Most gardeners have favorite go-to plants that perform well in their climate and simply make them happy. For me, those are coneflowers, catmint, liatris, alliums, day lilies, black-eyed Susans and oh so many tomatoes.

But every year, I manage to find at least a little space for something new that woos me from a garden-center shelf or the pages of a catalog.

PERENNIALS

The 2023 season brings us several firsts, including the first-ever ground cover Shasta daisy, Leucanthemum “Carpet Angel,” from Green Fuse Botanicals. Named a 2023 All-America Selection by the independent, nonprofit organization of the same name. The extremely cold-hardy plant starts blooming earlier than other varieties and keeps going straight through fall in zones 4a-10b.

Proven Winners has introduced two new native hummingbird mints in their Meant to Bee collection - “Royal Raspberry” and “Queen Nectarine” - which, as the group’s name implies, is beloved by bees. I grew the latter in my test garden last year and was impressed with the terracotta-colored flowers that blanketed most of the plant from midsummer through fall. Hardy in zones 5-9, the mounding perennial should reach 30-36 inches in two or three years.

Also from Proven Winners, the new Upscale “Red Velvet” bee balm, another native that lures pollinators to the garden. Suitable for part-sun to sun in zones 4-8, the tall Monarda variety emerges from dormancy with bronze-tinged foliage before large, cherry-red flowers take center stage in spring and summer. The deer-resistant plants grow to 32 inches tall.

The breeder’s Rock’ N Round “Bright Idea” hybrid sedum stonecrop added a burst of yellow to my sunny test garden with its red stems, serrated green leaves and bright yellow, star-shaped blooms. The 10-12 inches salt-tolerant perennial attracts bees and butterflies, resists rabbit attacks and thrives in hot, dry spots in zones 3-9.

PanAmerican Seed’s Echinacea “Artisan Yellow Ombre,” is a bushy, multi-branched coneflower that produced bright yellow flowers in my test garden. Grow it in full sun in zones 4a-10b and watch as the pollinators come.

The breeder’s new Rudbeckia “Goldblitz” is a strong, 28-inch black-eyed Susan with shiny green leaves and abundant blooms. The sun-lover starts blooming about three weeks earlier than other varieties and continues into fall. It’s hardy in 3a-9b.

Astilbe “Dark Side of the Moon,” a National Gardening Bureau Green Thumb Award winner, is a long-lived, shade-tolerant perennial that attracts bees and resists deer and rabbits. Foliage starts out yellow with a dark margin before turning a rich chocolate brown, and its raspberry-colored buds open to reveal pinkish-purple flowers. The plant is hardy in zones 4-9 and reaches 22 inches, including the tall flower spikes.

ANNUALS

The shade-tolerant, downy mildew-resistant “Glimmer” double impatiens from Ball Flora Plant are reminiscent of miniature roses and come in an array of colors, including Appleblossom, Bright Red, Burgundy, Dark Red, Hot Pink, Salmon and White. Plants grow to 10-16” tall and 10-12” wide.

The beautiful tropical “Royal Hawaiian Waikiki” Colocasia elephant ears was honored with a National Gardening Bureau 2023 Green Thumb Award. Its large, glossy leaves, adorned with creamy white centers and pink veins, are held atop deep burgundy stems on compact plants sturdy enough to withstand wind and rain. Grow it as an annual in zones 7 and under.

Starflower “Paper Moon” Scabiosa, another Green Thumb Award winner, is a pollinator-friendly annual. Its 36-inch stems hold round clusters of pale blue, purple-veined flowers that give way to decorative, papery bronze seed heads, which can be used in fresh bouquets or dry arrangements. For best results, grow it in full sun.

Snapdragon “Double Shot” Orange Bicolor, from Hems Genetics, has uniquely strong, branched stems that hold white-backed, double orange-red flowers that fade to a dusty hue as the season progresses. The All-America Selection winner grows to 18-20 inches tall in full or part sun.

EDIBLES

“Sun Dipper” tomato from PanAmerican Seed was named Best New Edible Plant of 2023 by the National Gardening Bureau. Its peanut-shaped, orange fruits, meant to make dipping easier, and bred to resist fusarium wilt, tobacco mosaic virus and root-knot nematodes.

Another new tomato, “Vivacious,” is notable for its enhanced nutritional value. Breeder W. Atlee Burpee claims the roughly 3-inch-long, plum-shaped, orange fruits are high in beta carotene, with just one tomato said to provide 40% of the recommended daily allowance of vitamin A.

How about a seedless pepper? “Pepper Pots Sugar Kick” from Proven Winners is a miniature, sweet orange snacking pepper that grows seedless when isolated from other pepper varieties to prevent cross-pollination.