Spring Trials Day 3 – Early dessert, a busy stop and some spicy introductions

Day three of the 2011 California Spring Trials started in Carpinteria at Island View Nursery where PlantHaven, Hort Couture and Westhoff set up shop. PlantHaven showcased all of the dianthus series offered in Whetman Pinks USA Program 2011. Another unique plant offered by PlantHaven is the tissue-cultured Chocolate Sunrise canna. Bred by Saad-Asaaf Nurseries in Israel, the tight, clumping plant produces deep yellow flowers that contrast well against the dark chocolate foliage.

Be sure to catch this year’s telecast of the Greenbrier Classic, July 25-31, in White Sulphur Springs, W.V. Jim Monroe at Hort Couture said more than 200,000 Hort Couture plants will be used to landscape the golf course for this PGA FedEx Cup event. As far as the trials go, Monroe said more than 100 consumers participated in the company’s Spring Trials consumer day, which was held on March 26. He said participants purchased plants and provided feedback about the company’s marketing program.

Our second stop was in Santa Barbara at Imagination Canyon, which was filled to capacity with products from Skagit Gardens, Jiffy Products of America, John Henry, GGG International and Northern Innovators/Florist.

Jiffy, which exhibited its various growing substrates, opened a brand new growing media mixing facility in Macon, Ga., this month. The new plant will produce both standard and custom mixes, using both Canadian and European peat.

Skagit Gardens introduced the Nectar agastache series, which was bred by Florensis. The compact plants, which reach 15-18 inches tall and 15 inches wide, can be used in containers and borders. Available in five colors (Apricot, Grape, Grapefruit, Orange and Raspberry), the flowers attract butterflies and hummingbirds.

Running a little behind, we eventually made it to Lompoc to visit Floranova/ Vegetalis where we found that Vegetalis has introduced three new chili peppers that have ornamental and culinary application. The compact ‘Loco’ produces 200-300 oval fruit, which ripen from purple to bright red. The compact branching plants produce the fruit above the foliage. ‘Chenzo’ produces 300-400 fruit on spreading well-branched plants. The hottest of the three peppers is ‘Basket of Fire’, a basket-type plant that cascades to between 2½ and 3 feet. Plants produce more than 800 pieces of fruit that change color from cream to purple to orange to bright scarlet.

Floranova introduced the double-flowering F1 Begonia semperflorens Fairyland series. This seed-produced, green leaf series begins with four colors (Red, White, Rose and Coral Picotee). The compact, branching plants are self-cleaning and produce the flowers well above the foliage.

Stay tuned for more coverage from the 2011 California Spring Trials.