Although the Miami weather was a bit cool, that didn’t stop breeders, growers, and retailers from visiting the Costa Farms’ trial gardens this year for a first look at some of the newest variety introductions and some old favorites. Costa is a consumer-focused company, and its trial gardens are all about finding out which plants will perform best for consumers and ultimately help them be successful gardeners.
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Bidens 'Pink Princess Pink and White Bicolor' (Benary+)
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Bidens 'Sir Francis Yellow' (Benary+)
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Costa Farm's Black ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Raven') won the Favorite New Foliage Plant award at TPIE.
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Sprinkled throughout the display were Costa’s new customer personas ─ Ellen: The Explorer, Mark: The Hesitant, Jen: The Beautifier, Dan: The Healthful, and Alice: The Old Guard ─ a result of its customer research.
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With each of its plant displays, Costa included signs that point out what type of garden customer/persona might be a good match for the plant displayed.
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The inspiration behind Costa's new Color Me Pot is the popular adult coloring book trend. Customers can use sharpies to color the pot in their own special style.
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Justin Hancock, Digital Marketing Manager at Costa Farms, is the designer behind the great container combinations featured at the open house.
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Another Costa container featured at the open house.
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Costa gave visitors a sneak peek at some of the up-and-coming combos it is trialing for 2019.
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Costa Farms showed off the new redesign of its Desert Escape brand.
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The new design for the Desert Escape brand gives it a distinct vintage look.
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Desert Gem combos mix traditional succulents with colorful Desert Gems cacti.
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Costa is testing out some products for suitability for e-commerce use.
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New Exotic Angels Kokedamas with succulents
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An experimental hanging basket in the trials from Florist
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Geranium 'Moxie Mega Pink Splash' (Syngenta Flowers)
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Gerbera 'Garvinea Sweet Heart' (Florist)
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Trixi Love Song hanging basket
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Begonia hyb. 'I'conia Spring Fling Wild Salmon' (Dümmen Orange)
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Salvia 'Vibe Ignition Purple' (PlantHaven)
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Salvia 'Vibe Ignition Velvet' (PlantHaven)
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Salvia 'Vibe Ignition White' (PlantHaven)
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Snapdragon 'Snappy Lavender Blush' (Hem Genetics)
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Snapdragon 'Suntini Sunglow' (Syngenta Flowers)
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Snapdragon 'Snaptini Violet' (Syngenta Flowers)
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Snapdragon 'Twinny Peach' (Hem Genetics)
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Succulent bowl holiday table setting at Costa Farms' headquarters
Visitors to the gardens have a chance to see how plants will perform outside the greenhouse, in the Southern Florida winter climate, which mimics spring growing conditions across the country. Costa plans to change up its Season Premier going forward. It will now be held the first week of March, which will allow for a longer trial period, starting at Week 50 to until the plants finish for the season or need to be ripped out to prepare for the next season premier.
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Product and plant displays at Costa Farms’ headquarters highlighted some of the new products it is introducing to the market, as well as some new concepts it is testing. Visitors had a chance to see some of Costa’s new trial combos for 2019, the redesign of the Desert Escape brand, new pot designs for O2 for You and the Lucky Bamboo lines, a new deep-red anthurium color, and a fun Color Me Pot. Sprinkled throughout the display were Costa’s new customer personas ─ Ellen: The Explorer, Mark: The Hesitant, Jen: The Beautifier, Dan: The Healthful, and Alice: The Old Guard ─ a result of its customer research.
0152018 Costa Open House: Standout Plants and Products
January 23, 2018 
