Gardening season is upon us, and all of us at Salisbury are eager to start planning our flower beds and landscape layouts. Needless to say, we’ve been spending a lot of time at home lately, and we’re excited for a change of scenery! One of our favourite parts about spring is revealing all of the new and exciting annual flowers. It’s like New York Fashion Week for the gardening world! 

We’re definitely in the mood to shake things up a bit and get creative with outdoor decorating. Salisbury is carrying these six new annual cultivars that are sure to make a splash this year, so pick some up while they’re available! Remember, we’ve got curbside pickup and delivery options, so we can help you get your hands on them with zero hassle!

Our Top 6 Annuals For 2020

Each year, so many spectacular hybrids and unique cultivars are introduced, and this year’s standouts definitely deserve some love. Here are our top six favorite new annuals for 2020:

Superbells Honey Berry Calibrachoa

Superbells are always a popular hanging basket plant because their explosion of colourful blossoms are so energetic and fun. The more sunshine they get, the more voluminous they become, with long, trailing vines of flowers spilling down the sides of the container. 

The Honey Berry variety has a sugary sweet, candy-coloured palette of pink and yellow. They look downright adorable on their own, but they also make great additions to mixed displays, especially with bright shades of purple and red, so try them as a “spiller” plant in your custom container arrangements. 

XXL Series Dahlia

For an exotic, tropical vibe and dramatic, eye-catching blooms, look no further than the Dahlia XXL. Though it’s native to Mexico, dahlias have been a popular addition to Edmonton gardens for years, but as a summer annual rather than a perennial.

This new variety is really making waves, with flowers that grow up to 6 inches wide in ultra-saturated summer colours. They grow their best and brightest when they’re given a whole lotta sunshine, water, and fertilizer, so don’t skimp on feeding these fast-growing annual blooms!

Luna Hibiscus

There’s something so elegant about the silky, rippled petals of these classic tropical flowers. I love the white variety, which kind of reminds me of Marilyn Monroe’s dress in that famous scene over the subway grate, though there are some equally fabulous pink and red varieties that have been turning heads lately. At full size, the blossoms reach 7″“8 inches across, in clusters that grow about 3 feet tall and 2″“3 feet wide. They need lots of water””just make sure their soil has good drainage, so the roots don’t soak in a stagnant pool. 

Salisbury-Grown Bougainvillea

That’s right; we’re growing our own tropical flowers in the greenhouse! If you’re looking to focus on buying more local products and reducing your carbon footprint, buying locally-grown tropical foliage plant is a pretty great option. Bougainvillea has long been one of the most beloved tropical flowers, with its neon magenta flowers that grow into a massive, cloud-like cluster. Since our growing season for bougainvillea is a lot shorter than it is in their native homeland, you probably won’t end up with a 30-foot plant like the kinds you see in Mexico. However, with a lot of sunshine and water, you can still expect your plant to get pretty big in a short period. 

Crazytunia Cherries Jubilee Petunia

Petunias are pretty much the quintessential summer hanging basket flower because they grow so quickly and beautifully with minimal maintenance, and the way they spill down the sides of their container is just *chef’s kiss* magnifico. The Crazytunia variety is a particularly vigorous grower, and the Cherries Jubilee colour scheme is sure to grab people’s attention. They look kind of like those old-timey red and white swirly peppermint candies! So, if you want to get whimsical and bring on some Willy Wonka vibes in your backyard, these flowers will do the trick. 

Blue Suede Shoes Salvia

True-blue flowers aren’t very common in the gardening world, so we always get excited whenever we encounter a new variety with that cool, rich shade. It’s deep and vibrant, but less intense and electric than the typical hot pinks and yellows that you always see in summer annuals. The Blue Suede Shoes salvia variety makes an impressive centrepiece for container arrangements because its upright stems and continuous blooming habit will grab people’s attention. Put some spiller plants around the edge to fill out the display””they pair nicely with white flowers and foliage plants with a more muted, silvery-green tint. 

If you want to see these gorgeous new annuals in person, visit Salisbury Greenhouse to see the new collection! You can also feel free to browse our Instagram, Facebook, or our GrowStore to see the kinds of plants and supplies we’ll be carrying this year, and we will happily arrange a curbside pickup for delivery order for you.