Whether it's nostalgia or just plain common sense, gardeners today are looking to gardens of yesterday for inspiration. Considering the benefits of old-fashioned varieties hardiness, low maintenance, delicate color and fragrance it's no wonder that everything old is new again.

Borrow the following ideas from Grandma's garden and the ANLA.

Flowering favorites

What gardener could resist a bright patchwork quilt of hollyhocks and foxglove? What landscape couldn't be brightened with a stand of Oriental poppies and bachelor's buttons? Plant bee balm and the accompanying bees, hummingbirds and butterflies it attracts will add beauty and movement. Butterfly bush is another favorite of winged beauties as well as gardeners. Many old-fashioned flowers are perrenials, coming back year after year to grace the garden. Most are eay to grow and spread readily in a sunny spot.

Romantic roses

If you're weary of spraying hybrid roses every week, try antique varieties like Cecile Brunner, Caldwell Pink or Fortune's Double Yellow. These tough yet tender beauties usually require spraying just once or twice a year. Many hace more fragrance and longer-lasting blooms that modern roses. For bountiful blossoms, you might try the repeat bloomer, Russel's Cottage it provides colo and fragrance in spring and fall.

Vintage vines

For vertical variety, add an old-fashioned vine to your landscape. Try the show-stoppin performance of clematis or annual morning glory. One nursery reports that climbing roses are sold out every year a testament to their popularity. Wisteria can be trained to grow into a privacy screen of lovely flowers. For a more petite climbing vine, consider sweet peas.

Showy shrubs

Garden center sales reflect a rise in popularity of hydrangeas, Annabelles and oakleafs in particular. Oakleaf has a wonderful fall foliage color as does baby's breath spiraea. Recall childhoods past with lilacs, another fast selling shrub at nurseries. Even southerners can enjoy the exquisite perfume of this old favorite. Cut leaf lilacs withstand hot sun and are available in pink, lavender and white varieties.

Rediscovering the past