Jun 25, 2021

From the Road — Day 2 at CAST’21 By Jasmina Dolce

Another high-energy day surrounded by cheerful color and big smiles!

We began Day 2 at American Takii in Salinas where we were able to get acquainted with many of last year’s introductions that we were unable to see in person before. Statement antirrhinum and Fiona begonia looked fantastic. And some new additions to the Trilogy and Opera Supreme petunia lines.

And since 2021 is the Year of the Sunflower, it was wonderful to celebrate the Sunrich series’ 30th anniversary!

We were also able to check out the new selections from HilverdaFlorist and Sahin. Lots of strong and eye-catching gerbera — one of my favorites is the Glorious Patio collection. Huge flowers that command attention in any setting.

Our next stop was Sakata, also located in Salinas. They have been busy strengthening many of their flagship collections, such as SuperCal Premium and SunPatiens. Lots of new color additions to offer the grower, retailer and consumer options for any application. They have also been playing around with unique mixes and experimenting with seed and vegetative items in combination together.

We ended our day at Dümmen Orange’s new beach-side location at Avila Beach. Once again, it was so nice to see the 2021 introductions that we missed out on last year, such as Roller Coaster New Guinea impatiens and DuraBloom petunias.

This year, Dümmen is rebranding its Confetti Garden program and launching a new logo. They are, of course, adding lots of new mixes to the lineup that will do awesome at retail.

Another new program that we are excited about is their Pollinator’s Paradise mixes, which include recipes specific to hummingbirds, butterflies or bees. And they incorporate both perennials and annuals.

I wish I could share the 200+ photos I took today, but for now these will do …

— Jasmina

Zinnia Belize
American Takii

Belize is a new series of zinnia that has already had great success in the European market and will making its debut into the U.S. next year. The collection features five single and five double varieties that present a compact habit and eye-catching colors. They keep their tight shape; no PGRs necessary.

Petunia ‘Trilogy Silver Blotch’
American Takii

American Takii continues to experiment with new colors to expand its popular collection of compact, mounding petunias. Silver Blotch is a unique new color addition to the growing palette. Trilogy petunias have excellent branching, require less growth regulation and adapt easily to growers’ protocol.

Gerbera ‘Garvinea Sweet Sparkle’
HilverdaFlorist

This new addition to the Garvinea Sweet assortment offers bold, high-impact color on large, long-lasting flowers. It’s an ideal choice for garden borders and outdoor containers. The series exhibits great weather tolerance, providing cheerful color from early spring until frost.

Begonia Viking Explorer
Sakata

Viking and Viking XL were recent introductions for landscape and container applications. The new begonia Viking Explorer series is intended more for hanging baskets with its trailing habit. Two colors are currently available (Red on Green is pictured), and they flower earlier than comparable varieties with more flowers at first flush.

Zinnia ‘Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor’
Sakata

This new zinnia has already been awarded an All-America Selections Gold Medal. It boasts distinct yellow and red coloration that transitions to softer apricot and pink tones as it ages, giving a beautiful multi-color presentation. A rock star in any climate, blooms are long lasting, and plants are heat and disease resistant.

Calibrachoa Rainbow
Dümmen Orange

Rainbow is a new series of calibrachoa offering a color-changing effect. They display a blend of ever-changing colors throughout the season. They offer a classic Aloha habit and perform well in larger baskets. They exhibit incredible heat tolerance, presenting a long-lasting and unique look in the garden.

Salvia ‘Hummingbird Falls’
Dümmen Orange

Attracting pollinators to the garden is becoming increasingly important to consumers. This new trailing salvia is a groundbreaking selection from Plant Haven exclusive to Dümmen Orange. It is the perfect hummingbird magnet. They love the vivid blue color, and it will last through the heat of summer.

Lavender ‘La Diva Big Night’
Dümmen Orange

Dümmen Orange has created an umbrella brand for its lavender selections, La Diva, which offers growers a suite of various species for spring through fall sales. ‘La Diva Big Night’ is a new Spanish lavender that is hardy to Zone 6. It boasts large flowers on tough, gray-green foliage.

Pollinator’s Paradise
Dümmen Orange

Pollinator’s Paradise is a new combination program that blends annuals and perennials intended to work in harmony to naturally feed pollinators in the garden. Each combination is specifically designed to feed either bees, butterflies or hummingbirds. Pictured is Pollinator’s Paradise Butterfly Breeze, which combines lobularia, phlox and verbena.