Spring 2015
Pansy ‘Delta Premium Yellow with Purple Wing’
A classic Pansy look for the opening of spring
As a Pansy, ‘Delta Premium Yellow with Purple Wing’ has a long and winding name, and it’s similar to the names for the yellow and yellow blotch versions. ‘Purple Wing’, however, is one of the classic forms we associate with the opening of spring: a cheeky yellow face with a thick beard and purple top petals. Purple usually sits over the top petals and sometimes lines the side petals as well.
Although closely associated with Violas, this traditional look is also a major style that sells Pansies. A pretty face is important when planning an early spring program for the retail bench or landscape contract, but this popular variety backs up that charm with a number of other solid traits.
New Tomatoes for 2020
The backyard Tomato, ready to serve to angels—this one is ‘Bush Champion II’
For the backyard garden, nothing attracts customers like a good Tomato collection. “They come in for the Tomato; they leave with the garden,” is the saying, and it is so true. We consider the Tomato a minivan category, and we see it on our own production reports. We ship more Tomatoes than any other type of vegetable. Some years they even enter the Top Ten list for all plants—flower, foliage or otherwise.
As a result, we put a lot of effort into the varieties we add. Some are improvements on favorites; others are brand new. They run the gamut from unusual cherries, better sauce varieties, and very pretty globes to important heirlooms. Let’s take a tour of the new cultivars we will be releasing this spring, starting with the cherry and working our way through to the beefsteak selections.
Spreading Pansy ‘Cool Wave Frost’
‘Cool Wave Frost’—dappled fluff for a range of projects
A special feature of Pansies is their ability to move color around their blossoms—not just from cultivar to cultivar, but from plant to plant and even flower to flower. In a mass planting, this creates a dappled garden look that also follows the modern mix designs of today, except the plant delivers the look naturally. A number of Pansies we sell have this charming style—one of them is Pansy ‘Cool Wave Frost’.
Upcoming Calibrachoas
Calibrachoa ‘Cabaret Good Night Kiss’—new this year
As you make your spring plans, keep Calibrachoa in mind as a dependable way of moving high-value color quickly during those prime months. These plants hit all the high points: vibrant colors, thick coverage, easy installation, simple maintenance, and long life. Consider this fact: the color coverage is so heavy that it’s a rare person who can recall a Calibrachoa leaf from memory.
In addition, there are always new Calibrachoa varieties on the horizon, so you can count on them for attention-getting colors and patterns. Let’s review this season’s new offerings—at the same time we will touch on some popular favorites and the best sizes for each.
Tattoo Vincas
The dark-eyed look of Vinca ‘Tattoo Papaya’
New to the market is the Tattoo series of Vinca from the breeding program at PanAmerican. These plants have been bred for a specific goal—flower pizzazz—but are built on the durable chassis of a Vinca. It’s a simple chocolate in my peanut butter idea that opens up possibilities once we explore what it actually means.
We must admit that the Vinca color selection has been stable for many years. Since Impatiens offers the same flower in the same colors, Vinca’s main role has been the preferred replacement in locations where Impatiens doesn’t work very well. When the look is an important part of the discussion Vinca hasn’t been our go-to, but the Tattoos are stepping out from the shadow of the Impatiens.
