Spring Trials Preview – Part 5
Over the past few weeks, I’ve been sharing some of the new varieties that will make their official debut at the 2016 California Spring Trials. This will be my final preview before the big event, which begins in just 18 days!
For those of you attending, have you finalized your itinerary? If you need any last-minute help planning your route, be sure to check out GPN’s Spring Trials Companion. We included handy maps and detailed trial location information, as well as some dining recommendations … because who wants to travel on an empty stomach?
I know it’s a busy week in the greenhouse and many of you are unable to attend, but you need not worry. I’ll be blogging daily from the road and will be featuring trends and highlights in the June and July issues of GPN. So be on the lookout!
In the meantime, here are some of the beauties that will be on display in California…
Begonia ‘Unbelievable Tweetie Pie’ (Dümmen Orange)
This striking new begonia is a must-have for spring and potted programs. It presents hybrid breeding for better branching and a medium-compact habit. Bright yellow double blooms are prolific and pop against dark green foliage.
Calla ‘Peppermint Twist’ (Golden State Bulb Growers)
Part of the Callafornia Callas collection, ‘Peppermint Twist’ was a favorite of experimental varieties on display last year. It features uniquely colored blooms with shades of salmon to rusty red above maculated foliage. It is excellent for cut flower production.
Petunia ‘Success Coral’ (Benary)
Coral is the newest color in the Success trailing petunia series. The entire series finishes seven days earlier than other leading petunias, and all nine colors flower within six days of each other. These seed petunias exhibit excellent garden performance in beds, containers and hanging baskets.
Gerbera Majorette series (Sakata)
Majorette is bred to be the most uniform series on the market. It is perfect for quarts and larger containers with multiple plants and is conveniently offered with slick coat to provide ease of production and streamline sowing and singulation.
Perovskia ‘Blue Steel’ (Kieft Seed)
A perennial first: high-quality, affordable seed perovskia. Aromatic, silvery foliage carries clouds of small blue flowers. Its sturdy, controlled landscape habit is comparable to the vegetative market leader.
Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Hollywood Star’ (Proven Winners)
‘Superbells Hollywood Star’ boasts vibrant pink flowers with a purple and gold star-patterned center from spring into fall without deadheading. It was an early favorite at plant trials due to its strong greenhouse performance and earliness to bloom in week 7. It has been screened specifically for resistance to Thielaviopsis.
Salvia ‘Summer Jewel Lavender’ (American Takii)
A 2016 All-America Selections winner, ‘Summer Jewel Lavender’ is a beautifully unique color for a Salvia coccinea. It joins Summer Jewel Red, Pink and White, all of which are AAS winners. They are all early to bloom, continue to flower until frost and attract pollinators.
Begonia TopSpin series (Syngenta Flowers)
TopSpin is a green-leaf series bred for earliness and uniformity. To lower energy costs during production, TopSpin can be finished cool with other spring bedding plants. The series performs well in many different pot sizes due to its great vigor and strong branching.
I hope you’ve enjoyed reading about these new introductions over the past few weeks. Now it’s almost time to start packing! If you see me and Team GPN on the road, be sure to stop and say hi. I’d love to hear about which varieties catch your eye.
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