Now that the 2011 garden scene has flown by and the last shriveled leaf has disappeared under the snow, gung-ho gardeners are scrambling through the debris of old Christmas mail, looking for new catalogs or squinting through miles of web sites searching for the next great plant. With eternal optimism, gardeners think about the new year and new choices.

Maybe this is the year we can believe the headline that reads “this is the year of the herb garden.” If the results of a survey of more than twenty local garden centers are any indication ,hydrangeas and Knockout® roses win the popularity poll. Herbs were not mentioned.

Tony Fulmer, manager of Chalet Nursery in Wilmette, marveled as he checked the shrub department, “The customers just keep coming for hydrangeas, especially ‘Little Lime’. It is by far the hydrangea mentioned most often, along with ‘Vanilla Strawberry’ and other newer hydrangea cultivars. ‘Bloomerang' lilac with its reblooming flowers in late summer is a popular shrub choice, along with tri-colored beech for a choice tree.

“Knockout roses, while not new, are sought after because people see them and want them,” remarked Heather Lee, manager, Berthold Nursery, Elk Grove. The colorful light green pot helps the pink and red roses to stand out. There was little interest in the old standby perennials such as nepeta, the action was in peach foliage of heucheras, as buyers were told to grow them in raised beds to keep them warmer and improve their drainage. Echinacea in bright colors were sought after.  Calibrachoa is the big basket favorite.

Elizabeth Hoffman, owner of West End Nursery, Wilmette, was about the only garden center owner who mentioned vegetables for either containers or raised beds. Large tropical plants were desirable for container planting. She highly recommended that gardeners buy cotton burr compost, which gives a nice finished look to an area. “Do it this season because the cost of the product is going to be higher due to the drought in Texas,” Hoffman advised.

Instead of lounging in front of the TV, get up and start working out to be ready for the new plants in 2012.

— Adele Kleine