More Plant Favorites From Allan Armitage During 2021 California Summer Trials
June 28, 2021 The last two days of California Summer Trial (CAST) visits kept us busy with stops at Dümmen Orange, Suntory Flowers, PlantHaven, Beekenkamp, Hem Genetics, Green Fuse Botanicals, and Ball Horticultural. Here are my top ten picks from the last leg of our trip.
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Day 3
Begonia ‘I’Conia Scentiment Peachy Keen’ (Dümmen Orange)
There are many extraordinary begonias on display this year, and every day seems to bring another one. Dümmen Orange introduced the I’Conia series about five years ago, and all of the intros have been very handsome.
Even after the continuous onslaught of beautiful begonias, I christen Scentiment Peachy Keen as the Begonia this year. The color is stunning, the habit fits well for containers and baskets, and the flowers are even slightly fragrant. Plants certainly work as stand-alone, but also can easily be used with other plants for striking combinations. Give this begonia a try.
Salvia ‘Hummingbird Falls’ (Dümmen Orange)
I saw this plant a couple of times today, and initially I was not particularly impressed. Just another salvia, I thought. But I found myself returning a number of times to look at the handsome deep-blue flowers that were actually living up to its name; all sorts of hummingbirds were vying for pollen. The many branches hang down, yet the center remains remarkably full — the perfect habit for containers and baskets. There may be prettier salvias and more colorful ones out there, but I didn’t return to look at any of those.
Lavandula ‘La Diva Big Night’ (Dümmen Orange)
Lavenders are in! Just look around the garden centers and landscapes, regardless of locale. However, we always seem to be looking for improvements, particularly in performance and flower power. So, I was very much taken with this hybrid that displays large, deep blue rabbit-ear flowers of Spanish lavender and the smaller tougher foliage of English lavender. Greenhouse and field reports have been excellent so far, and if a tough lavender with handsome eye-catching flowers is available, jump on it.
Petunia DuraBloom Series (Dümmen Orange)
I am including this from today’s floral cupboard not because it is the best looking, earliest, or has the most colors. Durabloom is handsome, and a number of colors are available, but its claim to fame is its weather tolerance in the field. At events like this, we are always told about how heat, cold, nor humidity bothers any flower being displayed, and I am always skeptical of such claims. However, I heard from enough people who have trialed them under very difficult conditions this summer and were very impressed. To be able to market a petunia based on landscape durability is a huge plus. I hope I see lots for sale in 2022.
Brindabella Roses (Suntory Flowers)
I have been impressed with these roses since I first saw them a couple of years ago. To have a rose that can compete with Knockouts, it must be clean of common diseases like mildew and black spot, and it must be fragrant. Six colors are available in the Brindabella series; the one that is the best today is ‘Brindabella Purple Prince’ perhaps because it has been around the longest. However, all the other colors should be available in 2022. It is available through Suntory Flowers, so supply will be excellent for 2022. Fragrant and clean, this rose has potential to be a huge seller.
Day 4
Rudbeckia ‘Rodeo Double Red’ (Green Fuse Botanicals)
Some amazing excellent selling rudbeckias have been introduced in the last 20 years. Best sellers like ‘Indian Summer’, ‘Prairie Sun’, and ‘Irish Eyes’ have made good money for many growers. The one thing we could always count on was that the flowers of yellow cone flower, a.k.a. Rudbeckia hirta, would always be yellow, or have a good percentage of yellow. Welcome ‘Rodeo Double Red’, from Green Fuse Botanicals. Here is an introduction with large fully double tan-red flowers. Not a spot of yellow anywhere. This plant defines the term unique, and I can’t believe that growers and brokers won’t snatch this up as soon as possible.
Dahlia ‘Maggiore Fun Chocolate Yellow’ (Beekenkamp)
I have a healthy respect for dahlias, and I have been following dahlia breeding for the last 10 years or so. Every year, they seem to get better, or at least more beautiful than the year before, so I seldom get excited with dahlias. However, Beekenkamp has brought us a deep purple-leaf selection with amazing double yellow flowers. While I am no dahlia expert, most black-leaf varieties I have seen bear single red flowers. Double yellow on black foliage is quote uncommon. The plants appeared clean and vigorous, so if dahlias that standout are in your plans, try out some of these.
Petunia ‘Limbo Yellow Lime’ (Hem Genetics)
We have seen a ton of petunias. In fact, I have recommended at least three in these plant profiles from CAST. Each stop reveals how hard petunia breeders have been working. We have seen some spectacular bright sunshine-yellow forms, and they are wonderful. However, ‘Limbo Yellow Lime’ from Hem Genetics really caught my eye. It is not bright at all, but sort of a lime-green yellow. Sounds awful, but the plant was filled with large grandiflora flowers. It radiated a rather calm classic look when put beside the screaming yellows.
Portulaca 24/7 Series (Green Fuse Botanicals)
Portulaca has always had a personality disorder; it has always been a tease. These plants are wonderfully ornamental as long as you did not have to go to work. It has been a trooper during COVID-19, but that was because of stay-at-home orders, not because of the plant. Portulacas by definition don’t wake up until nine or ten o’clock and then, give us a wink and go to bed around five. Green Fuse Botanicals is bringing us the 24/7 series, which according to President Steve Jones, consists of plants that will be open all day. Presently, the series contains five colors of fully double flowers. If you are selling portulaca, you’ll definitely have a better story to tell with these.
Kitchen Minis (PanAmerican Seed)
At Ball Horticultural, there was so much to see. Annuals and perennials stole the show, but what most fascinated me were some of the vegetables. One program in particular that really caught my fancy was the Kitchen Minis vegetables. Vegetables bred to flower in quart containers that could easily be placed on the kitchen windowsill or in any bright room. Growers should have no trouble producing these a ripened tomato or peppers fruit with lots of smaller fruit yet to swell and ripen. I love this program, and I can see these going like crazy if shown off properly.
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