Old favorites, new looks
If you get excited about a new marigold, phlox, hellebore or even impatiens, this is your year.
You don't have to venture outside your comfort zone to find adventure this spring.
There's a good chance your favorite plant that does well in your yard comes in a dramatic new variety.
Who could get excited about a marigold, for goodness sake?
Well, it's not difficult with the brilliant red and gold Fireball, available from Burpee.
And check out the Peppermint Twist phlox, as shown at White Flower Farm.
Hellebores are big news with dramatic colors this year, but we couldn't take our eyes off the slate-colored Starling from Heronswood.
And while you might be blasé about impatiens, just try to resist White Flower Farm's Peach Frost.
It's January, and catalogs are arriving with their news of new blooms for spring.
No matter what your favorite color family, plenty of it is available this year.
Here's new excitement in flowers that might already be your favorites:
Campanula: Pink Octopus is easy to grow and sprays bright candy pink petals downward from weeping buds, says Heronswood.
Clematis: Josephine's pompons are swirling shades of pink, green and ivory, Heronswood says. With more sun it turns lilac pink. Rosy O'Grady from Klehm's SongSparrow is an early-blooming purple-pink introduction.
Corydalis: Berry Exciting spreads with gold ferny leaves and purple flowers that keep blooming. White Flower Farm carries it.
Daylily: Spiritual Corridor from Wayside Gardens is rich rosy lavender.
Dahlia: While these flowers are rarely shy, Showtime from Burpee presents outrageous color with an outer ring of orange and a center starburst of canary.
Epimedium: Woodland gardens can enjoy Brilliant RubyStarr with leaves that change color during the season and cherry-red spring flowers. SongSparrow says it becomes more tolerant of dry conditions after it's established.
Heuchera: Many great colors are available, including yellow Citronelle from SongSparrow. It tolerates more shade than many, but then becomes more chartreuse.
Hosta: Nancy with bright golden thick leaves is available from SongSparrow.
Hydrangea: Pinky Winky from Spring Meadow bears flowers that age from white to pink. It blooms in mid-summer, according to Park Seed.
Peony: Bartzella's lemon blooms can produce 80 blooms per plant, according to Wayside Gardens. Its heritage is both tree and herbaceous species. Raspberry Splash from SongSparrow is a single peony with raspberry-streaked fluted petals.
Penstemon: Shadow Mountain from Wayside Gardens blooms lavender with a white interior striped with maroon. It is drought tolerant.
Primrose: Silver Lace Black grows in part shade. Wayside Gardens sells this small plant whose flowers have black petals edged in white around gold centers.
Rose: Spring Meadow Nursery says it has never sprayed Oso Easy Peachy Cream, but it does not develop black spot. The flowers start peach and evolve to cream.
Salvia: We always look to High Country Gardens for new salvia, and this year Blue Flame Giant Purple Sage is the choice for those dry areas with full sun.
Sambucus: Black Lace can take the place of a Japanese maple. The foliage is purple-black, and the pink and white flowers bloom midsummer. Heronwood promises a lemon scent.
Spanish poppy or papaver: Heronswood presents Tangerine Parfait, the color of clementines and the texture of crumpled velvet.
Weigela: Florida Ghost combines buttercream foliage with dark red blooms that rebloom in summer if you cut them promptly, according to Wayside Garden.
Yucca: This isn't exactly hardy, but Sapphire Skies is irresistible if you are willing to protect it in the winter. High Country Gardens rates it at hardy to Zone 5b. (Our area is considered Zone 5a).
Zinnia: Highlight from Burpee grows daisy blooms 1½ inches in diameter and in fluorescent yellow.
Where to find some catalog favorites:
Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, (417) 924-8917 or www.rareseeds.com
Bluestone Perennials, (800) 852-5243, www.bluestoneperennials.com
Burpee Gardening, (800) 888-1447; www.burpee.com
The Cook's Garden, (800) 457-9703, www.cooksgarden.com
Gardens Alive!, (513) 354-1482, www.gardensalive.com
Heronswood, (877) 674-4714, www.heronswood.com
High Country Gardens, (800) 925-9387, www.highcountrygardens.com
J.L. Hudson Seedsman, P. O. Box 337, La Honda, Calif. 94929, www.jlhudsonSeeds.net
John Scheepers Kitchen Garden Seeds, (860) 567-6086, www.kitchengardenseeds.com
Klehm's Song Sparrow, (800) 553-3715, www.songsparrow.com
Lilypons Water Gardens, (301) 874-5133, www.lilypons.com
Park Seed, (800) 213-0076, www.parkseed.com
Underwood Gardens, (815) 338-6279, www.underwoodgardens.com
Wayside Gardens, (800) 213-0379, www.waysidegardens.com
White Flower Farm, (800) 503-9624, www.whiteflowerfarm.com