With seed catalogs arriving daily, gardeners are in full planning and dreaming mode. As much as I enjoy growing a few things from seed it's also really exciting to be able to purchase fully grown plants and of course I want to see what is both new and deer-resistant. Proven Winners always comes up with some new temptations, so as your self-appointed enabler I thought I'd share those that have caught my eye – including some I had the opportunity to trial in my own garden last year.

Sunny Areas

Firefly Fuchsia yarrow

What caught my attention was the color – rather than the typical shades of red, yellow and orange, this vibrant fuchsia fades to pink. I suggest combining this with shades of orange and gold for a bold color punch. Or if you want to tone it down, use white and silver. Like all yarrow it thrives in well drained soil and is hardy in zones 3-8. I've had issues with voles eating yarrow but I agree it is deer resistant. Rabbits may be curious early in the season so be prepared to spray with a proprietary repellent until the perennial gets established. This variety grows to 30" tall so I'm curious to see if it will need a few twigs to support it. Let me know how you get on if you try it. Details and online ordering

Bobblehead ornamental onion

I'm a sucker for these ornamental onions. they spread politely, look great in containers or landscape, flower for an extended period of time in mid-late summer and are equally happy in full or part sun. Bobblehead flowers are a delicate pale lilac – almost white, but not quite, while the foliage has a blue undertone which is attractive. Like Milennium and Serendipity, this variety is heat tolerant, drought tolerant and highly deer resistant. Rabbits may nibble emerging foliage, however. I solve this by placing an old hanging basket frame over emerging leaves, removing it when the buds begin to swell, at which point my rabbits have lost interest. For mature clumps, I leave the old stalks in place over winter, removing them easily with a gentle tug when the new blades are approximately 6" tall. For partner plants I'd be looking to deep blues, purples or even burgundy to add some depth of color. Dark leaved weigela, loropetalum or penstemon would all be contenders to consider. Bobblehead is hardy in zones 4-8 Details and online ordering

Scarlet Ribbon tickseed

Oooooh!! I really want to try this! I love the color which Proven Winners describes as "velvety maroon-red". I especially like threadleaf tickseed for the feathery foliage and have been a fan of Zagreb for years. I'd even consider mass planting  tapestry of both varieties. Yum. Drought tolerant and deer resistant like other varieties, Scarlet Ribbons was also selected for its outstanding mildew resistance. A word about rabbit resistance: when I grew two long, low borders of Zagreb the rabbits didn't bother it – or the damage was so minimal within the large grouping it wasn't noticeable. When I tested a single plant of tickseed in another area, the rabbits went after it. With that knowledge I'd suggest using a proprietary rabbit repellent until the perennial grows enough to become established. At 20-inches tall this is a good height for the front of the border. Hardy in zones 5-9 Details and online ordering.

Rose Rhinestones penstemon

I'm not a fan of pink flowers and really only use them if the foliage wins me over. So when I received this penstemon to trial in my garden last spring I was initially underwhelmed – but quickly revised that opinion to impressed! I tucked this into the front border so I could keep an eye on it but never deadheaded it nor gave it supplemental water (trial plants get tough love here!). It may be worth noting that my soil is amended clay so has a reasonable degree of moisture retention. Since penstemon generally need extremely good drainage – possibly with added gravel, I'm curious to see how it does through our soggy Seattle winters.  This perennial was a remarkable performer all summer with multiple waves of flowers on strong stems. The shade of pink was just right too – neither washed out nor a "baby-pink", it had just enough depth to be fun. The hummingbirds were equally impressed I might add. This penstemon is hardy in zones 4-8 and I for one will be including it in my client designs from now on. Details and online ordering

Mega Millions black-eyed Susan

I'm still a fan of Goldsturm – it's inexpensive, easy to find, and in my garden has no disease issues. However, for many gardeners that 1937 introduction is plagued by fungal leaf spot and as such has fallen out of favor. Mega Millions looks to be the perfect alternative, promising good disease resistance and unlike Goldsturm doesn't self seed. It's also more compact than Goldsturm and in trials proved to be exceptionally floriferous. Add to that the expected qualities of drought tolerance, deer resistance and easy care and I for one am willing to test it out. Are you? Hardy in zones 3-9 (like Goldsturm). Details and online ordering

Kingsley larkspur

I've always loved delphinium, especially those Pacific Giants in a range of blue and lavender tones. However, as much as they are reliably deer-resistant they are also higher maintenance than I have time for since they need staking and deadheading. That's where this introduction has me curious. It offers those same gorgeous blooms I love but on a compact 2 foot-tall plant. That means no staking is needed and since this perennial has multiple flower spikes it should offer a good show. Hardy in zones 3-9 I think this is definitely worth revisiting. Details and links to local retailers

Riptide Stoke's aster

Here's another old favorite making a comeback: Stoke's aster. This was included in my trial plants from Proven Winners last year, so like the penstemon I tucked it in the front garden in order to keep an eye on it, without much in the way of expectations. I was very pleasantly surprised – it was a blooming machine! Each flower lasted a long time too and was at least 2" in diameter – larger than the image suggests. Deer and rabbits left it alone and it was perfectly happy without supplemental water. ( PW says this needs "average water" – I get away with less since my amended clay is moisture retentive) Mine was only a young quart size plant so was a bit floppier than the image above but I'm hopeful that as it matures it will be more of the compact mound shape. I'm also curious to see how it does in our winter-wet soils. I realize that like penstemon, this species needs well drained soil. My soil in this bed doesn't get over saturated, and both lavender and gaura thrive here, but I need a few more months to determine winter hardiness. Fingers crossed as I really like it! Details and online ordering

Shady Areas

Webmaster spiderwort

I really wish I had taken better photos of this when I was testing it in my garden last year as it honestly looked more impressive than this image from Proven Winners! I hadn't grown spiderwort for a number of years as they all seemed to flop for me and didn't bloom that much anyway. Webmaster seems to be much improved in both regards. I grew mine in a location where it got morning sun only (PW says it will also take more sun than this), never gave it extra water in my amended clay soil (although PW says it needs consistent water) and didn't cut off spent flowers yet it bloomed in several waves from mid summer to early fall. the flowers were larger than other spiderwort I'd grown and it didn't seem quite as floppy – although that may change as it matures I know. The color suggests a very pale lavender but in my garden it was a touch deeper than this. the foliage had more blue to it as well – one of the things I really liked about it. Hardy in zones 3-9, this is another test for my winter wet soils. Details and online ordering

Cotton Candy meadow rue

I adore meadow rue in my woodland garden – those fluffy flowers are so touchable, and the foliage is as delicate as a maidenhair fern. I really can't imagine a shade garden without these. Cotton Candy offers the traditional pink-lavender flowers on a plant which will grow to 3'-6", so best in the middle of the border. However, it is not so tall as to need staking. Combine it with the Siberian bugloss below and big-root geranium for a beautiful vignette in the shade garden. Meadow rue need average water but mine never receive supplemental water and do just fine. They are ignored by rabbits and deer which both like to party in the woodland area. Hardy in zones 5-8. Details and online ordering

Emerald Mist Siberian bugloss

Do we really need another variety of Siberian bugloss???? Maybe! This is a new sport of Jack Frost which appears to have slightly improved patterning and is suitable for smaller spaces than some varieties. I'm certainly a sucker for these as I love the blue spring flowers, the long-lasting colorful foliage, the reliable deer and rabbit resistance and the fact that they are remarkably drought tolerant for me. Hardy in zones 3-8 Details and local retailer information

What are you going to try this year?