Garden Retailers Assemble to Pick Their Favorites From Farwest 2025
August 27, 2025 The Garden Center Group once again assembled a group of garden retailers as judges for Farwest 2025, all helping to find great products to present Retailers’ Choice Awards. The group awarded 11 companies awards for 15 plants and products. Keep reading to learn more about each of the products receiving awards, and check out the slideshow on this page for a closer look.
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Prunus persica ‘Ruby Ruffle Patio Peach’ (Alpha Nursery)
This ornamental peach was developed by the JC Raulston Arboretum at North Carolina State University. Offered by Alpha Nursery (Salem, OR), part of Star Roses & Plants’ Bloomables collection, this compact ornamental tree blooms with clusters of dark pink, ruffled flowers in the spring, followed by burgundy foliage with unique wavy edges. This selection is perfect for patio containers. www.alphanursery.com
Dahlia ‘Venti Fireburst’ (Selecta)
Fireburst is part of the Venti series and is a very special red Dahlia that is more red than Fireball, with a bigger anemone “burst” flower pattern. It was also awarded Retailers’ Choice Award at Cultivate’25 by a totally different group of retail judges. https://www.Selecta.com
Centaurea ragusina ‘Silver Swirl’ (Darwin Perennials)
This tough perennial has distinctive silvery white foliage with wavy leaf edges and offers better winter hardiness and is ideal for combination plantings and front-of-the-border plantings. DarwinPerennials.com
Ophiopogon planiscapus ‘Edge of Night’ Mondo Grass (Iseli Nursery)
This variegated Black Mondo Grass is an attractive form with a very narrow white stripe that runs down the outside of each blade-like leaf, providing a subtle contrast with the predominant shiny black color. https://iselinursery.com
Helleborus hybrid ‘Winter Moonbeam’ (Meridian Young Plants/JRT Nurseries)
This attractive variety produces bushy mounds of thick evergreen leaves, nicely marbled with silver-gray veins; showy, white blooms gradually mature to pink, then near red. It’s a great selection for shade gardens. https://www.jrtnurseries.com
Actaea simplex ‘Pink Spike’ Snakeroot (Monrovia)
This herbaceous perennial features chocolate-purple foliage that make it a striking addition to a shady garden. Long, slender, light pink, fragrant flower spikes tower above the foliage in late summer and fall. https://www.monrovia.com
Crocosmia ‘Dark Fire Montbretia’ (Monrovia)
Truly unique and eye-catching! Smoky purple-green foliage gives this plant a moody air before going ablaze with red and yellow bi-color flowers in summer. A vigorous, clump-forming perennial that is adored by hummingbirds.
Growth Technology GT Focus Range of Plant Fertilizers (PlantHaul)
The Growth Technology GT Focus range of plant fertilizers are offered for different types of plants. A concentrated formula (most only require one cap-full per gallon), each one designed for a specific plant type to provide amazing results. Be sure to see some of their great results videos. These Australia produced plant foods are warehoused and shipped here in the U.S. https://www.planthaulshop.com
Diervilla ‘Kodiak Jet Black’ (Proven Winners)
This new Diervilla is a tough, easy-growing shrub that stands out with its dark burgundy-black foliage. The color is especially intense in spring and autumn. The bright yellow flowers add contrast in early summer. https://www.provenwinners.com
Buddleia alternifolia ‘Moptop Fountain’ Butterfly Bush (Proven Winners)
This new Buddleia has a unique fountain habit with long, weeping branches covered in clusters of pale purple flowers. Unlike other butterfly bushes, this one blooms in the spring.
Ipomoea batatas ‘Sweet Caroline Shadowstorm’ Ornamental Sweet Potato Vine (Proven Winners)
This new Sweet Potato Vine has heart-shaped, near-black leaves that are speckled with green, and the plant is fuller so you won’t need to continually trim to prevent it from getting scraggly as it grows.
Mahonia hybrid ‘Funky Flow’ (Star Roses & Plants)
This small new Mahonia is a vibrant, compact evergreen with bright-green spring foliage that matures to a deep glossy hue just in time for summer. It has a pop of neon yellow flowers through the winter. StarRosesandPlants.com
SaucR Leaf-Shaped Plant Saucers (TreLeaf)
These new plant saucers are a leafy twist on traditional plant pot saucers, and they come in the shape of a leaf or lily pad in various sizes and colors. The veins on the drip trays prevent the pot from standing in water. https://treleaf.shop/collections/plant-saucers-and-coasters
MoonShadow Morello Hardy Hibiscus (Hibiscus moscheutos) (Van Belle YoungPlants/Bloomin’ Easy)
This new hardy hibiscus features big, juicy raspberry-red blooms that pop against deep purple-black foliage. https://bloomineasyplants.com
Camelia sinensis ‘Yellow Tea’ (Youngblood Nursery)
This highly variegated Camelia is a small shrub that grows to 6 feet with shiny green and yellow variegated leaves and small yellow flowers. https://www.youngbloodnursery.com
The Garden Center Group focuses on business solutions designed to help garden centers increase sales, improve operations, and retain more profit with a support team of leading industry professionals offering business management, financial, marketing, HR services and more. The Group offers retailers innovative resources to maximize their potential to succeed. For information about The Garden Center Group and the services it provides, visit www.thegardencentergroup.com or call Danny Summers at 678-909-7770.
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