I don’t know about you, but I’m ready to get outside and get my hands into the warm dirt. Gardening season can’t come soon enough this year. In the meantime, I will have to scratch that itch in other ways (starting seeds) and, of course, dream about what I am going to do to improve my garden this year. The list below features products and plants that would be wonderful additions to any garden. Find inspiration and items that will take your garden to the next level, make your work easier, and add the color or interest you want.

Is there a new product or plant you’ve seen that we’re missing? Leave a comment below with what you’re most excited about in the world of gardening this year.

 

Jung Seed

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New plants for 2024

Mammoth™ Yellow Quill Chrysanthemum

The Mammoth™ Yellow Quill chrysanthemum was bred in Minnesota to be extra hardy. These mums require no pinching, pruning, or deadheading and survive temperatures as low as –30°F. By their second or third year they can reach 4 feet across with hundreds of blooms per plant, significantly impacting landscapes. Plants can grow from 18 to 36 inches tall. Zones 3 to 9.

Price: $14.95

Source: jungseed.com

 

‘Dark Side of the Moon’ Astilbe

‘Dark Side of the Moon’ is an astilbe with dark chocolate-burgundy foliage paired with purple flowers. This easy-care perennial prefers shade with rich, moist, and well-drained soil. Plants display colorful masses of feathery spikes for weeks, usually beginning in midsummer, and can grow up to 22 inches tall. Zones 4 to 8.

Price: $14.95

Source: jungseed.com

 

‘Glad Rags’ Hosta

The ‘Glad Rags’ hosta will add color contrast to your hosta borders with its corrugated and cupped 4-inch leaves. Its narrow, green centers and very wide, bright yellow margins cover almost the entire surface. As the season progresses, the margins soften to shades of ivory and bear small, light lavender flowers. Plants
can grow up to 18 inches tall. Zones 3 to 8.

Price: $18.95

Source: jungseed.com

 

Rent Mason Bees

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Enhance Your Garden With Stingless Mason Bees

Mason bees are fast becoming the new bee to host in your yard. Known as Mother Nature’s premier pollinators, they effortlessly pollinate 95% of everything they touch. When you join our solitary bee team as a host, you release bees and rent nesting blocks. Renting a kit from Rent Mason Bees gives gardeners the benefits of pollination without having to do the annual maintenance work ­because we do all the cleaning and winter storage for you. To learn more, visit our website: rentmasonbees.com.

• Emerge in spring: Mason bees hibernate in a cocoon all winter long and emerge in spring when temperatures reach 55°F.
• Belly floppers: Mason bees belly flop onto blossoms and collect pollen all over their body hairs.
• Incredible pollinators: Mason bees are covered in loose pollen that enables them to pollinate 95% of everything they land on. They can visit 2,000 blossoms a day.
• Solitary bees: Mason bees live and work alone. All females lay their own eggs, gather their own food, and find their own nests. With no queen to protect, they are nonaggressive.
• We do all the maintenance for you! Solitary bees need annual maintenance in the fall to remove harmful predators. When you rent, we’ll take care of the cleaning for you.

Price: $85

Source: rentmasonbees.com

 

Garden Artisans

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Because the garden is your canvas

The Charleston

A study in elegance, this finely crafted rose support is designed to induce a well-kept habit that encourages the growth of new and budding side shoots. Galvanized, powder-coated steel and one-piece construction combine for a sturdy, rust-resistant structure backed by a 10-year warranty. This support rises to 7 feet 7 inches with a 20-inch diameter. A larger version suitable for parks is also available.

Price: $2,037

Source: gardenartisans.com/charleston-rose-pillar

 

Concrete Spheres

Classic, simple, stunning. The organic texture and shape of these spheres complement any garden style. Group them in a bed, dot them through a border, or use them to line the edge of a path or driveway. Made of concrete with an invisible flat bottom and optional drilled hole to accommodate rebar staking for added stability. Offered in 4 sizes and 15 colors.

Price: $89-$299

Source: gardenartisans.com/concrete-garden-sphere

 

Ziggy Garden Gnome

Meet Ziggy, the handsomest gnome in town. Finely detailed in cast stone with a carefully groomed beard and charmingly bemused expression, he makes a delightful garden resident. Standing 29 inches tall, Ziggy is available in over 20 subtly toned finishes. Shown here is Relic Hi-tone.

Price: $185

Source: gardenartisans.com/ziggy-garden-gnome

 

Conifer Kingdom

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Striking Foliage Colors

‘Autumn Moon’ Full-Moon Maple (Acer shirasawanum ‘Autumn Moon’)

This breathtaking maple adds sculptural interest to the garden as well as a rare and striking orange hue that lasts from when the leaves first emerge in spring until they develop their richly dappled burnt orange shades in fall. For the best color development, plant in full sun. ‘Autumn Moon’ is one of our best sellers and is a must-have for every garden. Zone 5.

Price: Starting at $54.99

Source: coniferkingdom.com/acer-shirasawanum-autumn-moon

 

Golden Variegated Japanese Forest Grass (Hakonechloa macra ‘Aureola’)

This golden, variegated Japanese forest grass makes an incredible companion for Japanese maples and conifers. It forms a sweeping mound shape and provides a softness to garden beds or romantic movement when lining pathways. It is especially striking when paired with a deep-hued companion, like a deep burgundy maple. Other varieties are available as well, such as ‘Beni-kaze,’ ‘All Gold,’ and ‘Lemon Zest,’ so be sure to check out the full collection.

Price: $16.99

Source: coniferkingdom.com/hakonechloa-macra-aureola-hakone-japanese-forest-grass

 

Phyllom BioProducts

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Natural. Effective. Targeted.

Discovered and developed by a team of experts

Over a span of 15 years, Phyllom BioProducts’ patented strain of Bacillus thuringiensis (Bt) is the first bio insecticide powerful enough to effectively control susceptible beetles, weevils, borers, and grubs. And unlike the chemical products, Phyllom’s products do not pose a risk to nontarget beneficial insects such as earthworms and ladybugs or to pollinators such as bees and butterflies. That makes Phyllom BioProducts the new standard for high performance and safety. You can now achieve a high level of control as with chemical insecticides without doing harm to the natural ecosystem in your yard.

beetleGONE!^® tlc

Use this spray for highly effective organic control of adult beetles, weevils, and borers without harming bees, butterflies, or ladybugs. Target the pest, not the rest!

This product is for organic gardening and production. Mix in water and spray on edible garden plants, ornamental plants, trees, or turf. It can also be mixed into or sprayed on potting or garden soil to control beetle grubs. With a zero-day preharvest interval, you can treat for beetles and harvest your food the same day. And there are no label restrictions for use around bees or flowering plants; therefore, beetleGONE! can be safely used while pollinators are active. This is the only nonchemical spray product on the market that performs at a high level like the leading chemicals but is safe for homeowners and pollinators alike.

Price: $69.99 (1-lb. bag)

Source: beetlegone.com

 

grubGONE!^® G

This easy-to-apply granule is highly effective in controlling all types of scarab beetle grubs (such as chafers and Japanese beetles), billbugs, and bluegrass weevils in lawns without harming homeowners, pets, pollinators, earthworms, or birds. It does not contaminate the water table or riparian areas such as streams, ponds, and lakes.

The only nonchemical that effectively controls turf grubs from spring through fall, grubGONE! works not only against first-instar grubs but also against larger and hardier second- and third-instar grubs. It thus reduces populations of destructive grubs during spring-summer and helps to reduce secondary foraging in summer-fall.

Price: $69.99 (10-lb. bag)

Source: beetlegone.com

Target the Pest, Not the Rest®

• Controls the grub (larva) of all scarab beetles and other listed turf insects.
• Does NOT harm beneficials (bees, butterflies, earthworms, ladybugs).
• Does NOT put your children or pets at risk like the chemical products do.
• Does NOT contaminate groundwater, ponds, creeks.
• Target grubs with the high-performing, natural protein BTG that kills turf grubs within days.
• Adding to the power of BTG are 1,000 times more spores per pound than other biological,
  microbial, nonchemical products.
• No need to sacrifice the high performance of leading chemicals for safety.
• Much higher performance than oils, nematodes, and milky spore products.
• Higher performing than the ground and water-contaminating chemical chlorantraniliprole products.

Targeted insect pests include: scarab beetle grubs and adults such as Japanese beetle, Asiatic garden beetle, European chafer, rose chafer, May or June beetle, northern masked chafer, southern masked chafer, black turfgrass ataenius, green June beetle, oriental beetle; leaf beetles such as rice and alder leaf; weevils such as annual bluegrass, sweet potato, pepper, pecan, citrus/strawberry root and other root weevils; flea beetle, borers such as emerald ash borer, gold spotted oak borer, and soap berry borer; and darkling beetles.

 

Bluestone Perennials

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New varieties for 2024

‘Violet Profusion’ Salvia

Hummingbirds, butterflies, and bees—oh my! This salvia is a blooming machine. Violet-blue spires on rosy-purple stalks highlight the dense emerald-green foliage. ‘Violet Profusion’ is hands down one of the very best perennial salvias for consistent rebloom.

Source: bluestoneperennials.com/SAVP

 

‘Sweet Sandia’ Coneflower

Unexpected bicolor flowers are luscious pink tipped in pistachio green. Featuring daisylike flowers with broad petals, this coneflower is aptly named Sandia, which means “watermelon” in Spanish. A long-blooming sweet summer treat.

Source: bluestoneperennials.com/ECSW

 

Belarina® Spring Sun Primrose

Goodbye winter and hello sunshine! Primroses in bloom are a sure indicator that spring is here. Ruffled sunny yellow flowers blanket the crisp emerald-green, deeply-veined foliage. The sizable double blossoms bloom profusely throughout the spring season.

Source: bluestoneperennials.com/PRBS