Five new plant varieties and five new gardening products have won 2014 Green Thumb Awards presented by the Direct Gardening Association (formerly called the Mailorder Gardening Association). This is the 16th year of the Green Thumb Awards. Judges include garden writers like me, although I didn't judge this year. This week we look at the plants and next week the tools. The winning products are judged on their uniqueness, technological innovation, ability to solve a gardening problem or provide a gardening opportunity, and potential appeal to gardeners.

Baptisia "Blue Towers" sends blue flower stalks to 4.5 feet tall in midspring. They prefer full sun in the north and partial shade in the south. They are hardy through most of the U.S. from hardiness zones 3 through 8 and are very drought tolerant. Find this new variety at plantdelights.com

Many people love Clematis, but find them hard to grow. The Sweet Autumn species is one of the easy ones, but it is almost always white. "Sweet Summer Love" has cranberry to violet flowers that begin blooming a month earlier in the fall than the standard. The flowers are pleasingly fragrant. The vine grows to more than 10 feet long and makes a good cover on fences. It grows in full sun to partial shade and it can be found at gardencrossings.com

For all the lilac lovers out there, Garden Crossings has another lilac you will want to plant. It is Bloomerang Dark Purple. It blooms in spring like any lilac and then again in midsummer and it may still have flowers all the way to fall. It will grow as much as 6 feet tall.

Many gardeners combine plants and bird watching and would love to attract more birds to their landscapes. Hopefully, High Country Gardens and Audubon Rockies have the first of many new garden designs. Their combined talents have created the "Habitat Hero" Birdwatcher Pre-Planned Garden. Although the plants selected are from the western region they will grow in many parts of the country. The garden includes 15 plants in 5-inch pots that will cover a 7-by-12 area. It will attract songbirds, hummingbirds and butterflies. If it is successful, maybe other Audubon groups across the country will get together with their local garden centers to create more of these pre-planned gardens. Check this one out at highcountrygardens.com

Whether you want to grow blueberries because they taste good or because they are full of antioxidants is up to you, but this may be a good one to try. Blueberry Glaze can be grown as a 3-foot tall hedge, planted in the landscape or it can be grown in a patio pot. It needs acidic soil and growing it in a pot is ideal for controlling the pH of the soil. Check it out at brazelberries.com where you can find the dwarf Raspberry Shortcake that can also be grown in a container.

Email questions to Jeff Rugg at info@greenerview.com. To find out more about Jeff Rugg and read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.