12 Beautiful New Blooming Plants
By Deb Wiley
In Bloom
They've got original looks, new color schemes and lots of pizzazz. From hundreds of recent introductions, we've selected annuals, perennials and shrubs you'll want to consider planting in your yard.
'Secret' Series Coneflowers
Old-fashioned Echinacea now comes in vibrant shades of red, orange, pink, purple, yellow and white, and in a dazzling array of shapes and sizes. This 'Secret' series has double, anemone-like flowers in sassy colors like the orange-pink blend of 'Secret Desire' and the orange and pink 'Secret Lust,' among others. Zones 4-9. Available at:SoonerPlantFarm.comandTerranovaNurseries.com.
Starlite Prairieblues Baptisia
Jim Ault, a plant breeder at the Chicago Botanic Garden, endowed native baptisias with wonderful new colors like these periwinkle blues with a luminous buttercream base that grow 3 feet tall. Plant in full sun and common garden soil- they're not fussy. Zones 4-8. Available at:BlueStonePerennials.comandLazySsFarm.com.
Earlybird Cardinal Daylily
Each bloom on a daylily lasts just one day, but a rebloomer like this one seems to last forever. Stems rise about 21 inches high, with large blooms. Among the earliest daylilies to bloom, it continues for about 100 days in Zone 6, 85 days in Zone 5. Zones 4-9. Available at:WhiteFlowerFarm.comandDay-Lily.com.
'Red Racer' Hellebore
With 3 1⁄2-inch flowers- nearly twice the size of other hellebores-and a dashing burgundy color, Red Racer is a must-have shade plant. Glossy, evergreen leaves remain attractive after the late-winter-to-springblooming, downwardnodding flowers drop off the plant. Best of all, like other hellebores, 'Red Racer' is deer- and rabbit-resistant, and drought-tolerant once established. Plant in part to full shade. Zones 4-9. Available at:GreatGardenPlants.comandForestFarm.com.
'Double Zahara Fire' Zinnia
Zinnias are reliable, and if you cut them they simply bloom more. 'Double Zahara' zinnias, the only true varieties with double petals, resemble small dahlias. The hot-orange 'Double Zahara Fire' and its sibling, 'Double Zahara Cherry,' grow 12 to 14 inches tall and resist mildew and leaf spot diseases. Grow them in full sun in warm soil because they just love the high heat of summer. Annual. Available at:ParkSeed.comandJungSeed.com.
Superbells Coralberry Punch Calibrachoa
These bright annuals look like petunias, but they're smaller and don't get trounced when it rains. They grow only 6 to 10 inches tall, but then spill over the edges of containers or ramble along the ground up to 3 feet. They need no deadheading and bloom all season. Plant in full sun and fertilize once a month. Water only when the top of the soil feels dry; overwatering rots the roots. Annual except in Zones 9-11. Available at:ProvenWinners.com.
Got a small backyard? Draw inspiration from these unique urban gardens.
'Redhead' Coleus
This isn't your grandmother's coleus! Though you can grow it in full sun, 'Redhead' lends a valuable boost in the shade garden with its glowing color. The vivid red leaves partner well with other coleus varieties, such as Henna, which has chartreuse-gold on the tops of its leaves and maroon on the undersides. Both grow 18 to 24 inches tall. Will thrive in sun to shade. Fertilize every two weeks. Annual except in Zone 10 or warmer. To find a retailer, visitSimplyBeautifulGardens.com.
Golddust Mecardonia
Mecardonia is a super-easy, nonstop bloomer with small, clear-yellow flowers that bloom from May through frost, staying compact at 2 to 5 inches tall but spreading to fill a container and beyond. GoldDust also serves as a hardworking ground cover in landscapes. It loves the heat and keeps on going without deadheading. Except for needing a little water, it's almost maintenance-free. Grow in full sun. Annual except in Zones 9-11. Available at:ProvenWinners.com.
'Susan Williams-Ellis' English Rose
Finally, there's a David Austin English rose with a strong oldrose scent that will grow in cold climates. 'Susan Williams-Ellis' was named for the artist who established Portmeirion Pottery in England. This white shrub rose is disease-resistant and, at only 4 feet tall and 3 feet wide, fits into almost any garden. Loves rich, well-drained soil, full sun and a monthly feeding. Zones 4-8. Available at:DavidAustinRoses.com/American.
'Little Lime' Hydrangea
This hydrangea has the qualities of its big brother, 'Limelight,' but in a more compact form, perfect for small spaces or large containers. Chartreuse-green cones of blooms turn white, then pink, as they age. Because it's a paniculata type of hydrangea, it grows in full sun to part shade and is super-hardy. Zones 3-9. Available at:GardenCrossings.comandNatureHills.com.
Fiji Hibiscus
You'll feel transported to a tropical isle when you grow the new Fiji hibiscus or its siblings, Tahiti and Bali. Grow it in a space 5 to 8 feet tall and 4 to 7 feet wide, where you can admire the many blooms. Plant in full sun in moist, well-drained soil. No pruning needed except for shape. Zones 3-8. Available at:BaileyNurseries.com.
'Pink Lemonade' Blueberry
'Pink Lemonade' takes 3 or 4 years to mature before it sets fruit and produces handfuls of sweet, juicy pink berries. In fall, the foliage turns a pretty orange, then red. It reaches 5 feet high and wide but can be grown in a container. Plant in full sun in acidic soil with consistent moisture. Zones 4-9. Available at:Gurneys.comandBurpee.com.
Original article appeared on WomansDay.com
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