New Plant Introductions for 2020 from Proven Winners®

Even though a few provinces here in Canada are slowly reopening their economies, the shift back to any sort of normalcy has yet to begin in Ontario. There are still hundreds of new cases of COVID–19 each day. My life is always quiet, but I miss the treat of a meal out, a country jaunt to look for antiques or a visit to a local nursery. It doesn't truly feel like spring without a flat of pansies to fill the urns that dot my garden. 

Is it possible that nurseries will open for the May long weekend or maybe the first of June? Fingers crossed that the numbers of COVID–19 cases continues to decline and we can finally start to re-emerge from the safety of our homes. 

Given the serious blow to the economy, many gardeners will be hard-pressed to find the extra funds for new plants. But no matter what your present circumstances, it's always fun to dream up a wishlist of the pretty things we'd love to purchase when the time is right. With that in mind, I'm going to showcase a few new introductions for 2020 from the brand Proven Winners.

First up is a new Salvia. Planted in a drift of three or five plants, this would be a nice addition to any garden in June.

Salvia nemerosa 'White Profusion' has white flowers on a rounded plant that's easy to grow. Average garden soil and moisture conditions. Cut back after flowering to encourage rebloom. Resists deer and rabbits. Full sun. Height:16-20 inches, Spread: 16-20 inches. USDA zones: 3-8.

The heart-shaped flowers are dainty and sweet, but what interests me even more, is the fern-like, blue-grey foliage of this Bleeding Heart.

Fern-leaved Dicentra 'Pink Diamonds' has two-toned, heart-shaped, flowers in the spring. Well-drained garden soil is a must. Average moisture conditions.  Resists deer. Part-sun to full sun. Height:12-16 inches, Spread: 16-18 inches. USDA zones: 3-9.

For me, the main attraction of this Phlox is it's early bloom time. Last year, I bought the Phlox 'Opening Act White'. Sadly it never bloomed, but I look forward to seeing what it does this summer. New to this series is yet another early-flowering variety:

Hybrid Phlox 'Opening Act Pink-a-Dot' has white flowers with a star-burst of pink in the centre. The glossy green foliage is mildew resistant. This phlox grows best in consistently moist, well-drained soil. Full sun. Height:22-26 inches, Spread: 30-36 inches. USDA zones: 4-8.

Proven Winners has three new Yarrows this year. Yarrows are great plants for full sun and poor soil. Once established, they can handle dry summer conditions. 'Firefly Diamond' has white flowers, 'Firefly Peach Sky' has peachy-orange flowers and 'Firefly Sunshine' has canary-yellow flowers. (Sorry, for those of you who live in areas where Yarrows can be an issue, the PW website offers no details on self-seeding or how aggressively these new Yarrows spread).

Yarrow 'Firefly Amethyst' has cool pink flowers that fade to a soft pink. The fern-like foliage is sturdy and upright. Once the flowers fade, cut the plant back by half to encourage re-bloom. Drought tolerant. Full sun. Height:18-22 inches, Spread: 32-36 inches. USDA zones: 3-8.

Older 'Millennium' on the left and new 'Serendipity' on the right.

I do think you have to weigh the benefits against the cost of some 2020 introductions. Does the 'Serendipity' Ornamental Onion really differ enough from the older 'Millennium' (2000) to justify the price tag of the new introduction? Only you can answer that question.

Heartleaf Brunnera, Brunnera macrophylla 'Queen of Hearts'

Is it worth it to buy the new Brunnera 'Jack of Diamonds' or 'Queen of Hearts' just to take advantage of those huge 9-10" leaves? If you love the foliage and tiny blue flowers, maybe one of these new perennials is just what you want to add to your collection of plants.

A Few Older Introductions

As promised earlier in the year, I am also going to showcase some older perennials worth seeking out. In recent years, there have been lots of new Baptisia hybrids brought to market. One Baptisia I'd love to get my hands on is Decadence 'Deluxe Pink Truffles'.

Decadence 'Deluxe Pink Truffles' has soft pink flowers and blue-green foliage. This Baptisia is smaller than most and is perfectly sized for the average backyard. Drought tolerant. Full sun. Height:48-54 inches, Spread: 36-48 inches. USDA zones: 4-9.

 Last spring, I bought Catmint, Nepeta 'Cat's Pajamas'. New to 2019, it proved to be a great little plant that bloomed most of the summer. 

Cat's Pajamas' Catmint Nepeta hybrid has indigo blue flowers. This long-blooming perennial has a nice compact shape and fragrant foliage. Heat and drought tolerant. Full sun. Height:12-14 inches, Spread:18 - 20 inches. USDA zones: 3-8.

Butterfly weed, Asclepias tuberosa 'Hello Yellow' forms an upright clump of narrow green leaves with clusters of yellow flowers. Attractive to butterflies. This plant requires well-drained, somewhat sandy soil. Full sun. Height: 16-20 inches, Spread: 20-23 inches. USDA zones 4-9.

Hosta 'Shadowland Hudson Bay' is an improvement on older 'Eskimo Pie'. This hosta forms a large mound of tricolour leaves that have a blue margin with a cream centre accented by apple-green. Hostas' need moist, well-drained soil. Part to full shade. Height: 24-26 inches, Spread: 24 inches. USDA zones 3-9.

New Annuals for 2020

I try not to be a plant snob, but it's hard to get excited about petunias and impatiens. Though they are useful plants, I prefer to buy no-name annuals and invest in name brand perennials and shrubs. A couple of new introductions did, however, catch my eye.

Salvia farinacea 'Unplugged® So Blue' has blue flowers on a mid-sized plant that loves the heat. Deadheading is not necessary. Long-blooming and drought tolerant. Full sun or light shade. Height: 14-24 inches, Spread: 12-16 inches. 

Salvia hybrid 'Rockin'® Blue Suede Shoes' is a continuous bloomer with light blue flowers and a black calyx. Heat and drought tolerant. Full sun or light shade. Height: 30-40 inches, Spread: 18-24 inches. 

I like the way Sweet Potato vines trail from containers, so this new annual also caught my attention.

Sweet Potato Vine, Ipomoea batatas 'Proven Accents® Tricolor has green leaves streaked with cream and rose. Full sun to full shade. Trails up to 72 inches, Spread: 24-36 inches.  

New Shrubs for 2020

The Cotonus in my friend's front garden.

The Smokebush, Cotonus you typically see has rounded burgundy foliage, but there is also a Cotonus with bright green foliage. Last summer, I really admired the chartreuse Smokebush a friend of mine had in her garden. It's a big shrub though, so I thought I'd never have the room for one. Enter the more modest-sized version from Proven Winners:

Smokebush, Cotinus coggygria 'Winecraft Gold®' has round waxy leaves that emerge a sunny-orange and become chartreuse as they mature. In early summer, clouds of tiny green flower clusters cover the shrub (the 'smoke' to which the name refers). The beauty of this new shrub is its size. Part sun to full sun. Height: 48-72 inches, Spread: 48-72 inches. USDA zones 5-8.

There are a number of new Rose of Sharon for 2020. For me, this one stood out over the others:

Rose of Sharon 'Magenta Chiffon' offers more flowers and an extended bloom time. It has a rounded habit that differs from older, more stiffly upright cultivars. A low seed set means no nuisance seedlings. Full sun. Height: 96-144 inches, Spread: 72-120 inches. USDA zones 5-9.

Photo courtesy of Proven Winners®

The Proven Winner's website says this Pagoda Dogwood is new for 2020, but I already have one in my garden, so I'm sure how it is "new" (I even double-checked my plant tag). The flowers on my 'Golden Shadows' are insignificant, but the foliage is fresh and vibrant in spring. Birds seem to enjoy the berries that appear mid-summer. I love my 'Golden Shadows' enough to entertain purchasing a second.

Pagoda Dogwood, Cornus alternifolia 'Golden Shadows' has distinctive horizontal branching and variegated yellow-green foliage. In the fall, the leaves take on a pinkish cast. The flowers are lacy-white. This is a shrub that thrives in light shade. Height: 120-144 inches, Spread: 120-144 inches. USDA zones 3-8.

I am partial to this apple-blossom flower form, so even though this rose probably has no scent, I might consider getting one.

Rose, Rosa 'Oso Easy Peasy' has apple-green foliage and magenta-pink flowers. Resists mildew and black spot. Continuous rebloomer even without deadheading. Full sun. Height: 30-40 inches, Spread: 30-40 inches. USDA zones 4-9.

I have seen Weigela 'My Monet' in so many gardens I have to assume it must be a bestseller for PW. Now they're introducing a Weigela that has cream and mint foliage that takes on purple tones. It can handle extremes of heat and cold better than the original 'My Monet' and has the bonus of larger numbers of flowers. 

Weigela florida 'My Monet Purple Effect®' has lavender-pink flowers on a small shrub with a mounded shape. The foliage is cream and mint with purple tones. Sun to light shade. Height: 18-30 inches, Spread: 18-30 inches. USDA zones 4-9.

With the start of a new month and the promise of sunshine and warm temperatures on the weekend, I feel that the gardening season has begun in earnest. Hopefully, the new normal will include some plant shopping (with the proper social distancing of course).

This is not a sponsored post. The selection of plants is my own. Photos are courtesy of Proven Winners® provenwinners.com

New Annuals and Shrubs for 2019 from Proven Winners

A couple of weeks ago I made a visit to one of my favourite nurseries only to discover that they are closing their retail operation in the fall. I am really going to miss Humber Nursery! For years, Humber has been a botanical reference library for me. For instance, if I wanted to write a blog post on Phlox paniculata, I knew I could go there and find almost twenty different types of phlox to show you. Yes, they had the new, early blooming introductions from Proven Winners, but they also had many of the old-fashioned varieties that I absolutely love. Where will I find these old favourites now? Most of the other nurseries in my area focus almost entirely on what's "new".

I have always had mixed feelings about new plant introductions. The problem is that new is not necessarily always better. Sometimes it's just "new". With the constant roll-out of new plants vying for space on nursery benches, they also have a here-today-gone-tomorrow quality. And these new introductions often come with a hefty price tag!

That being said, it's still fun to discover a new plant that has improved characteristics like bigger flowers or more compact size. Here are a few of the annuals and shrubs from Proven Winners for 2019 that caught my eye:

I was quite taken with the pretty pink Superbells® Doublette Love Swept that garden writer David Hobson had grown in a pot. I see from their website that Proven Winners also has a lemon-yellow Superbells® Double Chiffon.

Superbells® Doublette Love Swept has double petunia-like flowers that are pink with a white rim. A light pruning early in the season and mid-summer will encourage branching and new growth. No deadheading needed. This plant cascades nicely and does not like constantly damp soil, making it ideal for containers. Full sun to light shade. Height: 15-25 cm (6-10 inches), Spread: 30-60 cm (12-24 inches). 

Superbells® Doublette Chiffon has double petunia-like flowers that are soft yellow. Full sun to light shade. Height: 15-25 cm (6-12 inches), Spread: 30-60 cm (12-24 inches). 

Superbells® Doublette Love Swept in David Hobson's garden.

One of my favourite annuals last summer was a type of Coleus. With its velvety, red foliage and tall, striking size Coleus 'Campfire' looked just stunning in a large pot at the front of our house. Not surprisingly then, I was on the lookout for other new introductions. 

I like to buy small plants and grow them on for fall container plantings.

This arrangement shows Coleus, ColorBlaze 'Rediculous' in combination with a number of container plantings. I like that each pot has one type of plant. 1 & 5 Potato Vine, 'Sweet Caroline Bewitched After Midnight', Calibrachoa, 2. Supertunia 'Hot Pink Charm', 3. Colorblaze 'Rediculous'. 4. Verbena, Superbena 'Sparkling Ruby ' 6. Superbells 'Rising Star' 



Coleus, ColorBlaze 'Rediculous' has velvety-red foliage on well-branched plants. It's happy in sun or shade and is heat and drought tolerant. Height: 24-40 inches, Spread: 18-36 inches.

Coleus, ColorBlaze 'Chocolate Drop' Double Impatiens, 'Rockapulco Coral Reef' and

Sedum 'Lemon Coral'

What I really like about this next Coleus is its trailing habit. I have had a similar cultivar in the plant stand on my front porch and it looked terrific all summer long. While the information on the Proven Winners website suggests it is as "drought tolerant" as Coleus go, but I find that any Coleus still needs a regular source of water.

Coleus, ColorBlaze 'Chocolate Drop' has a trailing habit that works well in containers. It blooms late in the season or not at all. To keep foliage in top shape, pinch off any blooms as they appear. 'Chocolate Drop' is heat and drought tolerant. Sun or shade. Height: 14-20 inches, Spread: 12-18 inches.

The tiny flowers of annual Euphorbias may seem to lack a certain wow-factor, but I find they add such a nice soft touch to my containers. With summers getting hotter and drier, I really appreciate their heat and drought tolerance.

Diamond Mountain® Euphorbia produces clouds of airy-white flowers all summer long. It is a larger plant than Diamond Frost® making it perfect to pair with vigorous plants or to use in the landscape. No deadheading necessary. Like all Euphorbias, this plant produces a milky-white sap if cut or wounded that can cause some irritation to people with very sensitive skin. Part sun to sun. Height: 24-36 inches, Spread: 24-36 inches.

On to a couple of new shrubs. I am a sucker for any kind of lilac. Laura of Garden Answer showed the Scentara® Double Blue Lilac in one of her spring garden tours and gosh did it ever look pretty! The double flowers are extra fragrant as well.

Scentara® Double Blue Lilac has fragrant purple flowers that take on a blue tone in the spring sunshine. Lilacs are easy to care for provided they have full sun and well-drained soil. They bloom on old wood so prune them in the late spring after they finish flowering. This very heavy bloomer exhibits excellent disease resistance. Height: 6 ft-8ft, Spread: 6-8ft. USDA zones: 2-8.

With its interesting variegation, Sugar Tip®Gold Rose of Sharon also caught my attention. These keep the plant colorful and interesting in spring, then come summer, the playful foliage is accompanied by doubled purple flowers. For those of you who think that Rose of Sharon can be a nuisance self-seeder, this plant creates far fewer seed than conventional varieties. 

Sugar Tip®Gold rose of Sharon has double purple flowers and green foliage edged with creamy-yellow. Height: 1.2-1.5 meters (48-60 inches), Spread: 1.2-1.5 meters (48-60 inches). USDA zones: 2-8.

That's it for today. While I will continue to highlight new plants, I really want to make an effort to champion older plant varieties and native plants. With the closing of Humber Nursery's retail operation, it is going to be much harder to find these types of plants here in the Toronto area. Perhaps you are experiencing a similar situation where you live.  It feels like too much emphasis is put on "new" and I'm troubled by the lack of options.

Disclaimer: This is not a sponsored blog post. I'm simply highlighting a few of the new introductions 
that happened to catch my eye.

More New & Recent Plant Introductions

Dahlia 'Grandahlia Rose Swirl'

Yesterday I stopped into the grocery store to pick up a couple of things and I almost fainted from shock when I found myself looking down at an eight dollar cauliflower.

At this time of year most of our fresh fruit and vegetables are imported from the States. With the record low value of our dollar, we Canadians are taking a beating in the produce aisle this winter.

Eight dollars for a humble cauliflower! It's enough to make me think about tearing out some flowers in the spring and switching to vegetables.

But for now, it's been snowing and it is super cold here. I don't know about you, but pretty pictures of flowers always seems to cheer me up.

There is still plenty of time to get more practical before spring arrives.

Today I am returning to Landscape Ontario's trial gardens to take a look at some of the newer introductions they have been testing. 

We'll start here with this mixed planting.

This is Cleome 'Senorita Rosalita' and 'Senorita White Blush' from Proven Winners. 

They are a bit more compact (24-48 inches) than many older varieties of Cleome and also have the advantage of having odourless foliage, no thorns and sterile flowers.

You'll notice that "compact" is a recurring notation in this post. Most suburban lots are small these days. Perhaps that is why growers seem to think we gardeners are looking for compact plants. 

You may also notice that many of these newer cultivars are also sterile. That's a great advantage if a plant tends to be a problem self-seeder, but it also means that you can only reproduce a plant by cloning it (i.e. make new plants from cuttings). 

And if the plant is an annual, like the ones I am showing here, you'll have to buy a whole new plant each spring. 

Pretty smart retail strategy, eh!

Here is a perfect example.  This is a new, more compact version (only 20-30 inches) of a plant that seems to have grown in popularity in recent years. 

Verbena bonarienses has a reputation for being a prolific self-seeder. Verbena bonarienses 'Meteor Shower' on the other hand, sets little seed.  This is a denser, more vigorous plant that is heat and drought tolerant. Full sun.

Pennisetum setaceum 'Rubrum', Graceful Grasses 'Sky Rocket'

Graceful Grasses 'Sky Rocket' is an annual grass in most areas (hardy in USDA Zones 10a-11b only). 

It has green leaves with white stripes and smoky-pink plumes that turn cream as they age. The plumes are sterile, so this plant can be counted on to bloom from mid-summer into fall. Graceful Grasses 'Sky Rocket' is recommended for both containers and flowerbeds.

Supertunia 'Vista Strawberry' and Supertunia 'Vista Bubblegum' (pink flowers in the foreground)

Supertunia 'Pink Star Charm' and 'Sangria Charm'

Call me a plant snob. Petunias don't exactly set my horticultural world on fire.

They do however, serve a useful function in container plantings and hanging baskets. And I have to say that some of the newer introductions are quite attractive.

Supertunia 'Violet Star Charm' (top left) Supertunia 'Pink Star Charm' (right) and Supertunia 'Rose Blast Charm' (on the bottom)

These Petunias (above) are all recent Supertunias introductions from Proven Winners. 

Altogether there are over thirty old and new Supertunia cultivars to choose from. They come in a range of colors and some varieties have this nice striping. 

Supertunias are reputed to be vigorous and are quite drought tolerant once established. They also don't need deadheading. Full sun of course. 

Petunia 'Sanguna Light Blue Improved' (top left) and 'Sanguna Radiant Blue' (right) are semi-trailing Petunias bred by Syngenta. 

With the sun peaking through rain clouds, there was something about the color of these flowers that arrested your attention and made you pause for a second look.

Dahlia Hypnotica Sangria (left) and Dahlia 'Hypnotica Lavender'

A few compact Dahlias to end off with. 

These are Dahlias from the Hypnotica Series from Fides. Hypnotica Dahlias flower abundantly and consistently throughout the summer on short stems that don't need staking. Full sun. They are recommended for both gardens and containers.

Dahlia 'Hypnotica Bellini'

'Grandahlia Rose Swirl'

Grandahlia series plants are also form neat mounds (12-14 inches) and have large flowers all summer. 

There are seven colors in the series including this very pretty 'Grandahlia Rose Swirl'. Again, full sun.

'Grandahlia Rose Swirl'

I'll end here with the same pretty face I began with.

Tonight there will be no eight dollar cauliflower gracing our dinner plates. I bought a less glamorous butternut squash for two dollars instead. 

I happen to like squash, but the men in the family aren't super fond of it. Too bad, I say! I told both hubby and my son they'd better acquire a taste for squash and other less expensive veggies. I'll be damned if I will spend eight dollars on a single cauliflower!