If you’re looking to add a splash of colour and easy-care plants to your garden, here are my top picks – guaranteed to bring joy to your gardenscape!

Image: https://brandfolder.com/s/2mgfjtvjm7ntbhcvvxzcv7

Maestro^® Coral and Maestro^® Gold hummingbird mint (Agastache)
Gardeners in warm growing zones may be familiar with Agastache as a perennial, but these new Proven Winners varieties are captivating annuals that attract pollinators with their blooms all summer. Theythrive in containers and garden beds with minimal fertilizing and watering needed, so they are great for gardeners looking for lower maintenance plants.

Being members of the mint family, both varieties have strong, square stems and are pleasantly fragrant – a trait that makes them deer resistant. Their long-lasting flowers bloom on long spires which add vibrant colour, height, drama and structure to containers and garden beds. A bonus for cool-climate gardeners: they survived a few serious frosts in my garden before packing it in!

Annual, full sun, average to drier soil, 18-24” tall.

Image: https://brandfolder.com/s/cmrwvg398k6wt9c9ghwhgcs

Laguna^® Royale Azure and Laguna^® Royale Lilac lobelia
Finding a lobelia that thrives all season is tough since most fade in the summer heat, so I was naturally skeptical of claims that these would be different. I was pleasantly surprised that these two new lobelias did not disappoint!

I grew Laguna Royale Azure and Laguna Royale Lilac lobelias in 8 hours of sun (full sun) and they gaveme bold, whimsical colour all season, including in the heat of summer. Laguna^® lobelias also come inother colours including Laguna^® Sky Blue, Laguna^® Dark Blue, Laguna^® Ultraviolet^™, Laguna^®Cloud White^™, Laguna^® Royale Pink and Laguna^® Royale Blue Pearl. The hard part is choosing which ones you like best!

Annual, part sun to full sun, average soil, 8-12” tall.

Image: https://brandfolder.com/s/j33f3cfmkrkx84ws99frn7m

Campfire^® Red Ember bidens
I haven't always loved bidens because of the extra deadheading needed and spindly habit of older varieties. That’s all changed with the new Campfire^® series. They are easy to grow with no deadheading needed to deliver continuous blooms, so they are ideal for gardeners like me who are seeking minimal upkeep and reliable performance. Campfire Red Ember bidens was colourful all season in my garden last summer and the pollinators loved it too. It was free-flowering and flourished in the sun and heat.

Two other colours to try in this series are Campfire^® Flame with reddish-orange flowers and Campfire^®Marshmallow^™ with pure white flowers.

Annual, full sun, average soil, 8-14” tall.

Images:  

Medusa Black: https://brandfolder.com/s/zhj4scxwtrsncfhzg78zhr

Shadowstorm: https://brandfolder.com/s/c59k6c6t3vnnmrt5c62s9g9g

Sweet Caroline Medusa^™ Black and Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Shadowstorm^™ ornamental sweet potato vines (Ipomoea)
I love sweet potato vines for the colour and cascading texture they provide to container arrangements as well as their ability to thrive in both sun and partial shade with minimal care.

When I grew them last summer, I noticed that Sweet Caroline Medusa Black and Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Shadowstorm had a more compact growth habit than the infamous Margarita variety I’ve known for many years. That made them more useful where space was limited, but they still offered vibrant foliage and easy maintenance.

The black leaves of Sweet Caroline Medusa Black are deeply lobed, almost finger-like, adding a delicate, airy texture to containers. It had a more mounded shape than Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Shadowstorm, whose trailing stems were lined with black and green variegated, heart-shaped leaves. Both will trail up to 75cm (30in) by the end of the summer.

Annual, part sun to full sun, average soil, 6-12” tall.

As you look to add some gusto to your next garden, I hope you’ll try one - or all - of these new plants!