2015 Season Premier Late-Season Top Performers
About Our Trials Every
spring the Costa Farms research and development team trials some 500 varieties of annuals, perennials, and tropical plants from plant breeders around the world.
Evaluation Period Some 70 varieties scored as top performers in our evaluation period, which stretched from Week 5 to Week 19. Transplanting into the Trial Garden occurred Week 51; plants were grown in 6-inch pots to finished stage.
We tested all of these hot new varieties in our 2-acre Season Premier Fertilization Trial Garden located in A 100-day and 140-day Miami, Florida. slow-release fertilizer was applied at Week 51 Our team assesses the and a 20-10-20 drench plants via a variety of was applied at Week 1. factors, including: Abundance of bloom Pesticides Crop uniformity Control measures, both Overall performance chemical and biological, including factors such were applied on an asas clean foliage, little needed basis for attacks to no pest damage, and by disease and insects the plants’ overall habits during the evaluation and appearances. period in the Garden.
Miami Climate The graphs below detail temperature, relative humidity, and rainfall levels during the evaluation period. About this Report Ever take one of the fun personality quizzes online? Because they’re so common and popular, we divided our trial results by the personality type they would appeal to. Starred Items Items marked with a gold star were top perfomers in an earlier report. Note: The Trial Garden performance is just one factor used by Costa Farms to determine the plant varieties we grow.
Take Our Personality Quiz Find which of the best plants from our trials best suits you by answering the questions below! See your results on the next page.
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It’s your first visit to the garden center in spring. You spot a stunning plant you’ve never seen. You: A. Post it on Facebook/ Instagram/Twitter. Surely a friend will know about it. B. Buy it and decide what to do once it’s home. C. Pull out your garden plan and see if you have a spot for it. D. Start researching to know out if you can grow it. E. See how it looks with the other plants on your shopping list.
You’re hosting friends for drinks on your patio this evening. You: A. Add fragrant plants to enjoy colors and scents. B. Put your collection of special plants on display. C. Get fresh, new plants so everything is just right. D. Do nothing special. Your friends know you! E. Augment your plants with crafty touches so your patio looks fab.
A neighbor down the street has a plant you’ve been dying to grow. You: A. Chat with them until they’re your new best friend. Then ask for a cutting. B. Ask for a small cutting. You know you can get it growing with just a piece! C. Ask where they got it, then go to the nursery and pick out the perfect one. D. Enjoy it as you pass by. You don’t have the right spot for it anyway. E. Sneak out at night and take a cutting.
How do you spend the most time in your garden: A. Enjoying it while your friends are over. B. Weeding and watering so all your plants stay healthy. C. Pruning and shaping so all your plants always look just right. D. Basic maintenance—just what needs to be done. E. Decorating and moving plants around.
What’s your number one gardening secret? A. Planting easy-care varieties so you and your friends can enjoy them. B. Selecting plants that make you happy—even if they take a little effort. C. Putting the right plant in the right place. D. Only starting with plants you know will thrive in your yard. E. Creatively mixing plants that look fabulous together.
What’s your biggest gardening pet peeve? A. Having to spend a lot of time alone. B. Getting a plant that just won’t grow—no matter what you do. C. Wild and crazy plants that grow everywhere. D. Plants that don’t grow the way they should. E. Plants that are boring.
Your Quiz Results If your answers were...
Mostly A, you’re a Social
Mostly C,
you’re a Perfectionist!
Butterfly!
You like your plants predictable so everything The best plants for you always has a just-right are those that make look in your garden. Top your friends take notice picks for you include (and maybe be a little envious of your gardening angelonia (it grows beautifully no matter fabulousness). Examples what); gerberas (they’re are varieties with bold, elegant and perfect for bright colors (such as cut-flower arrangements); Sunpatiens); fantastic and heuchera (they’re foliage (such as coleus); and fragrances (including such tidy little mounds in lavender and other herbs). the garden).
Mostly E,
you’re a Creative! You love showing off your own personal and fantastic style in the garden and pick plants based on how they look together and with your garden art. You may be particularly attracted to plants with bold, exotic foliage (like coleus and elephant’s ear) as well as plants that have a fun, sculptural shape.
Mostly B,
Mostly D,
A Mixed Bag
Just about any type of plants will work for you because you’re willing to put in the extra effort to keep them healthy and beautiful. As a nurturer, we wouldn’t be surprised if you collected certain types of plants—especially rare or exotic varieties!
You don’t often go out on a limb with plants—you pick varieties good for your garden. And as such, you keep an eye out for native varieties and triedand-true favorites such as begonias and sweet potato vines that grow practically everywhere.
your own style!
you’re a Nurturer!
you’re a Realist!
If your answers were all over the board, you have
Any plant should work beautifully for your style if you have the right conditions to keep it healthy. So have at it—the world is your oyster every time you visit your local garden center.
For the Social Butterfly 1. Coleus (Plectranthus) Campfire by Ball impressed us with its bold coppery tones and few flowers. It created a big show of color that’s perfect for making anyone look like a pro gardener. 2. Lavandula Phenomenal Purple by EuroAmerican Propagators provided a bushy mound of intensely fragrant silvery foliage (though it didn’t flower in Miami). It’s perfect for decorating outdoor spaces with its good looks and lovely scent. 3. Petunia Supertunia by Proven Winners impressed us with its florific nature, even as summer heat and humidity set in. Top picks: Morning Glory Charm, Orchid Charm, and Sangria Charm.
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4. Lobularia YOLO by Dummen Orange was a carpet of fragrant color. Top picks: Lavender, Top Lavender 80, Top White 81, and White. 5. Impatiens SunPatiens by Sakata put on a strong show with masses of bloom. Top picks: Clear Orange, Compact Coral Pink, Compact Hot Coral, Compact Neon Pink, Compact Royal Magenta, Compact White Improved, Spreading Lavender, Spreading Pink Flash, and Spreading Shell Pink. 6. Impatiens Tamarinda Dark Red by Dummen Orange made a stunning display in the shade because of its tidy habit and brightly colored blooms.
Starred varieties denote top performers in a previous report.
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For the Nurturer 7. Salvia Grandstand by Greenfuse had rich, saturated color and an easy-care nature. It’s perfect for nurturers who want to attract butterflies and hummingbirds. Top picks: Tall Red and Tall Red Bicolor. 8. Catharanthus Soiree by EuroAmerican Propagators looked adorable with its little flowers. Top picks: Crown Pink, Double White, Kawaii Coral Pink, Kawaii Lavender, and Kawaii Pink. 9. Pelargonium Darko Red by Viviero recalled nostalgic feelings of old-fashioned red geraniums, but on a strong, floriferous plant.
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10. Catharanthus Vitesse by Floranova offered lots of flowers, good mounding habits, and great disease resistance. Top picks: Apricot Improved, Lavender, and Peppermint. 11. Coleus (Plectranthus) Wildfire Blaze by Terra Nova Nurseries was a shining star in the garden thanks to its surprisingly compact, consistent habit and bold, beautiful red-and-gold foliage coloration.
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For the Perfectionist 12. Angelonia Serenita Sky Blue by Ball is ideal for perfectionists because it was such an easy-care, reliable plant with lots of blooms and a consistent habit. 13. Calibrachoa Hula by Dummen Orange offered a tidy, mounding/ spreading habit practically covered in colorful flowers. Top picks: Strawberry 90 and White 93. 14. Gerbera Garvinea Sweet by Florist made for a lovely bouquet right in the garden. The plants were wonderfully floriferous and held up to the heat. Top picks: Dreams, Glow, Heart, Honey, Sixteen, Surprise, Smile, and 09TO235.
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15. Heuchera Forever Purple by Terra Nova Nurseries created a compact, tidy mound of bold color in the garden. 16. Petchoa SuperCal by Sakata was tough to beat for its garden and container performance. Its profusion of jewel-tone blooms made it a winner. Top picks: Blue, Cherry Improved, Light Yellow, Pink, and Salmon Glow. 17. Impatiens Harmony by Danziger added bright color to the shade. Top Picks: Dark Lilac and Violet.
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For the Realist 18. Begonia Big by Benary was one of the easiest plants to grow, making it perfect for realists who know they won’t always have time to tend to their plants. Top picks: Pink Green Leaf, Red Bronze Leaf, Red Green Leaf, and Rose Bronze Leaf. 19. Ipomoea Solar Power by Ball offered a new take on a tried-and-true favorite. These varieties held their color even in the heat and were vigorous enough to fill a basket. Top picks: Lime, Red, and Black. 20. Coreopsis Leading Lady Charlize by Dummen Orange appeals to gardeners who know the value of North American native plants. This tough perennial bloomed profusely with highlighteryellow flowers.
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21. Scaevola Scalora Jewel by Westflowers was an ideal low-maintenance annual groundcover, hanging basket plant, or spiller in mixed-container gardens. 22. Kwik Kombo Some Like It Hot by Syngenta presented garden-center shoppers with a can’t-go-wrong choice of a mix of colorful, long-blooming, heatloving lantanas in hot summer colors.
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For the Creative 23. Coleus (Plectranthus) Flame Thrower by Ball offered a wild mix of colors and textures on easy-care plants. Top picks: Chili Pepper, Chipotle, and Spiced Curry.
24. Hibiscus Little Zin by Ball made a delightful, tight mound of purple, copper, and bronze foliage that would accent practically anything it’s planted with.
25. Verbena Wicked by Dummen Orange were floriferous, showing charming color patterns on their large flower clusters. Top picks: Great Grape and Soft Pink.
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26. Colocasia Royal Hawaiian 7A-263 by PlantHaven put on an interesting show with its bronze-gray leaves variegated with cream. 27. Scaevola Surdiva White Improved by Suntory bloomed profusely, offering a rich carpet of color in the Trial Garden. It’s easy to mix with other plants: White goes with everything! 28. Salvia ABlazin Purple by Proven Winners added an exclamation point of color to the garden with its boldly colored spikes of dark purple, hummingbirdattracting flowers.
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