Too Cute to Eat! Small Plants Are Trending This Year

With so many passionate growers, many of them with limited space to garden, plant companies have responded with new plants that can be grown in smaller spaces. Whether you are growing on a balcony, a windowsill or a tiny plot in the big city, these mini edibles and ornamentals are the perfect way to garden no matter what growing space you have. Some of these plants are brand new, and with interest in gardening sky-high, if you can't find these right away, keep looking.

One bite of pineapple guava 'Bambina' fruit is a tropical treat. This dwarf plant isn't widely known, but don't miss its blue-green fruits with strawberry-pineapple-guava flavor. You can even toss the spring flower petals into salads or drop them in drinks for a hint of sweetness and cinnamon. 'Bambina' grows 3 to 4 feet tall—perfect for containers—needs full sun and is hardy in USDA Zones 8-10.

This bigleaf hydrangea will make you a 'Wee Bit Giddy' if you need fabulous color for a small space. At just 24 inches tall, it takes partial sun to sun and has big, bright flowers and dark green leaves. It's deciduous and hardy in USDA Zones 5-9. The flowers will be purple-red in soils with a pH of 7.0 or higher. In acidic soils, they'll be blue. Pick up a soil test kit from your local nursery or garden center if you want to see what color yours will be. This neat dwarf shrub is perfect for gardens or containers.

Her name — 'Little Miss Figgy' — is a nod to her small size, but this new dwarf tree bears lots of big, sweet fruits for eating fresh or cooking. Let her dress up a container in full sun or give her part shade. (You'll get more figs in the sun.) She's 4 to 6 feet tall and hardy in Zones 7-11. Give her some TLC and you can overwinter her container in a garage, basement or greenhouse. The dark purple fruits ripen in summer if hungry birds don't beat you to them. This variety is smaller and more cold-hardy than similar fig trees.