Bidens 'Pink Princess Pink and White Bicolor' (Benary+)
Bidens 'Sir Francis Yellow' (Benary+)
Costa Farm's Black ZZ Plant (Zamioculcas zamiifolia 'Raven') won the Favorite New Foliage Plant award at TPIE.
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.
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.
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.
Justin Hancock, Digital Marketing Manager at Costa Farms, is the designer behind the great container combinations featured at the open house.
Another Costa container featured at the open house.
Costa gave visitors a sneak peek at some of the up-and-coming combos it is trialing for 2019.
Costa Farms showed off the new redesign of its Desert Escape brand.
The new design for the Desert Escape brand gives it a distinct vintage look.
Desert Gem combos mix traditional succulents with colorful Desert Gems cacti.
Costa is testing out some products for suitability for e-commerce use.
New Exotic Angels Kokedamas with succulents
An experimental hanging basket in the trials from Florist
Geranium 'Moxie Mega Pink Splash' (Syngenta Flowers)
Gerbera 'Garvinea Sweet Heart' (Florist)
Trixi Love Song hanging basket
Begonia hyb. 'I'conia Spring Fling Wild Salmon' (Dümmen Orange)
Salvia 'Vibe Ignition Purple' (PlantHaven)
Salvia 'Vibe Ignition Velvet' (PlantHaven)
Salvia 'Vibe Ignition White' (PlantHaven)
Snapdragon 'Snappy Lavender Blush' (Hem Genetics)
Snapdragon 'Suntini Sunglow' (Syngenta Flowers)
Snapdragon 'Snaptini Violet' (Syngenta Flowers)
Snapdragon 'Twinny Peach' (Hem Genetics)
Succulent bowl holiday table setting at Costa Farms' headquarters
Trial planter from Proven Winners
Trixi Starspinner combo (Selecta)
Verbena 'Firehouse Pink' (Ball FloraPlant)
Verbena 'Firehouse Purple Ball' (Ball FloraPlant)
Vinca 'Tattoo Raspberry' (PanAmerican Seed)
Vinca 'Tattoo Raspberry' (PanAmerican Seed)
Vinca 'Tattoo Tangerine' (PanAmerican Seed)
Vinca 'Tattoo Black Cherry' (PanAmerican Seed)
Vinca 'Tattoo Papaya' (PanAmerican Seed)
Vinca 'Tattoo Papaya' (PanAmerican Seed)
Vinca 'Vitesse Peppermint' (Floranova)
Vinca Vitesse Series (Floranova)
Vinca 'Vitesse XL' (Floranova)
Vinca 'Vitesse XL Dark Red' (Floranova)
Vinca 'Vitesse XL Icy Watermelon' (Floranova)
Westflowers trial hanging basket (Floranova)
Zinnia 'Profusion Double Fire' (Sakata Ornamentals)
Zinnia 'Profusion Double White' (Sakata Ornamentals)
Zinnia 'Profusion Double Yellow' (Sakata Ornamentals)
Zinnia 'Profusion Lemon' (Sakata Ornamentals)
Lavandula 'Torch Minty Ice' (Hem Genetics)
Linaria 'Fantasy Blue' (American Takii)
Linaria 'Fantasy Rose' (American Takii)
Linaria 'Fantasy White' (American Takii)
Lobelia 'Rip Tide Blue Violet' (Syngenta Flowers)
New anthurium at Costa Farms
Costa is trialing a new natural-look concept with its holiday items.
New O2 For You Pots at Costa Farms help convey what the brand is all about: the benefits of plants.
New succulent items from Costa Farms
Orandelli display rack ideas at Costa Farms
Petunia 'SC Premium Amber Gold Experimental' (Sakata Ornamentals)
Petunia 'SC Premium Experimental' (Sakata Ornamentals)
Petunia 'SC Premium French Vanilla Experimental' (Sakata Ornamentals)
Rosa 'Brindella First Lady' (Suntory Flowers)
Salvia 'Farina Artic Blue' (Benary+)
Salvia 'Farina Bicolor Blue' (Benary+)
Salvia 'Farina Blue' (Benary+)
Salvia Farina Series (Benary+)
Salvia 'Farina Silver Blue' (Benary+)
Salvia 'Farina Violet' (Benary+)
Salvia 'Farina White' (Benary+)
Salvia 'Skyscraper Dark Purple' (Selecta)
Salvia 'Skyscraper Orange' (Selecta)
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.
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.
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.
Janeen Wright is former Editor for Greenhouse Grower. . See all author stories here.