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Ball Horticultural photo<\/p>\n
For the richest, deepest colour, grow new Coleus Sun Sweet Paprika in full sun.<\/p>\n
It\u2019s difficult not to indulge in impulse shopping at the sight of fresh new plants at garden centres. But if we take the time now to think about the types of plants that really worked for us last year in our garden spaces and the ones that didn\u2019t \u2014 especially during hot, dry weather \u2014 it will be easier to make the best choices.<\/p>\n
Duayne Friesen has firsthand knowledge about the top new annual plants that will be available at garden centres this spring. A sales representative for Ball Seed, North America\u2019s leading wholesale horticultural distributor, Friesen assists commercial growers with plant sourcing. He also trials many new plant introductions in his Winnipeg garden. I talked to him recently about new annuals for 2026.<\/p>\n
Here are some exciting new varieties that will inspire you to plan ahead.<\/p>\n
New pansy coming<\/p>\n
There is a new pansy in town, says Friesen. \u201cThe new Top Wave Pansy Series from PanAmerican Seed will gradually be taking the place of the Cool Wave Pansy. Top Wave Pansies have 25 per cent larger flowers than Cool Wave and have been bred to have flowers that go right down to the crown of the plant.\u201d<\/p>\n
There are several colours in the series. Pansy Top Wave Pink Shades, for example, ranges from light- to deep-pink with a dark centre blotch. With the largest flower of any spreading pansy series, Top Wave is an ideal choice for containers and baskets.<\/p>\n
\u201cThey\u2019re not really for landscape use,\u201d says Friesen. \u201cBut I\u2019ve grown them in containers outdoors as early as April 1. Once they\u2019re acclimatized, they can stay outside and they keep flowering.\u201d<\/p>\n
\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Ball Horticultural photo<\/p>\n Dahlia Venti Pinkburst is an anemone-type double-flowered dahlia that is ready to plant in your containers or beds without having to grow your own tubers.<\/p>\n Coleus Sweet Paprika is an absolute standout, says Friesen. \u201cIt is part of the Premium Sun Coleus Collection from PanAmerican Seed. Sweet Paprika is made for the sun. The leaves are a deep red-wine colour with a hint of orange, but if it isn\u2019t grown in the sun, you won\u2019t get that amazing colour on the leaves. Sweet Paprika is very compact in its form \u2014 about 46 centimetres tall. It\u2019s also one of the latest flowering varieties in the collection. It\u2019s just a beauty.\u201d<\/p>\n Well, I\u2019m sold and apparently everyone else is, too. Friesen says that Coleus Sweet Paprika excelled in plant trials and has been snapped up by growers.<\/p>\n Dahlias keep growing in popularity but not everyone wants to start their own dahlias from tubers. Dahlia Venti PinkBurst and Dahlia Venti FireBurst are early-flowering dahlias ready for planting in spring containers.<\/p>\n The newest varieties in the Venti series from Selecta, PinkBurst (with pink petals) and FireBurst are both double-flowered anemone-type dahlias with showy centres. PinkBurst was a Retailer\u2019s Choice award winner at Cultivate \u201925 in the U.S. and a FleuroStar-winning variety in Europe. FireBurst has bright-red petals with a very dominant yellow crest in the centre.<\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re both easy-care plants that are powdery mildew-resistant,\u201d says Friesen. Both Friesen and I trialled these varieties in our gardens last year. \u201cPinkBurst is my favourite,\u201d says Friesen.<\/p>\n I like PinkBurst, too, but the exotic colour of FireBurst is stunning. Both these varieties grow to a height of about 46 cm.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Ball Horticultural photo<\/p>\n New for 2026, Zinnia Elegant Hot Mix is a dwarf zinnia variety available in four colours.<\/p>\n Who can forget last summer\u2019s sizzling temperatures? While some annuals wilt in extreme heat and humidity, Angelonia provides non-stop flowering. \u201cAngelonia has been around for 20 years but not everyone is familiar with what it is,\u201d says Friesen. \u201cThat is starting to change as customers discover what an amazing plant Angelonia is, especially in hot, dry locations. They need little care and if you forget to water for a day, you don\u2019t have to worry.\u201d<\/p>\n There are several series of Angelonia, but the Guardian Angel range is the newest as well as the tallest. \u201cGuardian Angel Pink is a knockout and a breakthrough in its height,\u201d says Friesen. \u201cUse it as a centrepiece in your planter.\u201d<\/p>\n Guardian Angel Pink boasts huge flowers with glossy dark-green leaves on 46-cm-tall stems.<\/p>\n We\u2019ll also see several new petunia varieties this year. Check out the new Easy Wave Pink Pearl from PanAmerican Seed. \u201cThe flowers are a very, very soft pink with violet-rose veining,\u201d says Friesen. \u201cIt\u2019s a larger flower and a fast-growing plant. Just gorgeous.\u201d<\/p>\n Demand is high, too, says Friesen, for new Headliner Crystal Pink. \u201cYou\u2019ll see a lot of this one. It was by far the No. 1 new introduction in terms of sales. Headliner Crystal Pink has a mounded, trailing habit. It has loads of flowers right to the crown and held up wonderfully all season in trials.\u201d<\/p>\n Eye-catching salvias And now for something different \u2014 the new series of Mystical Salvia with intriguingly narrow flower spikes of blue or white petals on stems from 30-46 cm tall. Salvia Mystical Blue is lovely, says Friesen, but it is Salvia Mystical White that has captured attention. \u201cThe flowers are a surprisingly crisp white colour. Sometimes white salvias tend to be a dirty white but not Salvia Mystical White. It has a lot more oomph to it.\u201d<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Proven Winners photo<\/p>\n Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Shadowstorm is a striking new variegated sweet potato vine from Proven Winners for 2026. Call it a game changer!<\/p>\n Who doesn\u2019t love zinnias? <\/p>\n The darling of cutting gardens, zinnias are a must-have flower. Zinnia Elegant Hot Mixture is a new dwarf zinnia series from PanAmerican Seed. \u201cIt grows to a height of 41-56 cm and gives you big, double-crested flowers. It has gone over like gangbusters and surprised everyone,\u201d says Friesen.<\/p>\n Zinnia Elegant Hot Mixture features double flowers in an eye-catching blend of warm colours \u2014 pink, orange, scarlet and rose. <\/p>\n \u201cThey\u2019re easy to grow and look great in a container or in the ground,\u201d says Friesen.<\/p>\n \n\t\tWinnipeg Free Press | Newsletter\n\t<\/p>\n \t\t\tWinnipeg Gardener<\/p>\n Monthly<\/p>\n What you need to know now about gardening in Winnipeg. An email with advice, ideas and tips to keep your outdoor and indoor plants growing.<\/p>\n \t\t\tSign up for Winnipeg Gardener<\/a><\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t Friesen is impressed with a new and vigorous calibrachoa from Proven Winners called Superbells Magic Double Grapefruit. \u201cIt\u2019s great for a basket or container,\u201d he says. \u201cIt has a trailing habit and loads of flowers with beautiful colours that open lemon-yellow then change to pink. It has good vigour and is essentially sold out for the year. If a greenhouse was late in getting their order in, they\u2019re not going to find it in Canada \u2014 it\u2019s been that popular.\u201d<\/p>\n But rest assured, gardeners will be able to find this new variety locally.<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t Ball Horticultural photo<\/p>\n With huge non-stop blooms on tall stems, new Angelonia Guardian Angel Pink boasts extreme heat-tolerance.<\/p>\n \u201cThere is no Ipomoea sweet potato vine on the market like Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Shadowstorm,\u201d says Friesen. \u201cIt\u2019s outstanding. Shadowstorm is going to attract a lot of interest.\u201d<\/p>\n New for 2026 from Proven Winners, Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Shadowstorm has heart-shaped leaves that are nearly black and speckled with green. \u201cIt\u2019s very controlled in its growth, so it won\u2019t take over your container,\u201d says Friesen.<\/p>\n colleenizacharias@gmail.com<\/p>\n \t\t\t\t Colleen Zacharias Colleen Zacharias writes about many aspects of gardening including trends, plant recommendations, and how-to information that is uniquely relevant to Prairie gardeners. She has written a column for the Free Press since 2010 and pens the monthly newsletter Winnipeg Gardener<\/a>. Read more about Colleen<\/a>.<\/p>\n Every piece of reporting Colleen produces is reviewed by an editing team before it is posted online or published in print \u2014 part of the Free Press\u2018s tradition, since 1872, of producing reliable independent journalism. Read more about Free Press\u2019s history and mandate<\/a>, and learn how our newsroom operates<\/a>.<\/p>\n
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\nand zinnias<\/p>\n
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Gardening columnist
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