Top Honors Go To …
Each year, various organizations around the world — like All-America Selections and Fleuroselect — conduct their own trials to test plant performance and gauge consumer interest. They are dedicated to sharing information on the top-performing varieties to help the industry as a whole remain successful.
At GPN, we compile all these award winners so that we can then share them with you. With hundreds of new varieties being introduced each year, we know it can become quite tasking to choose which varieties will suit your production.
These organizations do the legwork, from trialing and testing all the way to educating the consumer. And now that the year is coming to a close, we wanted to share their top honors with you as you plan your upcoming season.
If you are still searching for new varieties to add to your benches, here are a few of this year’s awarded cultivars. This is just a sampling; to learn more about all the winners, click here.
Cuphea ‘FloriGlory Diana’
Westhoff
All-America Selections judges loved this plant for its larger flowers, impressive flower count and the darker, more intense magenta blooms. It is ideal for borders, mass plantings and containers. Gardeners will enjoy the compact size, long flowering time, and heat and weather tolerance.
Gypsophila ‘Gypsy White Improved’
Sakata
This improved gypsophila boasts semi-double blossoms that make the garden sparkle. The flowers are larger in size and produce more flowers per plant, resulting in a fluffy white mound. It is perfect for containers, small spaces and garden beds.
Zinnia ‘Queeny Lime Orange’
Hugo Dittmar, available through Floragran
This beauty was awarded from both All-America Selections and Fleuroselect. With large, dahlia-like blooms on a sturdy plant, it provides cut flower gardeners and growers with a wonderful hue for today’s floral trends. Consumers will enjoy the striking color, outstanding garden performance and cut flower possibilities.
Begonia ‘Fiona Red’
Takii
Growers will appreciate the high level of uniformity and early flowering on this begonia, enabling ease of production. The attractive flower shape and vibrant color encourage impulse sales. It has a long flowering window with radiant semi-double flowers throughout the season.
Allium ‘Millenium’
Named the 2018 Perennial Plant of the Year by the Perennial Plant Association, this butterfly magnet is perfect for full-sun gardens where its sleek structure can complement other growth habits. It is hardy to Zones 3 or 4 through 9, and provides interest through multiple seasons with attractive foliage and large blooms.
Hosta ‘World Cup’
Beilsten/Zilis 2006
Quickly becoming a very hot hosta variety, the 2018 Hosta of the Year — ‘World Cup’ — forms an upright clump of deeply cupped, moderately wavy, deeply corrugated, bright gold foliage. Pale purple flowers appear in late June through early July.
Have you grown any of the above varieties or plan to add them to your lineup next season? Shoot me an email at jdolce@greatamericanpublish.com and let me know; I’d love to hear from you.
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