Some of the new breeding programs have resulted in interesting new colours in flowers and foliage, and greater tolerance to heat and sun.

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One of the nicest jobs about being a garden communicator is having the opportunity to evaluate many new plants sent to me by various horticultural companies. Every year, in exchange for a frank and honest report on their performance, I receive new vegetables, perennials, annuals and shrubs to grow in our region.

It’s great to see how some of the new breeding programs have resulted in interesting new colours in flowers and foliage, improved plant growth habits and greater tolerance to heat and sun. It’s these evaluations from across North America that provide better information about these new plant varieties as they are introduced to the wider gardening community.

What’s most important to me is the opportunity to share these new plant varieties and give you some new ideas for next year’s garden.

We tried all the new plants in 20 centimetre pots in full sun with quite intense heat during the warmest days. Two new heucheras certainly caught my eye and, wow, talk about contrast. Heuchera Everglow Midnight, new for 2027, is the closest yet to a black-leaf heuchera. Tolerant of both sun and shade it is very hardy, down to Zone 4A, and captures your attention immediately with its glossy foliage. H. Lime Zest just pops with its vibrant lime green leaves and is hardy to Zone 4B. It also does well in either sun or shade for year-round enjoyment, especially in planters.

I’m a big fan of brunnera for those dry shady spots, but b. Frost King and b. Frostbite were pretty impressive, even in the sun. Their silver foliage and Forget-Me-Not-like blue flowers in early spring will certainly lift those shady spots. They need very little care, and both have silver leaves with green venation, but Frost King has huge leaves, up to 41 centimetres across.

Kniphofia Glowstick is not as new but deserves attention because its massive yellow flowers bloom from July into November. I love the narrow, upright, grasslike foliage too, which makes it very useful in containers.

There are so many lavenders today, many of which are unique, but l. SuperBlue is fast becoming a favourite for a couple of reasons. A very deep blue, at only 25-30 centimetres, it stays nice and short but blooms from April to September providing a long period of colour.

Perennial nepeta, or catmint, continues to grow in popularity because of its long flowering period and serious pollinator attraction. Two of Darwin Perennials’ best are n. Junior Walker, a very rich blue growing only 46 centimetres tall and blooming May to September, and Purrsian Blue, a deeper purple blue coming in at 36 centimetres with a strong summer performance. Both are quite hardy, to Zones 4 and 3 respectively.

The Marvel salvia series, also from Darwin, have the largest flowers of any salvia and s. Rose Marvel is not only a compact 41 centimetres, it blooms from March to September. It is a vibrant rosy pink, hardy to Zone 4 and tolerates the heat of summer. Widely acknowledged by the industry to be the best blue salvia, s. Blue By You also blooms from early spring into early fall. It also tolerates winter cold down to Zone 4A as well as summer heat and drought.

Darwin’s Skyward series of veronicas is the largest flowering of any, but this year they have introduced a new colour called Skyward Lilac with its deep lilac tones making a nice addition to the colour range. It’s Zone 4 hardy, mildew resistant and will flower from April into September. I love its durability and compact habit.

PanAmerican Seed Company is creating cutting edge plants equal to the vegetatively propagated plants. Seed plants are less expensive to produce, which helps keep the prices down for everyone. One of their new series of interspecific impatiens is the Solarscape variety. They are compact 23-28 centimetre plants with huge flowers and are very sun tolerant. Similar to Sunpatiens, they will make a difference in your garden colour palette. I’m impressed with their tolerance to sun and heat.

They have also done some remarkable work with petunias. Petunia Calibrachoa Yellow is the first petchoa from seed. It is vibrant, and really one of the best new yellows. With a great growth habit, it is long flowering in heat and cold, is self-cleaning and has been awarded the Medal Of Excellence Industry’s Choice medal by the horticultural industry.

I’m always looking for new petunia colours for summer baskets and containers and so far, my favourite is a creamy white with a lemon throat called CitraNova Lemon Zest Petchoa. It will combine nicely with other summer plants and really make containers stand out. Its new Petchoa cousin, CitraNova Limone is no slouch either, with a refreshing yellow pop.

Mandevillas are my new super go-tos, and we tried the new Divina Compact Pink and Divina Compact Red with amazing results. They both stayed compact through the season and talk about flower power. I’ve never seen so many flowers and buds, even on the smaller plants. This Divina series is surely one to watch.

Osteospermums are not always summer favourites because they tend to slow down the flowering in the heat. Selecta’s 4D Orange, a beautiful double osteo, and FlowerPower Petite Yellow performed beautifully in the heat all summer. Both are on my must-have list for next year.

This year, with the extra heat, drought, and smoke, lantanas have certainly earned their stripes. Two new ones that really impressed are Ball Seeds’ Lucky Cherry Sunrise and Shamrock Cherry Sunrise. Hot pink with a touch of yellow in the centre, they lit up the colour spectrum. To be able to thrive in a summer like the one we’re having, they should earn a spot in anyone’s garden.

For some reason, Vanilla White marigolds are no longer available but the replacement, Lanna Lace African marigold saved the day. It is one of the best whites: compact, strong and flowering all through the season.

Proven Winners have also come up with a few gems for next year. In all our trials, the sunflower Suncredible has flowered and flowered all summer with medium sized yellow blooms that look like giant perennial helianthus.

I also like Proven Winners’ new fuchsia series, Sun Pendants Hot Pink. They look like the old, familiar Wilma Verslot, but will take full sun, and yes, the dainty dangling blooms attract hummingbirds.

The new OutShine mini-salvias are coming along nicely and the new nemesia Aroma series has flowered all season long in the heat. They both look great even as we make our way out of summer.

These are just a few of our trials for next year’s gardens. Based on what we’ve seen of their performance, I think 2027 is going to be one of the most exciting yet for gardeners.