Someone once said that the most wonderful thing about a garden is the anticipation it creates. At this time of year, gardeners are looking to add a few new plants to their growing collection.

Being in a profession where plants are like oxygen, you become surrounded by people for whom collecting is an absolute passion; they live in their gardens.

Whether you are seeking something that will add some excitement to your containers or getting inspiration to overhaul your entire landscape, there are many new plants.

Every year, there are lists of new introductions and award-winning plants. All-America Selections is a fine example of a trial garden network that selects new varieties based on superior performance. There are many societies that announce lists, too. The Pennsylvania Horticultural Society puts out a list of Gold Medal Plant Award Winners every year. And there are growers that compile lists based on marketing trends along with garden performance. Almost all genera of plants have made it to a list somewhere at one time or another.

One of the two trees that made the PHS Gold Medal Award list is 'Starburst' (Macckia amurensis). It is a tree well-suited for the urban garden, with dense branching and deep green foliage. It puts out a display of spiky white flowers in mid-season. It grows to 25 to 30 feet wide and tall at maturity, can tolerate poor soils and is very adaptable.

Two shrubs that made the list are variegated fiveleaf aralia (Eleutherococcus sieboldianus 'Variegatus'). This shrub enjoys either shade or sun. It has a beautiful combination of creamy ivory and bright green variegated foliage and a habit that is described as informally round. It makes a good barrier shrub and reaches 5 to 7 feet tall and wide. This shrub would blend well in a naturalistic, informal setting and really brighten a shadier spot in your garden.

Hydrangeas have been hugely popular in recent years. One to make the PHS awards is 'Limelight' (Hydrangea paniculata). Not too may shrubs of this stature (up to 8 feet high and 6 feet wide) bloom steadily from midsummer and into fall. One of its best attributes is that the huge, pyramid-shaped flowers change from a lime green to white and then to shades of pink and burgundy.

Premiering at the Chelsea Flower Show in London last spring and getting ready for a pre-launch here is 'Black Lace' elderberry (Sambucus nigra). The finely cut, dark purple foliage is a backdrop for the large pink flowers. This elderberry resembles a Japanese maple and is considered a good alternative to the hard-to-grow and expensive varieties of this garden favorite. It likes sun, is heat tolerant and cold hardy and will grow to 6 feet high and 6 to 8 feet wide. The demand for this plant will be strong this year, but it's well worth some shopping expeditions to find it.

There are many perennials to be looking for, too. 'Buttered Popcorn' daylily made the list as a 2006 AAS winner. Those who like the famous 'Stella d'Oro daylily will like this even more, as the habits are similar, but 'Buttered Popcorn' has larger flowers. 'Persian Market' is another special daylily. This is an additional long-blooming, tough performer with beautiful salmon-pink color and a rosy halo.

Coral bells (Heuchera) were popular selections as the Proven Winners panel was choosing plants to display for 2006. Three Heucheras in the Dolce line were 'Dolce Licorice,' 'Dolce Key Lime Pie' and 'Dolce Peach Melba.' Any of these coral bells would be great either paired with other plants in containers or massed in a bed. They would look particularly stunning planted together to show the variety of foliage colors. From a peachy-orange to a silver-veined purple, these cold hardy plants come in a plethora of choices.

Looking for plants that are a bit more on the wild side? Try adding tropicals to your garden palette. On display at the Proven Winners Display Garden for 2006 is acalypha or copperleaf plant (Acalypha wilkesiana), which has spectacularly variegated and splotched leaves; Illustris elephant's ear (Colocasia esculenta) with dramatic green venation on a near-black background; and an upright elephant's ear called 'Jurassic Dark' (Alocasia plumbea) with huge, slightly ruffled, dark leaves. Tropicals are becoming more popular as people discover that just a few plants transform their garden from mundane to exotic.

Let 2006 be the year you try something new. With so many new introductions, there are sure to be plants waiting to ignite your gardening passions.