Costa Farms Trial Garden Top Perfomers: Late Spring 2014

Costa Farms Research & Development 2014 Season Premier Garden Late-Season Top Performers

Overview

Container gardening is more popular than ever. It’s no wonder why: Containers are versatile, mobile, and an inexpensive way to get started gardening.

That’s why we decided to organize our 2014 LateSpring Season Premier Top Performers update into three categories: spillers, fillers, and thrillers (just like the format we used for the 2014 Early-Season Top Performers update).

Over the next few pages, you’ll see which varieties stood out to our research and development; sales; and marketing teams—as well as why­—as we tended and evaluated the 2-acre Costa Farms Trial Garden in Miami, Florida.

Evaluation

We assessed plants in the Core Garden by:

Abundance of Bloom Crop Uniformity Overall Performance

(clean foliage, little or no pest damage, and the plant’s overall habit and appearance).

Technical Data

Forty three varieties scored as top performers in our evaluation period between Week 11 and Week 19.

Pot Size: All varieties were grown in 6-inch pots until finished stage, then transplanted into the row beds.

Fertilization: A slowrelease fertilizer (180day release) was applied at Week 52, and again at Week 9.

Pesticides: No insecticides were applied, though fungicide was used on verbena cultivars for powdery mildew.

Weather: The nineweek evaluation period mirrored summer-weather conditions in northern states. See the graphs (below) for more specific weather data.

Grower Note

The Costa Farms team takes note of top-performing varieties and employs it as a criterion in decisionmaking process of what to grow. However, Trial Garden performance is only one factor; many others come into play as we decide what to offer our customers.

Standout Spillers

Calibrachoa Noa Violet Eye

Kwik Kombo Blue Lightning

Petunia Easy Wave Red Velour

Petunia Supertunia Flamingo

Helichrysum Silverstar

Lantana Trailing Yellow

Petunia Picotee Blue

Verbena Superbena Violet Ice

Calibrachoa Noa Violet Eye

Kwik Kombo Blue Lightning

Petunia Easy Wave Red Velour

Purple and gold is a no-fail color combo; this pairing of lantana and scaevola performed as beautifully as it looked. A spiller for containers, consumers— or pros—can also use this mix as a high-impact, lowcare groundcover in the landscape.

Grow in sun; bred by Syngenta.

Like other Easy Wave varieties, it’s a standout for baskets and window boxes, mixed containers, as well as beds and borders. Berry Velour and Burgundy Velour also scored well. Note: It was also a top performer in the first half of the Season Premier garden.

Grow in sun; bred by PanAmerican Seed.

Petunia Supertunia Flamingo

Helichrysum Silverstar

Lantana Trailing Yellow

Petunia Picotee Blue

Verbena Superbena Violet Ice

Showing off an abundance of flowers and a tidy habit, Calibrachoa Noa Violet Eye looks fantastic on its own or with other plants. It blends easily, making it a good bet for consumers who lack confidence pairing plants.

Also a top perfomer: Noa White Cream.

Grow in sun; bred by Danziger.

Another variety that’s easy for confidence-challenged consumers to use, Helichrysum Silverstar has a soft, fluffy feel. It’s heat and drought tolerant, making it a good choice for consumers who need an easy-to-care-for plant.

Grow in sun; bred by Westflowers.

Lantana Trailing Yellow’s spreading habit and floriferous nature makes it an ideal, practically carefree groundcover, as well as a dramatic container planting.

Note: It was also a top performer in the first half of the Season Premier garden.

Grow in sun; bred by Syngenta.

Consumers love the drama of bicolor flowers. Picotee Blue is an eye-catcher that produces tons of white blooms edged in violet blue.

It’s a lovely landscape plant, too. Note: This was a top performer in the first half of the Season Premier garden.

Grow in sun; bred by Syngenta.

More than just another pretty pink petunia, Supertunia Flamingo is an impressive variety that practically smothers itself in bloom: Exactly the look most consumers love. Also top performers: Supertunia Orchid Charm and White Improved.

Grow in sun; bred by Proven Winners.

Even after other verbena varieties had faded in the Garden, Superbena Violet Ice flowered like a champion. It presented lots of flowers, clean foliage, and a nice habit—perfect attributes for gardeners.

Grow in sun; bred by Proven Winners.

Fantastic Fantastic Fillers

Fantastic Fillers

Fillers

Argyranthemum Beauty Yellow

Diascia Aurora Light Pink

Gerbera Mega Revolution Dark Red Eye

Nemesia Little Dragons Experimental

Petunia DianthusPicotee OliviaBlue

Gaillardia Sunset Flash Petunia Supertunia Flamingo

Verbena Bandana Superbena Violet Ice Lantana Cherry Improved

Argyranthemum Beauty Yellow

Diascia Aurora Light Pink

Gerbera Mega Revolution Red with Dark Eye

Nemesia Little Dragons Experimental

Gardeners love its simple, daisy-shaped blooms.

Its habit and excellent flower coverage makes it an eye-catching addition to in containers or in the landscape. Note: It was also a top performer in the first half of the Season Premier garden.

Grow in sun; bred by West Flowers.

A lovely filler for mixed containers, Diascia Aurora Light Pink performed well, even as temperatures climbed and humidity spiked. The soft pink color offers as much consumer appeal as its soft texture.

Note: It was a top performer in the first half of the Season Premier garden.

Grow in sun; presented by Plant Haven.

Dianthus Olivia

Gaillardia Sunset Flash

Dianthus Olivia offers a low, mounding shape that makes it ideal for small pots (such as color bowls), mixed containers, or massing in the landscape where it can complement red or white flowers. Note: It was a top performer in the first half of the Season Premier garden.

Grow in sun; bred by Dummen Group.

Gaillardia offer home gardeners a wide range of benefits: The plants attract butterflies and pollinators, they hold up to heat and drought, they’re excellent for bouquets, and they have a practically nonstop bloom season. Gaillardia Sunset Sunrise also was a top performer.

Grow in sun; presented by Plant Haven.

Gardeners are charmed by gerbera’s blooms that are perfect for cutting.

This variety showed off richly colored flowers and impressive heat tolerance.

Note: It was a top performer in the first half of the Season Premier garden.

Grow in sun; bred by PanAmerican Seed.

Lantana Bandana Cherry Improved

Showing off an impressive compact habit, this lantana bloomed continuously through every sort of weather it faced. It’s a nofail choice for consumers looking for something easy. Note: It was a top performer in the first half of the Season Premier garden.

Grow in sun; bred by Syngenta.

This little showstopper surprised us with its long season of bloom and compact, mounding habit. The showy bicolor blooms are full of cheer and make an excellent companion for pansies, violas, and other coolseason bloomers Grow in sun; presented by Plant Haven.

Does the word “perennial” mean anything to new gardeners? “What is a perennial” is being typed into Google more and more every year. *Google Trends, June 2014

Osteospermum Akila Daisy White

Osteospermum Margarita Bronze Bicolor

Osteospermum New White

Osteospermum Akila Daisy White

Osteospermum Margarita Bronze White Bicolor

Akila Daisy impressed us with its tidy habit and attractive daisyshaped flowers. Pair it with pansy, dianthus, or vinca for a must-have coolseason combo. Note: It was a top performer in the first half of the Season Premier garden.

Grow in sun; bred by PanAmerican Seed.

Landscaping projects can appeal to young consumers. Nearly half of millennial homebuyers are more likely to do home-maintenance projects themselves. *Better Homes and Gardens Real Estate, March 2013

Phlox Paparazzi Jagger

Vinca Vitesse Lavender Morn

Phlox Paparazzi Jagger

Like a breath of warm spring air, Osteospermum Margarita Bronze Bicolor added color and interest to the Trial Garden all the way through the evaluation period. Its bronzy flowers are an ideal complement to terra-cotta pots.

Grow in sun; bred by Dummen Group.

This perennial phlox is perfect for consumers who want color in landscapes, but don’t overlook it in early-spring containers where it pairs beautifully with dianthus, lobelia, and other favorites. Note: It was a performer in the first half of the Season Premier garden. Zones 6-11.

Grow in sun; presented by EuroAmerican Propagators.

Osteospermum New White

Vinca Vitesse Lavender Morn

Week after week Osteospermum New White and New Cream, charmed us with their tidy mounding habits and prolific flower production.

Note: Both varieties were top performers in the first half of the Season Premier garden.

Grow in sun; bred by Danziger.

Offering gardeners pretty flowers in a popular shade (and an excellent habit), Vinca Vitesse Lavender Morn is a nonstop bloomer that’s ideal as a specimen plant in pots, mixed with other beauties in containers, or filling the landscape with color.

Grow in sun; bred by Floranova.

Glance through consumer magazines such as Better Homes and Gardens; you’ll see container gardens in every issue. Why? Gardeners—both avid and reluctant— are always looking to be inspired.

Plant breeders, growers, and retailers can help to provide new ideas in a variety of platforms, especially in the digital space.

Whether it’s a robust website, a strong social media plan, or an app, you can reach experienced and potential gardeners with exactly the information they’re looking for.

You can help consumers by showing them new ways to use/combine plants in containers or landscapes. For example, if you don’t have the expertise/ time, work with garden writers or bloggers to create projects using your products.

Theatrical Thrillers

Fantastic Fillers Agastache Kudos Coral

Caladium Puppy Love

Mandevilla Sun Parasol Pink

SunPatiens Compact Pink

Rose Sunrosa Red

Petunia Picotee Blue Summer Alstroemeria Indian

Petunia Supertunia Impatiens MagnumFlamingo Wild Salmon

Verbena Superbena Violet Ice Penstemon Riding Hood Delft Blue

Veronica Mauve Moody Blues

Agastache Kudos Coral

Caladium Puppy Love

Mandevilla Sun Parasol Pink

Rose Sunrosa Red

SunPatiens Compact Pink

A perfect pick for gardeners that want a fragrant, easycare plant, Agastache Kudos Coral (and Kudos Mandarin) offers an endless show of flowers that attract hummingbirds and butterflies. It’s ideal for containers and both home or commercial landscapes.

Zones 5-10.

Grow in sun; bred by Terra Nova Nurseries.

Alstroemeria Indian Summer

An elegant cut flower that produces long stems of warm-colored, long-lasting blossoms, Indian Summer also boasts attractive variegated foliage that accents those beautiful blooms perfectly. It’s a showstopper in pots or beds and borders. Zones 7-10.

Grow in sun; bred by Dummen Group.

Though we grew this caladium under shade, Puppy Love is a suntolerant selection that shows off arrow-shaped leaves in shades of pink.

It’s an excellent companion for angelonia, SunPatiens, and ornamental grasses in landscape beds, borders, and containers.

Grow in sun; bred by Classic Caladiums.

New Guinea Impatiens Magnum Wild Salmon

Offering gardeners bold color in the shade, New Guinea impatiens Magnum Wild Salmon shows off huge bicolor blooms that blend white with salmon-orange. It’s sure to be a hit with home gardeners who want to make a big statement.

Grow in sun; bred by Dummen Group.

A no-fuss tropical vine that shows off a steady supply of attention-grabbing trumpet-shaped flowers, mandevilla Sun Parasol Pink (White and Red, too) is a good bet for consumers looking to cover a trellis. It’s an ideal specimen plant but mixes well, too.

Grow in sun; bred by Suntory.

Penstemon Riding Hood Delft Blue

There’s a lot for gardeners to love about Penstemon Riding Hood Delft Blue: It flowers in stunning shade of blue; it tolerates heat and drought; it’s bred from North American-native parents; and it’s a hardy perennial in much of North America. Zones 5-8.

Grow in sun; bred by Dummen Group.

You don’t find a lot of roses that thrive in Miami. This one bloomed nonstop, kept clean foliage, and offered a lovely habit. It’s a fun solution for gardeners who need a big, bold plant for landscapes or containers.

Note: It was a top performer in the first half of the Season Premier garden.

Grow in sun; bred by Suntory.

Do you have an app for smartphones or tablets? They account for some 60% of time spent on digital media; mobile apps make up over 50 percent of digital time. *Comscore, June 2014

SunPatiens have a history of being top performers in the Costa Farms Trial Garden.

Compact Pink bloomed continuously and offered a fantastic habit.

Note: SunPatiens Compact Pink was 1a top performer in the first half of the Season Premier garden.

Grow in sun or shade; bred

by Sakata.

Veronica Mauve Moody Blues

Giving gardeners an enhanced bloom season, veronica Mauve Moody Blues (as well as its sibling, Dark Blue Moody Blues) produced a nonstop supply of flower spikes on a tidy, mounding plant. It’s pretty in the garden and good for cutting, too. Zones 6-9.

Grow in sun; presented by EuroAmerican Propagators.

2014 Costa Farms Trial Garden Sponsors Thanks to the 2014 Costa Farms Trial Garden sponsors. We appreciate your support and look forward to working with you in 2015 and beyond.

• Aris • Ball FloraPlant • Beekenkamp • Benary • Classic Caladiums • Danziger • Dummen Group • EuroAmerican Propagators • Floranova • Foremost • PanAmerican Seed • Plant Haven • Proven Winners • Sakata • Suntory • Syngenta Flowers • Takii • West Flowers

Does social media influence consumers? And does social media matter to you? It’s a question many companies in our industry face.

Pinterest

A recent study by marketing firm Ahalogy suggested nearly a quarter of adult Americans are using the website Pinterest at least once a month—that’s some 53 million people. Most active users on Pinterest are women, and gardening is one of the site’s most popular categories.

On average, women post about 150 photos—providing ample opportunity to get plants or products in front of those consumers.

Because it’s a largely photodriven platform, Pinterest can be used to inspire consumers—and also direct them to a company website where they can find more inspiration or information about a product. Pinterest boasts a higher conversion rate than most other socialmedia platforms.

(Pinterest users also tend to spend more money online.)

Facebook

Facebook—the largest social-media platform in North America—influences consumers. Some 75 percent of consumers indicate social media affects their purchasing decisions, and of social-media platforms, 47 percent say Facebook is their primary influencer.

One of the first platforms used by companies/brands, Facebook remains one of the most popular. It works particularly well to reach women, who visit company/brand pages on Facebook more frequently than men.

Facebook isn’t just for connecting with millennials; 14 percent of Facebook users are aged between 35 and 44 years old; 8 percent of Facebook users are between 45 and 54 years old.

As is the case with Pinterest, Facebook can be an effective way to inspire consumers with beautiful images of plants or products—as well as lead consumers back to a company website where you can engage them further.

Facebook is also a wildly popular mobile app that allows companies to reach consumers at retail.