Gardeners are looking for new plants every year. Here are new flowers and vegetables that will be featured in 2001 mail order seed catalogs, seed packets or as bedding plants at garden centers. The varieties are listed alphabetically by class, with the seed source listed in parentheses after the description. The designation "R" means a retail seed company from which gardeners may purchase seed directly by mail order or also in stores that carry the variety in seed packets. A "W" designation indicates a wholesale seed company which does not sell directly to home gardeners, but these varieties should be available in catalogs or as bedding plants at garden centers next spring.

FLOWERS

Ageratum F1 'Hawaii Mix' * A dwarf (6-inch) mix of popular 'Hawaii Series'. 'Shell Pink', a new color addition and a Fleuroselect Quality Mark joins Blue Hawaii, Royal Hawaii Improved, and White Hawaii for a unique mix. Blooms one week ahead of other Ageratums. (Johnny's Selected Seeds) R

Antirrhinum F1 'Palette Mix' * Dwarf snapdragon plant blooms early and flowers profusely all season. This hybrid is vigorous, has good uniformity, and is excellent for pot and garden. Mix colors include Lavender Eye, Red, Rose, Orange, Yellow, Purple, Bronze, Carmine, White and Rose. (American Takii) W

Cheiranthus 'Charity Yellow' * A truly exceptional wallflower that does not require vernalization to flower. It is perfect for fall, winter and spring. The Charity Series is grown like dwarf stock. Available in scarlet, yellow, cream yellow, rose red and mix. (American Takii) W

Cobaea scandens 'Key Lime' * Delivers 5 months of eye-catching pale green blooms on a carefree, fast-growing vine! Huge 2.5-inch by 3.5-inch flowers bloom from midsummer through fall. Direct-sow this ultra-easy annual. (Park Seed) R

Dianthus 'Bouquet Purple' * This beauty looks great in garden beds and makes a terrific cutflower, too. Tall and strong-stemmed plants have an open lacy look and soft fragrance. Each "cut and come again" plant pops with a bouquet of soft lavender flowers all summer long. (Pan American Seed) W

Geranium, Ivy 'Summer Showers White Blush' * The "cat's meow" in ivies! Pink "whiskers" accent the big, pure white blooms - which blush to light pink at maturity. The loose flower heads and distinctive ivy leaves cascade beautifully from basket, tubs, planters and window boxes all season. (PanAmerican Seed) W

Impatiens F1 'Accent Midnight Rose' * The first dark-leafed variety in the "Accent" series features unique dark green foliage and bright rose pink flowers. Blooms in shady areas from early spring to winter on free-flowering plants 10-12 inches high. "Accent" available in 26 colors, 8 formula mixtures. (Goldsmith Seeds) W

Impatiens F1 'ShowStopper Peach Flair' * Big, 2-inch, salmon orange blooms painted with distinctive red streaks boast a super-impressive look! The showy, mounded F1 impatiens are non-stop shade performers, creating spectacular baskets, landscapes and garden borders. Also available in 17 other colors and 3 mixes. (Ball Seed) W

Impatiens F1 'Tempo® Strawberry Butterfly' * With the largest flowers, excellent germination and compact habit, Bodger now offers over 27 separate colors and 7 mixtures. 'Tempo Strawberry Butterfly' has a strikingly beautiful pink flower with a deep cherry "butterfly" in the center. 6-10 inch garden height. (Bodger Seeds) W

Lavender stoechas 'Spanish' * Tender perennial, 2-foot mounding shrubs with silver-grey aromatic foliage topped with multitudes of rosy-purple flower bracts. Early blooming and heat-tolerant. Zone 7 (Renee's Garden) R

Leucanthemum 'Crazy Daisy' * Showy 2.5-inch fully double flowers, bright white with a yellow eye. Many of the flowers have "quill" type petals giving ?Crazy Daisy? a very special "fluffy" look. 24-28 inch garden height. Perennial zones 5-8. (Benary) W

Nasturtium 'Melba Yellow' * Bright cream-yellow colored flowers. Dwarf compact plants, carry flowers well above the foliage. Strong and appealing appearance. Great garden performance. (Kieft) W

Nicotiana 'Saratoga Appleblossom' * Two new colors join the 7 color series. "Saratoga Appleblossom" is soft pink and "Saratoga Rose" is bright rose. Both grow on long-lasting bushy plants 10-12 inches high. Their eye-catching, trumpet-shaped flowers provide fragrance at night or on cloudy days. (Goldsmith Seeds) W

Pansy 'Accord Black Beauty' * The first black pansy from Goldsmith. This dark purple flower appears black against a green backdrop in bright sunlight. A unique color that will draw attention in any garden. 6-8 inch garden height. "Accord" comes in 19 colors and 5 formula mixes. (Goldsmith Seeds) W

Pansy 'Baby Bingo™ Autumn Blaze Mix' * An all-new look for the garden-great "Superflora" series! "Fiery" mix of sizzling reds and yellows delivers loads of mid-size blooms that brighten up beds and containers. A perfect choice for spring and fall, 'Baby Bingo' survives winter in many areas. (PanAmerican Seed) W

Pansy F1 'Colossus Yellow w/blotch' * This extra large flowered series resists stretching in the garden and holds its vividly colored flowers upright on short, sturdy stems. Also newly available: Blue w/blotch, Red w/blotch, Rose w/blotch, White w/blotch, and Formula Mix. (Novartis) W

Pansy F1 'Dynamite Blue w/blotch' * Sakata's new annual blooming pansy, the large flowered 'Dynamite' series, will bloom continuously and maintain a compact habit from fall through early spring. 'Dynamites' blooming power is superior under the short days and cold temperatures of winter and early spring. (Sakata) W

Pansy F1 'Fama® Spanish Eyes' * Large flowered 'Fama® Spanish Eyes' is a beauty with a pleasing deep purple eye in stunning contrast with the bright white bloom. In cool weather the white will blush to a lovely light shade of purple. (Benary) W

Pansy F1 'Maxim Supreme Cream' * The annual 'Maxim Supreme' will bloom continuously and maintain a compact habit from fall through early spring. Growers can sow later in the season (skipping the heat associated with July and August) and still have early flowering pansies. (Sakata) W

Pansy 'Nature Rose' * The Nature Series is compact and blooms early to enhance vibrant colors in landscape design. Prolific in flowering, a mini-pansy that is hardy like a viola. Excellent for fall and spring. Available in Beacon, Ocean, Rose, Yellow, Blue, Pink Shades, White and Mix. (American Takii) W

Pansy F1 'Ultima Baron Red and Baron Purple' * Sakata offers two new colors, Red and Purple, to the attractive and unusual Ultima Baron series. Ultima Baron's are medium in flower size (2.5-inches) with abundant flowers and a compact habit. With early flowering potential, this series is ideal for spring and fall. (Sakata) W

Pentas F1 'Butterfly Red' * Hundreds of small, deep true red starry flowers adorn lush plants. Growing up to 18 inches tall in sunny gardens, 'Butterfly Red' makes the perfect resting spot for butterflies, hummingbirds and bees. The newest member of the 5-color 'Butterfly' series. (Ball Seed) W

Pentas 'New Look® White' * 8-10 inch Pentas 'New Look® White' has pure white flowers and a branching habit that matches very well with the other 4 colors (Red, Rose, Pink and Violet). Excellent heat tolerance as a full sun garden or patio plant. (Benary) W

Eustoma F1 'Forever Blue' * AAS Bedding Plant Award Winner * Large 2.5-inch single blue flowers decorate the vigorous plants. 'Forever Blue' plants have a distinct branching habit, benefiting the gardener with more blooms and a dense plant. This trait has been submitted for a utility patent. (PanAmerican Seed) W

Nicotiana F1 'Avalon Bright Pink' * AAS Bedding Plant Award Winner is an improved dwarf nicotiana that provides multitudes of bright pastel pink star-shaped blooms throughout the growing season. The heat tolerant plants will reach a mature height of 10 inches and spread 10 to 12 inches. Easy-to-grow, this AAS Winner requires no deadheading. (Floranova) W

Pepper, Ornamental 'Explosive Ember' * Three new 'Explosive' varieties are ideal for pot or landscape. 'Ember' offers deep purple foliage and flowers with conical fruits that mature from purple to deep red. 'Ignite' offers a prostrate, spreading habit with long, narrow fruits maturing from ivory to yellow-green to bright orange-red. 'Blast' is compact with clusters of conical fruit on top of the plant, maturing from yellow-green to red. (Novartis) W

Petunia F1 'Avalanche™ Salmon Shades' * Introducing Bodger's first spreading hybrid Petunia! 'Avalanche™' varieties have a terrific plant habit that holds up better under wet weather, and have a tighter plant habit than other varieties. Other new 'Avalanche™' colors include Lilac, Pink, and Red. 8 inch garden height. (Bodger Seeds) W

Petunia F1 'Kahuna White' * The first white spreading petunia from seed, displays an abundance of large, luminous white flowers all over this slightly upright plant. Perfect for the landscape, it reaches a height of 12 to 24" and a spread up to 3.5 feet for magnificent color. (Novartis) W

Petunia F1 'Summer Sunrise' * Large, sunny yellow flowers blushed with a touch of pink reflect the beauty of a summer morning. 'Summer Sunrise' is a grandiflora that blooms continually, making it ideal for creating spectacular garden beds and dazzling containers. NK Exclusive. (NK Lawn & Garden) R

Phlox 'Mount Hampden Mixture' * Rich mixture of tightly clustered semi-double and double flowers in a warm color range. Genetically compact, base branching plants. Weather resistant. Long flowering period. No better semi-double varieties for bedding, borders and containers will be found. (Kieft) W

Portulaca F1 'Margarita Rosita' * AAS Bedding Plant Award Winner Large 1.5-inch semi-double rose flowers adorn the small 3 to 4 inch fleshy leaved compact mounded plant. Mature spreading plant habit of 12 to 14 inches. Easy-to grow heat and drought tolerant 'Margarita Rosita' will flower continuously for months in a sunny garden. (Waller Genetics) W

Sunflower 'Earthwalker' * Brown and terra-colored flowers, with dark center. Tall, strong-stemmed, vigorous, side-branching and multiheaded sunflower. Flowering in abundance. Trendy addition to the home-gardener's range. (Kieft) W

Sunflower 'Ring of Fire' * AAS Flower Award Winner is a 5-inch sunflower having golden petal edges and a ring of red surrounding the chocolate brown center. May require 120 days to show bicolor blooms, but this late season display is often what the garden needs for a fresh new look. Plants may reach 4 to 5 feet tall, spreading 2 to 3 feet. Perfect for cut flowers. (Benary) W

Sweet Pea 'North Shore' * Beautiful Royal Horticultural Society winner with bicoloured ruffled petals in rich claret and violet-blue, sweetly perfumed and elegant. (Renee's Garden) R

Vinca 'Heatwave™ Blue with Eye' * Early flowering 'Heatwave™' plants have a beautiful, mounding garden habit that has been praised in garden trials across the USA. Bodger's three new 'Heatwave™' varieties, Lilac/Blue, Cherry, and Raspberry have white eyes. 15-inch garden height. (Bodger Seeds) W

Viola 'Gemini Purple & Yellow' * These vigorous little charmers make a big impact Spring and Fall, showing slightly larger flowers than most violas in two all-new color combinations - Purple & Yellow and Purple & White. Profusely blooming plants mound to about 8 inches in the garden and make terrific hanging baskets, too. (Ball Seed) W

Zinnia 'Profusion White' * AAS Gold Medal & Flower Award Winner captured the AAS Gold Medal as a breeding breakthrough due to the ease of growing and length of the flowering season. This is the only white Zinnia with 2.5-inch single daisy-like flowers and proven disease resistance. The plant resists powdery mildew allowing it to flower profusely in the fall when other zinnias deteriorate from mildew. Plants spread 12-24 inches in a full sun garden. No pinching or pruning is needed. (Sakata) W

VEGETABLES

Bean, Bush 'HMX 5991' * This gourmet quality green bean has 5 to 5.5-inch long, slender, dark green pods and its eating quality rivals all. Excellent yields in 60 days from erect compact bush plants that have excellent disease tolerance. (P.V.P. applied for) Seeds are very slow to develop. (Harris Seeds) R

Cabbage F1 'Gonzales' * 66 days. Early mini-cabbage. Compact, "single-serving" size heads mature early and hold well in the garden without splitting. Round, blue-green heads are firm and dense, with good flavor. Plant at 8-12 inch spacing for uniform, small heads. (Johnny's Selected Seeds) R

Cantaloupe 'Park's Whopper Hybrid' * A quick-finishing, delicious melon suitable for growing almost anywhere in the contiguous U.S. – even short-season regions! Ready in just 77 days, this enormous 6-8 pound melon boasts firm flesh and succulent, juicy-sweet flavor. Resistant to Fusarium races 0-1, &2, and Powdery Mildew races 1& 2. (Park Seed) R

Carrot F1 'Candy Stick' * As sweet as its name, Candy Stick Hybrid carrot is special. Long, slender, bright orange roots have a high sugar content and pleasing texture. Strongly attached tops make it easy to harvest the delicious, 10-inch roots. Harvest in 72 days. NK exclusive. (NK Lawn & Garden) R

Carrot 'Nutri-Red' * This healthful new cooking carrot, 'Nutri-Red', contains about the same amount of the cancer-fighting antioxidant, lycopene, as tomatoes by weight. 'Nutri-Red' is a novel home garden carrot because it turns a deeper red when cooked. It is tapered, grows to about 9-inches, and matures in 76 days. (Seminis) W

Lettuce 'Blush Batavian' Crunchy Blend * Weather-tolerant, heavy rosettes with big crunchy and tender leaves in handsome reds and greens. French specialty for home gardeners. Bolting resistance, tip burn and Lettuce Mosaic Virus tolerance. (Renee's Garden) R

Onion F1 'Super Star' * AAS Vegetable Award Winner is an improved white sweet onion recommended for all spring gardens in North America because it is day length neutral. Mild, sweet 'Super Star' onions are exceptional when eaten raw. 'Super Star' onions can weigh one pound or more, when mature in about 100 days. Resistant to pink root. (Seminis) W

Pepper F1 'Fooled You' * Just when you've braced for another hot pepper, 'Fooled You,' hybrid pepper, turns out to be non-pungent while retaining its great taste. This fruit looks like normal jalapenos except that it is larger, measuring about 3.25 inches long. Plants grow about 27 inches tall. (Seminis) W

Pepper F1 'Giant Marconi' * AAS Vegetable Award Winner is an improved Italian grilling pepper. About 6 to 8 inches long, the tapered green pepper will mature to red on the 30-inch plant. 'Giant Marconi' tastes excellent raw but is best when grilled. It has a memorable sweet, smoky flavor. Plants are resistant to Potato Virus Y and Tobacco Mosaic Virus. Harvest about 72 days from transplanting. (Seminis) W

Squash F1 'Tigress' * 'Tigress' is an early maturing hybrid with smooth, medium green fruit that closely resembles very popular Zucchini 'Elite'. With tolerance to Zucchini Yellows Mosaic and Watermelon Mosaic II Virus the plant will yield late into the season. (Harris Seeds) R

Sweet Corn F1 'Honey Select' * AAS Vegetable Award Winner has proven its delicious sweet honey flavor and tender eating quality. A TripleSweet™ variety, 'Honey Select' ears are 75% sugary enhanced (se) and 25% supersweet (sh2) kernels. Unlike other supersweet types, 'Honey Select' does not require isolation from other corn pollen. Maturing in about 79 days, ears about 8 inches long. (Novartis) W

Sweet Corn F1 'Sweet Satin' * Improved sweetness and eating quality combined with 'Sweet Breed™' seed makes this variety an excellent choice for the white sweet corn lover. The 8-inch well-filled ears have a refined kernel and the sturdy plants have excellent disease tolerance. (Harris Seeds) R

Tomato F1 'Jolly' * AAS Vegetable Award Winner is a delicious, new pink tomato. The vigorous indeterminate vines produce abundant clusters of 1.5-ounce peach shaped fruit. Expect about 9 to 14 tomatoes per cluster. 'Jolly' plants yield ripe fruit in about 70-75 days from transplanting. 'Jolly' plants are easy-to-grow offering meaty, sweet pink tomatoes. (Known-You Seed) W

Tomato F1 'Granny Smith' * Here is a new surprise tomato - 'Granny Smith' fruits ripen with plenty of flavor without ever turning red. Instead, they develop good sugars and acids, and taste better than any "green" tomato. Matures in 72 days and disease resistance includes V1, F1, St, and ASC. (Seminis) W

Tomato F1 'Porterhouse' * Giant beefsteak tomato with outstanding flavor. Smoother fruits than other beefsteaks and larger fruit than 'Big Beef'. Color is an attractive deep red and shape is a hefty deep oblate. Disease resistance is being tested. Indeterminate habit. (Burpee) R

Disease Resistance Codes ASC=Alternaria Stem Canker St=Gray Leaf Spot F1=Fusarium race 1 V1=Verticillium race 1