California Spring Trials 2018 started off with a sunny day, great plants, and fantastic people for the Greenhouse Grower team of Editor Laura Drotleff, Managing Editor Janeen Wright, Contributing Editor Allan Armitage, and the Allan Armitage 2018 Scholarship winner Andrew Scheldorf.
Product line purchased from Golden State Bulb Growers
Tuberous begonia
Ruffled and picotee in series
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Begonia 'Canary Wings' (Ball Ingenuity)
@Janeen_GG: Are you looking for something to brighten up your shady spots in the garden? Begonia ‘Canary Wings’ has bright foliage with contrasting red blooms.
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Vinca 'Blockbuster Icy Watermelon' (left), 'Blockbuster Purple' (right) from Floranova
@Janeen_GG: Floranova’s focusing on high-impact vincas with Blockbuster series. Muted colors out - vibrant colors in.
Ivy Geranium Series Reach Out (Green Fuse Botanicals)
@Laura_Editor_GG: Check out the habit on this new series of F1 ivy geraniums from Floranova! Early flowering with a compact habit, these are going to be a viable replacement for vegetative iviea. Floranova's Amy Gard'ner says they're already a bigger crop than expected.
@Laura_GG_Editor: Lavender Madrid Lavish is one of the most exciting intros from Green Fuse Botanicals. This breeding breakthrough has been in the works since 2002. Pink is available for 2019 and Purple and White will be out the following year.
@Janeen_GG: Great plants as always at Green Fuse Botanicals. I love this variegated Lobularia ‘Marineland Frosty Lavendar
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Smartiz Select Cyclamen (Ch.Morel)
@Laura_GG_Editor: Polar bears and mini Smartiz cyclamen for a winter fairy garden? Winner!
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Mixmasters Peppery Perfection(Ball FloraPlant)
@Janeen_GG: One of my favorite containers from the Ball Horticulture stop today.
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Pelargonium 'Super Moon Red' (Selecta)
@Laura_Editor_GG: My phone camera doesn't do justice to the color of this gorgeous zonal geranium 'Super Moon Red' from Selecta.
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Petunia 'Headliner Starry Sky Burgundy' (Selecta)
Mounded petunia series
New pattern in sky type featuring star and spots
Star pattern more pronounced in cool weather
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Rudbeckia 'Rising Sun (Green Fuse Botanicals)
@Laura_GG_Editor: Look at the size of the flowers on Rudbeckia Rising Sun from Green Fuse Botanicals!
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Salvia 'Big Blue' (PanAmerican Seed)
@Janeen_GG:Here’s a tough, durable, interspecific salvia that pollinators are going to love. ‘Big Blue’ from PanAmerican Seed is the first of its type.
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Summerlast-Tomato-Vegetalis-2
@Laura_Editor_GG: Tomatoes galore on this new patio variety called Summerlast from Vegetalis. They're called that because they have fruit all season long. Plus, they are resistant to TMV and late blight, so organic growers can step up production for concerned consumers.
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Summerlast Tomato (Vegetalis)
@Laura_Editor_GG: Vegetalis introduced this disease resistant patio tomato variety Summerlast at #CaliforniaSpringTrials2018. The breeder is going back and breeding all of the same TMV and late blight disease resistance into its full line of patio tomatoes.
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Sunflower 'SunBuzz' (PanAmerican Seed)
@Janeen_GG: Sunflower ‘SunBuzz’ from PanAmerican Seed has less long-day sensitivity for faster flowering. It’s a compact plant and looks like it will be a prolific bloomer - lots of secondary blooms already forming.
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Verbena 'Cadet Upright' (Ball FloraPlant)
Uniform series of compact, upright verbena
Flowers one week earlier than other upright varieties
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Vinca 'Tattoo Papaya' (PanAmerican Seed)
@Janeen_GG: Love it or leave it? What do you think of this Vinca Tattoo series from PanAmerican Seed. I liked the unique airbrushed, paintstroke look.
@Janeen_GG: Darwin Perennials has moved Armeria breeding from typical early spring and late fall to a cool season perennial with season-long flowering. Meet ‘Dreameria Dream Weaver’
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Heuchera and Cyclamen combo (Ch. Morel)
@Laura_Editor_GG: I love this heuchera and cyclamen combo using Darwin Perennials heuchera and Halios cyclamen from Ch. Morel.
Breeders at Green Fuse Botanicals, Floranova, Vegetalis, and Ball Horticulture focused on breeding varieties with vibrant color and unique patterns that are easy for growers to produce and ship, as well as small-space friendly vegetables for patio and container growing. They added several new colors to round out series and threw in a few surprises to keep things interesting.
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Check out 26 of the new plant varieties that stood out to the team, and be sure to follow them on Twitter (@Laura_GG_Editor; @Janeen_GG) for the latest updates from the spring trials trail. Plus, don’t forget to come back later for more in-depth coverage of the trials online and in the June print issue.
April 15, 2018 
