New, for many, represents exciting, different, a chance to try again. A new haircut just waiting to be admired, a new page in the calendar ready to be filled in or even simply a bright new day just waiting to be enjoyed.
Each year brings a whole new set of plants that are introduced to gardeners across the United States. Hybridizers devote years and indeed sometimes their entire lives developing new plants. They each have some unique characteristic that makes them different and often better than other plants. For years garden phlox has been susceptible to powdery mildew. Newer introductions are now virtually mildew resistant. Dutch Elm disease killed tens of thousands of trees in the 1950s. The new varieties are resistant to this devastating disease. Many daylilies infamously have a short blooming period. Newer varieties are often re-bloomers with a much longer bloom time. Some of the latest and greatest give us the opportunity to add color, fragrance and interest to our outside oasis.
Here is information on a few new varieties for 2022. Enjoy!
Molly’s White Lenten Rose (Helleborus x hybridus) The bright white blossoms with glowing golden centers are accented with ivory stamens. This flower adds early spring color to the garden. It blooms March-April and does best in full to partial shade.
Paint the Town Magenta Dianthus (Dianthus ‘Paint the Town Magenta’) The blue foliage is completely covered by the single, vibrant magenta flowers with serrated petals. The flowers can be enjoyed all summer due to the increased heat tolerance. Shear after flowering to encourage a second flush of blooms in early fall. Does best in full sun and grows 6″ to 8″ tall and 12″ to 18″ wide.
Flamingo Dappled Willow (Salix integra ‘Flamingo’) The variegated foliage of pink, white, and bright apple green covers this gorgeous plant. It is a fast growing deciduous broad-leaf shrub. It does best in full sun to part shade and grows 4′ to 6′ high and wide.
Big Beauty Allium (Allium ‘Big Beauty’) This perennial flower has large soft pink flowers with wide gray-green foliage that is very showy in spring. It flowers from spring through late summer. It performs best in full sun and grows 18″ to 24″ tall and wide.
Diamond Lake Hosta (Hosta ‘Diamond Lake’) The attractive heart-shaped thick and heavily corrugated blue leaves have wavy margins. It does best in full to part shade. It has a purple flower that appears in July and grows 15” tall by 3’ wide.
Happy Jack® Purple Clematis (Clematis x ‘Zojapur’) The velvety plum-purple petals on this vine have intriguing center highlights and bright yellow stamens. It flowers on both new and old wood. Be sure to prune back to 2 feet each spring. It grows to about 6’ to 8’ tall with a secure trellis and 4’ to 6’ wide. The purple flowers cover the vine throughout the summer. It does best in part shade to part sun.
Winecraft Gold Smokebush (Cotinus coggygria ‘MINCOJAU3’) The round, waxy leaves emerge a sunny orange color and soon take on a golden hue, then mature to a cheerful chartreuse for the season. This gorgeous shrub grows 4′ to 6′ tall and wide. Green flowers that resemble puffs of smoke are present in mid-summer.
Spiderwort (Tradescantia x ‘Concord Grape’) This perennial flower is adaptable to many difficult growing situations. The purple flowers have a long bloom time ranging from May to August. It grows 12″ to 18″ tall and 18″ to 24″ wide.
Pugster Pinker® Butterfly Bush (Buddleia ‘SMNBDB’) This gorgeous hardy butterfly bush lives up to its name by attracting butterflies and hummingbirds. It grows 30” tall and wide and does best in well-drained soil. The pink flowers are present from July-October.
Also new for 2022 is The Perennial Plant Association’s choice of Plant of the Year. This year they have chosen Schizachyrium scoparium and its cultivars. Carousel Little Bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium ‘Carousel’). This ornamental grass is dwarf and is a uniquely rounded selection of Little Bluestem. Fine green foliage and upright flowering stems at 2’ to 3′ turns to shades of copper, pink, tan and dark orange-red in fall. Stems stay upright and attractive all winter. It grows 24″ to 36″ tall and wide and does best in dry soil.
Kathleen Carr is the owner of The Growing Scene, Inc., a garden center and landscaping company. She can be reached by calling 815-923-7322 or emailing her at Kathleen@thegrowingscene.com. Have a gardening question? Please contact her. She may address it in an upcoming column.
