D eciding what to grow always involves some risk. What maintenance will the plant require? How will it stand up to inclement weather? What will it look like when it matures? To help answer these questions, different associations sift through trial and evaluation results to choose their plants of the year — and GPN lists them in an annual winner’s showcase. These associations have ana- lyzed numerous plants and award- ed those with the most favorable results — some with low mainte- nance, some with high durability. This information can be a useful marketing tool. Garden centers may want to sell plants that have been put to the test and come up with gold medals. Plants that have proven themselves at trials may also garner higher prices. All America Selections All-America Selections relies on judges that have a minimum his- tory of 2-3 years conducting side- by-side comparison trials. The site where the trials are conducted must also have a record of testing in an environmentally safe land- scape. The plants are judged on their vigor, productivity and abili- ty to thrive across North America. ‘Fresh Look Gold’ (Ernst Benary of America). Celosia plumosa ‘Fresh Look Gold’ grows to about 1 ft. tall and wide. It grows best in full sun to partial shade with well-drained media and humidity levels between 90 and 95 percent. Allow 7-14 days for germination of the uncovered seed at 72-77° F; after germination, keep the pH level between 5.5 and 6.0. For spring and fall sales, 6-inch production is recommended. ‘Opera Supreme Pink Morn’ (American Takii). ‘Opera Supreme Pink Morn’ is an F1 petunia named for its iridescent, pink blooms. The plants should be capable of spreading 3 ft. in sunny locations. For spring sales, plants can be produced in 6-inch pots. The 2 1 / 2- inch flowers are white in the center and have a yellow throat. Pruning or deadheading should not be neces- sary for this landscape variety. ‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’ (PanAmerican Seed Co.). Vinca ‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’ is named for the burgundy ring around its white center. Plants should be pro- duced in 392-cell plug trays with a well-drained medium and a pH of 5.8-6.0. Coarse vermiculite should cover the seed, which should germi- nate in 3-5 days. Keep the soil temper- ature at 70-72° F during germination and 72° F during the cotyledon stage. No light is necessary for germination. American Hosta Growers Association Since 1996, the American Hosta Growers Association has tried to select hostas that are widely avail- able and retail for about $15 in ➧ 32 GPN May 2006 Winner’s Circle variety information Celosia ‘Fresh Look Gold’ Petunia ‘Opera Supreme Pink Morn’ Vinca ‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’ Hosta ‘Stained Glass’ Echinacea ‘Ruby Star’ American Takii (831) 443-4901 www.takii.com Clause Tezier 33 0475 57 57 57 www.clausetezier.com Ernst Benary of America (815) 895-6705 www.benary.com Floranova Ltd. (574) 243-8100 www.floranova.com Kieft Seeds Holland (360) 445-2031 www.kieftseeds.com Oglevee, Ltd. (724) 628-8360 www.oglevee.com PanAmerican Seed Co. (630) 231-1400 www.panamseed.com S&G Flowers (800) 323-7253 www.sg-flowers.com Selecta First Class, Inc. (760) 634-4341 www.firstclassplants.com Shady Oaks Nursery (507) 835-5033 www.shadyoaks.com Terra Nova Nurseries (800) 215-9450 www.terranovanurseries.com Thompson & Morgan UK Ltd. (800) 274-7333 www.thompson-morgan.com Contact Information For more information on these winners, direct your inquiries to the following companies: By Jen Hubert This year’s award-winning varieties feature plants praised for their blooms, bloodlines and cultivation times.
Transcript
Deciding what to grow always involves some risk. Whatmaintenance will the plant require? How will it stand up toinclement weather? What will it look like when it matures?To help answer these questions, different associations siftthrough trial and evaluation results to choose their plants
of the year — and GPN lists them in an annual winner’s showcase. These associations have ana-
lyzed numerous plants and award-ed those with the most favorableresults — some with low mainte-nance, some with high durability.This information can be a usefulmarketing tool. Garden centers maywant to sell plants that have beenput to the test and come up withgold medals. Plants that haveproven themselves at trials mayalso garner higher prices.
All America Selections All-America Selections relies on
judges that have a minimum his-tory of 2-3 years conducting side-by-side comparison trials. The sitewhere the trials are conductedmust also have a record of testingin an environmentally safe land-scape. The plants are judged ontheir vigor, productivity and abili-ty to thrive across North America.
‘Fresh Look Gold’ (Ernst Benaryof America). Celosia plumosa ‘FreshLook Gold’ grows to about 1 ft. tall
and wide. It grows best in full sun to partial shade with well-drained media andhumidity levels between 90 and 95 percent. Allow 7-14 days for germination ofthe uncovered seed at 72-77° F; after germination, keep the pH level between 5.5and 6.0. For spring and fall sales, 6-inch production is recommended.
‘Opera Supreme Pink Morn’ (American Takii). ‘Opera Supreme PinkMorn’ is an F1 petunia named for its iridescent, pink blooms. The plants should
be capable of spreading 3 ft. in sunnylocations. For spring sales, plants canbe produced in 6-inch pots. The 21⁄2-inch flowers are white in the centerand have a yellow throat. Pruning ordeadheading should not be neces-sary for this landscape variety.
‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’(PanAmerican Seed Co.). Vinca‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’ is namedfor the burgundy ring around itswhite center. Plants should be pro-duced in 392-cell plug trays with awell-drained medium and a pH of5.8-6.0. Coarse vermiculite shouldcover the seed, which should germi-nate in 3-5 days. Keep the soil temper-ature at 70-72° F during germinationand 72° F during the cotyledon stage.No light is necessary for germination.
American Hosta Growers Association
Since 1996, the American HostaGrowers Association has tried toselect hostas that are widely avail-able and retail for about $15 in �
Selecta First Class, Inc. (760) 634-4341 www.firstclassplants.com
Shady Oaks Nursery(507) 835-5033www.shadyoaks.com
Terra Nova Nurseries (800) 215-9450www.terranovanurseries.com
Thompson & Morgan UK Ltd.(800) 274-7333www.thompson-morgan.com
Contact InformationFor more information on these winners,
direct your inquiries to the following companies:
By Jen Hubert
This year’s award-winning varieties feature plants praised for their blooms, bloodlines and cultivation times.
*35_WinnersCircle.qxd 4/28/06 4:47 PM Page 32
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the selection year. As hosta cultivars increase, the association strives tohelp growers find the hostas it considers the best.
‘Stained Glass’ (Shady Oaks Nursery). ‘Stained Glass’ reflects the blood-lines of the 2002 Hosta of the year, ‘Guacamole’. This year’s winner shouldgrow up to 20 inches high and 45 inches across, mimicking the growinghabit of ‘Guacamole’. ‘Stained Glass’ develops lavender flowers in late sum-mer. It does well in bright light with consistent watering. High light accentu-ates the color difference in the plant’s green-bordered, yellow leaves.
Association Of Specialty Cut Flower Growers Color, durability and fragrance are some of the qualities the Association
of Specialty Cut Flower Growers (ASFCG) looks for when naming theirfresh- and dried-cut flowers of the year.
‘Ruby Star’ (Terra Nova Nurseries). Echinacea purpurea ‘Ruby Star’,ASFCG Cut Flower Of The Year, should grow 2-4 ft. tall with more than oneruby-centered flower on each stem. ‘Ruby Star’ may benefit from the applica-tion of 25-30 lbs. of nitrogen per acre. Growers should watch for caterpillars,
grasshoppers and Japanese beetles, and root rot and aster yellows phytoplas-ma can also be problematic. The plant does well in Zones 4-9 and shouldflower from late spring to mid summer the second year after it is planted.
‘Grosso’. Lavandula x intermedia ‘Grosso’, selected as ASCFG Dried-CutFlower Of The Year, produces violet flower spikes on plants that get to be 2-3ft. tall. It thrives in Zones 5-9 and is susceptible to crown and root rot. Growingin raised beds or well-drained soil can promote healthy plants, but be carefulnot to overwater or grow under high humidity. Stems should be harvestedwhile the florets are well colored and before they begin to turn brown.
Fleuroselect Fleuroselect focuses on innovators — plants that push the limits in breed-
ing. Trials held in Israel, Europe and South Africa test plants for pot perfor-mance, indoor pack performance and annual garden performance.
‘Infiniti Scarlet’ (Floranova Ltd.). This geranium gets its name —‘Infiniti Scarlet’ — from its scarlet flowers, which should grow to 3-4 inchesin diameter and highlight the plant’s upright form and round leaf shape. �
The plant should grow to roughly 12 inches high and 10 inches wide. Itshould be grown at 59° F in standard light, with a planting distance ofapproximately 12x12 inches. It has a cultivation period of about 95 days.
‘Aztec Sunset’ (Thompson & Morgan UK Ltd.) This annual, two-tonedzinnia can display flowers 2 inches in diameter and bloom from June to firstfrost. ‘Aztec Sunset’ should grow to roughly 6 inches high and 10 incheswide. It is most receptive to temperatures of about 64° F; it should be cov-ered lightly with vermiculite and transplanted after the first true leaf hasgrown. It is bred to have a compact habit and good resistance to mildew.
‘Prairie Splendor’ (S&G Flowers). Echinacea purpurea ‘PrairieSplendor’ is a first-year-flowering perennial with 4- to 6-inch blooms thatshould start in late June. Copious fertilizer should encourage the growthof this plant’s lanceolate leaves and promote its 39-inch-high uprightform. ‘Prairie Splendor’ should be cultivated with a pH of 6.5-7; it devel-ops best in full sunlight at 59° F.
‘Noverna Clown’ (Kieft Seeds Holland). With blooms that change fromcolor to color, this Dianthus barbatus was given the name ‘Noverna Clown’.Bushy and branched with deep-green lancelot leaves, this plant shouldreach roughly 16 inches high. It develops best when grown at about 57-64°F in standard light. It should be transplanted 3-4 weeks after sowing.
‘Sydney Blue Picotee’ (Kieft Seeds Holland). Delphinium consolida‘Sydney Blue Picotee’ adds blue to the colors in the Sydney series. Like
the varieties in the series, it should grow early and uniformly. It has anerect plant form with vertical branching and an indented leaf shape. Itshould reach about 47 inches high when grown at 50-59° F. Maintain4,000 lux light for 14 hours for optimal growth. Be careful not to disturbthe taproot while transplanting.
‘Presto’ (Clause Tezier). Coreopsis grandiflora ‘Presto’ was bred for acombination of profuse flowering and a naturally short habit. The plant’ssmall size — it forms a ball shape about 8 inches in diameter — meansthere should be no need for PGRs. A distance of roughly 8x8 inches shouldseparate one plant from another. Plants grow best at 59° F in high light.
‘Blue Glitter’ (Ernst Benary of America). Eryngium planum ‘BlueGlitter’ requires no vernalization. If grown at 57° F, plants should reacha height of about 32 inches and a width of 8 inches. These erect plantscan be cultivated in a container. The plants can be forced into flower-ing at 53-64° F.
‘Avant-garde Blue’, ‘Avant-garde Pink’ (Thompson & Morgan UKLtd.). Each of these laurentia brings a different color to the hybrid F1series. ‘Avant-garde Blue’ and ‘Avant-garde Pink’ should have vigorousgrowth habits, long flowering periods and good basal branching. At fullgrowth, plants should reach about 10-12 inches high and 12-14 incheswide. They can be grown in pot sizes ranging from 4 inches to 1 gal. Theplant develops best when grown between 59 and 68° F. �
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variety information
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FlorastarFlorastar analyzes plants grown throughout the United States. It
judges plants on form, disease resistance, fragrance and shipping ability,among other qualities.
‘Global Red’ (Oglevee, Ltd). Ivy geranium ‘Global Red’ has dark-greenfoliage and is bred to provide a large number of flowers. It grows in a 41⁄2-inch format using one plant per pot. Keep pH levels between 5.5 and 5.8.After roots have developed, temperature should be kept between 64 and 72°F during the day and 54 and 56° F at night. Use cool morning treatmentsonce side shoots develop. This should encourage compact growth, a betterbranching habit and earlier flowering. Pinch once two weeks after potting.
‘Royal Light Pink’ (Selecta First Class). Ivy geranium ‘Royal Light Pink’is bred to flower early and have several flowers open simultaneously.Analyze soil before planting; a substrate that contains 15-25 percent clay maylead to better leaf wetness and help keep the pH between 5.6-6.0. Feedingshould start when the first roots can be seen at the pot’s side. Pinch once dur-ing development. Flowering can increase during high light periods.
‘Kenai Grande Pineapple’ (Selecta First Class). Osteospermum ‘KenaiGrande Pineapple’ performs best when grown on the dry side and underhigh light levels. Crop time from a rooted cutting is about 8-10 weeks. Thisosteospermum needs one pinch after roots have developed. At that time,start a constant feeding program using a balanced fertilizer. The plant’slarge, cream-yellow flowers should remain in bloom all summer long.
Perennial Plant Association Each year, the Perennial Plant of the Year Committee selects four winners
from a list of varieties nominated by Perennial Plant Association (PPA)members. Then, the members pick one overall winner. Since 1990, the PPAhas been awarding plants based on their low maintenance and suitability fora broad range of climates. Easily propogated plants are also a plus.
‘Firewitch’. Dianthus gratianopolitanus ‘Firewitch’ grows best in full sunand well-drained soils with a pH of 6.0-6.5. Do not plant the crown toodeeply. This plant does best in Zones 3-9. Watch for potential diseaseproblems such as rust, leaf spot, root rot and Fusarium wilt. Mature plantsshould have foliage from 3-4 inches tall and 6-12 inches wide and flowersthat reach 6-8 inches high.
Jen Hubert is assistant editor of GPN. She can be reached [email protected] or (847) 391-1008.
Editor’s note: Dianthus ‘Firewitch’ photo courtesy of Steven Shill; hosta ‘Stained Glass’ photocourtesy of H. Hansen.
GGPPNN
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variety information
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