"Overwintering" plants usually means deadheading, dividing, pruning, mulching or bringing them indoors to protect them from the cold. Increasingly, though, varieties are being introduced that flower into winter and rebound in spring. They need no special care and deliver more blooms for the buck.
Two noteworthy examples are Ball Horticultural Co.'s Cool Wave petunias and pansies.
"These flowers have more hardiness because they were developed in many different locations, and strains were chosen from breeding stock that did best in temperature extremes," said Cool Wave plant manager Claire Watson. "Not only are they resistant to cold but they also are more tolerant of heat."
Some other flower varieties introduced recently to provide color over longer periods of time are bearded iris, daylilies, clematis and shrub roses. Many of those perennials bloom repeatedly through the growing season, unlike earlier editions.
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