolerance. It has a pretty mix of coral/orange with a yellow center.

Sunfire Coreopsis: This flower has bright yellow petals with a burgundy center. It is a prolific bloomer from late June through October.

Reach For The Sky

Going vertical has been a trend for many years, but this year you can find new plants to add to your vertical display.

Solar Tower Ipomoea: This particular Ipomoea plant is the first ever self-climbing Ipomoea. It is available in black & lime.

Red Dundee Series Mandevilla: This plant has vivid red flowers that love sun or partial sun. These graceful vines can grow up to 10 feet in a single year. They attract hummingbirds and butterflies.

Little Miss Miscanthus Sinensis: As gardeners seek out more naturalistic landscapes the demand for ornamental grasses has increased and new varieties have become available. This new variety has narrow arching foliage which starts out green in spring developing carmine and purple tones from early May with the strongest coloring in October and November.

Combination Craziness

Pre-Selected Flower combinations have been around for years and this will continue but now the mix of plants has gone to a new level. Here are some of our preferences.

Italian Bistro Plug & Play Combo: This combination has a mix of herbs, vegetables, and flowers. This is great for gardeners with small spaces. Italian Bistro has Little Napoli Tomato, Parsley, and Red Velour Petunias.

Paris In Springtime Perennial Combination: This mix features first-year flowering perennials and includes Deep Rose Red Lobelia and Cheyenne Spirit Echinacea.

Cherry Jam Annual Combination: This combination has a real wow factor with its mix of Chocolate Covered Cherry Coleus, Valiant Punch Vinca and Purple Prince Alternanthera and will certainly awaken your décor.

Pollinator Power

With the reduction in the bee population, many breeders have been making a real effort to develop and introduce pollinator-friendly plants. Look for these this year.

New Madrid Blue Lavender:  Many breeders have been working on new Lavender varieties. This Spanish Lavender has blue flowers that pop against the green bracts on its flower head. The top bracts of this flower are bright white.

Painted Yellow Beedance Biden: We have loved the other Beedance Bidens and this new variety is no exception. Biden plants are perfect for hanging baskets, containers or in a garden bed. They do well in drought conditions and seem to thrive on a gardener’s neglect.  

Let us know on our Facebook page which of these trends is of interest to you!