Top 10 New Annuals for 2011

Continuing on last week's theme of top performing annuals to check out for 2011, I now get to talk about the top 10 new annuals for this season. Some of these plants are new to market this year while some have been on the market for awhile but are new to Levi Runions Garden Center. New varieties are always exciting, even when they are old favorites that are making a comeback as some of these annuals certainly are. 

New for 2011

1. Petunia Black Velvet

This is one of the most highly anticipated new arrivals this year. Billed as the "world's only black petunia", this petunia is not merely dark purple but truly black. Black Velvet will be a fun one to add to container combos to add drama. Think of the possibilities! Also new for this year are Phantom, which features yellow stars on a black base color and Pinstripe, which has a creamy white star pattern on black.

2. Gryphon Begonia

This foliage begonia will add plenty of interest and texture to shade gardens. Large dark green leaves with white veining add a tropical look to shade gardens and will add drama and texture when combined with other blooming begonias such as Dragon Wing.

3. Plentifall Mix Pansy

A trailing pansy! This pansy will be another great addition to the shade garden. It can be used as ground cover for shade areas or used in container combos as a spiller. The mix is beautiful with shades of blue, yellow and white. 

New to Levi Runions

4. Lophospermum Wine Red

We had this vigorous annual vine last year in cream. I can't tell you how it fared because it flew out the door before it really even took off! The tubular flowers are adorable and the wine red will be magnificent. The plant can either be grown on a trellis or in a hanging basket similar to Black-eyed Susan vine.

5. Ornamental Grass Twisted Arrows and Twisted Dart (new for 2011)

Because Blue Arrows was so popular last year, we decided to expand our ornamental grass selection with these two interesting plants. Both are combined with curly juncus to give these plants whimsical curly leaves interspersed with the upright blue leaves the plants are known for. Twisted Arrows is the taller of the two with a height of 18 to 36 inches while Twisted Dart is more compact and shorter growing to 16 inches tall. Both are great as focal points in container combos. 

6. Rose Mallow (Lavatera trimestris silver cup)

This is not a new plant by any stretch but I saw this last year on the garden tour and I had to have it! This easy to grow annual looks like a hibiscus and grows very well here in our short summers. Plant details claim this plant grows to 36" but this one was at least 60". Perfect as a focal point in the garden. These gorgeous raspberry pink flowers will not disappoint. 

7. Vinca First Kiss Blueberry

Vinca is a great heat and drought tolerant plant for the sunny areas of the garden. Generally the colors tend to shades of pinks and reds but with First Kiss Blueberry the bloom is a deep blue color. Great variation for a tried and true plant. 

8. Zinnia Zahara Series

For zinnia lovers, this series is exceptional! Mildew and leaf-spot resistant, bigger blooms, continuous blooms, heat loving, drought tolerant plants in gorgeous colors. My favorite is the Starlight Rose which has to be the prettiest flower of any kind. We will also have Zahara Yellow which is a soft lemon yellow and Zahara Double Fire, a double zinnia in bright red orange.

9. Chocolate Cosmos

Smells like chocolate, look like chocolate! What could be better? This tropical perennial can be grown as an annual here. The plant is sterile so there is no reseeding as with the annual cosmos that are most common here.

10. Petunia Sophistica Blue Morn

Yes, last year I had the Merlin Blue Morn on my list of most anticipated. Wasn't impressed. Mostly because it died. So since I am still in search of a blue morn petunia to plant with my favorite red morn petunias I had to include this on the list. We did have a couple of other varieties of Sophistica petunias last year and were impressed with their growth habit and color. If this blue morn is like others in the series, it should not disappoint. 

Photo Friday: Jack Frost Brunnera

 

I can't say enough about this shade plant! What's not to like? This Jack Frost brunnera is one of my first plants to bloom in the spring and lasts well into June. Perfect little blue flowers! Once the flowers are done the silvery foliage adds sparkle to the shadiest area of the garden. And because it's a spring bloomer, it's a perfect companion plant to the later blooming hostas. 

Container Gardening Plants: Upright Fuchsias

I don't think there has been any plant more exciting to me in the past few years than the varieties of upright fuchsias we now carry at the greenhouse where I work (Levi Runions Garden Center, check it out!).

Many, many moons ago when I was just a wee baby gardener and didn't have a clue about much in the way of plants, I fell in love with fuchsias. Loved the blooms, loved the color and loved that they are a shade plant. So I bought some. And planted them in the ground because that's where I wanted them to be.

A friend, who was an actual gardener, came over and said, "Um, those go in hanging baskets."

I wondered why those beautiful blooms were hanging in the mud.

So for many years, I gave up on fuchsias all together. I didn't do and still don't do much in the way of hanging baskets. I want my flowers down here where I can see them. I do, however, go crazy on container gardens. Lots and lots of container gardens. Upright fuchsias are perfect for containers.

Strangely enough, my favorite fuchsia is the 'Gartenmeister' fuchsia. It doesn't have the traditional fuchsia bloom but it does have amazing blooms the color of which I've never seen before. It's an electric pink-orange color that contrasts beautifully with the plant's green and burgundy foliage. This plant provides big impact whether it's blooming or not, although once it starts blooming, it doesn't stop. While this plant can be difficult to pair with other plants, it can be done as shown here. On it's own, however, this plant is stunning as well.

Another favorite is 'Winston Churchill'. This plant has the more traditional fuchsia blooms with dynamic dark pink and purple bi-color flowers. Gorgeous. I planned on planting this last summer but grabbed the wrong plant instead. Oops! I will try again this year and plan on combining it with trailing coleus and lobelia.

Other varieties include 'Paula Jane' which has pink and dark rose blooms and 'Santa Claus' or 'Jingle Bells' which both have red and white flowers. All of these varieties are perfect for shade gardens or containers and can be planted alone or in combos. Companion plants include impatiens, begonias, coleus and lobelia.

If you love trailing fuchsias, try adding some of these upright beauties in your shade garden or containers as well. If, like me, you thought fuchsias weren't for you, it's time to give these stunners another look. Chances are you won't be disappointed!

Gardening in the Shade: Using Container Gardening to Add Color

Adding color in shady areas can be difficult. When it comes to shade perennials many rely on foliage color and many flower in white. Pretty but not a lot of color. Container gardens with annuals can add a much needed color boost to shady areas. As an added bonus, container gardens can be rotated in and out of a shady area where other things might not grow.

It seems people equate shade with impatiens and for good reason. They are incredibly colorful, reliable bloomers and they grow well. I personally love them but even so I like a little variety. In the spirit of other very well loved and ubiquitous plants, rather than scrapping impatiens altogether, I suggest using them in new ways. Instead of using them alone or as the focal point, use them as fillers in your container combinations. Grow with coleus, upright fuchsias and shade tolerant grasses like King Tut.

Other plants that do well in the shade are tuberous begonias, lobelia, pansies and violas, torenia (both upright and trailing varieties) and upright or hanging fuchsias. With the exception of the upright fuchsias, most of these plants stay fairly small. Alone, they make look frail but planted together they have quite an impact. My daughter has planted container combinations using pansies, violas, torenia and lobelia outside her window for years and the effect has been outstanding. Colorful and robust.

One of the best shade plants is, of course, coleus. This plant has come a long way. I remember planting tiny little things from 4 packs that never got very big. They were colorful all right but not really that spectacular. With the Kong Series all that’s changed. Color and size! In the shade! In addition there are many, many, many varieties of coleus that do well in shade or sun in sizes from 14 inches to 3 feet.

My new favorite plant is the upright fuchsias. I’ve always been drawn to their beautiful flowers but am not generally a fan of hanging baskets so tend not to use them. However, there are several upright fuchsia varieties on the market. Most of them, including ‘Santa Claus’ and ‘Winston Churchill’ have the unique bi-color blooms traditionally associated with fuchsias. However, ‘Gartenmeister’ has a tubular bloom in a unique pink-orange color. These plants are wonderful in combinations. Be mindful, however, that these plants are grown as annuals in zone 4 so will not get to the shrub-size proportions reported in plant descriptions. In my experience, they will be 12"-24" at best.

So go ahead and add some color in your shady areas with container gardens. Use traditional shade plants in new and surprising ways while trying out new cultivars of coleus and fuchsia. With a little creativity and a few containers, your shade gardens will really shine.