11 Popular Garden Plants That Now Come in Even Better Varieties

Beautiful, old-fashioned flowers like roses, peonies, and hydrangeas evoke nostalgia, relaxation, and joy, drawing many to their timeless appeal. Selecting updated versions of these classic plants, tailored for today’s climate, lets you enjoy a charming garden that thrives in the modern world. While traditional varieties may struggle with disease resistance and climate adaptability, many new cultivars offer solutions, combining nostalgia with the resilience needed to flourish in today’s conditions.

Below, two plant pros present varieties that allow gardeners of all levels to maintain a nostalgic yet sustainable garden landscape with the same beauty and essence cherished for generations.

Meet Our Expert

Katie Tamony is the chief marketing officer at Monrovia and a former editor-in-chief of Sunset Magazine.

Lisa Lacy is the director of product management for PanAmerican Seed.

01 of 11

Lilacs

Credit: Monrovia / Doreen Wynja

Lilacs are one of spring’s timeless blooming shrubs, cherished for their beautiful, fragrant blossoms. Thomas Jefferson grew lilacs, and Walt Whitman wrote about them in his poetry. Older varieties of this flower often grow to the size of small trees, making them less suitable for smaller yards.

‘Little Darling’ lilac offers a delightful solution as a dwarf variety that reaches just 4 feet in height. Perfect for a container or compact garden spaces, ‘Little Darling’ blooms profusely in the spring and again in the fall, requiring only light pruning to maintain its elegance and charm.

Other recommended varieties: ‘Angel White’ lilac is a specially developed variety of flower that thrives in mild winter climates, overcoming the typical need for extensive cold periods to bloom. In zones with mild winters, such as Zone 8, ‘Angel White’ along with ‘Lavender Lady’, ‘Blue Skies’, and ‘Old Glory’ can flourish. These gorgeous varieties are engineered to resist powdery mildew, common in warmer and more humid environments.

02 of 11

Hydrangeas

Credit: Monrovia / Doreen Wynja

Hydrangeas are classic flowering shrubs that offer an array of beautiful colors, flower forms, and sizes. The innovative Seaside Serenade series boasts large, striking blooms on compact, bushy shrubs that stay under 3 feet tall and wide. These gorgeous hydrangeas feature robust stems, frequent blooming, and enduring flowers superior to other varieties.

The Seaside Serenade series includes nine varieties named after coastal locales. Highlights include: ‘Martha’s Vineyard’, a vibrant pink-red mophead; ‘Cape Cod’, which transforms into a rich blue mophead with soil acidification; ‘Bar Harbor’, a minicature version of the beloved Annabelle hydrangea with white mopheads; and ‘Glacier Bay’, showcasing a white lacecap with striking black stems.

Other recommended varieties: ‘Pop Star’ is a fun, exciting addition to the Endless Summer hydrangea series. This lacecap hydrangea dazzles with electric blue flowers atop compact, sturdy stems that resist flopping in the garden. Highly resistant to disease, ‘Pop Star’ reblooms throughout the season and demonstrates exceptional cold hardiness, making a reliable return after winter in cooler regions.

03 of 11

Begonias

Credit: Monrovia / Doreen Wynja

Begonias, once adored during the Victorian Era, are experiencing a resurgence in popularity. Discover the Tectonic series, remarkable begonias developed by renowned plantsman Dan Hinkley. Originating from the lush forests of India, these beautiful begonias excel in hot, humid conditions, showcasing exotic tropical foliage in vivid emerald, red, silver, and burgundy hues.

‘Shangri-La’ stands out in the Tectonic series. Native to China, it’s a hardy woodland perennial for USDA Zones 8-11. This stunning plant boasts toothy leaves, speckled with silvery white and supported by colorful, velvety red stems. “There’s so much to love about this plant!” Tamony says. “The crinkly leaves, the two-toned underside, the graphic pattern on dark leaves.”

Other recommended varieties: ‘Silver Treasure’ begonia enchants with its otherworldly silver leaves and burgundy undersides. As a perennial in Zones 8-11, it’s more cold-hardy than many other begonias and thrives in heat. At just 14 inches tall, this flower is perfect for container gardens and small spaces.

04 of 11

Zinnias

Zinnias, cherished for their vibrant and cheerful blooms, are easy-to-grow annuals that anyone can grow. Traditionally, older zinnia varieties were susceptible to powdery mildew, an issue exacerbated by increasing heat levels across various regions. Additionally, they often grew up to 4 feet tall, making them more suitable for expansive gardens than smaller containers.

The modern ‘Zahara’ zinnias offer a solution with their compact 16-20 inch stature and robust disease resistance. Available in a variety of stunning colors and boasting both single and double blooms, these zinnias thrive in heat and drought conditions. “They are an outstanding performer in heat and drought,” Lacy says. The ‘Zahara’ variety resists leaf spot and powdery mildew, making it a garden favorite for many.

Other recommended varieties: ‘Oklahoma’ zinnias present a refreshed approach to this classic flower. These beautiful, new-generation varieties are less prone to powdery mildew and feature smaller blooms that won’t weigh down and snap their stems.

05 of 11

Forsythia

Credit: Better Homes & Gardens

Forsythia is a bright, charming harbinger of spring, illuminating the dull gray winter landscape with its vibrant yellow blooms. However, traditional forsythia can outgrow smaller gardens quickly.

‘Show Off Starlet’ addresses this issue with its compact size. This dwarf forsythia produces abundant yellow flowers from base to tip on its 3-foot-tall frame, ensuring more blooms than stems and requiring only light annual pruning.

Other recommended varieties: ‘Springshine’ offers another compact option, flourishing with blooms in early spring. Maintaining a tidy 2 feet in height and spreading 3 feet wide, it’s ideal for small spaces. It’s drought-resistant and has a slow growth rate, reducing the need for frequent pruning throughout the year.

Forsythia is considered invasive in some parts of the country so check your local invasive plant lists before planting.

06 of 11

Roses

Credit: Courtesy of Monrovia

Roses evoke a sense of nostalgia, leading many to seek them out for their gardens. “There’s been a real resurgence in roses,” notes Tamony. Despite their bad reputation for fussiness, modern varieties of this flower offer the disease resistance and performance that today’s gardeners seek.

‘Grace N’ Grit’ roses are a standout. These stunning, resilient shrub roses are bred to thrive in heat and humidity, resisting related diseases. As Tamony says, “The name says it all. These are tough, tough roses.” Their self-cleaning nature means blooms drop naturally after fading, eliminating tedious deadheading.

Other recommended varieties: ‘Eau de Parfum’ shrub roses offer a delightful fragrance, addressing the common sacrifice of aroma in modern cultivars. Tough and compact, standing at 4 feet tall, these gorgeous roses ensure a sweet-smelling and visually appealing presence.

For those seeking climbers for their gardens, ‘Heavenly Ascent’ roses are an excellent choice. These fragrant climbers reach 8 feet, a manageable size compared to their 15-foot traditional counterparts. Their good disease tolerance makes them perfect for small gardens.

07 of 11

Peony

Romantic peonies, with their lush blossoms, come in three main types: tree, herbaceous, and Itoh. For contemporary gardens, Itoh peonies, also called intersectional peonies, are often the best choice for your garden. These hybrids, combining the traits of tree and garden peonies, feature robust stems, eliminating the need for staking the plant. Their genetic makeup also offers resistance to beetles, powdery mildew, peony blight, and botrytis.

Itoh peonies prove to be hardier than their 19th-century herbaceous relatives, making them better suited for varying climate conditions. Well-loved Itoh peony varieties include ‘Garden Treasure’, ‘Singing in the Rain’, and ‘Keiko’.

08 of 11

Marigolds

Marigolds, a cherished part of Mexican and Indian traditions, as well as many American gardens, vary in height from 5 inches to 4 feet depending on the species. Though prone to rot, blight, and mildew, these beautiful flowers remain a popular choice for adding color to your garden.

‘Fireball’ marigolds offer a compact option, growing to just a foot tall. Ideal for containers or small garden beds, these dwarf French marigolds provide vibrant floral displays in rich reds that transition to orange, bronze, and gold over time.

Other recommended varieties: ‘Taishan Gold’ African marigolds stand out from the crowd with their strong stems, capable of withstanding wet and stormy conditions better than other varieties. These gorgeous marigolds also grow to a foot tall and 10 inches wide—an excellent fit for containers or small garden spaces.

09 of 11

Coneflowers

Credit: Courtesy of Terra Nova

Echinacea, better known as coneflower, has long been a garden staple, but shifting climates with increased heat and moisture levels have made traditional varieties more susceptible to powdery mildew. Fortunately, newer disease-resistant varieties are available in a wide array of colors.

“New echinacea varieties have more compact and sturdy stems,” notes Tamony. “Many have multiple hues of blooms on one plant.” The Kismet series, including ‘Kismet Raspberry’, showcases large flowers on short, 18-inch stems, making them ideal for contemporary gardens. These coneflowers are better equipped to handle drought and humidity than older versions.

Other recommended varieties: The Prima ‘Tiger’ coneflower is a stunning, hardy hybrid with striking bicolor orange and red blossoms. Compact at just 16 inches tall, it’s suitable for Zones 4-9, offering greater resilience against heat, humidity, and drought compared to traditional coneflowers.

10 of 11

Lavender

Credit: Monrovia / Brandon Friend-Solis

Lavender is a beautiful plant that thrives in hot, dry, and sunny conditions with poor soil, reminiscent of its Mediterranean origins, which can present challenges when growing it in colder, wetter environments. ‘Javelin Forte’ Spanish lavender offers a versatile solution, tolerating cold and wet conditions much better than most lavender varieties. It features a profusion of deep purple blooms on a 14-inch compact plant, suited to Zones 7-9.

Other recommended varieties: ‘Phenomenal’ is a hardy French lavender hybrid that excels in hot, humid climates across Zones 4-9. It’s known for its resistance to powdery mildew and exceptional cold-tolerance, adapting to various environmental conditions.

‘Ghostly Princess’ lavender stands out from other flowers with its pink blossoms and striking silvery foliage. “It’s more modern looking than other lavenders,” says Tamony. Originally bred in Australia, it’s suited to Zones 8-10, handling more heat than many lavenders, though it can be prone to root rot in overly heavy soils.

11 of 11

Spirea

Credit: Monrovia / Doreen Wynja

Spirea has been a longstanding favorite in landscaping, though some varieties can grow as large as 6 feet tall and 10 feet wide. For a more compact option to plant in smaller gardens, consider ‘Butterscotch Baby’ spirea. This variety remains small, at just 18 inches tall and 24 inches wide, offering three seasons of gorgeous color. Enjoy caramel-colored foliage in spring and fall and pink blooms throughout summer that attract pollinators. ‘Butterscotch Baby’ requires only light maintenance pruning, ensuring you won’t need to tackle oversized limbs.

Other recommended varieties: ‘Double Play Doozie’ spirea offers another compact choice, growing just 3 feet tall and 3 feet wide. This beautiful shrub delights with deep red foliage in early spring and purple-red flowers in late spring through early summer. Seedless by design, it won’t spread through your garden uncontrollably. Plus, it’s drought-tolerant and disease-resistant.

Be mindful that Japanese spirea is considered invasive in many parts of the eastern U.S. Check local invasive plant lists before planting to ensure compatibility with your regional ecosystem.

Japanese spirea is invasive in much of the eastern half of the U.S. so check your local invasive plant lists before planting.

Read the original article on Better Homes & Gardens