It hardly seems that winter arrived at all in 2026, and I can already see gardeners chomping at the bit to start planting something new in their green spaces. While this milder weather did curtail my local ski season, it also means that we will be stocking the garden centre much earlier than usual this year due to customer demand.
So, just to whet your appetite, here are eight unique plants that you might want to consider for your own garden.
Acer palmatum ‘Bihou’
This recent introduction from Japan has a common name of Golden Coral Bark Maple, as the main feature here are the luminous yellow stems, which seem to be highlighted with hints of coral wherever they are exposed to cold winds. The beautifully serrated new growth is chartreuse with burgundy-pink edges, which shifts to a rich green in summer that contrasts well against the golden branching. Grows 12-15’ tall. Hardy to USDA zone 5.
📸 MK Lascelle
Hosta ‘Above the Clouds’
There are so many new Hosta out there that it can be difficult to sort through the diverse distractions to discover something truly garden worthy. This cultivar from the Shadowland Series really does reach ‘above the clouds’ with its extreme powder blue foliage which is puckered to the point of almost being cupped. Couple with Aralia cordata ‘Sun King’ for an truly spectacular plant combination. Grows 25” tall. Hardy to USDA zone 3.
📸 Proven Winners
Syringa ‘Bloomerang Showmound’
This is the first white introduction in the repeat-flowering Bloomerang Lilac Series, so those of you with alba gardens should be rejoicing. The dense clusters of pristine white blooms emerge in late spring, with repeat flowering from midsummer into autumn. These are held on a very compact, domed canopy that will fit in the smallest urban landscape, and the foliage is also very disease resistant. Grows 1.5-3’ tall and wide. Hardy to USDA zone 3.
📸 Spring Meadows
Primula ‘Belarina Lively Lilac’
Forget those run of the mill bedding primulas and consider investing in a few perennial varieties from the Belarina Series. The newest of these is ‘Lively Lilac’ which features ruffled double blooms of creamy-white with strong lilac-purple edges and a hint of a white picotee. These begin to bloom in March, and even young plants are quite floriferous. Grows 5-8” tall by 10-12” wide. Hardy to USDA zone 4.
📸 MK Lascelle
Bignonia capreolata ‘Dressed to Thrill’
It has been at least ten years since I’ve had the rare Cross Vine in stock, so I was really overjoyed to see that Proven Winners was going to release their own cultivar this year. This semievergreen vine ticks a lot of boxes; it is drought resistant, tolerates many soil types, blooms continually from spring through summer, is reasonably fast-growing, attracts hummingbirds with delicious nectar and the reddish-orange blooms contrasted by golden throats (which much resemble Cape Fuchsia or Phygelius) are quite stunning. Grows 12-30’ tall. Hardy to USDA zone 6.
📸 Proven Winners
Hydrangea arborescens ‘Incrediball Storm Proof’
We are all looking for it, an Annabelle-type hydrangea that doesn’t fall down flat in the rain and I’m pretty sure that this is it. The combination of slightly smaller blooms (but plenty of them) held on more compact, sturdy branches is what will make ‘Incrediball Storm Proof’ your favourite Hydrangea arborescens variety and it is also very cold hardy. Grows 4’ tall and wide. Hardy to USDA zone 3.
📸 Proven Winners
Clematis ‘Vancouver Purple Tide’
The Wein family of Clearview Horticultural Products Inc have been breeding some of our most exciting new Clematis introductions as part of their Vancouver series. ‘Purple Tide’ is no exception with large 6-9” wide velvety bluish-purple blooms beautifully accented by maroon-tipped white stamens. These are borne from May to June, repeating in September. Grows 6-9’ tall. Hardy to USDA zone 4.
📸 Clearview Horticultural Products
Weigela ‘Watermelon Kisses’
What I really appreciate about all the new Weigela introductions is that most of them are more compact (unlike the old-fashioned ‘Red Prince’), repeat bloom throughout the summer and there are a lot more colour variations to choose from. You can expect blazing watermelon-pink flowers from spring to fall on this variety, all of which provide pollen for bees and nectar for the hummingbirds. Grows 3-4’ tall. Hardy to USDA zone 4.
📸 Bloomin' Easy
While both the Golden Coral Bark Maple ‘Bihou’ and the ‘Belarina Lively Lilac’ primula are in stock right now, you will find the rest of these plants by the end of the month or mid March at the latest.
Copyright 2026 MK Lascelle
