‘Black Velvet’ A Double Winner In Medal Of Excellence

The buzz heading into this year’s California Spring Trials was Ball FloraPlant’s black petunia, ‘Black Velvet.’ Is it truly black, growers wondered?

Well, growers who trekked to Spring Trials found ‘Black Velvet’ truly is, and they’re convinced the petunia is a winner.

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On July 12, during the Evening of Excellence at OFA Short Course, ‘Black Velvet’ was actually a double winner, earning the Industry’s Choice and Reader’s Choice awards in Greenhouse Grower’s Medal of Excellence program.

‘Black Velvet’ edged Punch Superbells calibrachoas from Proven Winners and ‘Suntastic’ scaevola from Westhoff for the two awards.

“We’re really excited to win this award,” says Jim Kennedy, technical manager at Ball FloraPlant. “It’s a great honor for us to have the recognition from the industry for the ‘Black Velvet’ petunia.”

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What Was New From Sakata, Takii, and Others at California Spring Trials

The Editor’s Choice award, meanwhile, went to canna ‘Tropical Bronze Scarlet,’ a Takii Seed variety that’s the first dark-leafed canna from seed. The other nominees for the 2010 Editor’s Choice Award, as selected by Greenhouse Grower Editor Delilah Onofrey, were:

‘Suntastic’ scaevola by Westhoff

Lucky Lantern abutilons by PlantHaven

Plentifall pansies by PanAmerican Seed

‘Black Velvet’ petunia by Ball FloraPlant

Greenhouse Grower also recognized its Industry Achievement (Takii Seed) and Marketer of the Year (The Home Depot/VIVA!) award winners.

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