Most of us have to wait until the spring catalogs arrive before we can
glimpse what’s new. A pre-preview actually occurs the year before for
insiders. In late summer there’s the annual Garden Writers Association
(GWA) Symposium, a media event where growers and marketers display and
promote next season’s plants. All during the year at various locations
throughout the country, pack trials are held. That’s where marketers
and growers demonstrate the results of growing trials to the rest of
the industry and to the media. The spring trial in California has
become the most important one.
At this year’s GWA’s symposium, we were all buzzing about a jumbo
coleus. Two new hydrangeas and shrub roses also got a lot of attention. Here are the details:
Coleus Kong. (Ball Seed)
The coleus craze is only going to get crazier
with the introduction of the Kongs. This coleus boasts huge leaves on
stocky, mounding plants. Despite 3-4 inch wide leaves, overall plant
size remains modest, not exceeding two feet. Kong comes in five color
variations: Rose has a light green leaf with a bright rose center;
Green has a green leaf with a creamy center; Red has a green edge with
a wine and pink center; Mosaic is green, wine, and pink splashed with
cream; and Scarlet is green-edged with a darker green and rose center. Note that Kong prefers shady locations.
Double Red Knock Out (Conrad-Pyle)
Knock Out was first introduced in
2000 and was hailed a "breakthrough shrub rose" by the All-American
Rose Selections (AARS) because of its exceptional disease resistance
and hardiness. Since then, the series has grown to include red,
blushing pink, and pink. The newest release is Double Knock Out Red.
Like the others in the series, it’s a landscape shrub rose that is easy
to grow and nearly indestructible. Recommended for USDA Cold Zones
4-10, Red Knock Out lived up to its hardiness range even as far south
as my southern Florida garden in Zone 10B. I’ll be trialing Double Red
this year but it should have the same carefree growing habits — disease
resistance, self cleaning, and nonstop blooming.
Height and width: 4
feet. Like the other Knock Outs, the flowers are numerous but on the
small size. Availability may be limited in 2005. You can check
www.starroses.com to find a retailer near you.
Rosa x ‘Angelsie’ Lady Elsie May (Angelica)
This shrub shrub rose is
a 2005 AARS winner. It produces coral-pink flowers that are about 4
inches across and very full. The shrub is moderately-sized and should
fit nicely in a mixed bed. The overall habit is elongated, about 3.5
feet tall with a 2-foot spread. According to AARS, it should be
vigorous with a uniform growth habit and excellent disease resistance.
USDA Cold Zones 5-10.
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Lady in Red ‘(McCorkle Nurseries, Inc)
Lady in
Red has lacecap flowers that open a pinkish white and turn a burgundy
rose. The plant itself is attractive even before flowers appear thanks
to distinctive red stems and veins in the leaves. In the fall, the
foliage turns a reddish purple. Lady in Red forms a compact, mounded
shrub that’s 3-5 feet tall and wide. USDA Cold Zones 6-9.
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Big Daddy’ (Novalis/Plants that Work)
As the
name implies, Big Daddy needs plenty of room. It forms super-sized
flowers (12-14 inches) on a super-sized shrub (5-6 feet high and wide,
with one report saying 12 feet!). Sturdy stems promise to hold the big
flowers upright. Fine in full sun but partial shade is recommended in
warm zones. Reportedly easy to grow in hot, humid summers of the South
and the Midwest. USDA Cold Zones 5-9.
Lots of other noteworthy introductions were discussed in symposium
workshops, but three from Monrovia grabbed my attention:
Calycanthus ‘Venus’ Venus Sweetshrub ( Monrovia)
This sweetshrub
sports very showy white flowers that resemble magnolia blossoms. The
flower’s fragrance of melon,strawberries,and spices is said to be as
amazing as its appearance. Overall height: 5 feet. USDA Cold Zones 5-8.
Mandevilla x amabilis ‘Monrey’ Tango Twirl (Monrovia)
This vine
boasts fully double pink flowers that are held in upright clusters and
framed by large, deep green, glossy leaves. Mandevillas take full sun
to part shade. Expect fast growth to 15 to 20 feet by twining stems.
USDA Cold Zones 10-11; AHS Heat Zones 2 -12.
Yucca recurvilfolia ‘Monca’ Banana Split Soft Leaf Yucca (Monrovia)
This yucca offers slower growth and smaller stature than the species.
It has attractive, drooping strap-like leaves with grayish-green
margins and a wide stripe of warm yellow down the middle, which apparently reminded someone of a half-peeled banana. A huge head of
white blooms appears on 3- to 5-foot stalks. Full sun is recommended.
The overall habit is clump-forming, 4 to 6 feet tall and wide, with
trunk-like stems. USDA Cold Zones 7-9; AHS Heat Zones 3-9.
Plants that caught the attention of attendees at the spring California Pack Trials ranged from new gaillardias, a red petunia and cosmos, a
coral zinnia, a mini Dragon Wing begonia, and a double vinca. Here’s a
closer look:
Cosmos sulphureus ‘Cosmic Red’ ( Ernst Benary)
The bright orangey-red
flower color is bound to make this cosmos an instant hit. The Cosmic
series is relatively easy to grow and trouble free, producing
12-inch-high sturdy plants. Other varieties in the same series are
Cosmic Yellow and Cosmic Orange.
Begonia Pink ‘Babywing Pink’ (PanAmerican Seed).
Dragon Wing begonia
is one of my favorite begonias. It’s showy and yet takes the heat.
Babywing is very much like its big brother, just smaller. It grows
about 12-15 inches tall in the garden and spreads approximately 10-12
inches. Like the series, flowers are in abundance, only these are
smaller and light pink- to rose-colored.
Gaillardia ‘Arizona Sun’ (Ernst Benary)
Arizona Sun is both an
All-America Selections (AAS) and Fleuroselect Gold Medal winner. It
produces an abundance of bright yellow and red flowers that are
3-inches in diameter. In the trials, the plant's growth habit was
uniform reaching 12-14 inches in height. What distinguishes this
gaillardia is its early blooming. Like the genus, it thrives in the
heat of summer and blooms well into fall.
Gaillardia ‘Summer’s Kiss’ (Yoder Brothers)
Summer Kiss shares all
the wonderful attributes of the genus but delivers a softer look than
the garish red/yellow standard. The large daisy-like flowers open
pink-orange and mature to a golden apricot. Truly a welcome addition to
the gaillardia line-up.
Hemerocallis x ‘Malja’ Golden Zebra (Monrovia)
Malja is a gorgeous
dwarf day lily with variegated foliage. The foliage has striking green
and white stripes when grown in the shade; green and yellow, in the
sun. The flowers are clear golden-yellow clusters on very short stems.
Lovely with or without flowers. Foliage reaches 12 inches in height,
spreading to 24 inches. USDA Cold Zones 7 to 11; AHS Heat Zones 1 to 12.
Kalanchoe blossfediana ‘Calandiva’ (Fides)
When potted kalanchoes are
in flower they’re showy, but wait till you see the new double-flowering
Calandiva series. It has fully double, rose-shaped flowers on large,
full-flowered heads that last at least six weeks. The series includes
Charming Red, Dark Pink, Orange, Pink, Pink Purple, Purple Red, Soft
Pink, White, and White & Pink.
Petunia ‘Easy Wave Red’ (PanAmerican Seed)
This plant represents a new
color in the Wave series. The flowers open dark red and mature to a
soft red. Overall height: 8-10 inches with a compact, 2-3 foot spread.
Vinca ‘First Kiss Blueberry’ (Ernst Benary)
This 2005 AAS winner is
the first vinca with violet-blue flowers. The large 2-inch single
blooms have a dark violet eye. The plant grows 11 inches tall and about
16 inches wide.
Zinnia ‘Magellan Coral’ (Flower Fields)
Superior coral color, flower
quality, early bloom , and consistent flowering earned this a 2005 AAS
award. Magellan’s flower is fully double and described as dahlia-like.
The blooms measure 5-6 inches; plants, 15-19 inches tall.
Verbena Corsage (Cohen Propagation Nurseries)
This series of verbenas
offers a first — double and semi-double flowers. They're all trailing
verbenas that reach a height of 12-15 inches. The Corsage series
includes Peach, a medium-sized, fully double flower; Patio Dark Red, a
medium-sized, semi- double variety; and Red, a medium-sized, fully
double variety. The varieties selected are said to promise some powdery
mildew resistance.
If you’re looking for a certain plant and your local nursery does not carry it, ask the nurseryman to contact Plant Search Online, Tp: 828
275-5765, plantsearch@mindspring.com, which covers 19,000 plants grown
by nearly 2000 wholesale nurseries.
