Apr 10, 2016

Day 1 at the Trials — Proven Winners, Syngenta and Danziger By Jasmina Dolce

Well, Day 1 of Spring Trials is officially in the books! We escaped Chicago snow, but California welcomed us with rain showers. That didn’t matter though, the plants still looked amazing!

Our first stop was at Proven Winners’ new location at Kirigin Cellars in Gilroy. The new open space really gave them the opportunity to display all they have to offer, including tons of retail inspiration. This year, their new intros focused on improving existing varieties and adding new colors to series.

Next on the agenda was Syngenta Flowers. The first thing we saw when we walked in to their exhibit was fun and interesting pollinator displays. They made sure to point out which varieties were best suited for pollinator gardens, check out the pentas below!

Our final stop of the day was at Headstart Nursery where we got to check out an impressive cyclamen trial and, of course, the many new gorgeous varieties introduced by Danziger. Fifty to be exact!

Here’s a snapshot of some our favorite introductions so far, but be sure to check out our photo gallery which we’ll be updating daily.

Canna Toucan series (Proven Winners)

This new free-flowering thriller is available in four colors (Rose is pictured). It is heat tolerant and disease resistant and will perform well in containers and landscapes. Toucan will reach a height of 48 to 60 inches!

Verbena ‘Superbena Royale Peachy Keen Improved’ (Proven Winners)

This was one of the many improvements on display at Proven Winners. It has much bigger flowers with better color throughout the plant compared to the original variety. This photo really doesn’t do it justice, you have to see it for yourself!

Pentas Falling Star series (Syngenta Flowers)

Falling Star is a brand new type of pentas with a trailing habit. It will look great in hanging baskets and combinations. Three colors are currently available: Pink Bicolor, Rose (pictured) and White.

Iberis ‘Snowsurfer Forte’ (Syngenta Flowers)

Syngenta introduced a ton of new perennials this year, in both the seed and vegetative lines. This new vegetative iberis is a breakthrough with increased vigor that allows growers to plant two weeks later in the fall. It is a continuous bloomer that gardeners will love.

Petunia Amore series (Danziger)

Amore is a new series that presents special patterns, such as the heart-shaped markings on ‘Amore Queen of Hearts’. All varieties have similar semi-trailing habits, and they are bred specifically for stability in their flowers.

Craspedia ‘Golf Beauty’ (Danziger)

This adorable novelty boasts compact growth and good overall resistance. It has round, yellow flower heads and will look great in containers and combinations. I think this one will be an awesome landscape plant as well.

That’s it for now, but look out for more updates throughout the week. And if you aren’t already, follow us on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram where we’ve been posting a ton of images from the road.

What’s your favorite new intro so far? Shoot me an email, and let me know. I’d love to hear from you.

— Jasmina