Wonders from the West Coast

Heat-tolerant varieties

An ever-popular category, here are a few of the latest plants that can withstand high temperatures.

Video feature - Some like it dry: In light of new water restrictions, Sunset Western Garden Collection is shifting its focus to water-wise plants. http://bit.ly/1bGeaQR

 

Pollinator-friendly plants

Everyone seemed to be talking about ways to support pollinator populations. These are a few of the many new varieties we saw that attract these tiny helpers into the garden.

Video feature - Tantalizing nectar: Beedance bidens from Suntory Flowers are a “bee-con” for pollinators and a great container option. http://bit.ly/1bLXGHo

Head-turning genetics

We looked twice when we saw these eye-catching new varieties in California.
 

Video feature - Fiery foliage: Dragon’s Breath heat-tolerant celosia from Sakata produces dazzling red foliage and works well in the landscape or in mixed containers.http://bit.ly/1SbrInt

Festive flora

Breeders are going beyond the big plant holidays like Christmas and Memorial Day by creating combinations and packaging that help sell plants throughout the year. Here are a few of our favorites.

It’s clear from the name that Pink Kisses pot carnation from Selecta is a plant for holidays that celebrate love. The carnation could be sold around Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day or even during breast cancer awareness month. Complementary packaging could mean impulse buys in the garden center.

HGTV HOME Plant Collection’s Fab Festivities mixes for the holidays debuted last year and many were on display at Spring Trials. The colorful combos include options for Mother’s Day, Labor Day, the Fourth of July and other holidays. 

American Takii showcased its patriotic red, white and blue Trilogy petunia combos, called the ’76 Mix and a perfect plant for Memorial Day, Fourth of July, Labor Day, or any other occasion celebrating the country. The combo also includes new Trilogy Red petunia, an AAS winner.

Charitable roots

The salvia Wishes series by Skagit Gardens, supports the Make a Wish foundation. ‘Love and Wishes’ shown.

Scent First Memories by Whetman Pinks has benefitted Alzheimer’s research. We saw it at PlantHaven.

Video feature - A scent to remember: Fragrant Whetman Pinks Scent First Memories have
philanthropic roots and will be available in the U.S. in 2016. http://bit.ly/1FdtwmH
 

Inspirational merchandising

Breeders built creative, stunning displays to showcase their plants at Spring Trials. Here is a collection of our favorite and most inspiring set-ups.

Florist Holland showcased its new, fiery-colored Patio Gerbera Volcano series in a grill display, complete with firewood, at the GroLink stop. The Patio Gerbera line also includes a collection of plants with 3 to 5 inch blooms named after national parks and places such as Acadia, Bighorn and the Everglades.

Hort Couture debuted Monarch Promise asclepias during Spring Trials. The bright red and yellow plants, developed by an independent breeder in Florida, attract pollinators. The company adorned the display with faux butterflies, some resting on plants, others attached to a string to look as if in flight. Real monarchs brought in from a local butterfly afficionado were also incorporated into the display, and bees flocked to the plants.

Skagit inspired attendees with beautiful, larger-than-life paper flowers to complement their varieties.

Everyone wanted to take a selfie with the hot pink horse at the Ball Horticultural stop. The mare was part of the Wave petunia family’s “Winner’s Circle” display, which included newer varieties like Shock Wave Yellow and Tidal Wave colors. The blooms are smaller than Ball’s Easy Wave series, but the big, bold color fills the vigorous plant.

EuroAmerican had an easy-to-understand display for its Cool Combinators collection, created to help beginning gardeners comprehend exactly how this group of plants behave. They can withstand cool temperatures and can be combined together in landscapes or in containers. People at the stop gravitated toward the tiny succulents stuffed in seashells and wine bottles that were also showcased at the stop. In case you are curious, the wine gardens are secure and the bottle can sit upright.

Golden State Bulb Growers recently introduced pretty and practical packaging and containers for its calla lilies. Handles help consumers easily carry the three-pack of plants, and the mini pots make the plant a perfect gift.

Dümmen Orange made itself at home at the BarrelHouse Brewing Company and took inspiration from the surroundings by incorporating BarrelHouse kegs and barrels into displays. They also used the umlaut to help Spring Trials attendees easily find the stop, and they even put a handle on the side of the letter to transform it into a beer glass.

Simple but effective, PlantHaven placed “Smell Me” signs on its fragrant plants at the GroLink stop, encouraging attendees to get up close and experience the scent. “Get your gardening buzzing” posters were also wrapped around benches, a casual reminder that these are pollinator friendly plants.
 

Video feature - Winning Waves: New petunias in the Wave family include a striking silver, a “shocking” yellow, a smooth red velour and a passionate pink. http://bit.ly/1f7dlma

Video feature - People pleasing petunia: The latest addition to the Petunia Trilogy series from American Takii is already award-winning. http://bit.ly/1L5LU9j

Retail-ready plants & packs

CaliPetite from Sakata is ideal for garden centers looking for a compact calibrachoa that will maintain its flower power and shape in retail-ready containers without getting leggy. As the name suggests, these blooms are smaller than traditional calibrachoas.

Pacific Plug and Liner unveiled the pineapple-flavored Hula Berry strawberry during the 2014 Spring Trials, but this year they dressed the edible up in new, consumer friendly retail packaging that includes details about how to grow the plant and highlights its unusual flavor.

In speaking of retail packaging, Dümmen Orange showed off its Confetti Garden packs, which include two or three plants that work well together in containers to make it easy for gardeners.
 

For more coverage from the 2015 California Spring Trials, watch our videos online at www.gardencentermag.com/media

All photos by Karen E. Varga