Exciting New Flower Introductions for 2013

After a full spring and summer of viewing and trialing new flower varieties, it’s exciting to bring you some highlights as our commercial grower customers start preparing for the 2013 spring selling season. Clicking on the links below will give you even more detail!

Flower Seeds and Plugs

• Serenita Angelonia – Bred to be shorter than the Serena’s, the series will be particularly useful in the South. Serenita Raspberry a unique color with a great habit and long lasting flower power.

  

  Serenita Angelonia

  
• Chocolate Covered Cherry Coleuses – I really like the color combination of this new sun coleus from seed, and was pleased to see that the color didn’t fade during our unusually hot and dry summer in our container trials. I recommend growing and selling it in large containers on its own, and not mixed with other annuals. 

  

  Chocolate Covered Cherry Coleuses

  
• Spring Matrix Pansies – This new pansy series was bred to flower up to 2 weeks earlier than Matrix. It will be a nice addition for the spring market primarily in the northeast and mid-west where the pansy selling season is short and sweet.
   
• Shock Wave Deep Purple Petunias – This is a great addition to the Shock Wave series, with a fantastic deep purple flower color. Use this better performing variety to replace the discontinued Shock Wave Purple. (Note: this variety is also available in Harris Seeds home garden packets.) 

  

  Shock Wave Deep Purple Petunias

  
• Happy Trails Portulacas – This is a nice new trailing Portulaca. I saw little difference in habit or performance outdoors compared to Sundial, but they are earlier in packs and pots for retail. Happy Trails also has a deep red color which you’ll not find in Sundial.

  

  Happy Trails Portulacas

  
• Cora Red Vincas – This is long awaited new color for the Cora Series vincas. It really was outstanding in the outdoor trials I visited this summer, with bright snappy color on a nice uniform plant habit. 

  

  Cora Red Vincas

  

If you’re a home gardener, you may want to bookmark any flower varieties in this list that interests you so you can ask for the varieties by name next spring at your local garden center. Stay tuned for my next blog post that will highlight some intriguing new 2013 vegetative annuals!

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Posted by Harris Seeds Ornamentals at 3:37 PM

Winter Chill Brings Warm Thoughts of Spring Flowers

Even in January, thoughts of spring planting come to mind. Truthfully, it hasn’t been much of a winter here in Rochester so far. A few minor freezes and some snow flurries here and there. But nothing of the magnitude that we’ve come to expect from living near one of our Great Lakes. Even so, my thoughts turn to garden color with ideas of what to plant outdoors in just a few months.

We trialed a number of new varieties this summer in our Harris Seeds and home gardens, many with great success. One in particular is a new Angelonia named Serena Blue. There are a number of Angelonia varieties available, but only one series is available from seed, and it stands apart from the rest by virtue of a shorter height (10 - 14") and more flower spikes on a squatty plant habit (12 - 14" wide). I planted Serena Blue last summer in a container by itself and also in a basket paired with Begonia Dragonwing Red. Both looked great and flowered all summer long.

I believe Angelonia is a genus that is underutilized. It loves full sun, is heat and drought tolerate and tolerate a slight frost. Who wouldn’t want to grow these beauties? Give Angelonia a try this summer – Serena Blue and Serena White are my two favorites.

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Posted by Harris Seeds Ornamentals at 11:44 AM