Costa Farms Perennial Top Performers Spring 2017
R
esearch and
We start with a production trial
most severe outbreaks of pests
development is serious
and grow the plants from seeds
and diseases, much the same way
business here at Costa
or cuttings. Most are finished in
a home gardener would.
Farms. We’ve invested in a
a 2.5-quart pot—the same size we
strong team and two, 2-acre
ship many of our perennials to
Deadheading is done so we can
Trial Gardens.
stores in.
see how many flushes of flowers we can get a year.
At our Trenton, South Carolina,
After the production trial, the
Trial Garden (USDA Hardiness
plants are transplanted into row
Data Collection
Zone 8A), we evaluate hundreds beds into the Trial Garden in full of perennial varieties. We flower—the same way a typical
To be considered a top perfomer,
look at summer and winter
home gardener might with the
show an abundance of bloom (if
performance over two seasons.
plants he or she brings home
applicable), excellent uniformity
This gives us insight into the
from the local garden center.
across the crop, outstanding
plants’ abilities to hold up to
a perennial variety needs to
resistance to disease, clean
the heat and humidity of the
Drip irrigation supplments
foliage, and a pleasing habit that
Southeastern United States, as
natural rainfall when necessary.
looks good in a home garden. We
well as whether the varieties
A timed-release fertilizer is
collect data biweekly, and take
are winter hardy in most of
incorporated into the row beds
note when varieties go in and
our markets.
once each year. We only treat the
out of bloom.
The Costa Farms research and development team in Trenton, South Carolina, evaluated more than 800 varieties in the 2-acre Trial Garden this year. While many of these are new plants, the team also performs cultural trials to improve production efficiency, allowing us to produce better-quality plants.
Armeria Dreamaria Sweet Dreams In bloom for weeks, this sea thrift showed outstanding floral longevity compared to other varieties. The flowers are relatively large for the genus and held on sturdy stems. In addition to its floriferousness, Dreamaria Sweet Dreams also showed excellent heat tolerance. Presented by: Darwin Perennials Hardiness: Zones 6-9
Delosperma Lavender Ice and John Proffitt (Table Mountain) Hardy succulents with exceptional flower power, Lavender Ice and John Proffitt (also sold as Table Mountain) ice plants stood out in our trials for their low-water nature, floriferousness (compared to others in the genus), and outstanding texture. Presented by: Not applicable Hardiness: Zones 4-9
Dianthus American Georgia Peach Pie American Georgia Peach Pie climbed to the top of the list for its incredible flower power: Our team loved all the strongly fragrant, pale peach blooms. After it finished flowering, we enjoyed its evergeen blue-green foliage, which provides winter interest and keeps home gardeners looking good all year long. Presented by: PlantHaven Hardiness: Zones 5-9
Erysimum Bowles Me Away Showing off a tidy, mounding habit, Bowles Me Away wallflower scored well across our trials. The gray-green foliage made for an elegant accent to the plant’s many lavender-purple blooms— and we noticed the flowers attracted lots of butterflies. Presented by: Darwin Perennials Hardiness: Zones 6-8
Gaillardia Spintop Orange Halo We trial a lot of Gaillardia—it’s an ideal plant for home gardeners. This selection offers extreme floriferousness, as well as a compact habit and outstanding uniformity across the crop. The medium-size flowers keep their color and attracted plenty of pollinators to the garden. Presented by: Dummen Orange Hardiness: Zones 5-7
Geranium Max Frei A tried-and-true favorite for sun or shade, Max Frei perennial geranium continues to impress today. Its many blooms are an intense shade of purple-pink and provide great coverage on the plant. Its textured foliage is fragrant, helping make it deer and rabbit resistant. Presented by: Not applicable Hardiness: Zones 3-8
Hemerocallis EveryDay series Because of their famed low care needs, daylilies are often some of the first perennials people try to grow. They can’t go wrong with the EveryDay series, which start to bloom early and have an extended bloom season. Plus they stay compact and the flowers are exotic and colorful. Presented by: Heemskerk Hardiness: Zones 5-10
Kniphofia Poco Yellow A must-have for gardeners looking to attract hummingbirds, Poco Yellow red-hot poker is fantastically heat and drought tolerant, putting it as close to the plant-it-and-forget-it category as perennials come. The grassy-looking foliage adds texture to garden beds and borders, too. Presented by: Terra Nova Nurseries Hardiness: Zones 6-9
Lavandula Javelin Forte Purple This variety stood out for its deep, intense-purple color, dense/ compact habit, and its excellent winter hardiness. Unlike many other lavenders we’ve grown, this one didn’t splay open after blooming, keeping it looking good. Home gardeners are sure to love it for its look and fragrance. Presented by: Syngenta Flowers Hardiness: Zones 7-9
Leucanthemum Mt. Whitney Bringing beautiful flowers and on a big, almost perfectly mounding plant, Mt. Whitney Shasta daisy is bold and dramatic in the landscape. The flowers are big, flat, and face outward—making them perfect landing pads for bees and butterflies. Presented by: Kientzler North America Hardiness: Zones 5-9
Miscanthus Bandwidth A dwarf form of zebra grass, this selection offers broad blades brightly banded in golden yellow. Thanks to its variegation, it offers home gardeners spring-to-fall color—plus winter interest from its form. Presented by: Darwin Perennials Hardiness: Zones 5-7
Salvia Spring King The earliest-blooming salvia we’ve tested, Spring King started showing flowers in mid-March when others were just breaking dormancy. It has good branching—meaning it produces plenty of tall spires of deep purple blooms—so it puts on a good show for home gardeners. Presented by: Dummen Orange Hardiness: Zones 4-8