2019 California Spring Trials — Day 1
The 2019 California Spring trials kicked off on a drizzly Saturday morning yesterday. Team GPN loaded up our SUV and hit the road starting in the northern portion of the state for this year’s trials. Fortunately, as the day went on (for the most part) the skies cleared up as we visited four different locations in San Juan Bautista and Watsonville.
At our first stop, we paid a visit to the companies exhibiting at Speedling in San Juan Bautista. This year the folks from Hem Genetics, Plant Source International, Vista Farms and Lambert were on hand to bring us up to date on what each company is doing.
From there we headed over to Suncrest Nurseries in Watsonville to see Jaldety Nursery, Cohen Propagation Nurseries, Hishtil Nurseries, Nir Nurseries and Kamel Plastic Pots. This is the second year at this location for these companies.
Our next stop was down the road to Pacific Plug & Liner where we got to “Unlock the Magic of the Secret Garden” and see their latest intros as well as comparison trials of phlox and iberis. We also had a chance to check in with Terra Nova Nurseries who is exhibiting at PP&L for the first time this year. The Quality Cuttings Team and Sunset Western Garden Collection also are exhibiting at PP&L’s Watsonville facility.
Our final stop of the day was also in Watsonville to see our friends at Benary and Benary+. The family-owned company celebrated its 175th birthday last year and in Year 176, the Benary team shows no signs of slowing down.
Yesterday was a busy day but the party is just getting started — we’ve got four more days to go.
Here are just a few of the highlights from day 1.
Dianthus ‘Supra Scarlet’
Hem Genetics
This first-year flowering perennial series has added eye-catching Scarlet to its lineup, so there are now six colors and one mix. It is suited for production in 4-inch or larger pots and mixed containers. It is winter hardy to Zone 5.
Sedum ‘Silver Roses’
Jaldety Nursery
This succulent has a very appealing texture and a compact habit that plays well in combinations. It has cream-colored flowers and silver rosette-like leaves that are heat and drought tolerant and require hardly any maintenance.
Coleus ‘Jigsaw’
Terra Nova Nurseries
The red, orange and yellow foliage really stand out on this variety. It has vigorous branching from the base and will grow to 18 inches tall. It is late flowering, making it ideal for containers, house plants, summer borders and mass plantings.
Echibeckia ‘Summerina Blazing Fire’
Pacific Plug & Liner
This addition to the Summerina series has a striking two-toned yellow and red flower with smaller petals or “fringles” near the center of the flower that look like a flame. The large flowers and high flower count work well in large pots.
Pentas Graffiti 20/20
Benary
This new series is made up of nine different colors and one mix (Vivid Red is shown here). It is extremely uniform in plant height and flower timing. The dense, tight flower clusters provide brilliant color at retail. It is a great outdoor performer that loves the heat and attracts butterflies.
Bidens Taka Tuka
Benary+
This series has four colors including two unique bi-colors — Red Glow, Red Yellow Center, White Yellow Center and Orange Yellow Center (pictured above). It has a well branched habit that works great by itself or in combinations, especially hanging baskets.
We will be in Gilroy and Salinas today, so keep an eye on our Facebook, Instagram and Twitter pages for updates on our travels.
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