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Best Annuals for 1999 |
This year, at the annual evaluation day, judges at the W.D. Holley Plant Environmental Research Center (PERC) at Colorado State University were asked to vote special recognition to the best new variety, best of show and best in each category of annual flowers planted there in the Trial Garden. According to James E. Klett, Professor and Extension Landscape Horticulturist with Colorado State University Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, the following were chosen:
Best of Show--'Sugar Baby' Cobbitty Daisy. It is a vegetatively propagated Marguirite daisy from Australia with more of a compact growth habit and many small profuse white flowers. The foliage is a lighter green and plants had continual bloom throughout the 1998 growing season.
Best New Variety--Goldsmith Seeds 'Labella Red and White' Snapdragon. This variety is seed propagated with many large flowers, velvety red with white throats. This variety appeared more heat-tolerant with a steady bloom.
Best Petunia--'Primetime Blue'. This was the top performer from more than 75 petunia varieties. Seed-propagated, it is a multiflora type of petunia from Goldsmith Seeds. These plants had dark purple flowers and were very vigorous in growth rate but also very uniform in growth habit.
Best Marigold--'Inca Orange' from Goldsmith Seeds. The flowers were large and orange in color and are held nicely above the foliage. No aster yellows were observed in this variety during 1998.
Best Impatiens--'Fiesta Sparkler Rose' from Ball Flora Plant. This was a vegetatively propagated Impatiens with double pink and white flowers resembling miniature roses covering the plant. The plants were quite vigorous with good foliage, but they became taller in size by the end of the season.
Best New Guinea Impatiens--'Boogie' from Fischer, U.S.A., Inc. It is vegetatively propagated with large, prolific, orange-red flowers. The foliage is dark green and very glossy. This variety was chosen from approximately 50 varieties.
Best Ivy Geranium--'Lila Compact Cascade' from Fischer, U.S.A., Inc. This geranium features a shiny green foliage with profuse lavender flowers. The plants had a vigorous growth rate but were quite uniform in overall habit.
Best Seed Geranium--'Maverick Star' from Goldsmith Seeds. The plant had showy pink and white bicolor flowers with good leaf color and full growth habit.
Best Zonal Geranium--'Americana New Violet' from Goldsmith Plants. It earned its high rating because of the profuse bright violet flowers and round, full and very vigorous growth habit.
Best Vinca--'Rose Cooler Improved' from Pan American Seeds. It is a seed-propagated form with dark glossy green foliage and larger rose pink flowers.
Best Verbena--'Bright Red' from Euro American Propagators. A vegetatively propagated Ternari variety, it bloomed striking red flowers and was a profuse bloomer even in times of extreme heat.
The gardening public is welcome to visit the trials this season at High School Park on College Avenue and Remington Street in Fort Collins. For a complete research repot of the annual trial gardens, contact the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. There is a charge to cover the cost of printing, handling and shipping.
Photograph courtesy of Judy Sedbrook.
