Day One of California Summer Trials (CAST) is in the books, and I have a sunburn to show for it. Our team was thrilled to be back admiring some of the greatest genetics in the world. It was even more special to visit and catch up with many of the great people in our industry after a long absence.
Pacific Plug & Liner selected Sunchaser for bigger, bolder, and brighter blooms, and it didn’t disappoint. Personally, I have mixed feelings about whether or not I’m a fan of Echibeckia, but this variety caught my eye with blooms that seemed about the size of my hands. It’s a big plant that will need some room to grow, but it should catch some attention.
Double-flowered Glitzy is the newest delphinium in the Delgenius series from Pacific Plug & Liner. It attracted my attention with its deep-blue flowers.
I’ll be the first to admit gerbera is my favorite flower. It is such a happy plant that never fails to bring a smile to my face. Cut flowers are making a comeback, and Karoo from Flamingo Holland fits in perfectly with that trend. I liked the nice contrast between its light-pink flowers and darker pink ruffled edge.
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Helichrysum stoechas ‘Sylvita Basket’ (Ernst Benary of America)
I think ‘Sylvita Basket’ would look great in mixed containers, not only for its texture but also for its trailing habit. Benary also has a more upright variety — ‘Sylvita Patio’.
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Mix a Herb Series (Ernst Benary of America)
Benary’s Mix a Herb series was a good example of ways to educate consumers while making plants fun and pointing out how they can be used. Not to mention, it capitalizes on the edibles gardening trend. The Mix a Herb Pizza Silver mix includes Helichrysum ‘Aladin’, Salvia ‘Hexenmantel’, and Thymus ‘Silver Queen.’
A pink iberis from Think Plants/Syngenta Flowers was sure to catch the eye as it presents a good alternative to the traditional white iberis. This is a first-year flowering item labeled as hardy in Zones 5 to 9, but it is more likely to be an annual or biennial in some areas of the country. Syngenta tells me you’ll get a deeper lavender color with overwintering this item, but vernalization isn’t necessary. It also has exceptional heat tolerance.
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Leucanthemum ‘Realflor Real Goldcup’ (Southern Living/Sunset Western)
Southern Living/Sunset Western plant collections displayed Goldcap, a PlantHaven Realflor leucanthemum, in its booth. Pacific Plug & Liner is selling liners with branded tags for this beautiful shasta daisy, and there will be no branded-pot requirement for it.
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Oriental Lily ‘Fine Romance’ (ThinkPlants)
Here’s another good candidate for the cut flower market. ThinkPlants/Unex representatives tell me this oriental lily has a fast finish — a mere 65 days — which is plenty of time for Easter production. Plus, if you’re not fond of the stink of traditional Easter lilies, this fragrant variety is the one for you.
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Pelargonium ‘Andromeda Coral with Eye’ (Ernst Benary of America)
This is by far my favorite plant at the Benary site. The dark-green foliage made the coral-colored blooms stand out with vibrant splashes of color.
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Petunia Dekko Series (Syngenta Flowers)
Petunia ‘Dekko Soiree’ is part of the new Dekko series of petunia from Syngenta Flowers. I can’t wait to try them out as a groundcover. Dekko petunias decked out the flower beds at Syngenta’s CAST site and put on a stunning show. This petunia not only makes for a colorful groundcover, it also works well in containers.
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Petunia Itsy Series (Syngenta Flowers)
Oftentimes, its hard for me to keep track of the many petunia varieties, as they all blend together after an intense week of flower watching. I think I will remember the Itsy petunias (Magenta and White) from Syngenta Flowers. They’re another great option for a groundcover or for containers.
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Ptilotis Joey Improved (Ernst Benary of America)
Benary’s Ptilotis was another standout in containers with a beautiful looking sheen to it from a distance. Learn more about this one in Dr. A’s CAST article from Day One.
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Verbena hybrida ‘Lanai Green Apple’ (Syngenta Flowers)
Here’s another variety I would love to hear your thoughts on. It stood out to me for its untypical color for verbenas. It had a nice trailing habit that I think will work well for hanging baskets and containers.
The Greenhouse Grower team of Contributing Editor Dr. Allan Armitage, Custom Content Editor Robin Siktberg, and myself visited Ernst Benary of America, Syngenta Flowers, and Pacific Plug & Liner, which included Flamingo Holland and Southern Living/Sunset Western Plant Collections, today. The displays had a much different look and feel this year, as they were all outdoors.
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We heard mixed reviews about the timing of CAST this year. Most everyone agreed that had CAST been held last week, when California temperatures soared into the 100s, both plants and people would have suffered. Some people said they enjoyed viewing the plants at a different time of year and having the opportunity to see some of the crops displayed growing in the landscape. Others wished for a return to the spring time slot, citing missed vacation time, desire to get crops in front of people sooner, and closeness to Cultivate and European trials.
There was also the often-heard talk about the steep expense of CAST for the breeders, the best way to get information out on new introductions, and whether CAST needed to take place at all. One interesting suggestion thrown out was to hold CAST every other year. Most agreed, though, that seeing the plants in person versus viewing them via Zoom was the way to go. Breeders expressed how difficult it is to come to a consensus on a time for CAST that works for everyone. They’ll be gathering soon to make a decision about the dates for CAST’22, so we should hear news about the 2022 event sometime after Cultivate’21.
All in all, it felt wonderful to be among familiar faces and fellow plant enthusiasts. Our team is looking forward to visits on Day Two with Sakata Ornamentals and American Takii. In the meantime, check out the slideshow above with some highlights of the plants and people we saw today.
June 24, 2021 
