New Perennials from Proven Winners

Bush Clematis 'Stand by Me'. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners® 

This is not a sponsored post, so I feel free to say that I have mixed feelings about new plant introductions. For one thing, they can be super pricy. Some introductions go on to become classics, while others never seem to catch on and disappear to make room for yet more plants.

But if, like me, you love plants, new introductions can be very tempting. Generally they offer some  improvement like a longer bloom time or a more compact shape. These shiny new features make new introductions alluringly collectable.

Take the Clematis above. How pretty and dainty it looks! And here it is again, this time in a container planting:

Photo courtesy of Proven Winners® 

Clematis 'Stand by Me' is a non-vining herbaceous clematis that dies back to the ground at the end of the growing season. It has blue, bell-shaped flowers and will re-bloom throughout the season. Average, well-drained soil that is slightly alkaline is best. While its growth is upright, "Stand by Me' does benefit from staking, cages or neighbouring plants for support. Full sun or light shade. Height: 86-96 cm (34-38 inches), Spread: 60-70cm (24-28 inches) USDA zones: 3-7.

In the same container (above) is yet another new perennial that gardeners with part-shade will find interesting. Full-sized Goatsbeard, Aruncus dioicus is a huge plant. 'Chantilly Lace' is more compact and is better suited for small to average-sized suburban gardens.

It's also more drought tolerant than Astilbe.

Goatsbeard, Aruncus 'Chantilly Lace' produces beautiful sprays of lacy, cream-colored flowers. It has a similar look to an Astilbe, but is more drought tolerant. 'Chantilly Lace' grows best in moist, humus-rich soils. In northern climates, it can be grown in full sun provided it has adequate moisture. In southern zones, however, it prefers partial or full shade. Height: 76-80 cm (30-32 inches), Spread: 101-121 cm (40-48 inches) USDA zones: 3-7.

Hosta, Shadowland® 'Waterslide'. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners® 

One of my favourite purchases last year was a ruffled hosta, so of course, this new hosta caught my eye:

Hosta, Shadowland® 'Waterslide' has ruffled glaucous, blue-green leaves that hold their color all season long. It has lavender flowers in late summer. This perennial grows best in moist, well-drained, organically enriched soil. Full to part-shade. Height: 35-38 cm (14-15 inches), Spread: 76-81 cm (30-32 inches) USDA zones: 3-9.

Hemerocallis 'Orange Smoothie'. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners® 

Re-blooming daylilies are always a great asset, so a new peach cultivar would be nice to have. And I really like the ruffled edge on 'Orange Smoothie's' flower petals.

Daylily, Hemerocallis Rainbow Rhythm® 'Orange Smoothie' has orange-mango petals with a light rose band. It has a mounded shape and strong, well-branched, heavily budded scapes. 'Orange Smoothie' blooms in midsummer and again later in the season. This is a tough, adaptable perennial that will grow in almost any soil. Plant it in full sun for optimum flowering performance. Height: 50-60 cm (20-24 inches), Spread: 45-60 cm (40-48 inches) USDA zones: 3-9.

Tall Cushion Phlox 'Cloudburst'. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners® 

I try to add at least one new Phlox cultivar each year. This new introduction blooms earlier than most and might be a good one to add to my collection.

Tall Cushion Phlox 'Cloudburst' is an early blooming phlox with a broad, mounding, billowy habit. Lavender-purple flowers have bright pink eyes. Its dark green leaves are disease resistant. 'Cloudburst' grows best in consistently moist, well-drained soil and full sun. It thrives with regular fertilization and good air circulation. Height: 45-60 cm (26-28 inches), Spread: 38-42 cm (40-48 inches) USDA zones: 3-9.

'Superstar' and 'Popstar' (right). Photo courtesy of Proven Winners® 

It would be hard to choose between these two Sedums. I guess it might come down to which shade of pink you prefer:  

Stonecrop Sedum, Rock 'N Grow® 'Superstar' has dark turquoise foliage and forms a dense, compact mound with rosy-pink flowers. It performs best in full sun and poor to average, well-drained soil. 'Superstar' does not require supplemental water or fertilizer. Height: 25-30 (10-12 inches), Spread: 50-60 cm (20-24 inches). USDA Zones: 3-9

Stonecrop Sedum, Rock 'N Grow® 'Popstar' has blue-green foliage and has a dense, compact, mounded habit. The flowers are salmon-pink. It does best in full sun and poor to average, well-drained soil. 'Popstar' does not require supplemental water or fertilizer. Height: 20-30cm (8 - 10 inches), Spread:50-60cm (20 - 24 inches). USDA Zones: 3-9

Photo courtesy of Proven Winners® 

'Pink Lemonade'. Photo courtesy of Proven Winners® 

In the last few years, Baptisia has gone from a little-known perennial to one that is quite coveted. The old-fashioned classic with indigo-blue flowers is still one of my favourites, but breeders have managed to produce an amazing array of appealing colors.

My first reaction to this new cultivar (above) was that it would be hard to find a place for the unusual combination of pink and yellow, but then I began to warm to the mix. I could imagine 'Pink Lemonade' might compliment my white Gas Plant, Dictamnus albus quite nicely.

False Indigo, Baptisia Decadence® Deluxe 'Pink Lemonade' has soft yellow flowers that age to dusty raspberry purple, showing both colors at the same time. Pink Lemonade' grows best in full sun and average to poor, well-drained soil. Moderately drought tolerant once established. This is a long-lived perennial that does not need to be divided and prefers not to be moved. Height: 106-121 cm (42-48 inches), Spread: 116-121 cm (46-48 inches) Keep in mind that this is a large perennial that is almost shrub-like in scale. USDA zones: 4-9.

This ends this little preview of new perennials. I hope you've found something you'd like to add to your spring wish list.

(If you would like more information on any of these perennials, you can visit 

the Proven Winners website.)

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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!