More Fresh Color Shipping

We release a lot of fun crops this time of year, and this week is no exception. Summer is perfect for experimenting with new material because the color that thrives now is not the same as the color that thrives in the spring. If you want the best commercial color, tailor your gardens for the peak of each season. Let’s take a look at ten crops we released this week that can add some fun to your summer:

Rudbeckias in 8-inch pots

We are shipping three cultivars this week: ‘TigerEye Gold’, ‘Denver Daisy’ and ‘Indian Summer’. These black-eyed susans work well in containers as well as in landscape beds—all of them flower like crazy. The short one is ‘TigerEye’ at 20 inches; it has big, generous, 4-inch flowers. ‘Denver Daisy’ is the medium-size choice at about 28 inches tall with even bigger 6-inch blooms and bi-color petals. The tallest is ‘Indian Summer’, reaching 38–42 inches. It has a small, tight eye and is very hardy around here.

Sun Impatiens in 8-inch pots

Different from standard impatiens, these plants are not vulnerable to downy mildew. Grow them in bright sunshine, not in full shade. Blooms are bigger and leaves are larger because these are essentially compact New Guineas, bred specifically as high light bedding plants. We grow two series to increase the color range available: Sun Harmony and SunPatiens. Height as well as spread is about 16–20 inches.

Angelonias in 6-inch pots

A house favorite, Angelonia is the summer snapdragon, growing about 1–2 feet tall. We like its heat durability and general good looks. Over the years, we’ve expanded our choices, but they break down into two types: standard Angelonias with upright stems and spreading Angelonas that tip their stems at an angle. The big three are the Serena series (upright), the Archangel series (upright with bigger, fatter blooms although fewer) and Angel Mist Spreading (our favorite spreader). Angelonias come in whites, lavenders and purples with an occasional pink or red showing up in the cultivar list.

Portulacas in 8-inch pots

Another water-wise choice (along with Angelonias) is the Moss Rose. We’ve seen it go from a specialty plant to general market acceptance over the years. As a succulent, it is very durable; it grows quickly to cover the ground and blooms like crazy for a long time. We’ve expanded our choices this year with the Rio series and the Sunseeker series, plus we’ve bumped our numbers on the extraordinary Cinderella Fairytale.

Pentas in 8-inch pots

Our Pentas got some attention this spring, so we’ve added them to the Summer Program with even more colors: five, plus a bi-color. Try ‘Red Lace’—it’s vivid red with a pale pink throat on the bloom. Pentas offer nectar to the butterflies and they also serve as hosts for the prized Monarch butterfly.

Cosmos in 8-inch pots

We offer the Sonata series in pink and white this year. This is a great summer annual that many of us remember as kids. In addition to the large flower discs, we like the light, ferny foliage it offers. Sonatas will grow big—about 24 inches tall and about 14–16 inches wide. They actually like tougher soils and they can get really tall in a well-fertilized location.

Hibiscus in 8-inch pots

This year we are featuring ‘Luna Pink Swirl’ for something a little different. It’s a beautiful bi-color: pink fades into white toward the center of the flower and then BAM—a cranberry-red eye! Bear in mind that this is a hardy hibiscus, not the tropical kind; you can plant this one outside and it will come back. It grows about 3 feet tall and 2 feet wide.

Torenias in 4.5-inch pots

We sell two series of Torenias: the Moon series and the Summer Wave series. Torenias have gained traction in the market because they are shade-lovers that like heat and humidity. The flowers are small like calibrachoas but they are almost always bi-colors and have a vaguely orchid-like appearance. The Moon series is the important one because it offers a wide range of colors: white, yellow, blue, magenta and purple. We are experimenting with the Summer Waves for color combinations not available in the Moon series.

Vincas in 10-inch Baskets

If you want that impatiens look without exposing yourself to problems with downy mildew, we are now offering Vincas in 10-inch hanging baskets. The cascading types drape well, and we have a selection of reds, white, pinks and a nice red/white mix that looks great.

Salvias in 6-inch pots

We’ve strengthened our Salvia choices for our Summer Program. We have lots of the venerable Victoria Blue, but we also have plenty of the reds, lavenders and purples. Try ‘Early Bonfire’—it’s a vibrant red that grows up to 2 feet tall. The plant itself is pretty bushy, so it will cover about 8–12 inches of ground. Use the short Salvias in the front and then line the back with this one.