Apr 28, 2021

California Summer Trials Sneak Peek – Part 2 By Jasmina Dolce

The California Summer Trials officially begins in just 56 days! Are you as excited as we are?

I recently surveyed GPN readers to find out what types of information are most important when learning about new variety introductions.

Some of your responses were:

• “Real world evaluations — not just eye-catching, have to perform for us and our customers.”
• “The improvements for that variety compared to other standard varieties.
• “Growth habit, disease resistance, flower power, foliage attributes.”
• “Which zone it will grow in, height at bloom time, and sun/shade requirements.”
• “Hardiness, and cultural information.”

What types of characteristics would you add to the list? Is there anything you are on the hunt for? What traits would make your “perfect” variety?

Shoot me an email at jdolce@greatamericanpublish.com, and let me know. I’d love to hear from you!

But in the meantime, let’s continue counting down to our industry’s premier new variety event. Here are some sneak peeks into what you’ll see at CAST in June. Keep in mind, this is just a handful. Hundreds of varieties will be making their debut along the coast!

— Jasmina

Osteospermum ‘Sunny Jill’
Beekenkamp

‘Sunny Jill’ requires little to no PGRs. It has vigorous branching, but a controlled habit for a beautiful result. Once open, the bloom colors change daily from white to pink as they age, giving the consumer a fun and multi-toned plant.

Delphinium ‘Delgenius Breezin’
Pacific Plug & Liner

Breezin is the newest addition to the Delgenius series of delphinium — bringing the series total to four. This new selection has highly ruffled flowers that are purple with white edging and a green bee. Breezin is the earliest to bloom in the series.

Lantana Heartland
Dümmen Orange

The new Heartland series is bred to be the heart of the landscape. These varieties come from the award-winning Havana series but with 30% more vigor for maximum landscape impact. Heartland varieties have extremely low seed set, allowing for continuous flower power throughout summer.

Gerbera ‘Garvinea Sweet Sparkle’
HilverdaFlorist

Sweet Sparkle is a spectacular new addition to the Garvinea series. It presents a hot pink color that brings a bright sparkle to every garden. With great weather tolerance, Garvinea provides lots of happy colors from early spring until the first frost.

Begonia ‘Nonstop Joy Rose Picotee’
Benary

The latest Nonstop Joy introduction features an exciting, intense bicolor with dark foliage and an outstanding controlled habit. Early to bloom and easy to ship, it integrates perfectly into the Nonstop Joy series. It offers excellent uniformity and perfect flower presentation above the foliage.

Petunia ‘Fun Hosue Potpourri’
Syngenta Flowers

Fun House petunias boast unique flower colors and patterns. They offer great habits for a fun addition to hanging basket and patio container programs. Retailers love unusual varieties that capture consumers’ attention — sure to be a social media favorite!