Nov 18, 2013

Proven Winners ColorChoice Varieties Win Green Thumb AwardsSource: Proven Winners

Proven Winners’ Clematis ‘Sweet Summer Love’ and Bloomerang Dark Purple Lilac were among the five best new plant varieties to win 2014 Green Thumb Awards presented by the Direct Gardening Association. These ColorChoice introductions were honored in the plants, bulbs and seeds division by the independent panel of garden writers and editors. Selection criteria were based on the plant’s uniqueness, technological innovation, ability to solve a gardening problem or provide a gardening opportunity and potential appeal to gardeners. Clematis ‘Sweet Summer Love’ is a hybrid breakthrough by award-winning breeder Szczepan Marczynski, combining the ease-of-growth, strong fragrance and hundreds of blooms of ‘Sweet Autumn’ clematis with the added benefit of rich cranberry-violet hues. This deer resistant woody vine is covered in rich color a month earlier than other varieties and continues to fall. The vine climbs to 10 feet or larger, is hardy to USDA Zone 4 and can be placed in full sun or part shade. Bloomerang Dark Purple reblooming lilac has larger, more rounded inflorescences and deeper coloring than the original Bloomerang. This excellent grower reaches a compact 4-6-feet tall and wide in full sun and is covered in fragrant, dark lavender flowers in spring. After a brief rest during the heat of summer, it flowers again until frost, is deer resistant and is hardy to USDA Zone 3. For more information on these varieties, visit www.provenwinners-shrubs.com.