Terra Nova Varieties Excel at Penn State Trials
January 8, 2019 New varieties from Terra Nova Nurseries were big winners at The Pennsylvania State University’s (PSU) 2018 trial gardens, including top selections of heuchera, echinacea, artemisia, and other genera. Terra Nova Nurseries’ trialed plants received awards in the coveted “Best of Show,” “Best of Species,” “Best Novelty,” and “Superior” categories. All respective trials took place during the growing season, spanning May to August 2018.
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Terra Nova Nurseries’ Heuchera ‘Northern Exposure Purple,’ Penstemon ‘Dakota Burgundy,’ and Artemisia ‘Makana Silver’ were recognized as “Best of Show” varieties at PSU, while receiving perfect scores across all trialed categories. Heucherella ‘Plum Cascade,’ Penstemon ‘Dakota Burgundy,’ Thalictrum ‘Nimbus Pink,’ and Veronica ‘Venture Blue’ represented Terra Nova Nurseries in the “Best of Species” category. PSU awarded this achievement to the highest-rated plant from each genus.
“We showed nearly a dozen plants at Penn State’s garden trials,” says Larry Finley, Sales Manager with Terra Nova Nurseries. “Eight varieties were new entries to the trial, and seven of the eight received an average score of four and half or higher. We also had five varieties receive the ‘Superior’ acknowledgment, given to varieties that performed in the top 12% of all showing varieties.”
The Pennsylvania Floriculture Advisory Committee was responsible for overseeing PSU’s garden trials and used a rating system including evaluations of uniformity, flower, foliage, and overall growth. The varieties were then given a rating of one to five for each of these individual categories. The category ratings were averaged to generate a final overall score. “Best of Show” varieties received a perfect score by attaining a five out of five in each of the four categories.
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