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In the fashion industry, hot new styles are unveiled every summer, as well as the other seasons. As much can be said of gardens and plants, with new varieties -- any thing from fiery colors to cool greens -- to outfit yards, patios and porches throughout the sea son.

The Sun Chronicle asked a handful of those in the know what's hot and what's not in plants, gardens and yards this year. This is what they had to say:

Marcia Erickson, A Change of Seasons, Rehoboth

What's hot: A lot of people, she says, are looking toward creat ing an `` outdoor living space.'' That means creating a patio or some other space outside that's an extension of their home. Plants play a part in creating that envi ronment. Growing in popularity are self-watering containers for plants.

It minimizes the amount of care required and there's no pruning. `` And it incorporates into a patio area,'' Erickson says. Also, instead of planting a few trees in the backyard, people have taken to doi ng more research into incorporating walkways and retaining walls to create an outdoor living ro om. What's not: Formal water gardens. `` Initially, when the trend started, they (water gardens) were more formal, manufactured looking,'' she says. Now, the direction seems to have turned to more natural-looking water gardens, `` so that it looks like it's always been th ere.''

Ray Aubin, Attleboro Farm and Garden Supply, Hickory Road, North Attleboro

Hot: Black lace. Not a fashion designer's new lingerie line, but a deciduous sh rub which has, Aubin says, `` a great maroon foliage. It's the shape and si ze of a low-growing Japanese maple.'' There is also a new variety of so-called `` pink ribbon'' plants called Rosy Miracles. A portion of the proceeds of the sale of pink ribbon plants goes to breast canc er awareness and research. Rosy Miracles, a rhododendron, is named for its pink blooms and smal l leaves. Fully-grown, it is smaller than the traditional variety, at 3 to 4 feet in height. (Traditional is about 8-feet-tall.) And they're hearty. The sutera trailing bloom is also expected to be hot this year.

Low-maintenance and all-in-one gardening packages are also growing in popularity, among them, hearty `` New American Gardens.'' It is a series of plants incorporated for a year-round yard. They include evergreens as we ll as herbaceous perennials.

Returning to New England's roots is also bec oming a trend, encouraged by national and state environmental groups to combat invasive plant species that spread and destroy native plants and habitats. American Beauties are among the new line of pl ants native to this region that Aubin says should be hot this year.

Not: Yews. Marigolds of yor e. `` There's so many new varieties of annuals,'' Aubin says. Seed varieties, like petunias, have also bitten the dust. Too much maintenance, Aubin says.

Kelly Osborne, Osborne Nursery and Landscaping, Route 1, Plainville.

Hot: The euonymus altus compactus -- or burning bush -- is still tempting gardeners and others. It's popular for its fiery red color in the fall and deep green in the summer, says Osborne, who is no relation to the family who owns the business.

The Charles Joly has also been firing gardener interest. `` It's a lilac with big red flowers,'' Osborne says.

In the tree department, the green spire has appeal with a vase-like figure and bright green color, she says. It's a medium-sized tree, growing to about 20 feet tall. And then there's Lucy, the double-red flowering hibiscus tree. It's a later bloomer, though the flowers last, alas, just a week.

Not: Standard maples and oaks. `` People are looking to add more color year-round,'' Osborne says.

John Palardy, landscape designer with Evergreen Tree and Landscaping Service, Oak Hill Avenue, See konk

Hot: Natives, but decked in newer attire. Mountain laurel, sweet pepper bush and bayberry are among the `` in'' styles of woodland plants.

For foundation plant ings, while they might be foreign designs, spirea and dwarf rhododendron get the nod. Ink berry and dwarf boxwoods are also popular, says Palardy.

People are also looking to add more splashes of color. Popular perennials include day lilies and coreopsis. The plus, low mai ntenance. `` You can plant and forget about them,'' Palardy says.

Hybrid dogwoods are very popula r now, as are seedless trees like the purple ash. Of course, bird baths, fountains and wind chimes can be used to accessorize. And don't be left in the dark about shade gardens. While there may not be many flowering varieties that thrive in the relative dark, there a re hundreds of varieties of hostas with various showy leaf colors, he says.

Not: Cement statuaries. Too weighty, Palardy says, adding that resin-finished designs are easier to move around.

Maples are also on the outs, he says. `` They b ecome a maintenance mess when mature.''

Gone from the fashion scene, as well, is the original Bradford flowering pear tree. Once considered the height of fashion, `` it has been found that after about 1 5 years they break apart,'' he says. Stepping in is the `` Aristocrat'' variety of flowering pear t ree. `` It has good, year-round interest,'' Palardy says.

Kathi Gariepy, president of the Massachusetts Horticultural Society's Master Gardeners and the Attleboro Garden Club

Hot: Bubble gum. While the name might not have a lot of appeal, this new variety of petunia do es, says Gariepy, who as a master gardener with the state Horticultural Society gets a sneak preview of plants for the coming year at a private grower's farm in N ew Hampshire. `` It isn't your typical itty-bitty flower, it's a large moun d. It's a nice medium pink and it's a self-cleaning flower,'' in that you don't have to pick off the dead flowers to keep it blooming, she says. `` It's really nifty.''

A euphorbias called diamond frost also had eye appeal. It has small white flowers with silver-gray eucalyptus-like leaves. `` It st ays frothy white, like baby's breath and can be used in window boxes,'' Gariepy says.

At the New England Spring Flower Show, a coral bell called cathedral windows also stole the show. They're significant as a foliage plant and used to just come in green, but this new variety `` has a burgundy and silver tracery to it,'' Gariepy says.

Not: `` The cottage garden look is supposedly out of vogue now. People aren't doing pastels anymore ,'' she says. The look this year is bolder as better, but Gariepy says tha t won't stop her from using pastels in her own yard. `` I'm going to do what I feel like doing, personally. Because it's whatever you like.''