Plant breeders are listening to growers and gardeners, who are asking for low input, drought-tolerant plants that look great. There are some exciting new additions to this year's line up of new plant introductions, including some lovely low-water annuals and tough perennials that perform well all summer.

Look for these plants, and others like them, at your local member garden centre this spring. Keep in mind that plants are a living commodity, and availability depends on more than weather and growing environment. Knowledgeable garden centre staff will be able to suggest similar varieties should the specific one you are searching for be temporarily unavailable.

'Tropicanna Black' canna Canna 'Tropicanna Black' PPAF With its purplish-black leaves and coral-coloured blooms, Tropicanna Black is one more colourful way to add a tropical touch to gardens and containers. Tropicanna Black not only works well in landscapes, beds and borders, but since it's a water plant, it's ideal for water gardens, bogs and ponds. Keep'em Coming™ elephant's ears Colocasia Maderira Large leaves with a velvety green base and large deep black veins. A dwarf selection, that provides huge impact in summer containers. Will grow to 80 cm tall. Easy Wave® O'Canada Mix petunia Petunia x hybrida Easy Wave® O'Canada Mix Improved Grow beautiful containers and flowers beds quickly with Easy Wave spreading petunias. One of the best attributes of Easy Wave® is that it has the same great spreading habit and easy maintenance as Wave, but with more height mounding. Plant them any sunny place you want loads of bold colour. New O'Canada Mix features a rich red and crisp white. Matrix® Jewels Mix Pansy VioViolla x wittrockiana Matrix® Jewels Mix Large-flowered Matrix® pansies offer superior structure and strong branching with superb colour show for cool spring or late fall. This low-maintenance pansy series is frost-tolerant and perfect in the landscape, baskets or mixed containers. 'Lizard' stonecrop Sedum rubens 'Lizard' Drought tolerant or low maintenance, whatever you want to call it, 'Lizard' takes a lot of abuse. Sedum 'Lizard' is at home in sunny dry locations. An easy, low-care choice for mixed containers, topiaries and dish gardens. Double Zahara® zinnia Zinnia marylandica Double Zahara® These true-double Double Zahara® zinnias boast all of the same exceptional traits as the single Zahara zinnias: bigger flowers for more colour shows, outstanding disease tolerance, low water needs, and superior all-season performance in beds and planters. Both the new Cherry and Fire colours are All-America Selections winners.