Freshen Up Your Benches
To view the entire layout (with all variety photos), click on the PDF below.
Petunia
‘Night Sky’ petunia boldly goes where no petunia has gone before, with a never-seen-before bloom pattern. ‘Night Sky’ makes excellent hanging baskets or patio containers. Complete growing culture is available, including recommendations and environmental elements that influence variation of flower pattern and color. The consumer buzz on ‘Night Sky’ is amazing.
Selecta One — www.selectanorthamerica.com
Salvia
Salvia splendens ‘Grandstand Red Pink Lipstick’ is a unique bicolor variety included for 2017. Grandstands are magnets for nectar-loving birds and butterflies. They grow into stately and full plants that remain in flower from early spring (day-neutral) until autumn frost. Finish height is 18 to 24 inches.
Green Fuse Botanicals — www.green-fuse.com
Portulaca
ColorBlast portulaca sets a new standard for drought-tolerant color. From the vivaciously colored single mixes to the explosive fully doubles, to the industry changing stripes, the ColorBlast line is bringing a lot of excitement to garden beds and borders for its low-maintenance summertime color. Trials showed they put off the strongest blast of color in any series with flowers that stay open longer than any others under low light conditions and thriving in the summer’s worst heat spells. Used in both garden beds and baskets, ColorBlast portulaca is an easy win for consumer success.
Westflowers — www.westflowers.de
Celosia
The celosia Kelos Atomic series is a spicata type
celosia ideal for miniature pots. Bringing color to the living room or on the patio, the Kelos Atomic does not need too much space to make a great impact. It has a very good shelf life and good garden performance. It’s ideal for people who are too busy with their day-to-day business but still want to have a cheerful living space.
Beekenkamp — www.beekenkamp.nl
Hydrangea
Without a doubt, First Editions ‘Diamond Rouge’ hydrangea is the reddest H. paniculata on the market. This new variety has abundant, long-lasting flowers on strong stems that start white and progress to pink, raspberry red and finally wine red. Flowers start blooming in July and take on red coloration earlier in the season than other pink paniculatas. Compared to ‘Strawberry Sundae’, ‘Diamond Rouge’ is slightly bigger and has distinct raspberry-red flowers that color earlier in the season. Bred by Jean Renault in France.
Bailey Nurseries — www.baileynurseries.com
Tomato
First of its kind, the Take 2 tomato combos are a hardworking container solution for small-space gardening. Each Take 2 combo has a slicing type and a small-fruited type tomato that have been trialed together for habit and fruit timing. Three selections are available for 2017 retail sales: Lights, Camera and Action. Best suited for 14-inch and larger patio pots. Days to harvest: approximately 65 days.
Burpee — www.burpeehomegardens.com
Mum
Gediflora is introducing new variety ‘Vega Red’ in 2017. This decorative variety will flower in early September, has large burgundy flowers with excellent color retention and shelf life. ‘Vega Red’ has medium vigor and is suitable for any pot size. With the perfect round habit and great flexibility, ‘Vega Red’ should quickly become everyone’s favorite.
Gediflora — www.gediflora.com
Coreopsis
he award-winning UpTick series has a tidy, mounded habit that makes it easy to ship and show. It’s also very attractive for landscape designs. This North American native offers bigger flowers and longer blooming for more color at retail and in the garden. Available in stunning new colors: Gold & Bronze, Yellow & Red, Cream & Red and Cream.
Darwin Perennials — www.darwinperennials.com
Gaillardia
Spintop gaillardia is a brand new series and the best compact gaillardia on the market. With fantastic colors and intense flower power, these gaillardia are perfect for high-density production and mixed combos. Containing three different cultivars — Red, Orange Halo and Yellow Touch — these fresh perennials are a must- try new series.
Dümmen Orange — www.dummenorange.com
Salvia
‘Summer Jewel Lavender’ salvia is a 2016 AAS Regional Winner. Lavender is a beautifully unique color for a Salvia coccinea, and it joins the three other varieties in the series (Red, Pink and White), all of which are AAS winners. The Summer Jewel series is early to bloom, they continue flowering until frost, and they attract pollinators.
American Takii — www.takii.com
Geranium
The Calliope Medium geranium series from Syngenta Flowers Inc. offers intense, long-lasting color and reliable garden performance. With its outstanding heat and drought tolerance, Calliope Medium is an excellent addition to landscapes or combinations. This compact series is now available in Scarlet, Pink Flame and Dark Red.
Syngenta Flowers — www.syngentaflowers.com
Salvia
Salvia ‘Bodacious Rhythm & Blues’ has bold and beautiful large deep blue flower spikes that are carried high above the lush dark green foliage. Rhythm & Blues has improved branching for maximum flower power. It is popular with pollinators; hummingbirds, butterflies and bees love it. It’s great for pots and containers, garden border and modern landscapes.
Plant Haven — www.planthaven.com
Strawberry
Strawberry ‘Sweet Kiss’ is truly the ultimate home gardener strawberry. ‘Sweet Kiss’ is an ever- bearing variety that produces high yields, which means it will flower all summer long. It is Zone 4 hardy, so it will last the winter. But the attribute that outshines them all is flavor. ‘Sweet Kiss’ was selected and stands out through many rounds of blind taste tests. It truly offers gardeners an exceptional berry experience whether grown in a container or in the ground.
Ball Ingenuity — www.ballingenuity.com
Campanula
Ambella’s flowers are delicate and bell-shaped. The plant is round and compact and can take a few knocks. Even though all campanulas are hardy, and thus make excellent outdoor plants, Ambella also thrives in a pretty pot indoors. This campanula has May buds that you can enjoy as it blooms. Then the plant is full of beautiful little flower bells with intense colors. Ambella is available from the early spring to late summer in the colors White and Lavender. Zone 3 to 8.
Schoneveld — www.schoneveld-breeding.com
Monarda
The Bee-You series of monarda is impressing growers everywhere. Pollinators can’t resist their sweet nectar and fragrance. Feed your soul with these beautiful, contained, carefree bee balms. Imagine a well-behaved, compact, more saturated vermillion red Jacob Cline, and you have Bee-Happy. This beauty fits perfectly into pots or planted in any sunny space.
Plants Nouveau — www.plantsnouveau.com
Angelonia
Replacing ‘Angelface Pink’ this year, ‘Angelface Perfectly Pink’ is the new gold standard in Angelface angelonias. With larger and more plentiful flowers as well as increased vigor, this new variety will be easier for growers to get into color for spring sales and will have greater color impact on the retail bench. Angelface varieties make excellent vertical accents in containers and landscapes with their showy spikes of colorful blooms. They thrive in hot, humid conditions, can handle low water conditions, and bloom all season without deadheading. They are 18 to 30 inches tall with a 12 to 18 inch spread.
Proven Winners — www.provenwinners.com
Kniphofia
Kniphofia ‘Poco Red’ is defined by its large, spiking, nectar-filled, coral-red flowers that bloom throughout summer and fall. This plant has several desirable characteristics such as a fast growth rate and finish time, clumping habit, deer resistance and the ability to be used as a color spot or mass planting.
Terra Nova Nurseries — www.terranovanurseries.com
Perovskia
Perovskia ‘Blue Steel’ is a perennial first: Now you can grow high-quality, affordable perovskia from professional-grade seed. Its aromatic, silvery foliage carries clouds of small blue flowers. The sturdy, controlled landscape habit is comparable to the vegetative market leader. Attracts bees and resists deer — a great foundation plant.
Kieft Seed — www.kieftseed.com
Begonia
The begonia Megawatt glows with premium, easy color in landscapes, baskets and large containers from spring through fall. Its sturdy stems hold flowers above the foliage for superior show. Plug into huge growing power with ‘Megawatt Pink Bronze Leaf’ — a unique color for this large begonia class — a must-have retail color. Available in four colors for 2017 retail sales.
PanAmerican Seed — www.panamseed.com
Petunia
‘Surfinia Heartbeat’ is an adorable novelty — white flowers with a pattern of pink hearts. Hearts grow with love, care and adequate fertilizer. Plants have a compact, mounding and trailing habit. Charming in hanging baskets, containers and window boxes. Perfect for Mother’s Day promotions.
Suntory Flowers — www.suntorycollection.com
Angelonia
Angelonia ‘Archangel Cherry Red’ is the first red angelonia — a huge color breakthrough in this hard- working class. Archangel angelonia is best known for its large-sized blooms and bold color. It thrives in extreme heat, humidity and drought. Its uniform habit and flowering time make it easy for high-density production. The well-branched plants ship with less breakage, tangling and shrinkage. It’s great for red-white-blue angelonia combos.
Ball FloraPlant — www.ballfloraplant.com
Osteospermum
Sunny APS continues to bring a wide range of color to the Sunny line. Galina Sunny osteospermum hybrid has novelty blooms with a soft pink ring on the outer edges that transition to dark pink with a white center accented with an orange-blue button. A must have for your spring osteospermums.
EuroAmerican Propagators — www.euroamericanpropagators.com
Gerbera
Three new varieties have been added to the Patio gerbera line: ‘Patio Fundy’, ‘Patio Glacier’ and ‘Patio Kruger’ (shown). The Patio gerbera is known for its voluminous, rich flowering plants with big, decorative flowers. The added bonus is the possibility to pick flowers for a beautiful bouquet.
Florist Holland — www.gerbera.com
Cosmos
Apollo is naturally dwarf, with shorter internodes and a fuller habit than competing varieties. Apollo is bred to exhibit a full canopy of large and well- formed flowers over the entire plant. The robust plant habit makes for easier transportation and longer shelf life, and the large bold flowers make a great display in the garden. Available in Pink, White and Carmine.
Floranova — www.floranova.com
Impatiens
SunPatiens, the breakthrough hybrid impatient series from Sakata, is celebrating 10 years as a leader in performance. Offering three seasons of color, sun or shade, rain or shine. It’s available in 31 colors, including Compact Fire Red (shown).
Sakata — www.sakataornamentals.com
Pansy
Pansy ‘Cool Wave Morpho’ is a popular bicolor that is now available in premium spreading/trailing Cool Wave Pansies. Cool Wave has superior overwintering — the earliest pansy to return in spring. It crushes the competition in trailing and filling containers. Makes excellent early spring baskets and is hardy to Zone 5.
Wave — www.wavepetunias.com
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