2007 Annual Flower Trial Garden Performance Report

Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

1401 Remington Street

Fort Collins, CO 80523

www.flowertrials.colostate.edu

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Table of Contents

Dedication……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………….….2

Garden Map…………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….…………….….3

Introduction………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..…………….4

Acknowledgements……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………5

Cultural Data………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………7

Data Collection Methods…………………………………………………………………………………………………….……………..13

Other Information……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………...15

All-America Selections® Variety Listing……………………………………………………………….………………………….…..16

Trial Results

“Best Of” Winners and “Plants Rated as Superior”…………………………………………….……………..……………….17

(Return to the ‘Annual Trial Results’ webpage to download each of the parts below as a separate .PDF file.)

Part 1 Ratings and Evaluation Day Comments for Varieties Grown in the Ground……………………….……….………21

Part 2 Ratings and Evaluation Day Comments for Varieties Grown in a Container………………………….…………….76

Part 3 Size Data, End-of-season Comments and Flowering Data for Varieties Grown in the Ground……….…….124

Part 4 Size Data, End-of-season Comments and Flowering Data for Varieties Grown in a Container……………..172

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In memory of…

Mel Tessene

…one of the first and most dedicated members of the trial garden’s Advisory Committee.

The countless hours he spent meticulously proofing this report, as well as all the other reports from

previous years, are greatly appreciated.

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Garden Map

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2007 Annual Flower Trial Garden Performance Report

Dr. James E. Klett, David Staats and Matthew Brescher1

Introduction

The W. D. Holley Plant Environmental Research Center (PERC) on the Colorado State University campus

has been in operation for 36 years. Dr. James E. Klett is the Director of PERC and the faculty Coordinator

for the Annual Flower Trial Garden. In 2000, the garden was moved from its site at PERC to the park

located on Remington and Lake Streets. The relocation of the garden to this more spacious and visible

site furthered its mission by more effectively extending education, research and outreach to students,

home gardeners, Master Gardeners, community members and Green Industry personnel.

The outdoor display and test areas were established to allow students, researchers, industry

representatives, homeowners and extension personnel to learn, teach and evaluate horticultural

research and demonstration projects in the Rocky Mountain/High Plains region. The Annual Flower Trial

Garden is both an All-America Selections display site and trial site. The garden is open to students,

industry personnel and the public for viewing, gathering ideas about new varieties, studying the different

growth habits, tolerances and visual characteristics of many annual flowering varieties.

The purpose of the trial garden is to evaluate the performance of annual flower cultivars under our

unique Rocky Mountain environmental conditions. Our growing conditions are characterized by high

altitude, intense solar radiation, drying winds, severe hailstorms, large fluctuations between day and

night temperatures and a season-long need for irrigation. Plants are evaluated for plant vigor,

uniformity, floriferousness and tolerance to environmental and biotic stresses. Performances of these

cultivars are judged in early August, and again in early September, by selected students, faculty, industry

representatives, public horticulturalists and advanced Master Gardeners.

The project is funded, in most part, by the entry fees collected from the plant breeding companies who

have chosen to participate in the trials. Additional financial assistance and supplies for the trial

operations are donated by a number of sources. These sources include various state horticulture

industry associations, foundations, nurseries, greenhouse growers and plant and seed production

companies from across the nation. The trial garden at Colorado State University receives no operating

dollars directly allocated from state funds. Some operational and staff dollars have come from the

Colorado State Agricultural Experiment Station, Extension, the College of Agricultural Sciences and the

Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.

1 Professor and Extension Landscape Horticulture Specialist; Horticulture Research Associate; Landscape

Horticulture undergraduate student and 2007 Garden Coordinator

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Acknowledgements

The Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture at Colorado State University would first like

to thank the many plant and seed companies who continue to participate in the trials year after year.

Without their cooperation and support, the research done at the trial garden would not be possible.

This year, the following 20 plant and seed companies participated in the trials, entering 1,117 varieties

of annual bedding plants:

American Takii Inc. Four Star Greenhouse Inc. (Proven Selections) Ball FloraPlant Fischer USA Ball Seed Co. Goldsmith Seeds Benary Seed Hem Genetics Bodger (Botanicals and Seed) Jackson & Perkins Cohen Propagation Nurseries c/o Agrexco Pan American Seed Co. Danziger Proven Winners Dummen USA Inc. Sakata Seed America Inc. Ecke Ranch – The Flower Fields and Ecke

Geraniums, LLC - Oglevee Products Selecta: First Class Plants Syngenta – S & G Flowers

Fides North America

A very special thank you goes out to Welby Gardens of Denver, Colorado. Every year, Welby Gardens

germinates and grows-on all of the seed propagated varieties for the trials. Their generosity is greatly

appreciated, as they do this for us at a very reduced cost. In addition, they also donated organic matter

to amend the beds and slow release fertilizer used in the container plantings.

We would like to recognize the companies that have donated supplies to the program. Thanks are

extended to Green Care Fertilizers, Inc. for donating the water soluble fertilizer used in both the

greenhouses and the garden. We would like to thank Sun Gro Horticulture, Inc. for donating the potting

media for all the vegetatively propagated plants grown in our greenhouses. Thank you to Organix

Supply, Inc. for donating the quick release fertilizer that was applied to the ground beds. And thank you

to Scotts, Inc. for donating the slow release fertilizer that was also used in the ground beds.

We would like to thank our Trial Garden Advisory Committee for their constant advice and feedback on

the overall operation of the trials. We are fortunate to have such a diverse group of industry leaders

that are willing to volunteer their time for the benefit of our program. Our committee is comprised of

the following individuals:

Al Gerace (Welby Gardens), Celia Tannehill (Fort Collins Nursery), Charlotte Rose (Benary Seed), David Hartley (retired, CSU Department of Horticulture and L.A.), Diana Reavis (Eason Horticultural Resources Inc.), Don Shelanskey (Michell's), Duane Sinning (Benary Seed), Frank Yantorno (Center Greenhouse, Inc.), Galen Dokter (Syngenta), Gary Douglas (Denver City Park Greenhouse), Gene Pielin (Gulley Greenhouse) Harvey Lang (Fisher USA), John Williams (Tagawa Greenhouses), Karl Trellinger (Fisher USA), Keith Stieduhar (City of Westminster), Mark Seguin (Fisher USA), Mel Tessnee (Hardy Starts Seed), Merle Moore (retired, Denver Zoological

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Gardens), Paul Hammer (Dummen USA), Ron Brum (Ball Seed), Tracier Gray (Denver Botanic Gardens), Wayne Pianta (PanAmerican Seed), Mark Sanford (S & G Flowers)

We also thank all the Larimer County Master Gardeners who volunteered their time and hard work this

year. They were instrumental in completing the huge tasks of transplanting thousands of plugs in the

greenhouses this spring and planting the thousands of plants in the garden in the early summer.

Perhaps most importantly, many thanks and appreciation goes to the PERC staff at the university that

has worked diligently to prepare and maintain the garden. These people include:

Undergraduate Trial Garden Coordinator Matthew Brescher

Undergraduate Trial Garden Staff Justin Trang

Leah Jacobson

David Burleigh

Dayna Lewis

Scott Brunmeier

Robert Ebel

Jeff Bourquin

Undergraduate PERC Staff Jackie Davidson

Steven Isaacs

Horticulture Research Associate David Staats

For further information on the Annual Flower Trial Garden at Colorado State University, feel free to

write, call or e-mail:

Dr. James E. Klett

PERC Director and Annual Flower Trial Garden Coordinator

Colorado State University

Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture

Fort Collins, CO 80523

Office Phone: (970) 491-7179

Mobile Phone: (970) 218-0104

Fax: (970) 491-7745

E-mail: jim.klett@colostate.edu

This report is also available online at:

www.flowertrials.colostate.edu

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Cultural Data2

Growing

All seeds were sent to Welby Gardens in Denver, CO for germination and growing-on in their

greenhouses in pony cell-packs. Some seed varieties were sown later than usual this year resulting in

two separate shipments; the first on June 5th and the second on June 19th.

All vegetative varieties were received as plugs at CSU and transplanted shortly after arriving. Plants

were grown in 4 1/2” square plastic pots. The potting media used was Sun Gro Horticulture’s Sunshine

Mix #1/LC1, which is a formulation of Canadian Sphagnum peat moss, coarse grade perlite, gypsum,

Dolomitic lime and a wetting agent.

Fertilization in the Greenhouses

Dosatron fertilizer injectors rated at 7 GPM were used in the greenhouses to fertilize plants each day

they were watered, with the exception of being watered once or twice every couple of weeks with clear

water. Greencare 17-5-17-3Ca-1Mg water soluble fertilizer was used. New Guinea Impatiens, as well as

all other plants grown under shade in the University Greenhouses, were fertilized at a rate of 100ppm.

Other plants in the shade greenhouse included Tuberous Begonias, Coleus and Double Impatiens. All

other plants were grown in the greenhouses at PERC and received fertilization at a rate of 200ppm.

Chemicals Used in the Greenhouses

Banrot was applied to all vegetative plugs immediately after arrival and prior to potting-up. A drench

of 6 oz/gallon was delivered to each plug tray.

Other chemical treatments that were applied in the greenhouse are as follows:

April 5th: Banrot (etriadozole thiophanate) was applied to Snapdragons at the rate of 2 g/gallon

to control root rot.

April 23rd: Banrot (etriadozole thiophanate) was applied to Vinca at the rate of 2 g/gallon to

control root rot.

May 2nd: Cycocel (chlormequat) was applied to Geraniums (1 oz/gallon) as requested by

companies. Banrot was applied to Vinca at the rate of 2g/gallon to control root rot.

May 3rd: B-Nine WSG (daminozide) was applied to Petunias and Calibrachoas at the rate of 1.1

g/gallon as requested by companies.

May 9th: Pyreth-It (1 tsp/gallon) and Marathon II (2.5 ml/gallon) were applied to Petunias and

Calibrachoas to control aphids.

2 No endorsement of products named is intended nor is criticism of products not mentioned.

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May 10th: Cycocel (chlormequat) was applied to Geraniums (1 oz/gallon) as requested by

companies. B-Nine WSG (daminozide) was applied to Petunias and Calibrachoas at the

rate of 1.1 g/gallon as requested by companies.

May 11th: Orthene fumigant was used to conrtol thrips on New Guinea Impatiens, Double

Impatiens and Tuberous Begonias.

May 14th: Decree (1 tsp/gallon) was applied to Vinca to control botrytis.

Geranium PGR Application

This was the first year that participants entering Geraniums in the trials were given the opportunity to

choose the number of PGR treatments to be applied to their plants while in the greenhouse. They were

given the choice of no treatments, one treatment or two treatments. The number of treatments applied

to each Geranium variety in the trials is included in the information presented in the trial results section

of this report.

Soil Amendments and Preparation

All beds were raked clean of old mulch, planting material and weeds. Where necessary, RoundUp was

sprayed on weeds. This year, 1-2” of new organic planting media was added to all of the beds. The beds

were roto-tilled to a depth of 8”, which helped incorporate the new media. After tilling, the beds were

crowned for better drainage and raked smooth. For containers, the top 5-6” of media was removed and

Banrot was sprinkled over the remaining soil and watered in. The containers were then re-filled with

new media.

Planting

Plants are grown in either the sun or under our shade structure that provides approximately 70% shade.

The plant companies are given the option to choose whether they want their varieties grown in a

ground bed, a container or in both locations. Each trial entry in the ground is planted in 2 parallel rows

of up to 12 plants per row for a maximum of 24 plants. Each 20” container is planted with 5 plants of

the same variety. Holes were pre-dug for each row in the ground beds using a 4” auger. A string

stretched from the front of the row to the back was used as a guide to keep the spacing uniform.

The majority of plants were planted during organized planting sessions with Master Gardeners on May

23rd, 25th, 31st and June 8th. The remainder of plants were planted by the garden staff on June 5th, 11th,

12th, 13th, 15th, 20th, 21st and 22nd. The planting date for each variety is included in the information

presented in the trial results section of this report.

Bed Spacing

Although some species require more spacing than others, we are faced with growing a large number of

plants in a limited area. For this reason, only Geraniums and Petunias were allowed more space

between the planted rows than other cultivars. Geraniums (Ivy, Seed and Zonal) were spaced at 15”

between rows of the same variety and 20” spacing to the next variety. Petunias were spaced at 18”

between rows of the same variety and 24” spacing to the next variety. All other varieties in sun beds

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were spaced at 12” between rows of the same variety and 12” spacing to the next variety. The shade

beds had just a little more space for the number of varieties going in, so to use up all the bed space they

were spaced at 12” between rows of the same variety and 15” spacing to the next variety.

Watering

Plants were watered on an “as needed” basis while in the greenhouses. All plants were thoroughly hand

watered immediately after being planted in either the ground or a container.

Each container has 2 drip emitters positioned towards the center that are rated at 1 GPH. Containers

were irrigated for a full cycle twice a day, every day, from the day of planting through the last week of

July, at which point all of the plants in the containers were considered to be established. After that, the

containers were irrigated one cycle per day. Shade containers ran for 40 minutes per cycle. Sun

containers ran for 50 minutes per cycle, with the exception of pots containing Calibrachoas, Petunias,

Vincas and Bidens, which ran for 35 minutes per cycle. After October 1st, watering of the containers was

reduced to 30 minutes per cycle, per day, for all containers.

Beds were watered 3 times a week for varying amounts of time. Species were grouped into beds with

other species that shared similar watering requirements. All beds in the garden were zoned according

to weekly water-use requirements of 0.5”, 1.0” and 1.5” of water per week. An irrigation audit was

conducted at the beginning of the season to determine the irrigation rate per bed. This rate, along with

the bed’s water-use rating, was used to calculate the total length of time to irrigate each bed.

Water-use Rating Ground Beds

0.5” per week J, K and L

1.0” per week E, F, G, H, I, M and N

1.5” per week C, D, SA, SB and SC

During extreme heat in June and July watering was sometimes increased based on the needs of

individual beds and containers. One full day of watering was skipped on the ground beds at the end of

the last week of July due to abundant precipitation. After September 21st, watering of the beds was

reduced to one cycle every three to five days, depending on the weather, meaning the total amount of

water being applied per week was variable and considerably less than during the summer.

Fertilization in the Garden

All beds were top-dressed with Pro Rich Fertilizer (14-5-5) at the rate of 1 pound N per 1000 square

feet for all plantings. After planting, Osmocote (14-14-14) was applied to all sun beds—including the

All-America Selections display bed and the CSU “Best-Of” bed—at the rate of 9.5 grams/sq. ft.

(suggested medium rate on label). Osmocote was not applied to the shade beds. Each container

received 24.7g of Hardy Starts Fertilizer (7-2-6) after planting.

Greencare water soluble fertilizer was dispensed through the irrigation system twice a week during

regular watering cycles, to both the ground beds and containers, at a rate of 200 ppm using a 100 GPM

Dosatron . This fertilization schedule was maintained until September 3rd, which was the last day the

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garden was ferti-irrigated for the season. An assortment of 17-4-17, 14-4-14 and 20-10-20 formulations

was used.

Chelated iron (FeATURE 6-0-0, 10% Fe) was applied at the rate of 3 lbs/100 gallons to all Calibrachoas

and mini-spreading Petunias in the ground on June 28th, and again on July 26th. Iron was also applied at

the same rate to Calibrachoas and mini-spreading Petunias in containers on July 27th.

Maintenance of Flowers

Plants were pinched and dead-headed as needed in the greenhouse prior to outdoor planting.

Dead-heading in the garden: Argyranthemum in container July 9, August 31 In ground July 30 Bracteantha all July 24, August 31 Dahlia in container July 9, August 31 Dianthus in container July 9, July 24 in ground July 24 Geranium all June 27; July 16, 25, 31; August 8, 31; September 3 Snapdragon all July 24

On August 15th, taller plants growing around sprinkler heads in the ground beds were trimmed back to

allow for more uniform coverage during irrigation.

Weed Control

RoundUp was applied to all beds prior to tilling in the spring, and as a spot treatment around the edges

of the beds and in the pathways on July 19th. Additional wood chip mulch was applied to the pathways

between the beds on July 6th to help suppress the growth of weeds. Otherwise, all weeding was done

manually using stirrup hoes or pulling by hand.

Pest Control in Garden

Cleome was sprayed with Marathon II and Pyreth-It on June 22nd for flea beetles. Cleome and Gaura

were sprayed with malathion on July 15th to again control flea beetles. There were no other major or

minor pest problems.

Disease Control in Garden

Beds F, G and H were fumigated with Vapam in the fall of 2006 as a preventative measure against

Xanthomonas, which was a problem in the garden two years ago. The garden has its own supplies and

tools that are stored separately from other tools at PERC in order to reduce the potential spread of

disease from other sites.

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Dates of Severe Weather

The weather throughout the season was fairly typical for this region. There was about a two week

period in July where temperatures were warmer than the expected average (reaching over 90 F every

day except one). One major event to note was a rare thunderstorm that occurred on the evening of

August 2nd. Parts of the Fort Collins area received over 5” of rain in less than 2 hours. The garden

suffered moderate to heavy flooding as a result. Water lines left on signs in the garden showed that

certain beds were under 6-8” of water during the flood.

Monthly Temperatures and Precipitation for 2007

Month Avg. Maximum

Temperature

Avg. Minimum

Temperature

Precipitation

(Inches)

May

(23rd – 31st) 73.0 F 42.8 F 0.53

June 84.3 F 52.8 F 0.33

July 90.7 F 57.6 F 0.74

August 87.2 F 59.0 F 3.60

September 77.3 F 49.8 F 1.04

*Weather information for the Fort Collins area provided by the Colorado State University at:

http://ccc.atmos.colostate.edu/cgi-bin/summary.pl

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Soil Analysis

Soil/Media Date PH E.C. mmhos/cm

Lime Estimate

% O.M.

NO3-N

P K Zn Fe Mn Cu Texture

Bed Amendment 5/15/07 7.0 3.7 Low 29.5 58.2 168 1727 20.6 78.1 31.2 2.7 Loam

4” pots in GH 6/15/07 6.2 1.1 Low 67.1 483 279 1146 19.4 86.6 29.8 22.3 Loam

Old Sun Beds* 6/15/07 6.9 1.0 Low 29.7 39.3 185 813 24.1 147 14.1 3.9 Loam

New Sun Beds** 6/15/07 7.2 0.9 Low 42.1 37.4 157 480 17.5 82.0 20.2 4.7 Loam

Sun Beds, 0.5”/wk 7/16/07 7.0 0.7 Low 27.3 190 224 475 15.4 91.5 24.4 5.2 Loam

Sun Beds, 0.5”/w 8/22/07 7.2 0.8 Low 42.4 47.0 242 608 23.8 135 5.7 8.7 Loam

Sun Beds, 0.5”/w 9/28/07 6.7 0.9 Low 33.2 60.0 183 573 31.3 150 7.8 4.2 Loam

Sun Beds, 1.0”/wk 7/16/07 7.0 1.0 Low 18.8 127 204 426 14.9 89.3 23.5 4.4 Loam

Sun Beds, 1.0”/w 8/22/07 6.8 1.2 Low 43.9 129 247 369 26.4 130 5.4 8.5 Loam

Sun Beds, 1.0”/w 9/28/07 6.6 0.8 Low 26.6 111 175 480 30.8 136 8.3 7.6 Loam

Sun Beds, 1.5”/wk 7/16/07 7.2 0.6 High 17.8 45.0 217 427 14.7 79.5 23.4 4.4 Loam

Sun Beds, 1.5”/wk 8/22/07 7.1 0.8 Low 42.4 47.0 242 608 23.8 135 5.7 8.7 Loam

Sun Beds, 1.5”/wk 9/28/07 6.8 0.7 Low 26.7 47.9 175 566 28.6 140 9.8 4.4 Loam

Shade Beds 6/15/07 7.0 0.8 Low 33.1 37.7 207 496 26.3 185 26.3 4.1 Loam

Shade Beds, 1.5”/wk 7/16/07 7.2 0.8 Low 34.5 160 222 195 25.4 123 24.3 3.9 Loam

Shade Beds, 1.5”/wk 8/22/07 7.1 0.9 Medium 39.3 71.7 222 429 20.2 169 7.1 6.6 Loam

Shade Beds, 1.5”/wk 9/28/07 6.9 0.7 Low 30.7 50.4 153 451 26.2 177 11.6 4.5 Loam

Containers 6/15/07 6.5 0.7 Low 17.8 13.9 48.6 409 12.6 43.7 30.1 53.8 Loam

Containers 7/16/07 6.9 0.8 Low 15.6 30.5 53.6 390 12.5 44.1 27.4 21.3 Loam

Containers 8/22/07 7.2 0.4 Medium 39.8 15.3 69.8 276 13.8 43.1 5.4 48.9 Loam

Containers 9/28/07 6.9 0.8 Low 20.0 22.4 44.4 252 14.5 48.4 11.4 58.7 Loam

Perennial Trials 6/15/07 7.1 0.9 High 28.2 59.0 112 599 14.5 53.8 20.5 2.3 Loam

Perennial Trials 7/16/07 7.3 0.6 Low 23.1 20.1 187 520 13.7 38.4 21.7 9.4 Loam

Perennial Trials 8/22/07 7.1 0.7 Low 41.7 27.5 202 545 20.2 86.5 14.5 9.3 Loam

Perennial Trials 9/28/07 6.9 0.8 Low 28.9 26.0 155 530 23.2 100 15.6 4.9 Loam

*Old Sun Beds: C, D, F, G, H, I, K, L, M, N **New Sun Beds: E, J

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Data Collection Methods

Plant Size

Height and width measurements were taken twice during the growing season. This was done to get a

feel for the average size of the plants and each variety’s growth performance. For consistency, the

fourth plant from the front of the left row was measured; however, if that plant was noticeably smaller

or larger than average on July 9th, an alternate plant was selected for measurement and the location was

noted so the same plant would be measured when the second measurements were taken. The first

measurements were taken on July 9th and the second set on August 28th.

Bloom Size

This is the first year bloom size has been recorded for the trial entries. Because bloom size can vary

somewhat on the same plant, the widths of five flowers or inflorescences were averaged for each

variety to come up with an average bloom size. For some types of inflorescences—such as cymes,

umbles or spikes—it made more sense to measure either the width of the entire cluster of flowers or

the length of the entire spike, as opposed to an individual flower. In these cases, it is noted in the trial

results information whether a cluster or spike was measured. Otherwise, it can be assumed that the

width of an individual flower was measured.

Flowering Performance

This is also the first year that data on the bloom period for each variety has been taken. In presenting

this data, we hope to give a feel for how long the plants were in bloom and how well they bloomed

during that period of time. Data was collected on a weekly basis. Plants were evaluated by estimating

the percentage of the total number of plants in a planting that were in bloom. Three values were used

for the rating: 0%, 50% and 100%. One should take into consideration the broad range between these

ratings when interpreting these data. A rating of 0% doesn’t necessarily mean that there weren’t any

blooms at all, but that there were very few to none at that time. A rating of 100% means the plants

were considered to be in full bloom. If a variety started at 100%, it means it was already in full bloom in

the greenhouse before it was planted. Towards the end of the season, any dead plants in the planting

were not considered in the evaluation; thus, the data given always reflects the percent of live plants in

bloom. For consistency, the flowering performance was evaluated by the same two employees

throughout the summer.

Soil Samples

Samples taken from individual ground beds on June 15th were combined into a single sample per

category of bed because the watering schedule up to that point was the same for all beds in order to get

the plants established; these bed categories were Old Sun Beds (beds C, D, F – I and K – N), New Sun

Beds (beds E and J) and Shade Beds (beds SA, SB and SC). Samples taken from individual ground beds on

July 16th and August 22nd were combined into separate samples based on the water-use rating of the

bed (see table under Watering section). Samples taken from various containers in both the sun and

shade were combined into a single sample for analysis.

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Evaluation

The trial evaluation day was held on August 7th. Approximately 100 judges consisting of industry

representatives, master gardeners, university employees and trial garden advisory committee members

evaluated the plant varieties for performance using a combination of these criteria:

Plant Quality:

Uniformity of plant habit

Bushy, well-branched shape versus open and leggy

Healthy foliage (deep green versus chlorotic, yellow leaves)

Foliage texture

Disease resistance

Flower Quality:

Flower power (number of flowers per plant, substance and holding power)

Flower presentation (i.e. not hidden by the foliage)

Color uniformity

Stable color (resistance to fading) and stable pattern (for bicolor)

Flower size and uniformity of flowers

Balance of color in a mixture

Overall Presentation:

Overall “clean” look, versus visible spent blooms

Fragrant flowers and/or foliage

Good vigorous growth

Resistance to climatic stress

Novelty value of unique features

Overall consumer appeal

Plant varieties were rated on a scale of 1 to 10 (1 = very poor performance; 10 = excellent performance).

These numerical evaluations were used to calculate the average ratings for each variety in the trials.

Participants were encouraged to circle pre-generated comments on the evaluation form, if appropriate,

as well as write in any other comments and observations they had. The pre-generated comments they

could choose from included: Low vigor, Vigorous plant, Few flowers, Many flowers, Uniform, Non-

uniform, Unique color and Some chlorosis.

Selection of “Best Of” Winners and other “Plants Rated As Superior”

Ratings from all evaluators on August 7th were averaged and the top five in each class were placed on a

preliminary list. A class is determined to be any group of plants in the same genus that consisted of 10

or more trial entries. The “Best Of” award was given to classes whose top-five list had ratings of at least

6.0 and one of them could be considered superior. A sub-committee of university and industry

representatives revisited the garden on September 7th to review the top-five list and verify the

superiority of the top rated varieties over a period of time, and not just on the one day. A majority vote

was taken for each class to determine the final selections for winners. “Plants Rated as Superior” was an

award created to recognize other plants that deserved special recognition; especially for those plants

that did not have ten varieties to make up a class.

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Other Information for the 2007 Trials

Number of companies participating………………………………………………….………………….20

Total number of trial entries…………………………………………………………………………….1,117

Varieties grown in the ground…………………………………………487 44%

Varieties grown in a container………………………………………..336 30%

Varieties grown in both locations……………………………………294 26%

Varieties propagated by seed…………………………………………242 22%

Varieties propagated by cuttings…………………………………...875 78%

Number of genera represented……………………………………………………………………………86

Number of student employees dedicated to the project

Spring (part-time, 10-20 hrs/wk)………………………………………………………………5

Summer (full-time, 40 hrs/wk)…………………………………………………………………8

Entire summer………………………………………………………5

Temporary (May 14 through June 13)…………………..3

Fall (part-time, 10-15 hrs/wk)…………………………………………………………………..4

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All-America Selections®

Display Garden Varieties

Agastache ‘Golden Jubilee’ Carnation ‘Can Can Scarlet’ Celosia ‘Fresh Look Gold’ Celosia ‘Fresh Look Red’ Celosia ‘Fresh Look Yellow’ Dianthus ‘Corona Cherry Magic’ Dianthus ‘Ideal Violet’ Dianthus ‘Supra Purple’ Diascia ‘Diamonte Coral Rose’ Eustoma ‘Forever White’ Gaillardia ‘Sundance Bicolor’ Gaillardia aristata ‘Arizona Sun’ Gypsophila ‘Gypsy Deep Rose’ Hollyhock ‘Queeny Purple’ Nicotiana ‘Perfume Deep Purple’ Ornamental Millet ‘Purple Majesty’ Ornamental Pepper ‘Black Pearl’ Osteospermum ‘Asti White’ Pansy ‘Majestic Giants Mix’ Petunia ‘Wave Blue’ Petunia ‘Limbo Violet’ Petunia ‘Opera Supreme Pink Morn’ Petunia ‘Merlin Blue Morn’ Petunia ‘Ultra Crimson Star’ Petunia ‘Wave Purple’ Rudbeckia ‘Prairie Sun’ Salvia farinacea ‘Evolution’ Tomato ‘Big Beef’ Vinca ‘First Kiss Blueberry’ Vinca ‘Jaio Dark Red’ Vinca ‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’ Viola ‘Skippy XL Plum-Gold’ Viola ‘Skippy XL Red-Gold’ Zinnia ‘Magellan Coral’

Trial Ground Varieties

Cosmos ‘Double & Semi Dbl Pink’ Cosmos ‘Sensation Pinkie Pink’ Cosmos ‘Double Click’ Laurentia ‘Blue’ Laurentia ‘Blue Star’ Laurentia ‘Starshine Blue’ Laurentia ‘Rose-Pink’ Laurentia ‘Avant Garde Pink’ Laurentia ‘Rose Star’ Marigold ‘Deep Orange’ Ornamental Pepper ‘Purple’ Ornamental Pepper ‘Medusa’ Ornamental Pepper ‘Masquerade’ Ornamental Pepper ‘White to Red’ Ornamental Pepper ‘Garda Tricolor’ Ornamental Pepper ‘Holiday Flame’ Ornamental Pepper ‘Explosive Blast’ Pentas ‘Lavendar Shades’ Pentas ‘Butterfly Lavendar Shades’ Pentas ‘Kaleidoscope Lilac’ Pentas ‘Pink Bicolor’ Pentas ‘Kaleidoscope Appleblossom’ Pentas ‘Butterfly Blush’ Rudbeckia ‘Range of Colors’ Rudbeckia ‘Becky Mix’ Rudbeckia ‘Toto Mix’ Rudbeckia ‘Red Shades’ Rudbeckia ‘Autumn Colors’ Rudbeckia ‘Cinnamon Bicolors’ Scutellaria ‘Compact’ Scutellaria alpine ‘Acrobaleno’

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2007 “Best Of” Winners

Best of Show – Cleome ‘Spirit Appleblossom’ from Proven Winners.

This plant stood out in the garden even from a distance. The delicate white and pink flowers bloom

throughout the summer. The plants were very uniform with dark green foliage and strong stems. A

great selection for sunny locations.

Best New Variety – Dahlia ‘Mystic Illusion’ from Proven Selections by Proven Winners.

The striking combination of bright yellow flowers against dark purple foliage makes a strong

statement in the garden. It can grow 30 inches high, is well branched and performed well in full sun

and partial shade.

Best Novelty Plant – Cyperus papyrus ‘King Tut’ from Proven Selections by Proven Winners.

‘King Tut’ is a large (5-6 feet tall), fine-textured plant grown for its foliage. Its delicate and exotic

nature especially stands out as it sways gently in a light breeze. It can be grown as a specimen or an

accent plant.

Best Angelonia (seed) – ‘Serena White’ from PanAmerican Seed.

‘Serena White’ was a superior selection due to the prolific white blooms it produced all summer.

The clean green foliage never had any dieback and was a good contrast against the bright white

flowers. A great garden performer with an overall uniform appearance.

Best Angelonia (vegetative) – ‘Alonia Dark Blue’ from Danziger.

This Angelonia was outstanding since plants were compact, uniform and had good dark green

foliage. The dark blue flowers were prolific and showy. It looked great in a container and withstood

the summer heat.

Best Argyranthemum – ‘Madeira Crested Primrose’ from Ball FloraPlant.

This plant was still blooming in early September and looked fresh with self-cleaning characteristics.

The abundant flowers were a bright yellow color and the overall plant appearance was very uniform.

Best Begonia (hiemalis type) – ‘Solenia Dusty Rose’ from Ecke Geraniums, LLC – Oglevee Products.

Plants had a prolific bouquet of large, spectacular, rose-colored flowers. Flowers were still

abundant into September. The flower color was very attractive against the dark green foliage of the

vigorous plants.

Best Begonia (wax type) – ‘Sprint Scarlet’ from Benary Seed.

The abundant deep scarlet flowers were the prominent reason for this winner. The flowers were

held above the foliage on very uniform plants.

Best Calibrachoa – ‘Callie Rose ‘06’ from GoldFisch bred by Goldsmith Seeds.

The flowers were noted for the intense color and attractive eye that shone in the sunlight. Plants

were vigorous with a tight, compact growth habit. It performed well both in the ground and in a

container.

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Best Coleus – ‘Black Knight’ from Proven Selections by Proven Winners.

This Coleus was selected in part for the “kaleidoscope” of foliage color and unique leaf shape. It had

excellent plant vigor and also did well in full sun. Growth habit was very uniform with no flower set.

Best Dianthus – ‘Supra Red’ from Hem Genetics.

This selection’s unique flower petal form and taller size put on a real show in the trials. The

abundant red flowers were an attractive shade of red. Plants had good vigor and uniformity.

Best Geranium (ivy) – ‘Caliente Rose’ from GoldFisch bred by Goldsmith Seeds.

‘Caliente Rose’ flowered non-stop all summer and well into September. The showy rose colored

flowers covered vigorous plants that had a uniform mounding growth habit.

Best Geranium (zonal) – ‘Rocky Mountain Salmon Rose’ from GoldFisch bred by Fischer.

These plants had large blooms with a showy rose colored flower. Plants were vigorous, very

uniform overall and stood out among other geraniums in the trial.

Best Impatiens (seed) – ‘Shimmer Salmon’ from S & G Flowers.

The deep salmon flowers covered the plants all summer. Plants were extremely vigorous and had

good uniformity.

Best Impatiens (double) – ‘Fiesta Sparkler Hot Pink’ from Ball FloraPlant.

Large, very double flowers resembling small roses covered the plants. The bi-color flower of pink

and white had a stable pattern. The plants were very uniform in growth habit.

Best Impatiens (in sun) – ‘Fanfare Fuchsia Improved’ from Ball FloraPlant.

The large fuchsia flowers were an intense color which contrasted well against the dark green foliage.

The plants had great vigor and looked good in both containers and the ground.

Best Impatiens (New Guinea) – ‘Tamarinda Amethyst’ from Fides North America.

The large lavender flowers covered the plant canopy. Flowering remained consistent throughout

the summer. The plants were uniform in growth habit and had controlled vigor.

Best Lantana – ‘Landmark Citrus’ from Ball FloraPlant.

The flowers were a unique yellow/orange/pink color and very intense against the dark green foliage.

The abundant flowers and bright flower color are real “eye-catchers” in the garden.

Best Lobelia – ‘Laguna Sky Blue’ from Proven Winners.

This selection ranked best because it bloomed continually throughout the summer, covering

vigorous mounding plants with attractive blue flowers. No dieback occurred with this variety and it

did well in full sun.

Best Osteospermum – ‘Tradewinds Purple Bicolor’ from GoldFisch bred by Goldsmith Seeds.

This very floriferous plant was selected for its unique flower color on well branched plants. The

compact and uniform growth habit makes it an excellent choice for containers as well as in the

ground. Plants were noted for good vigor.

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Best Pentas – ‘Northern Lights Lavender’ from Benary Seed.

This variety was noted for great flower power due to many large light lavender blooms. Flowering

continued well into September. The dark green foliage made a great contrast to the light colored

flowers. Plants were vigorous and uniform in growth habit.

Best Petunia (mini-spreading) – ‘Littletunia Rose’ from Danziger.

This variety was selected for its intense rose flower color and prolific blooming. The plants had

vigorous growth with a uniform mounding habit and looked great in both the ground and a

container.

Best Petunia (spreading, seed propagated) – ‘Opera Supreme Pink Morn’ from Takii & Co.

This spectacular variety had flowers that glowed. They were so numerous that no foliage was

visible. The overall appearance was a uniform groundcover of color.

Best Petunia (spreading, vegetatively propagated) – ‘Supertunia Vista Bubblegum’

from Proven Winners.

This has been an award winner in our trials for the 2nd year in a row. Its outstanding features are

flowers that are so prolific they hide the foliage and extreme vigor that creates a mountainous

uniform mound.

Best Rudbeckia – ‘Prairie Sun’ from Benary Seed.

‘Prairie Sun’ is another multi-year winner in our trials due to its huge flower size and bright yellow

color. It is extremely showy, even from a distance. Plants were vigorous, uniform and dependable.

Best Scaevola – ‘Bombay Blue’ from GoldFisch bred by Goldsmith Seeds.

This is a proven variety with good plant vigor and great floriferousness. It produced a lot of flower

color and was excellent in a container.

Best Verbena – ‘Lanai Lavender Star’ from GoldFisch bred by Goldsmith Seeds.

A Verbena that had many large flower heads with an interesting star shaped pattern. The plants

were uniform with no mildew. Plants looked good even into September.

Best Vinca – ‘Pacifica Burgundy Halo’ from PanAmerican Seed.

This variety had exceptional plant vigor and large burgundy flowers. The flowers were prolific and

had a striking central eye which was showy. The plants were very uniform in growth habit.

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Additional “Plants Rated as Superior” for 2007

Begonia ‘Dragon Wing Red’ from PanAmerican Seed.

This variety was a standout not only because of the attractive wing-like leaf shape but also

because of the strong vigor, prolific red flowers and uniform growth.

Dianthus ‘Garden Spice Coral’ from Fides North America.

Theses carnation flowers had a spicy fragrance and bloomed abundantly. It was early to flower

and performed well in both containers and in the ground. The vigorous plants produced bright

coral colored flowers throughout the summer.

Geranium (zonal) ‘Fantasia Cardinal Red Improved’ from Ball FloraPlant.

The large flowers of these plants had a striking color and were held above the dark foliage for a

very “eye-catching” contrast. These plants were heavy bloomers with a very uniform habit.

Geranium (zonal) ‘Fantasia Violet Improved’ from Ball FloraPlant.

The flowers appeared to glow with a fluorescent magenta/violet color and were held high above

the foliage. Plants were very healthy, problem free and had an excellent growth habit.

Petunia (spreading) ‘Supertunia Vista Fuchsia’ from Proven Winners.

This variety had all the great qualities of its sister ‘Supertunia Vista Bubblegum’ but with a

unique fuchsia flower color. The numerous flowers hid the foliage. Plants were extremely

vigorous with a uniform, mounding habit.

Petunia x calibrachoa (inter-generic hybrid) ‘SuperCal Terracotta’ from Sakata.

The prolific flowers had a unique flower color with a golden sheen. This interspecific hybrid

produced plants with good vigor and a uniform growth habit.