2015 California Spring Trials Preview

A go-to guide to this year’s Spring Trials, jam-packed with everything you need to know to navigate your way through this plant tour along nearly 300 miles of California coast. Inside are locations and contacts for all 19 stops, reasons to visit and a preview of beautiful, never-before-seen varieties. And if you’re a CAST first-timer, don’t worry. We’ve also gathered tips from seasoned CAST veterans to help you along.
 

Dümmen NA

Includes Red Fox, at Edna Valley Vineyard 2585 Biddle Ranch Rd • San Luis Obispo, CA 93401 and at BarrelHouse Brewing Company 3055 Limestone Way • Paso Robles, CA 93446

Who to look for: Diane Surette
Contact: d.surette@dummengroup.com • (630) 212-1276
 

Stop #1: Edna Valley Vineyard, San Luis Obispo

New Varieties

1. Confetti Garden combinations

2. Diascia series — name to be revealed at Spring Trials

3. Begonia series — varieties to be revealed at Spring Trials

Reasons to visit our stop: Opportunity to see new varieties set amidst their complementary series to gauge performance.

Stop #2: BarrelHouse Brewery, Paso Robles

New Varieties

1. Lindura Cosmos Calibrachoa

2. New pot mum series from Fides — name to be revealed at Spring Trials

3. New combination ideas from Bartels — names to be revealed at Spring Trials

Reasons to visit our stop: A chance to see indoor and outdoor flowering groups, annuals and perennials, from the best breeders around the world.

Pieces of Advice for Spring Trials first timers:

1. Introduce yourself. Take advantage of making connections and expanding your network. This is one of only a few opportunities in our industry where you can meet the teams in person that comprise the leading breeding organizations in floriculture.

2. Avoid flower overload. It is always helpful to write a list before you leave of what you hope to accomplish — whether it is finding the best new variety, a marketing concept for 6-packs, or technical advice on a product class — a list will help you keep your focus.

3. Don’t forget your camera. Photos are the best way to capture the trip and document the items and concepts you want to follow up on.

 

Floranova

222 North A Street • Lompoc, CA 93436

Who to look for: Ashley Ransbottom
Contact: aransbottom@floranova.com • (574) 594-9284
 

Reasons to visit: The visit will give you the opportunity to view the newest breakthroughs in flowering genetics and also explore Vegetalis — our sister company — which will present compact, patio-ready veggies.
 

Varieties:

1. Begonia F1 ‘Bossa Nova’ Ivory, Pure White, Pink Glow, Salmon Shades and Yellow.
Bred for its branched and floriferous habit, Bossa Nova is stunning in large containers and hanging baskets.

2. Ageratum F1 ‘Cloud Nine’ White & Blue
Bred for earliness and uniformity in the pack, Cloud Nine Blue and White are up to seven days earlier than competing varieties and bloom in unison. The flowers are exhibited on smaller, less obtrusive foliage, creating a more attractive and uniform finished product.

3. Alyssum F1 ‘North Face’
North Face is a new tetraploid Alyssum with large, pure white flowers on a well-branched and compact habit. The improved vigor and cascading habit ensures excellent garden performance for the consumer. Perfect for hanging baskets, combinations and borders.

 

HGTV HOME Plant Collection

At Edna Valley Vineyard
2585 Biddle Ranch Road • San Luis Obispo, CA 93401

Who to look for: Allie Beukema
Contact: abeukema@agricolamanagement.com • (615) 690-7834
 

New Varieties:

1. Flamenco Ruffle Petunia Series features Petunias with super-large, double-blooms bred on the best petunia chassis in the market — creating strong plants with excellent branching and compact, rounded habit. The frilly flower is sure to stand out at retail and is available in a wide range of unique colors. Flamenco Ruffle has been bred for excellent cold tolerance and early flowering — making it perfect for the early Spring market.

2. Lavender Lollipop Allium stands out from all others due to its later flowering time and floriferous habit. Purple flowers open in August on upright stems reaching 15–18" height. Hardy zones 4–9. Like other Alliums, it is drought tolerant.

3. Blue Spritzer Perovskia is compact — reaching 18" height and 14" wide. It has excellent branching and habit and will not lodge in wind or rain. The petite, blue flower stems make a great cut and everlasting flower. Hardy zones 4–9.

 

Kientzler, McConkey, PAC-Elsner, Pelemix and Terra Nova

(at Windmill Nursery)
925 West Highway 246 • Buellton, CA 93427

Who to look for: Marc Englert
Contact: marc@florep.com • (805) 850-8839
 

Reason for going: Proven, cutting edge and grower friendly genetics available from various independent URC sources.
 

Varieties:

1. Kientzler’s Paradise New Guinea Impatiens, ‘Large Cherry Red’ features large, multi flowered modern-day round blooms. This easy-to-grow variety can be grown in 4" pots to 10" baskets.

2. Terra Nova’s Coleus Globetrotter Series
This series’ unique globe-shaped habit remains tight and upright throughout the season. They can be used as border plants or in combination planters.

3. PAC Elsner’s Aristo Purple Stripes blooms white with purple stripes. Its medium, uniform and dense-branching growth and mid-green flowering makes way for attractive big flowers which work well outdoors.

 

Ball Horticultural Company

335 South Briggs Road • Santa Paula, CA 93060 (including Ball FloraPlant, Ball Ingenuity, Ball Ornamentals, Burpee Home Gardens, Darwin Perennials, Kieft Seed, PanAmerican Seed, Morel Diffusion, Selecta and Wave)

Who to look for: Katie Rotella
Contact: krotella@ballhort.com • (630) 588-3296

Reasons to visit: The Ball stop will feature 10 exhibiting breeding companies with more than 400 new introductions on display.
 

Varieties:

Coleus Campfire (Ball FloraPlant)
This brightly colored coleus is an exciting shade of orange for sun and shade gardens.

Dianthus Pink Kisses (Selecta)
An early-blooming dianthus that offers low-energy production and impulse-buy appeal.

Interspecific Dianthus Jolt (PanAmerican Seed)
Jolt Pink is an All-America Selections winner and the most heat-tolerant, interspecific dianthus on the market.

Petunia Easy Wave Yellow (Wave)
An elegant color with full-size blooms that express a slight veining. Offers better performance compared to vegetative yellow petunias.

Tomato Baby Boomer (Burpee Home Gardens)
Perfect for the patio, each wildly prolific plant yields 300+ little sweeties bursting with great-big tomato flavor.

Lavender Bandera Purple (Kieft Seed)
Professional-quality L. stoechas from seed. This compact, bushy plant is self cleaning with a long flowering period.

Celosia Intenz Lipstick (Ball Ingenuity)
Bold, deep color that doesn’t fade. Grow and use it at multiple times a year as a season extender, florist novelty or houseplant.

Digitalis Foxlight (Darwin Perennials)
Blooms all summer with outward-facing flowers for better show.

Hydrangea L.A. Dreamin’ (Ball Ornamentals)
An H. macrophylla that blooms Pink and Blue and every color in between without any soil amendments. Great reblooming power.

 

Green Fuse Botanicals, Inc.

15425 W. Telegraph Rd • Santa Paula, CA 93060

Who to look for: Lorena Castro-Craven
Contact: lccraven@green-fuse.com • (310) 458-3580
 

Reasons to visit: We have a wide range of items that includes innovative vegetative annuals and perennials, and we also have tissue culture products. These items include four different series of Anigozanthos and a unique Cordyline series.
 

Advice for first-timers: Plan to take home a couple ideas; the entire trial can be overwhelming with a lot of information. Look for one or two ideas you can apply at your business to increase sales.

Varieties:

1. Crystal White develops a dense, rounded structure of large flowers, resulting in an impact of white. This Euphorbia is the perfect drought and heat-tolerant component plant for mixed containers.

2. Green Fuse Botanicals has expanded the color offering for the Good and Plenty Petunia series, with the additions of bicolor varieties which include the striking Purple Skirt and Strawberry Flash.

3. Caspian Blue is a compact form of Perovskia reaching a garden height of 18-24" (46-61 cm). This variety has large tubular flowers for increased color in the landscape.

 

EuroAmerican and Suntory

At Ventura Botanical Gardens
501 Poli Street • Ventura, CA 93001

Who to look for: Ginny Williams
Contact: gwilliams@pweuro.com • (888) 323-0730 ext. 237
 

Reasons to visit: EuroAmerican & Suntory are demonstrating to growers how they can keep their greenhouses running at “Spring Speed” with growing opportunities 365 days a year.
 

Advice for first-timers: Dedicate at least two hours to get the most of our spring trials display. Visit us in the late afternoon to enjoy a complimentary happy hour.
 

Varieties:

1. EuroAmerican’s Balsamic Blooms is edible and grows leaves and blooms simultaneously. The purple blooms last for weeks, and flavors range from mint blooms to sweeter basil leaves.

2. EuroAmerican’s Lumos will light up any garden with its glowing yellow blooms that won't fade. Super floriferous, this plant puts blooms out from early spring through summer.

3. Suntory’s ‘BeeDance Painted Red’ is a striking bicolor variety with petals that are half red-orange and half yellow, becoming more red-orange over time.

4. Suntory’s Soiree Ka-wa-i-i catharanthus series offers micro-blooming vinca and amazing flower coverage with a 24" spread in three colors — Coral, Pink and Lavender.

 

GroLink Plant Company, Inc.

4107 West Gonzales Road • Oxnard, CA 93036
(including Ameriseed, Inc., Athena Brazil, Gediflora, Hort Couture, Florist Holland, Flamingo Holland, PlantHaven, Royal van Zanten, Schoneveld Breeding, Skagit Gardens and Vivero Internacional)

Who to look for: Yasmin Jafroodi
Contact: Yasmin@grolink.com • (800) 451-6319
 

Reasons to visit: With outdoor areas for each company to showcase its varieties, GroLink plans on having a colorful and relaxed setting in their Spring Trial garden where visitors can enjoy themselves.
 

Advice for first-timers: Leave your business cards so vendors can reach out to you after the show.
 

Varieties:

1. PlantHaven’s PenPals Nemesia Berry Summer Mix contains large, bi-color flowers in rich red, blue and white tones with bright yellow eyes, ideal for 6" pots, containers and baskets.

2. Gediflora’s Vigorelli Violet is a two-tone decorative variety with flowers arranged in a rounded shape. It will flower in mid to late October under natural day and is also suitable for indoor production under blackcloth.

3. Vivero Internacional’s Geranium ‘Glitter Orange’ & ‘Glitter Pink’ — These two new zonal geraniums are very early to flower, have a vigorous growth habit and are trailing.

 

Proven Winners

At Chaminade Resort and Spa 1
Chaminade Lane • Santa Cruz, CA 95065

Who to look for: Kerry Meyer
Contact: Kerry@provenwinners.com • (573) 477-9420
 

Reasons to visit: The biggest advantage is the ability to see absolutely every introduction first-hand in real-life applications. Not only will PW show its varieties in display areas, but the plants are also used in the landscape throughout the resort.
 

Advice for first-timers: Dress for the weather. This stop in the foothills of California will have cool mornings and much warmer afternoons.

Varieties:

1. Hibiscus SUMMERIFIC ‘Berry Awesome’ — The flowers on this plant are 7-8” wide. It has lavender pink flowers and red eye, with contrasting deep midnight green foliage, and will be ready to show off from late summer into early fall.

2. Superbells Garden Rose — The first in a brand new line of Calibrachoa bred for landscape use rather than containers. It is vigorous, quickly covering 2-3' of ground, and blooms all summer without deadheading.

3. Supertunia Picasso in Blue - The third in a popular series of bicolors, this variety features lavender blue blossoms rimmed in green on mounded to trailing plants.

 

Syngenta Flowers

2280 Hecker Pass Road • Gilroy, CA 95020

Who to look for: Melanie Fernandes
Contact: Spring.trials@syngenta.com • (800) 427-1896
 

Varieties:

1. Lanai Verbena. Rock solid performance meets eye candy in the garden, the new Lanai Blue Eyes joins a verbena series that features some of the most innovative colors on the market. This rich and vibrant blue verbena has inherent resistance against powdery mildew and performs well under a variety of stresses. Featuring a strong-mounded, trailing habit, it is ideal for pot and basket programs.

2. TriTunia Petunia. This series offers growers the best of the best in grandiflora petunia selection to simplify your program. Featuring mixed selections from our best grandiflora performers, the TriTunia petunia provides a one-stop shop for colors selections that are matched to provide a uniform habit and flowering.

3. Sanguna Patio Petunia. Pink Morn and Radiant Rose are two new additions to the popular Syngenta Flowers Sanguna Patio petunia series. This vegetative series is extremely adaptable for early season sales and provides vibrant colors that create an exciting display at retail. Pink Morn’s new, cheery color and Radiant Rose’s eye-catching, two-toned flower pattern are celebrated additions to the Sanguna Patio series.

 

Ernst Benary of America

195 Paulsen Road • Watsonville, CA 95076 (including Volmary)

Who to look for: Ann Robson
Contact: CAST2015@benary.com • (831) 288-2803
 

Reasons to visit: Benary is introducing several new products and series that will make production and shipping easier and more profitable for growers.
 

Advice for first-timers:

1) Stash some flat rate mailing envelopes in your bag so you can send home literature. You won't want to pass up all the great information available, but you won't want to lug it from hotel to hotel either.

2) Don't forget to have fun! There are lots of companies hosting after-hours events, and it has been shown that relaxation can improve your memory.

Varieties:

1. Begonia Nonstop Joy Yellow — The future of tuberous begonias is here! Nonstop Joy Yellow has a fuller, tighter habit so plants grow “thick” with a manicured shape.

2. Begonia San Francisco — This year we are proud to introduce a new color that’s just as easy to grow, just as sun loving, just as weather tolerant. The habit and flower form of San Francisco are similar to Santa Cruz but the warm pink flowers are sure to turn heads at retail.

3. Pansy Inspire Plus — Early and uniform, this series won’t stretch on the bench, so it is perfect for spring or summer production.

 

Danziger “Dan” Flower Farm

At Headstart Nursery
4860 Monterey Road • Gilroy, CA 95020

Who to look for: Sharon Israel
Contact: Sharon@danziger.co.il • (877) 249-9705

Reasons to visit: “Come and see our novelties and new concepts!” says Chanochi Zaks, vice president of marketing for Danziger.
 

Advice for first-timers: Wear comfortable shoes — you’ll be on your feet all day, every day and walking farther than you think!

 

Pacific Plug & Liner

750 Casserly Rd • Watsonville, CA 95076
(Includes Cohen, Cultivaris, Hishtil, Jaldety, MPS and Sunset Western Garden Collection)

Who to look for: April Herring
Contact: packtrials@ppandl.net • (831) 768-6319

 

Speedling, Inc.

2640 San Juan Highway • San Juan Bautista, CA 95045
(Including ABZ Seeds, Florensis, Greenex USA, Inc. Hem Genetics, Plant Source International, Inc., Thompson & Morgan and Vista Farms)

Who to look for: Kathy Enders
Contact: kenders@speedling.com • (630) 391-2832
 

Reasons to visit: This is a great opportunity to see the new and improved varieties, which will allow you to choose the best for your production.
 

Advice for first-timers: Do not get overwhelmed by all the varieties on the market. Choose the ones that work best for your specific situation and take a lot of notes so you can remember what you saw.

 

Beekenkamp, Westhoff and Plug Connection

At Floricultura
25425 Esperanza Road • Salinas, CA 93908

Who to look for: Christine Labrador
Contact: Christine@plugconnection.com
 

Reasons to visit: Floricultura is a new stop offering growers and retailers an amazing display of new products and programs, plus other industry leading and top-selling plant varieties. Growers will have the opportunity to learn recommended growing strategies, as well as see what’s trending in color, marketing and design.
 

Advice for first-timers: Bring a camera or use your camera phone, but don’t forget your chargers, extra batteries and memory card.

 

Golden State Bulb Growers

3060 Hilltop Road • Moss Landing, CA 95039

Who to look for: Teresa Lopez or Monique Wilson
Contact: gsbgcast@goldenstatebulb.com • (831) 728-0500 ext. 254
 

Reasons to visit: It’s a chance for growers to learn the latest on growing techniques and how to achieve different quality standards for our crops. It’s also a great opportunity to personally speak with our plant breeders.
 

Advice for first-timers: Have a plan. Map out the stops you want to visit. Having difficulty choosing places to stop and limited on time? Choose the stops that best fit your business and crops you grow.
 

Varieties:

1. Aloha Lily Kona — Kona is the newest addition to the Aloha Lily Eucomis collection. Kona’s deep burgundy buds open to glossy blooms, offset by bright yellow anthers. Like its sisters, Kona has a lovely coconut fragrance and blooms that last for months. Previewed at Cultivate ‘14, Kona was a show stopper.

2. Caribbean Jewels Cayman — Cayman is the first compact addition to Caribbean Jewels Scilla line. Cayman’s glossy striped buds open to violet blooms with true blue centers and striking yellow anthers. Compact, matte green leaves cradle large umbels filled with blooms.

 

American Takii

301 Natividad Road • Salinas, CA 93906
(Includes OHP, Inc. and HilverdaKooij B.V.)

Who to look for: Julia Paul
Contact: springtrials@takii.com • (831) 443-4901
 

Reasons to visit: We’ve made it simple. One of our greenhouses will spotlight six crops along with detailed information focused for growers.
 

Advice for first-timers: Check for all your belongings before leaving a location. “We’ve had a camera left behind, a cashmere sweater, and two pairs of glasses. We were able to reunite the camera with its owner, but not the other items,” says Julia Paul, marketing assistant at American Takii.
 

Varieties:

1. Antirrhinum Legend Pink, and White are the newest additions to the Legend series (Group I). Legend features sturdy stems with dense spikes and strong petals for good cut flower transportation and vase life. Stem length is 36-52" (91-132 cm), depending on time of year.

 

 2. Salvia Summer Jewel White is a 2015 AAS National Award winner blooming seven to nine weeks after sowing, having a compact habit with excellent branching, blooming all season long and attracting hummingbirds and other pollinators.

3. Petunia F1 Trilogy Red is a 2015 AAS National Award winner. Red is the newest addition to the Trilogy series which requires less growth regulators, lasts longer on the retailer shelf display without tangling, and performs in the garden with minimal care. Trilogy has a novel dome shape and is available in eight colors.

 

Sakata

102 Boronda Road • Salinas, CA 93907 (includes MasterTag)

Who to look for: Sarah Cornaggia
Contact: scornaggia@sakata.com • (408) 782-5317
 

Reasons to visit: Growers can expect more from Sakata — better quality, more varieties and superior Sakata service.

Advice for first-timers: Wear comfortable shoes, and take lots of notes and pictures!
 

Varieties: This year, expect to see alluring new introductions, like the Dragon’s Breath celosia and the full Cyclamen collection, from mini to jumbo, bred by Schoneveld, as well as new series like Proud Mari marigold, in all three bright and available colors.