Striking New Selections
Breeders must have gotten the memo that the National Garden Bureau designated 2015 the “Year of the Coleus” because they introduced a ton of gorgeous new coleus varieties this year. Even though the debut varieties on display won’t be available at retail until next season, we loved checking out all the great new colors in coleus.
Coleus ‘Flying Carpet Thriller’ (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Coleus ‘PartyTime Lime’ (Sakata)
Coleus ‘Campfire’ (Ball FloraPlant)
Coleus ‘Main Street Granville Street’ (Dümmen Orange)
Coleus ‘Under the Sea Fish Net’ (Hort Couture)
Hardy Standouts
We’ve been seeing the perennial category grow significantly over the past few years. Breeders are introducing varieties that will help gardeners achieve instant success in their plantings, especially with first-year flowering perennials. They’re inspiring growers and retailers with new, fun ways to use perennials for instance, perennial combinations.
Scabiosa ‘Flutter Deep Blue’ (Darwin Perennials)
Verbena ‘Pompous Purple’ (EuroAmerican Propagators)
Monarda ‘Leading Lady Lilac’ (Proven Winners)
Helianthus ‘Double Whammy’ (Pacific Plug & Liner)
Heuchera ‘Champagne’ (Terra Nova Nurseries)
Breakthrough Bidens and Begonia
Each year, we’re used to seeing some of the staple annual crops like petunias and geraniums. But every couple of years, a few select species seem to trend with the breeders. This year, breeders seriously diversified the bidens and begonia categories with improved genetics and unique colors.
Begonia ‘Nonstop Joy Yellow’ (Benary)
Bidens ‘Popstar’ (Kientzler)
Begonia ‘Bossa Nova Pure White’ (Floranova)
Bidens ‘Beedance Red Stripe’ (Suntory)
Bidens ‘Campfire Fireburst’ (Proven Winners)
Begonia ‘Unbelievable First Kiss’ (Dümmen Orange)
Landscape Stunners
The landscape segment continues to gain interest as homeowners are investing in their homes and beautifying their outdoor spaces. Deciding which plants to market to landscape customers can be a challenge. Not every plant is bred for landscape performance; some definitely present better than others. These new varieties put on a gorgeous display and will survive various conditions.
New Guinea impatiens ‘SunStanding Cherry’ (Dümmen Orange)
Gerbera ‘Garvinea Sweet Spice’ (Florist Holland)
Salvia ‘Summer Jewel White’ (American Takii)
Dianthus ‘Jolt Pink’ (PanAmerican Seed)
Bicolor Beauties
Novel varieties are a great way for gardeners to really make a bold statement, especially in their mixed combinations. They offer dimension and create a standout presentation. For those consumers that dare to be different, here are some of the most eye-catching novel introductions from the trials.
Verbena ‘Vanessa Koi’ (Danziger)
Petunia ‘Good and Plenty Purple Skirt’ (Green Fuse Botanicals)
Petunia ‘ColorWorks Homare’ (Sakata)
Geranium ‘Glitter Orange’ (Westhoff)
These varieties turned heads at the California Spring Trials.