A new year has come. For many of us, the passing of the New Year is also a time of year where gardeners dream and plan for the gardening season ahead. Some of us have already begun our new year’s plans by creating new garden beds in the fall (thankfully, you can also do this in early spring, so don’t fret!). We’ve amassed this season’s newest garden plants. We’re making lists and pinning ideas onto Pinterest boards. We’re thinking of what to add, what to remove, and what to make better.

Regardless of your overall plan, it’s safe to assume that adding new plants is on the docket of most gardeners for this year. as it promises a plethora of wonderful new plant cultivars that are more beautiful and tough than ever before. If you haven’t made a resolution yet, maybe adding a few new plants is a good plan!

• Hellebores are becoming more and more commonplace in gardens everywhere because of their beauty and toughness despite their fragile appearance. With their very early blooming period (winter, very early spring), they are extremely valuable plants in the landscape. We carry lots of fantastic helleborus cultivars that have been developed for hardiness and large blooms in bright colors. The hellebore ‘Cotton Candy’ is a favorite among many gardeners, with its light spring pink blooms in large size and plentiful, long lasting form.
• Coral Bells are another perennial that’s quickly gaining a cult-like following in the garden world. Plant breeders are developing cultivars of this wonderful US native plant that have very vivid and colorful foliage, and sometimes lovely flowers. There are also many sizes. Heucherella ‘Buttered Rum’ is a tried and true cultivar that is an absolute standout in the garden for its beet-red foliage. (Heucherellas are basically smaller heucheras). In many areas, coral bells are evergreen- and they retain their lovely color throughout the winter.
• As edible landscaping continues to grow in popularity, people are discovering the wonderful ornamental qualities that blueberry bushes have. Yep! You read right- blueberries are wonderful, excellent landscape shrubs. And they are being added into landscapes everywhere, all across the country. Not only do blueberries provide one of the world’s most antioxidant-rich super food, but they also provide beautiful interest all year long in the garden. In the spring, sweetly scented flowers bloom in abundance and buzz with happy native bees. In the summer, berries form, usually starting out pink or white, and slowly ripening to their final color (blue, purple, or pink) by summer. In the fall, they turn blaze red before their leaves drop for the winter. We offer several proven cultivars that are sure to perform flawlessly in the garden. Keeping them happy is also easy. Simply add lots of organic matter to the planting hole when you first plant, and continue to mulch with broken down rich organic matter each year from then on. The organic matter will add all the nutrients and acidity to the soil that these wonderful plants need to thrive- it’s really that easy!

Try one of these wonderful additions to your garden this year, and watch your garden become more beautiful, and talked about by friends, family, and neighbors! We wish you all the best in this coming year- lets strive to make it a great one!