Each year, the National Garden Bureau (NGB) chooses its plants of the year in several categories: annual, perennials, bulbs, shrubs, an edible plants. This year they also added a houseplant to the roster.
Following are their picks for 2022. Take some time to learn more about these trendy plants and consider adding them to your own landscape this new year:
Verbena (annual): NGB chose annual varieties of verbena for 2022, but we like the perennial varieties that are native to Colorado, like Glandularia bipinnatifida.
Phlox (perennial): Phlox is a Northern American native wildflower that will give you showy spring flowers.
Gladiolus (bulb): Dramatic flowers grow from these bulbs (corns, to be exact) each summer. Fun fact: Gladiolus is the official flower of the City of Greeley, once known as "Glad City."
Lilac (shrub): Lilacs produce beautiful flowers, a wonderful fragrance, and are also drought-tolerant.
Salad greens (edible): Red lettuce, chicory, kale, arugula, spinach...this category is big, diverse, and delicious. There are even some greens that grow wild in Colorado and can be foraged. Find an expert to help you forage the right plant and avoid illness through misidentification.
Peperomia (houseplant): As the name suggests, this diverse family of plants comes from the pepper family.
Talk with a landscape or garden center professional to find the best on-trend plant for your landscape's conditions. Learn more about the categories above at the NGB website.
References
Associated Landscape Contractors of Colorado (2021, Dec. 31). Tip of the Week: New year, new plants. https://www.alcc.com/tip-of-the-week-email