I'm not one of those capricious people who move my furniture every so often. However, when it comes to my container gardens I am impulsive, trying new varieties and new color combinations every year. Luckily, every year there are new flower and bedding plant varieties to satisfy my passion for change. Here are some brought to my notice by the National Garden Bureau.

-- Angelonia: Angelonia is certainly not a plant familiar to many gardeners. It's native to South America. Angelonia is well adapted to full sun and hot/dry climates. It's a drought-tolerant, easy-care plant with continuous bloom. "Serena Purple" Angelonia has small purple flowers produced on 10- to 12-inch plants.

-- Coreopsis: "Santa Fe" is a new coreopsis with semidouble and double, 1- to 2-inch golden yellow flowers. While it's considered a perennial in our region, it easily can be used in container gardens with annual flowers. Coreopsis is known as one of the easiest perennials to grow, blooming from summer until fall frost. It does best in full sun.

-- Dianthus: "Dynasty Pink Magic" is a double dianthus with pink 1- to 1 1/4-inch flowers. Here's another one that should perform well in local plantings, as it's supposedly heat tolerant. It should be planted in full sun.

-- Petunia: "Easy Wave Rosy Dawn" is a new member of the prolific "Wave" family of petunias. Easy Wave petunias are slightly different from the rampant-growing Wave petunias. The Easy Wave petunias are taller, reaching 8 to 10 inches, and are more contained, with single plants "only" growing to about 3 feet across. Just like the other Waves, they keep flowering all summer long in all kinds of weather.

-- Geranium (Pelargonium): "Red Ice" is different from most other bicolor geraniums. The lower three petals of each flower is red and the top two petals are white in front and red in back. Publicity from the National Garden Bureau says "Black Velvet Scarlet" has deep scarlet blooms, but in a photo they look more like orange-red to me. The brilliant flowers contrast well with the dark chocolate-colored foliage. These geraniums want full sun and should be attention-getters in planters.

-- Zinnia: Zinnias are such an "old" flower that new varieties may not cause much excitement. However, "Hot Crayon Colors Mix" is an exclusive blend of scarlet, red, golden yellow and citrus orange zinnias. They will cause a stir in any garden with their bright clear colors, 4-inch, fully double flowers and 3-foot plants.

-- Poppies: I adore the delicate flowers of poppies, especially the light pink- and rose-colored oriental poppies. "Tropical Sunset Mix" is a lovely new mix of red, rose, vanilla, flame and tangerine California poppies. This mix has 2-inch brightly colored blooms.

-- Nierembergia: "Blue Mountain" is a new nierembergia that is covered with 1-inch lavender blue flowers. If you're often disappointed with the performance of the blue lobelia in your planters when the weather turns hot, you might want to consider "Blue Mountain" as a substitute. It thrives under hot, dry conditions.

-- Grasses and grains: The National Garden Bureau's 2006 new "flower" list has some nontraditional entries -- one is an ornamental grass and two are ornamental grains. The grass is "Color Grass Prairie Fire" (Carex testacea), and is a perennial hardy in our zone. As the narrow green leaves develop they turn from green to bronze, creating a bicolor contrast. It needs full sun.

One of the "grains" is an ornamental millet called "Jester." "Jester" plants look a little like corn and grow 3 to 4 feet high. The leaves emerge chartreuse and mature to shades of red and bronze, later darkening to purple. The seed heads produced atop the plants are dark purple. It's an annual that's sure to lend an exotic touch to the right garden.

The other grain is quinoa. Perhaps it's not the prettiest "flower" in the garden, but it's certainly the most nutritious. Its nutritious seeds have as much protein as milk! The fuzzy seed heads of "Brightest Brilliant Rainbow" are hot pink, burgundy, red, orange, yellow, white or green.

Be adventurous, indulge in your plant passion and try something new. I know I will.

* Marianne C. Ophardt is a horticulturist for the Washington State University Cooperative Extension Office in Benton County.