Top 10 New Annuals for 2010

One of the many perks of working in a garden center is attending seminars put on by plant vendors. And the best part of these seminars is the pack trial results! New plant varieties are always exciting. Seeing them early? Priceless to a plant geek like me. Below is a list of the top 10 plants I’m looking forward to for spring 2010. Some of these are new plant introductions for 2010 and some are previously released varieties new to Levi Runions Garden Center.

1. Lantana Bandana Lemon Zest (full sun) New for 2010

I am not a fan of gold yellows as most yellow lantanas are but I love sunny lemon yellows. Previously lemon yellow lantanas were predominantly white flowers clusters with yellow eyes. Lemon Zest provides similar coloring with much more lemon yellow. As with all the Bandana series, Lemon Zest has a mounding habit and heat tolerance. Perfect for containers and hanging baskets.

2. Verbena Fuego Denim Blue (full sun) New for Levi Runions

A lavender blue trailing verbena that seems to be a richer color than the lilac. I loved the lilac but I think this color verbena will go even better in container combos.

3. Euphorbia Breathless White and Breathless Blush (full sun) New for 2010

The Breathless series is an alternative to the ever popular Diamond Frost. It also boasts better mounding habit quicker growth. In addition, Breathless Blush boasts red-tinged foliage with pinkish white flowers. Excellent filler for containers and hanging baskets.

4. Diascia Picadilly Denim Blue (full sun) New to Levi Runions

I love diascia and I love blue flowers. What could be better than blue diascia? Great filler plants for containers and hanging baskets.

5. Millet Jade Princess (full sun) New for 2010

A chartreuse millet with a compact growth habit. Burgundy seedless flower heads look fantastic all season and contrast beautifully with foliage. Jade Princess is slightly smaller than Purple Majesty but still gets up to 4 feet. This millet loves heat.

6. Supertunia Vista Silverberry (full sun) New to Levi Runions

This gorgeous white petunia with pink throat and veins mounds beautifully and is perfect in hanging baskets. Even better? This petunia looks incredible with one of my other favorites, Supertunia Vista Bubblegum. I’m very excited for this addition to the greenhouse!

7. Lobularia Snow Princess (full sun) New for 2010

Heat tolerant and massive blooms! This vigorous mounding/trailing plant is excellent for hanging baskets and containers.

8. Sweet Potato Vine Sidekick Lime (full sun) New to Levi Runions

We tried Sidekick Black Heart last year and were very impressed with the growth habit. Sidekick Lime is very similar to my favorite Marguerite in color and leaf shape. However, Sidekick Lime has a more compact growth habit making it ideal for smaller containers and hanging baskets.

9. Sweet Potato Vine Illusion Emerald Lace (sun/part shade) New for 2010

You can never have enough sweet potato vine! This new variety features the popular chartreuse color foliage with deeply lobed leaves. This plant will provide wonderful texture as well as color to container gardens.

10. Petunia Blue Morn (full sun) New for 2010

I’m a huge fan of the Red Morn petunia and expect Blue Morn to be just as spectacular. The beauty of these petunias is the subtle bi-coloring of the flowers, in this case, blue with a soft yellow throat.

Top 10 Annuals: Favorite Performers to Check Out for 2010

Performance and growth habit go a long way for a plant to find a place in my heart. The following are my top 10 performing annuals to check out for 2010.

1. Supertunia Vista Bubble Gum (full sun)

While I am generally not a huge fan of pink, the shade of this mounding/cascading petunia looks almost good enough to eat! In addition, this plant blooms profusely. While some petunias can get spindly or sparse towards summer’s end, this Supertunia does not. It responds well to pruning and did I mention it blooms profusely? Perfect for hanging baskets or as a filler plant in container gardens.

2. Non-Stop Mocca Yellow Begonia (part sun/shade)

Hands down the best yellow flower for shade. Beautiful clear yellow blooms are contrasted by dark green foliage. Stunning! Like all Non-stop begonias, Mocca Yellow is a continuous bloomer. Excellent in container gardens as either a focal point or filler.

3. Techno Heat Lobelia (full/part sun)

We had both blue and electric blue last spring and both performed superbly. The gorgeous blues provided excellent contrast to a variety of plants combos. Try it with pink, yellow or red. Responds well to pruning, stands up to heat and sun, and has excellent rebound after drought. Perfect in container gardens or hanging baskets either in combos or alone.

4. Gum Drop Cherry Blossom Double Wax Begonia (sun/part sun)

Great heat and drought tolerant annual. The double pink and white blooms are gorgeous and abundant. Blooms tend to be pinker with more heat adding interest as the blooms change color across the season. It is a shorter plant (10”), however, has an equal spread so is not as petite as typical wax begonias. Use in container gardens alone or as a filler plant.

5. Diascia Genta Antique Red or Genta Pink (full sun)

I couldn’t choose just one! Both are gorgeous colors and blend well in combos. The habit is semi-trailing so is better suited as filler in container gardens rather than a true trailer. The delicate foliage and profuse blooms make this plant a container gardening must have.

6. Gartenmeister Fuchsia (shade)

This is one of several upright fuchsias available. What I love about this one is the rich dark green foliage that contrasts brilliants with the bright pink-orange blooms. The flowers differ from typical fuchsias in that they are tubular, similar to a honeysuckle bloom, but dramatic, again, because of its shocking color. Great for a focal point in container gardens.

7. King Tut Grass (sun/partial sun)

This ornamental grass can take drought, heat, sun and water, and even some shade. This plant is a true trooper. King Tut grows very larger so is suited to garden planting and very larger containers. Plant with other vigorous growing annuals. Stunning tropical looking plant that is also great in water gardens.

8. Cabaret Yellow Calibrachoa (full sun)

This cali boasts profuse beautiful lemon yellow blooms. This is a perfect soft lemon yellow that combines easily with other annuals. Cabaret yellow is an ideal trailing plant for hanging baskets, either alone or in combos, and container gardens.

9. Lantana Bandana Series (full sun)

Again, I couldn’t pick just one! The cherry, rose, pink and red varieties all feature multi-color flower clusters with varying shades of the named color mixed with soft to deep yellow. A very heat and drought tolerant plant. While this plant gets very large in the south where it hails from, here in the Midwest, our short growing season and cooler temps keeps it in check. Lantana is great a filler in hanging baskets and container gardens.

10. Purslane (Portulaca) Rio Scarlet (full sun)

Gorgeous red pink blooms on a heat and drought tolerant plant. Tends to be flat in gardens but is a wonderful trailing plant in container gardens. Prefers lots of sun and heat but in those conditions, will bloom throughout the hottest days of summer.