New Plants for 2007: Annuals and Perennials for a New Year

Winter doesn't have to be a time of boredom for gardeners; the cold, quiet months present the perfect opportunity to plan for next spring. If you're looking to incorporate something new and exciting into your garden in 2007, there are many choices from plant growers and breeders across the United States. A number of annuals and perennials are being released in '07, so check out the options below to find something special to add to your garden when the weather warms up!

Annuals

For instant gratification annuals are the best choice. The new releases come in a rainbow of colors that will complement established perennials, or they can be planted with other annuals for a showy bed, border or container that will explode with color from spring until late summer. All-America Selections has announced its recommendations of new seeds for 2007:

• Celosia 'Fresh Look Gold': Commonly known as cockscomb, this unique flower has an upright, spiky shape. 'Fresh Look Gold' reaches 12" in height and blooms a cheerful yellow all spring and summer. Greg Stack of the University of Illinois Extension states, "The bright yellow plumes remain colorful all season and don't turn brown as older varieties do. This results in little need to deadhead or remove old flowers." With full sun and well-drained soil, these distinctive flowers will liven up beds or containers.
• Petunia 'Opera Supreme Pink Morn': Growing to only 6" tall, this trailing petunia is perfect for containers, or it can be used as a ground cover. Its multi-colored flowers inspired the name that references a beautiful sunrise. This petunia needs full sun and moist but well-drained soil. Stack maintains, "It is excellent along retaining walls, tumbling over the side displaying two-inch flowers that are pink shading to white with a yellow throat." This delicate creation is also versatile; its colors complement a number of other flowers, and its trailing habit makes it attractive in baskets, borders and pots.
• Vinca 'Pacifica Burgundy Halo': The name says it all: this vinca has deep red flowers with white centers, hence the name 'Burgundy Halo'. Its blossoms, which resemble impatiens, bloom above glossy, deep green leaves. This vinca needs full sun and is extremely drought tolerant, so it's a great addition to any dry spot where most flowers struggle. Reaching only 12" in height, 'Pacifica Burgundy Halo' makes a colorful ground cover or accent plant.

Jenny Andrews, managing editor of the magazine Garden Design, spotted some more intriguing introductions at the Ohio Florists' Association trade show this past summer:

· Begonia anthole: This flower has reddish, velvety leaves with delicate white flowers peeking over the foliage. For a partially sunny or shady spot, this begonia will bring interesting texture and a lovely color contrast.
·Calibrachoas: Andrews found these beauties from Fischer USA, which is releasing an array of differently-colored cultivars this year. 'Painted Coral' has pink and white bi-colored flowers, 'Purple '07' is a deep hue while 'Purple Sunrise' has purple and yellow flecked blooms. Like petunias, these plants all have a trailing habit and trumpet-like flowers, which make them wonderful in hanging baskets or containers where they can spill over the side. Their flowers often close at night or on cloudy days, so give them full sun and moist, well-drained soil.

Perennials

If you're looking for a longer-lasting addition for your garden, Terra Nova Nursery is releasing a number of exciting herbaceous perennials for 2007. This nursery, located in Canby, Oregon, has become one of the premier plant breeders in the United States. Their work with echinacea, coreopsis and heuchera varieties has been particularly innovative. 2007 will be no exception as they are introducing a number of new cultivars of these and other plants. The selections below are only a few of the new plants from Terra Nova this year, and all bloom between late spring and late summer. Check the nursery's website for information about other species as well!

· Echinacea 'Merlot': This coneflower has large, deep pink flowers with red stems and petioles, creating a dramatic splash of magenta in the garden. Hardy to zone 4, these plants need full sun and moderate moisture. They grow to about 3' tall, so site them near the back of beds and borders. The growers add, "The flower color becomes deeper in cooler temperatures," so don't hesitate to try this flower if you live in a colder climate.

· Echinacea 'Raspberry Tart': Reaching only 18" in height, this diminutive variety of echinacea is truly unique. It displays a deep magenta color and small but numerous flowers. It's more compact than most echinaceas, but it's also very fragrant. Like other varieties, however, it enjoys full sun and is cold hardy to zone 4.

· Echinacea 'Tiki Torch': Differently-colored coneflowers have become quite fashionable lately, such as the Meadowbright series from the Chicago Botanic Garden. 'Tiki Torch' follows this trend; it blooms bright orange with large, orange-red eyes. It grows to 36" so plant this cultivar behind shorter flowers for a colorful backdrop. Hardy to zone 4, these flowers also require full sun and moderate moisture.

· Rudbeckia 'Henry Eilers': This mid-summer bloomer resembles a more delicate version of a Black-Eyed Susan, to which it's related. The growers maintain, "This charming flower has unusual yellow gold quilled petals with brown button centers." It enjoys full sun and well-drained soil, it grows to about 4-5' tall and is hardy from zones 4 to 8.

· Coreopsis 'Pinwheel': These light yellow flowers have petals that flare at the tips and reddish eyes, creating a pinwheel shape. The blooms contrast beautifully with the bluish-green foliage. Hardy from zones 5 to 9, this variety of coreopsis needs full sun and well-drained soil, and they grow to 2' in height.

· Coreopsis 'Snowberry': This cultivar has burgundy eyes that bleed onto the petals, which fade to a pure white. It's a truly unique coreopsis, but it's only hardy to zone 6, so for gardeners in colder climates this plant must either be heavily mulched or brought indoors during winter.

· Heuchera 'Café Ole': A small, mounding variety, this cultivar displays ruffled brown leaves that are its most attractive feature. It's only 6" in height so it makes a lovely accent around taller plants. Hardy to zone 4, this heuchera needs full to partial sun and moist, well-drained soil.

· Heuchera 'Midnight Rose': This exceptional plant has black foliage speckled with hot pink in spring, and by summer the leaves lighten to cream with pink dots. It blooms small flowers but is really a foliage plant. Give this beauty full to partial sun and well-drained, consistently moist soil and you'll enjoy its remarkable display all spring and summer.

· Heuchera 'Paris': Unlike the previous two heucheras, this variety has attractive flowers as well as lovely foliage. Its green leaves are tinged with white, and its red, bell-shaped blooms dangle gracefully above the foliage. Like its cousins, however, this cultivar is hardy to zone 4 and needs full to partial sun and well-drained soil.

So as your garden lies dormant during the gloomy winter months, consider growing some of these new flowers in 2007. Contact local nurseries or the growers themselves for information about purchasing these exciting introductions, and let your creativity take hold as you incorporate these colorful plants into your landscape.