English Gardens is the premiere destination for Proven Winners plants in Michigan. For 2015, Proven Winners has introduced many new and improved plants.

Here’s a spotlight on some hot new annuals, perennials and shrubs:

Annuals: Color All Season

Heat-tolerant Anytime Pansiolas

A cross between a pansy and a viola, Pansiola! Plant Anytime Pansiolas in the spring, and because they are heat tolerant, they’ll last through the summer. They grow best in a shady area. Look for four varieties:  Quarts, a soft lavender-blue and white with a touch of gold at the throat; Dove, white with a yellow center; Sugarplum, deep velvety burgundy-purple with hints of lavender, white and a golden center; and Sunlight, which is bright yellow.

Blazing Superbell Additions

Three new Superbells for a sunny spot in the garden or a container are Frostfire, Cherry Red and Strawberry Punch. Frostfire sizzles with a center of yellow and orange with bright white petals. Cherry Red is a vibrant pink-red flower with a yellow center; and Strawberry Punch packs a pink punch that darkens toward the yellow. 

Fiery Caladium

With bold variegated foliage, Artful Caladiums are excellent plants for full sun or shady areas.  Fire & Ice has cool white variegation with flaming red veins for a hot-n-cold look.  HeartFire showcases a more passionate variegation with red veins that blend into the green heart-like foliage. Both are easy to care for and make great thrillers in containers or a grand statement in the garden. 

Spicy Pequeña Rosalita

Showcase Latina sizzle with this beautiful Cleome! Pequeña Rosalita is a compact version of Senorita Rosalita. This re-blooming flower attracts butterflies and is great for containers, as a border plant or in mass planting.  Requires full sun.

Ablazin’ Salvia

Attract butterflies and hummingbirds withthis salvia in full sun or shade!The hot flavors include Purple and Tabasco, which is a vibrant red. A great annual to bloom all summer for containers and in landscapes.

Perennials: Plants that come back year after year

Vibrant Heuchera & Heucherella

Add color and texture to the garden with two new perennials from Proven Winners.  Dolce Brazen Raisin is a new Heuchera featuring dramatic purplish black leaves with wine-red undersides and hot pink buds that open to pale pink and white flowers in mid-summer.

Fun & Games Leapfrog, a new Heucherella shows off its burgundy center and chartreuse foliage that soften to green in the summer. Leapfrog has dainty ivory, bottlebrush-like flowers that bloom mid-summer. Both varieties add color and texture to the garden with their beautiful foliage, and are perfect for sun or shade.

Vivacious Salvia

Enhance your garden with bright spikes of flowers from Color Spires Salvia. Crystal Blue sparkles with cool sky blue flowers and bright green foliage, Pink Dawn shines with a cotton candy color and Violet Riot is a deep violet blue spectacle. All three attract butterflies, hummingbirds and bees and bloom late spring.

Decadent Baptisia

A savory addition to the Decadence line of Baptisia is Vanilla Cream. Soft pastel yellow buds open to creamy vanilla flowers with compact grey-green foliage. Attracts butterflies and enjoys full sun to part sun.

Shrubs

Hydrangeas

The Let’s Dance re-blooming hydrangea line introduces Blue Jangles. This compact variety is a standout in the garden. Color changes from pink to blue depending on the pH level of the soil. It adapts to full sun or part shade.

A new paniculata, Little Quick Fire has all the attributes of Quick Fire, but as a smaller and more compact shrub.

Proven Winners has also introduced three new quercifolia varieties.  All three bloom white flowers that change to pink in the fall. Gatsby Gal has large clumps of flowers that surpass the size of this compact shrub. Gatsby Moon is showier with double florets that are tightly packed. Gatsby Star has doubled blooms with pointed star-shaped petals.

Rhododendrons

Try one of the new PW Rhododendrons to dazzle the garden. Amy Cotta has a compact soft lavender flower with deep green foliage. Bollywood has showy magenta flowers in spring, and attractive variegated foliage all season long. The Dandy Man line feature pink and purple flowers.  All are great for foundation planting, woodland gardens and mixed borders.

Flavorful Lonicera

Savor the sweetness of summer with Sugar Mountain! This easy-to-grow edible plant comes in two varieties: Sugar Mountain Blue and Sugar Mountain Kalinka. Commonly known as sweetberry honeysuckle, the fruit tastes like a sweet mixture of raspberry and blueberry. Kalinka yields more fruit. Great as a border plant. For best fruit production, plant more than one variety.

SunJoy Berberis

Introducing SunJoy! Cinnamon has distinctive orange cinnamon foliage color, Gold Pillar is bright chartreuse, Syrah has dark burgundy foliage and Tangelo is bright red.  These are great for adding low-maintenance, season-long color to home landscapes. Perfect for hedges and foundation plantings. 

This is just a sample of the new Proven Winners varieties available at English Gardens. Selection will vary by store and season.  Visit our stores or shop online today!