10 new annuals and perennials to plant this season

DeRee, the son of Dutch's Greenhouse founder Gerry "Dutch" DeRee, often gets to try out new annuals and perennials a year before they roll out to the public.

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As the regional Ball Seed Co. representative, DeRee works with about 120 growers in Kansas, the western third of Missouri and central Missouri. He also works with suppliers like Hesston Plant Co., which provides plants wholesale for area nurseries, and other area garden centers. Hesston Plant Co. owner Joel Hicks called DeRee "one of the best plant experts in south-central Kansas."

DeRee's recommendations on some of the new annuals and perennials to try this year are in familiar plant families — like geraniums, hibiscus, coleus and dianthus. Often a new variety showcases an elusive new flower color or perhaps a difference in height.

"Some breeders work many years to get one color out there," said Greg DeRee of Dutch's Greenhouse. Many of the plants sold at Dutch's are grown from seed in the multiple greenhouses it owns. Its website usually lists the new plants it has each year.

Red remains a popular flower color "and red can be tough for breeders to get," said Mike DeRee. Several of his new plant recommendations feature red flowers. Purple- and pink-hued colors are also popular.

Here are five new perennials — plants that come up year after year — followed by five new annuals to consider growing in your garden or containers this season.

PERENNIALS

If you're looking for a plant with brilliant, bright red flowers, Mike DeRee suggests planting PanAmerican Seed's Rockin' Red dianthus. Compared to other dianthus varieties, this dianthus distinguishes itself compared to other dianthus varieties. It's taller, at about 18 inches. It is a true perennial' generally, dianthus is a biennial. And it will do well in the summer, unlike some dianthus. Plus, there's the color. "It's pretty awesome," Mike DeRee said. It grows in sun or partial shade. This plant was actually introduced in 2019, but DeRee expects it will be more popular this season.

Many gardeners plant yarrow to attract pollinators but the plants can grow tall — some kinds grow up to 4 feet in height. With the Milly Rock Red and Milly Rock Rose varieties, you still get a flower head full of tiny clustered flowers — in either red or pink colors, respectively — but in a shorter version. These varieties, which love the sun, will grow about a foot high, Mike DeRee said.

If you love hibiscus plants, check out the Candy Crush or Evening Rose varieties of Proven Winners' Summerific series. Both feature pink flowers with dark centers and dark foliage, Mike DeRee said. As a hardy perennial that likes part-sun, the plants have good height at about 4 feet and spread of up to 5 feet.

You can expect instant gratification in the first growing season of the new Madonna Shasta daisy, Mike DeRee said. Many Shasta daisies will go the first year without flowering because of a process called vernalization (meaning the plant has to go through a cool season to start producing flowers) but this plant "gives a good show" producing white flowers. According to PanAmerican Seed, some of the flowers may have a lacy edge. The compact, mounding plant likes the sun.

Many Wichita gardens feature hostas and there are literally thousands of hosta varieties. The White Feather hosta, recommended by Greg DeRee of Dutch's, has a unique creamy white color and funnel-shaped leaves. This hosta takes full shade to protect the leaves from scorching.

ANNUALS

Red has been a hard color to get in the lantana flowering plants family but the Hot Blooded Red variety by Syngenta Flowers "is awesome," Mike DeRee said. Yellow and orange are the more ubiquitous lantana colors. It's a mounding plant that likes full sun.

This year's new color in the Soiree series of vinca plants is the Kawaii Red Shades, Mike DeRee said. Some describe the flower petals as dainty or frilly since they are more narrow than a traditional vinca flower. It's heat-loving variety and will do well in containers.

Mike DeRee grew the Heartbreaker coleus in a combo pot last year, setting off the plant's colors with the ColorRush White petunia and Hot Lips salvia. Looking like a wedge of watermelon, the coleus' tri-color leaves featured a deep rose color edged in dark burgundy and then outlined in green.

Geraniums have been around for a few hundred years, and Mike DeRee really enjoys the deep, vibrant red of this year's Super Moon Red Zonal geranium. It's heat-tolerant and looks good in containers or a garden. Greg DeRee, who confessed to not really finding geraniums very special, was impressed with the pink flowers of the Fantasia Pink Flare and the two-toned pink and white flowers of Tango Strawberry Ice.

Zinnias are a pollinator favorite, and Mike DeRee suggests checking out the two new colors of the Zesty series by PanAmerican Seed: purple and fuchsia. Both feature big flower heads and grow about 16 inches tall. Keep in mind that zinnias will often succumb to hot weather, DeRee advised.

Source: The Michita Eagle

MIKE DEREE COURTESY PHOTO

Source: The Michita Eagle