The 2015 Darwin Perennials Day may have kicked off with a heavy dose of rain, but that didn’t faze more than 300 perennial fans who stopped by to pore over the latest introductions from Darwin Perennials and Kieft Seed and chat with top perennial suppliers.
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2015 Darwin Perennial Days
Darwin Perennials and Kieft Seed had their newest genetics on display for all to see.
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2015 Darwin Perennial Days
More than 30 perennial suppliers were on hand for the event, including newcomers Darwin Colombia, Qualitree Propagators and Rancho Espinoza.
Campanula ‘Iridescent Bells’ (Darwin Perennials) is an interspecific hybrid with a long bloom period. It won’t set seed and has no runners, which helps keep its habit manageable and its spread in check. Eggplant-colored flower buds were a striking contrast to white, lavender-tinted blooms.
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Lavandula stoechas 'Bandera Purple' (Kieft Seed)
The seed-raised Lavandula stoechas ‘Bandera Purple,’ with its prominent purple flags and abundance of spikes garnered a lot of attention at the Kieft Seed display
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Campanula 'Rapido Blue' (Kieft Seed)
One eye-catcher from Kieft Seed was the early flowering Campanula Rapido Series with its new addition of ‘Rapido White.'
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Delphinium 'Diamond Blue' (Kieft Seed)
The cerulean-blue color of Delphinium 'Diamonds Blue' stood out among the new varieties displayed at the Kieft Seed tent. It is specifically bred so the flowers face up and is one of the first spurless F1 hybrids from seed.
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Delphinium 'Guardian Blue' (Kieft Seed)
The easily programmable Delphinium Guardian Series from Kieft Seed provides growers with predictability and uniformity.
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Delphinium 'Guardian Lavender' And 'Guardian White' (Kieft Seed)
Delphinium Guardians are early bloomers compared to open-pollinated varieties. They typically bloom a full six weeks earlier.
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Echinacea 'PowWow White' (Kieft Seed)
'PowWow White' is a new addition to the popular PowWow Series from Kieft Seed.
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Gaillardia 'Mesa Experimental Red' (Kieft Seed)
An experimental variety of Mesa Gaillardia generated a lot of interest at the Kieft Seed tent.
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Gaillardia 'Mesa Experimental Red' (Kieft Seed)
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Lilium FantAsiatic Series (Darwin Plants)
Darwin Plants sponsored an information station on the key crops best done by bare-root. The Lilium FantAsiatic Series made for a colorful display.
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Heuchera 'Carnival Rose Granita' (Darwin Plants)
Another perennial variety best from bareroot featured by Darwin Plants.
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Salvia nemorosa 'Lyrical Blues' (Darwin Perennials)
The Lyrical Blues Salvia nemarosa Series boasts more flowers per container and better branching for well filled out containers and a better show at retail. Silvertone is the first bicolor Salvia featuring blue blooms with silver edges. New colors include Blues, Rose, Silvertone and White.
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Scabiosa columbaria 'Flutter Deep Blue' (Darwin Perennials)
The Scabiosa Flutter Series has the advantage of high powdery mildew resistance. Shorter flower stalks make for a tighter habit, well-suited to container production, and a better display at retail. New colors include Deep Blue and Rose Pink.
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Display Of Tender Perennials Zones 6/7 to 9
Tender perennials are becoming more common in the perennial world. Proper labeling will become even more important with these plants, so consumers know what to expect from their performance.
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Perennial Combination Containers
A combination of Salvia 'Radio Red,' Scabiosa 'Butterfly Blue,' Lamium 'Purple Dragon' and Viola 'Celestial Midnight' started from 4-inch pots.
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Perennial Combination Containers
A combination of Agastache 'Little Adder,' Coreopsis 'Sunny Day' and Lysimachia 'Golden Alexander' started from liners.
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Perennial Combination Containers
The same combination of Agastache 'Little Adder,' Coreopsis 'Sunny Day' and Lysimachia 'Golden Alexander' started from 4-inch pots.
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Perennial Combination Containers
A combination of Salvia 'Radio Red,' Stipa 'Pony Tails,' Artemisia 'Silver Brocade' and Lavender 'Anouk Supreme' started from liners.
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Perennial Combination Containers
The same combination of Salvia 'Radio Red,' Stipa 'Pony Tails,' Artemisia 'Silver Brocade' and Lavender 'Anouk Supreme' started from 4-inch pots.
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Perennial Combination Containers
An Achillea 'New Vintage Rose,' Lysimachia 'Golden Alexander' and Dianthus 'Everlast Lavender plus Eye' started from liners.
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Perennial Combination Containers
The same Achillea 'New Vintage Rose,' Lysimachia 'Golden Alexander' and Dianthus 'Everlast Lavender plus Eye' combination started from 4-inch pots.
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Mastertag
The Mastertag exhibit featured plant tags for perennial combination containers that take the guesswork out of where to place it in the garden.
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Sugar Buzz Monarda Series (Walters Gardens)
The deep, rich colors of the Sugar Buzz Monardas stood out at the Walters Garden display. Sugar Buzz monardas bloom from mid-summer to fall and show good mildew resistance.
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Ball Horticultural Trial Gardens
Visitors kept notebooks handy as they toured the trial gardens.
Attendees had plenty of opportunities to ask questions, network and take advantage of educational opportunities and the expertise of Ball Horticultural Co. staff during the day as they visited various information stations located throughout the trial gardens.
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Darwin Colombia, Qualitree Propagators and Rancho Espinoza joined the ranks of more than 30 suppliers exhibiting this year, so visitors took advantage of the opportunity to get to know them better. And Paul Pilon of Perennial Solutions Consulting rounded out the day with two informative presentations on overwintering perennials and using plant growth regulators to reduce plant height and improve branching.
If one thing became clear at the end of the day, it’s that compact habits, low maintenance and drought tolerance persist as strong, driving factors in today’s perennial market. And as the perennials with staying power theme of Darwin Perennials Day suggests, breeders remain set on delivering tough, resilient perennials with marketplace longevity.
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Standout Introductions From Darwin Perennials 2016 Line-Up
Vestaron Receives EPA Approval for Second Active Ingredient, Basin Bioinsecticide
The perennials featured at the Darwin Perennials tent promised flower power, lower production costs and better sell-through at retail thanks to increased disease resistance, less need for inputs and extended bloom times that push the market window.
Here are just a few of the varieties that stood out.
Campanula ‘Iridescent Bells’ is an interspecific hybrid with a long bloom period. It won’t set seed and has no runners, which helps keep its habit manageable and its spread in check. Eggplant-colored flower buds were a striking contrast to white, lavender-tinted blooms.
The Scabiosa Flutter Series has the advantage of high powdery mildew resistance and shorter flower stalks that make for a tighter habit that is well-suited to container production and displays better at retail. Colors include Deep Blue and Rose Pink.
The Lyrical Blues Salvia nemorosaSeries boasts more flowers per container and better branching for well filled out containers and a better show at retail. Silvertone is the first bicolor Salvia featuring blue blooms with silver edges. New colors include Blues, Rose, Silvertone and White.
The new ‘Double Scoop Lemon Cream’ adds some additional flower power and a light yellow color to the robust Double Scoop series of hardy Echinacea, while Blanco rounds out the Sombrero Series with a clear white.
Noteworthy Introductions From Kieft Seed The seed-raised Lavandula stoechas ‘Bandera Purple,’ with its prominent purple flags and abundance of spikes garnered a lot of attention at the Kieft Seed display, as did an experimental variety of Mesa Gaillardia with splashy red blooms dressed with bright-yellow centers ringed in red.
Additional eye-catchers from Kieft Seed included the early-flowering Campanula Rapido Series with its new addition of ‘Rapido White,’ and the Delphinium Guardian Series.
Perennial Container Solutions: Liners Versus 4-Inch Pots
Perennial combination containers are catching on, and several great ideas for combinations that are guaranteed to not only attract consumers, but also move with ease from deck to garden were on display throughout the day.
It is always a treat to see what Joan Mazat, business manager for cut flowers, geraniums & poinsettias for Ball Horticultural Co. and the head of the container solutions committee, comes up with for Darwin Perennial Days. This year was no exception.
At the request of customers who were interested in whether liners or 4-inch pots worked best for perennial combo containers, Mazat set up an experiment to compare the two options. Starting on March 18, she planted the liners of three to four different perennials into 14-inch containers. At the same time, she planted liners with the same three to four plants into 4-inch pots, which were later transferred to 14-inch containers on May 14. All inputs were Lin102s sourced from James Greenhouse and Tagawa Greenhouses.
Looking at the overall display, the differences between some of the containers were striking in terms of aesthetics and size, while no significant differences could be observed in other containers. Mazat says generally she preferred the look obtained with the liners because better blending could be achieved between the plants, creating a nice, full look.
Check out the accompanying slideshow to see some of the comparisons and for more highlights from 2015 Darwin Perennials Day. And be sure to visit darwinperennials.com to find out the details for attending in 2016.
015Perennial Container Combos And New Intros Shine At 2015 Darwin Perennials Day