Changes Yield Positive Results at 2021 Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens Trials

Posted by Robin Siktberg|December 7, 2021

Trial gardens at the Cincinnati Zoo and Botanical Gardens experienced a wet spring and early summer, which turned into a scorching hot and dry late summer. Despite this description, in the words of all gardeners and growers everywhere, Trial Manger Scott Beuerlein says, “It was a pretty good year to garden.” Beuerlein also says the zoo opened a new off-grounds trial garden that allowed trialing more varieties and some new material, as well as being able to plant and evaluate different petunia varieties in garden beds for the first time in a long time. Three plants that caught Beurlein’s eye were:

1 of 3

1 of 3

Salvia 'Skyscraper Orange' (Selecta)
2 of 3

Impatiens 'SunPatiens Compact Hot Coral' (Sakata Ornamentals)
3 of 3

Zinnia 'Profusion Red Yellow' (Sakata Ornamentals)

Zinnia ‘Profusion Red Yellow Bicolor’ (Sakata Ornamentals)
Impatiens ‘SunPatiens Compact Hot Coral’ (Sakata Ornamentals)
Salvia ‘Skyscraper Orange’ (Selecta)

“These plants all had outstanding flower power all season,” Beuerlein says. “The color on the zinnia was super eye-catching. The salvia was a favorite of pollinators.”

View the slideshow for a closer look at these trial favorites.

Details on other 2021 field trials can be found here.