Five Allan Armitage Favorites From Sakata, Takii, and Hilverdaflorist During 2021 California Summer Trials
June 25, 2021 The quality of new begonias, echinacea, and zinnias continues to improve. Here are some of my favorites on the second day of the 2021 California Summer Trials.
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Zinnia ‘Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor’ (Sakata Ornamentals)
How many zinnias does one sane person need? When it comes to disease-resistant, excellent-performing zinnias, we need as many as we can get. Sakata pushed the zinnia world forward with their introduction of the Profusion zinnia series, and today I saw an even better one. Today I saw a beautiful bicolor in the Profusion style with red and yellow flowers. This plant immediately catches your eye in the containe,r and with all of the excellent Profusion genetics within, it will also be a landscaper’s dream. The Profusion series just keeps getting better.
Nasturtium Baby Series (American Takii/Sahin)
If I was looking for my reflective running outfit, one that glows any time light is on it, I might stick Baby nasturtium all over my body. If we needed a plant to define the term “impulse buy,” this is the one. Put this on the bench, and within an hour the bench will be empty. Without making too fine a point of it, I forgot to mention this is a nasturtium. However, if there is a market for cool-season plants in your area, this is one you must consider. Nasturtiums are well-known by the public, but the plant itself is not often carried in the retail store. This one is a must-have in the retail shop.
The other one I saw was ‘Baby Rose’ was also quite handsome, in fact also winning a Fleuroselect award, and as pretty as it is, it is still a nasturtium.
Begonia Fiona Series (American Takii)
Begonias, begonias, begonias! Everywhere you go, begonia breeding ratchets up the quality. Wherever we go, begonia breeding simply gets better. From Begonia Rex to Hiemalas, begonias to non-stops to tuberous begonias, there is something for everybody. However, the something that everyone uses is wax begonias. Wax begonias are almost indestructible, and if a new wax begonia comes out that stands out, it is something to celebrate. This year, bring out the balloons, we have something to celebrate.
The Fiona series from Takii has double flowers and is available in several colors, all of which catch the eye. It appears to be a vigorous begonia and I believe it will be the next great begonia for landscapers. The one that really caught my eye was Rose. There have been double begonias in the past, I just think this is better.
Alstroemeria Incantata Series (HilverdaFlorist)
Most years, when I see alstroemeria at a trial or tradeshow, I generally say how pretty they are and walk away. Alstroemeria has traditionally been one of the finest cut flowers, but at least for most of the country, people don’t realize it can be used outside of the home. Today, I saw a marvelous display by HilverdaFlorist of alstroemeria designed for pot culture that is a plant suitable to grow in a container and put on the patio or deck. The colors were outstanding. The concept of growing a colorful plant on the deck is well-established. Why not alstroemeria? These plants are genetically dwarf and filled out containers beautifully. I do not know if the market will accept alstroemeria as a potted plant, but if I wer to try, I would try these.
Echinacea ‘Mooodz Courage’ (HilverdaFlorist)
I sometimes think that there are too many petunias, begonias, or marigolds, but in recent years these have paled in comparison to the number of coneflowers. Echinacea has been a spectacular success for the horticulture industry. No longer must we put up with a purple coneflower, we have access to many colors, and many series. However, there has been a series hanging around for many years called Mooodz. I have found it to be different from other echinacea in that it exhibited much better basal breaking; that is, many flowering stems arise from the plant. However, it has been difficult to discriminate between Mooodz and other fine series. That may change with what we saw today. ‘Mooodz Courage’ stood out from all the other echinaceas we have seen. It is much shorter, still very well branched, and is a vibrant purple color. Without doubt, its most obvious characteristic was its stature. This will probably be the beginning of many more dwarf echinaceas in the future. I love Courage, and I hope we’ll see it in the retail shop.
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