Apr 14, 2015
Day Three Recap: 2015 California Spring Trials By Jasmina Dolce

We had quite the trek Day 3, as our tour took us from Moss Landing to Salinas and finally to a new location in Paso Robles.

Our day started at Golden State Bulb Growers, which is always such a pleasure to tour with greenhouses full of calla lilies and begonias. This year, they introduced a new eucomis, scilla and calla.

Next, we headed to American Takii and got to see a ton of All-America Selections winners, including new Summer Jewel salvia and Trilogy petunia. They also had an inspiring display showing how gardeners can utilize lettuce and kale in baskets and combos.

Down the road, we continued at Sakata where we checked out a huge assortment of new varieties, including a few totally new series. From cyclamen to marigold to coleus to portulaca, Sakata had a lot to see.

Our day ended at BarrelHouse Brewing Co., where Dümmen showcased varieties from their Fides/Ecke/Oro brands. It was definitely a nice touch being able to tour new varieties immediately followed by a tour of a brewery!

Here are some of our favorite new varieties from the Day 3 stops. And remember to check out our photo gallery on www.californiaspringtrials.com!

Eucomis ‘Aloha Lily Kona’ (Golden State Bulb Growers)

This new eucomis has a delightful fragrance and compact habit like the other Aloha Lily varieties, but this one brings a new burgundy color to the collection.

Petunia ‘Trilogy Red’ (American Takii)

This improved red rounds out the Trilogy series of compact, mounding petunias. An All-America Selections winner for 2015, ‘Trilogy Red’ is very grower friendly and will work great alone or in combinations.

Salvia ‘Summer Jewel White’ (American Takii)

Also a 2015 All-America Selections winner, this new salvia blooms all season with pure white flowers and stays compact at no more than 20 inches when mature.

Celosia ‘Dragon’s Breath’ (Sakata)

The name ‘Dragon’s Breath’ is certainly fitting for this variety! The plumes are huge and boast an intense red color. This plant just does not lose its flower. It will show well at retail and keep going in the garden.

Petchoa ‘SuperCal Light Yellow’ (Sakata)

Growers will appreciate this new selection as Light Yellow definitely fits a void that was present in the SuperCal series. It shows incredibly well in baskets and will stand up to most weather conditions.

Calibrachoa Lindura Cosmos series (DÃ¼mmen Group)

Lindura now has the Cosmos sub-series, which boasts incredibly unique colors and a compact, mounding habit. Lindura Cosmos are uniform across the the colors (‘Lindura Cosmos Strawberry’ is pictured).

Geranium Maestro Idols series (DÃ¼mmen Group)

While these geranium varieties are not technically new, it is a big deal that the company has streamlined selections from the Maestro and Master Idols collections to create a well-matched series for easy production. The end result is the “best of the best.”

— Jasmina