2018 garden trends include the color purple, animal habitats

    Among the trends for 2018 is the color purple. Here are some plants you can add to your garden, if you do keep up with garden trends. Purple petunias are an easy annual to add. For more permanent additions, lilacs do well here. First Editions® Virtual Violet™ Lilac is new and has more than just purple flowers. The buds start off a raspberry purple and the flowers are a fragrant violet. The leaves have a new purple shine. The petiole stems are also purple.
    According to Monrovia Nursery research, people are turning to low shrubs that give big rewards and need little care. This changes the landscape design style of over 20 years with perennials taking the lead; the new Knock Out Roses that need little to no pruning. There are a host of edible shrubs such as Triple Crown Blackberry. Then there are other ornamental shrubs that give prolific color from early spring to late fall such as Sonic Bloom™ Pink Weigela. Annabella Hydrangea with a 12-inch white bloom starts flowering early summer into late summer. Any flowering plant that does well in the garden for four to six weeks is worth having in the landscape. Sapphire Surf™ Bluebeard cv. ‘Blauer Splatz’ has a vibrant blue which is heat tolerant and drought resistant. It blooms from late summer to early fall. This can translate into mid-August through early October when most plants are done flowering.
    As different generations come to tending their gardens, now they are focused on how to build the health of their soil. The worry is what unnatural, modern methods are doing to our soils. There is more emphasis on composting and cover crops. Increasing the microbial activity in our soils helps keep the soil nutrient-rich.
    People are seeking out more and more unusual types of plants. They want the rare and limited-edition plants: the heirloom plants from fruit trees and perennials to vegetables. Along with the heirlooms, people are wanting all types of plants with variegated foliage. That means more than just hostas, ivy and caladiums. It is a wide range of cannas, coral bells, false sunflower and columbines — even indoor foliage with variegated dracaenas, ferns and aloes.

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