Our Summer Program 2019

Gomphrena ‘Fireworks’

We grow for the summer season, and we manage these crops differently because summer is obviously distinct from spring or autumn. Growing out a good crop for summer is nuanced. We want varieties that flourish throughout a typical Cincinnati summer—plants that thrive in the high heat and high humidity that sometimes strike the Ohio River valley. In fact, heat tolerance isn’t as important as withstanding the swing; rapid changes in weather can rough up the plants, so we favor cultivars and growing practices that deliver a stronger, tougher specimen.

In addition, we want compatiblity with displays we’ve built for spring and now maintain through summer, or assemble in summer to maintain through autumn. Either way, a smooth transition is required for any repair and restoration work that is needed along the way. Although the same plant material may appear in both seasons, we handle the summer crop differently.

Vinca ‘Titan Apricot’

Summer material is grown exclusively for summer—we do not use leftovers from the tail-end of spring plantings. A good example is our Petunia crop. We grow Petunias for both seasons, but we start our summer crop later so they begin the season as fresh plants. By mid-June their vigor is just ramping up so they settle better into summer displays, projects, and plans. Their growing regime is also adjusted so their best flower performance occurs during June, July, and August.

Here is a sampling of what we’re shipping for summer:

Calibrachoa ‘Cabaret Lavender’

CALIBRACHOA

We consider the Cabaret our backbone Calibrachoa, so it reappears here. In addition we continue two of our most popular MixMaster combinations into the summer.

Available in the 8-inch pot:

• Cabaret Series (5 colors: Deep Blue, Bright Red, Lavender, Hot Pink, Deep Yellow)
• Mix Master Sweet Melody
• Mix Master Sundance

‘SunPatiens Compact Orange’ mixes well with dark and light foliage

HYBRID IMPATIENS

For an Impatiens look with strong sun or shade performance, we can’t say enough about the SunPatiens hybrid Impatiens. Hybrid is the key word here, because downy mildrew is more of a problem in late season than early season gardens. We like the Compact series the best because even though the plants are compact, they truly fill that volume above the soil.

Available in the 8-inch pot:

• SunPatiens Compact Series (9 colors: Orange, Magenta, White Improved, Deep Rose, Tropical Rose [Variegated Foliage], Coral Pink, Lilac, Blush Pink, Fire Red)

‘Supertunia Bermuda Beach’

PETUNIAS

For Petunias, we’ve selected Supertunia as our favorite series for summer—these plants bloom prolifically right into fall without quitting or needing to be deadheaded. They’re also versatile and vibrant—we use them in containers, hanging baskets, and summer landscape beds. ‘Headliner Raspberry Swirl’ and ‘Surfinia Blue’ round out our complete Petunia color range.

Available in the 10-inch hanging basket:

• Supertunia Series (4 varieties: Vista Mix, Lavender Sky, Royal Velvet, Bordeaux)
• Headliner Raspberry Swirl

Available in the 8-inch pot:

• Supertunia Series (10 varieties: White, Mini Rose Vein, Vista Silverberry, Mini Blue Vein, Vista Mix, Bordeaux, Royal Velvet, Bermuda Beach, Really Red, Morning Glory Charm)
• Surfinia Heavenly Blue

Ipomoea ‘Blackie’ and ‘Marguerite’ in a Field Day garden

IPOMOEA

Black and lime green vines are the go-to colors for Ipomoea so we’ve also added the very innovative SolarTower series in the same colors. Tower is right because these two Ipomoeas will actively climb if you give them something to grab onto—be it a trellis, fence, or latticework. They grow fast so they form a quick and attractive screen for the season.

Available in the 8-inch pot:

• Marguerite
• Blackie
• SolarTower Black 
• SolarTower Lime

Gomphrena in a range of sizes for different looks

GOMPHRENA

We’ve become very fond of Gomphrena because we like the cute gumdrop flowers. Larger varieties like ‘Fireworks’ offer a meadow-style wildness, while smaller ones like the Gnome series act as well-behaved pixies at the front of the border. This is a great low-to-no maintenance choice for summer.

Available in the 6-inch pot:

• Gnome Purple 
• Lil Forest Sugared Plum

Available in the 8-inch pot:

• Fireworks

Pentas ‘Butterfly White’

PENTAS

One of the signature plants of summer, Pentas—with its starflower clusters—is available in the Butterfly series and ‘Graffiti Lipstick’. Many gardens need a drama plant as a centerpiece or central stand to focus a design, and Pentas can do the job. It’s got color that’s vivid from a distance and texture that’s interesting as you walk by, plus the plants add butterflies to the garden equation as well.

Available in the 8-inch pot:

• Butterfly Series (4 colors: Red, White, Lavender Shades, Deep Pink)
• Graffiti Lipstick

Vinca ‘Cora Cascade Violet’—the Cora Cascades have more of a trail than the Titans

VINCA

Vinca has a classic Impatiens look that sits lower in the garden than the SunPatiens hybrids. This plant loves the hot weather and can handle direct sun like a champ. Titans anchor our lineup, and we use Cora Cascade when we need a plant with more of a draping edge.

Available in the 10-inch hanging basket:

• Cora Cascade Series (6 varieties: Mix, Cherry, Violet, White Polka Dot, Lilac, Strawberry)
• DGI Cora Mixer (Strawberry, Polka Dot, Lilac)

Available in the 4.5-inch pot:

• Soiree Kawaii Series (4 colors: Coral, White Peppermint, Light Purple, Lavender)
• Tattoo Series (3 colors: Black Cherry, Raspberry, Papaya)
• Titan Series (8 colors: Dark Red, Pure White, Burgundy, Punch, Apricot, Polka Dot, Lilac, Icy Pink) 
• Cora Cascade Series (4 colors: Violet, Strawberry, Lilac, White Polka Dot)

Available in the 6-inch pot:

• Cora Cascade Series (4 colors: Violet, Strawberry, Lilac, White Polka Dot)
• Mediterranean XP White

Available in the 8-inch pot:

• Titan Series (8 colors: Lilac, Apricot, Lavender Blue Halo, Icy Pink, Punch, Dark Red, Polka Dot, Mix)
• Cora Cascade Strawberry
• Cora Violet

Petunia ‘Supertunia White'

A FULL VARIETY

Remember, this is merely a sampling of what is shipping—we have quite a variety of interesting summer material:

• Angelonia
• Begonias—including Bada Boom, Bada Bing, Dragon Wing, Cocktail, Super Olympia, and Whopper series
• Celosia
• Cleome
• Coleus
• Dianthus
• Euphorbia
• Evolvulus
• Fuchsia
• Heliotropium
• Lantana
• Marigolds
• Melampodium
• Salvia
• Zinnia