We have seen so many extraordinary foliage begonias, it is hard to highlight just one. By foliar begonia, I mean those grown mainly for their interesting foliage, such as those we refer to as Rex hybrids. One of those that stopped me was a new introduction into Beekenkamp’s Spacestars series called ‘Leda’. The large bronze with red leaves and the obvious vigor of the plant was quite special in a week filled with begonias. I have no doubt that foliar begonias will only increase in popularity; they are easier and often require less greenhouse time than flowering forms. If a foliar form is on your wish list, try this one. All photos: Robin Siktberg

We have seen a good number of pinks on the trip, and I have kind of been “pinked out”. Not they were not just fine, but given the number on the market, it is difficult to find something that stands out. On this last day, at the last moment, I discovered the hybrid series called Supra from Hem Genetics. I liked the strength of stems, the excellent colors, and the compact habit. I particularly like ‘Pink Picotee’, but its sister, ‘Cherry Picotee’ (pictured), was an All-America Selections honoree for 2026. This is a hybrid, likely with D. chinensis (lots of color) and D. barbatus (imparting cold tolerance, perhaps to USA Zone 4.). Excellent landscape performance, good eye appeal, and readily available for the greenhouse; give it a try.

How many petunias, begonias, and yes, calibrachoas can one person handle? The problem with that statement is that every company, every year, has even more beautiful calis than the year before. Even though I was determined to remain unimpressed with one more calibrachoa, I was unable to resist the beauty of ‘Orange Kiss”. It is part of the Cabaret series, so we know it is grower, retail, and landscape friendly. I have no other reason to choose this except it is so beautiful, except that it glows, and except that its colors are so intense. I sound a bit like an echo, but I was smitten.

I suppose one can argue that we have seen quite enough sunflowers in the last five years. We have dwarf forms, tall forms, doubles, and single forms yet the market has remained strong. I debated including this one in my favorites, but upon looking at the handsome blooms, the pollen-free property of the open flowers and, its potential for standing upright in a windy landscape, I share this with you. Plants look good in containers and should have no problem at retail. Sufficient grower instructions including the use of plant growth regulators were well explained. Its drawback may be its mature size, growing 4 to 5 feet tall. However, not everything needs to be short and compact.