New Plants '95. (includes directory and related articles) (Cover Story)

The arrival of the year's first seed and nursery catalogs is an event awaited by avid gardeners with pulse-quickening anticipation. Enticing us with familiar favorites and challenging us with the new and unknown, the catalogs fuel our passion for gardening.

Few gardeners can pass up the opportunity to try something new. Mail-order catalogs exploit that attitude as they present their plant introductions with much fanfare. New plants do cause a stir, and rightly so; every year brings remarkable advances in the quality of plants available to home gardeners. Whether it's rufflier day-lilies, healthier and more flavorful tomatoes, more abundant roses or a new color for vincas, the year's new plants never fail to arouse the excitement of gardeners.

Across the next several pages, FLOWER & GARDEN treats its readers to a preview of some of the best new flowers, vegetables, landscape plants and houseplants from the pages of 1995 catalogs. Far from being a complete list, these are just a few of the most promising introductions. The 1995 Source Guide, beginning on page 64, lists hundreds of seed and nursery catalogs and includes sources for the featured plants.

AGAPANTHUS 'BLUE DANUBE'

Early to flower, this new hybrid has up to 100 rich blue florets per 4-inch flower head. The strong flower stems are 3 feet tall. Agapanthus 'White Profusion,' also new, blooms later on shorter stems. Both are hardy to Zone 6 with winter protection. Wayside Gardens

ALSTROEMERIA UCONN HYBRIDS

Bred at the University of Connecticut, these new hybrids have big, bright flowers on short-statured plants just 12 to 18 inches tall. Four colors will be available but were still unnamed as FLOWER & GARDEN went to press. Tougher than most alstroemerias, they're hardy as far north as Zone 6. White Flower Farm

FOXGLOVE 'ISABELLINA'

Creamy yellow 'Isabellina' is once again available after years of absence from seed catalogs. It's a biennial foxglove that flowers on one-sided, 5-foot spires. Select Seeds Antique Flowers

LOTUS 'LAVENDER LADY'

Lotuses are always stunning aquatic plants. This one boasts an unusual lavender-pink color and purplish veins on subtly rolled petals. The leaves and 10-inch flowers stand 4 to 5 feet out of the water. Lilypons Water Gardens

LAVENDER 'PAPILLON'

Shorter stems and larger floral bracts, some almost 2 inches long, distinguish this cultivar of Spanish lavender (Lavandula stoechas). The shrubby plants grow 24 inches tall. Dutchmill Herbfarm

POPPY 'SPLASH'

'Splash' is one in a series of complex hybrids involving five species of poppies. Dubbed "Superpoppies" by its breeder, the series also includes 'Chocolate,' a handsome, rich pink poppy with lilac undertones. Super-poppies are hardy anywhere Oriental poppies are grown, but have a longer blooming season and more vigor. Mohns Nursery

CANNA 'BRANDYWINE'

Deep red-orange flowers are produced all summer long on tidy, semidwarf plants. Two other new cannas are lemon yellow 'Conestoga' and the spectacular 'Bengal Tiger,' orange-flowered with foliage striped in yellow. All are hardy to Zone 7; further north, dig the rhizomes in fall to overwinter indoors. Wayside Gardens

CORYDALIS FLEXUOSA 'BLUE PANDA'

From the mountains of China, 'Blue Panda' resembles the familiar yellow corydalis in all but flower color. It blooms from early spring through July, growing to 16 inches. Gardenimport, Laurie's Landscape, Niche Gardens

PEONY 'CORA LOUISE'

Each snowy white petal of this lovely peony is shaded with a crimson flare at the base. From the same peony breeder comes 'Julia Rose,' which opens cherry red before fading to orange and then to yellow. As hybrids that combine characteristics of tree and herbaceous peonies, both varieties have attractive, disease-resistant foliage and sturdy stems that stand up to spring weather. Callie's Beaux Jardin

MORE NEW PERENNIALS

Carex 'Gold Fountains' is an elegant sedge grown for its slender emerald leaves that are bordered with gold. The clumps grow to 16 inches with an upright posture; hardy in Zones 5 to 9. Niche Gardens will offer it.

Two new heucheras, or coral bells, add to the diverse leaf patterns of this group. 'Cascade Dawn' has lavender-shaded foliage. The silvery leaves of 'Ring of fire' take on a coral margin as fall approaches. Both are hardy to Zone 3; they'll be listed by Shady Oaks Nursery and Laurie's Landscape.

Also from Shady Oaks, tiarella 'Tiger Stripe' displays compact pink flowers against purple-splashed foliage. Heronswood Nursery will offer several new monardas from the Netherlands; they're notable for their vibrant colors and excellent mildew resistance.

Peony 'Ivory Treasure' (shown on page 70) displays a frill of golden staminodes cupped in ivory-white petals. This fragrant midseason bloomer is offered by Klehm Nursery of Champaign.

Discovered in China, Lysimachia congestiflora 'Eco Dark Satin' is a mat-forming ground-cover that produces clusters of yellow-and-red flowers. It spreads vigorously in moist soils and is hardy in Zones 6 to 9. Campanula 'Chettle Charm,' a peach-leafed bellflower, blooms in blue-tinged white on 3-foot stems. Both will be sold by Wayside Gardens.

Also from Wayside is Clematis florida 'Alba Plena.' Its 3-inch double flowers are glistening white with a hint of green. Another white clematis, 'Arctic Queen,' blooms on both old and new growth for twice the flowers. It's from Park Seed Co.

Fancy Fronds, a fern specialty nursery, will add several new hardy ferns. Among them is Dryopteris filix-mas 'Crispatissima,' a miniature, fancy-leafed selection of the male fern.

For connoisseurs of daffodils, Grant E. Mitsch Novelty Daffodils will offer 'Smooth Sails' (shown on page 64), an elegant small-cupped white flower. 'Firestar,' also from Mitsch, has a deep coral cup surrounded by white petals.

Rose-pink butterflyweed 'Soul Mate,' a variety of Asclepias incarnata, grows 4 to 5 feet tall. Reliable and hardy, it's available from Johnny's Selected Seeds.

The Glasshouse Works will offer eupatorium 'Jocius' Variegate,' a sport of the fuzzy-flowered native white snakeroot. Frosted foliage sets it apart from the species.

'Southern Charm' (shown at right) is a perennial verbascum that blooms in its first year when grown from seed. Its stately spires are flush with pastel-shaded blooms. Find it in the W. Atlee Burpee & Co. catalog.

Yoder Brothers, the wholesale chrysanthemum specialist, will add seven new colors to its already extensive line of garden mums. 'Zesty Barbara' (shown on page 68) is warm coral; 'Stephanie' is a green-eyed white daisy; 'Dreamy Tracy' is butter yellow with darker centers. Look for Yoder's mums at garden centers.

ROSES

HYBRID TEA ROSE 'HENRY FONDA'

Yellow as intense as sunlight appears even brighter against dark, disease-resistant foliage. Named in honor of the late actor, a lover of yellow roses. Jackson & Perkins

SHRUB ROSE 'QUEEN MARGRETHE'

This regal beauty is pure pink with an old-fashioned look and the fragrance of apples. Bright green, disease-resistant foliage clothes the compact, rounded plants. Witherspoon Rose Culture

ENGLISH ROSE 'BOW BELLS'

The plump, cupped blossoms of 'Bow Bells' evoke the romantic charm of old-fashioned roses. The flowers are borne in pendulous sprays on a shrub that grows about 4 feet tall and wide. Wayside Gardens

FLORIBUNDA ROSE 'SINGIN' IN THE RAIN'

All-America Rose Selections honors go to this floribunda with an unusual cinnamon-apricot color. Clusters of five to nine musk-scented blooms open from urn-shaped buds. Disease resistance, lacking in so many new roses, is excellent; the free-branching plants grow up to 5 feet tall. Edmunds' Roses

FLORIBUNDA ROSE 'BRASS BAND'

This All-America Rose Selections winner displays a wealth of clustered 3- to 4-inch flowers on shapely plants that grow 3-1/2 feet tall. Yellow buds swirl open into ruffled, cup-shaped flowers burnished in melon-orange. Moderate damask scent. Jackson & Perkins

ENGLISH ROSE 'JAYNE AUSTIN'

Silky-textured 'Jayne Austin' has the coloring of ripe apricots and a rich tea-rose scent. Named not for the British novelist but for the daughter-in-law of rose breeder David Austin. Jackson & Perkins

HYBRID TEA ROSE 'LYNN ANDERSON'

Large and long-lasting blooms, borne singly on long stems, are cream edged in deep pink. The flowers show their best form in cooler weather. Edmunds' Roses, Spring Hill Nurseries

MORE NEW ROSES

Witherspoon Rose Culture's very first mail-order catalog will include the shrub rose 'Oranges 'n' Lemons,' splashed and striped in yellow and bright orange. It sends out tall, arching canes that can be left to grow as a vigorous shrub or trained as a climber or pillar.

Delicate coloring and elegant form distinguish the pink-blushed hybrid tea rose 'Heaven,' offered by Jackson & Perkins. The large, high-centered blooms open from long white buds that are edged in porcelain pink. Its long, strong stems are ideal for cutting.

More new roses from Jackson & Perkins include 'Brother Cadfael,' whose cupped, pink blossoms are the largest of the English roses; 'Magic Lantern,' a coppery-gold hybrid tea; 'Love Potion,' a dark lavender floribunda; dusky plum-rose hybrid tea 'Fortune Teller'; and the orange-and-yellow shrub rose 'Gypsy Dancer.'

Spring Hill Nurseries will offer 'Angela Lansbury,' a shimmering pink, high-centered hybrid tea rose with a spicy perfume. The velvety blooms are held high above disease-resistant foliage.

Floribunda rose 'Playgirl' will be available in a vigorous climbing form that blooms even in semi-shade. The single flowers are magenta pink; from Sequoia Nursery.

NEW MINIATURE ROSES

'Halo Rainbow' (shown) is the fourth in a series of single miniatures from Sequoia Nursery. This one shows a blend of orangered and white around golden stamens. Also new from Sequoia Nursery is 'Secret Recipe,' a miniature moss rose with burgundy-red striped blooms.

New roses from Michigan Mini Roses include 'Isolde,' whose smoky pink outer petals spiral from a paler center; single-flowered 'Love In Bloom,' with lavender-tan shading; and 'Betty's Baby,' medium red with a white center. All have demonstrated excellent winter hardiness.

The medium-pink blooms of 'Dream Catcher,' from The Mini Rose Garden, have a hybrid tea appearance. The plants are upright and vigorous.

Three introductions from Tiny Petals Nursery grow on plants that, at 2 to 3 feet, are larger than most miniatures. 'Pat O'Brien' is a soft orange color with outer petals of deeper orange. 'Something For Judy' blushes from creamy white to pink, opening wide to show its golden stamens. Delicately tinted 'Quiet Time' is lavender pink and sweetly fragrant.

Prolific bloomer 'Glory Be' (shown) is generous with its clusters of bright blooms, making it a good choice in the garden…