Retailers’ Choice Awards at Farwest 2019

Retailers’ Choice Awards™ at Farwest 2019 were presented to 13 exhibiting firms for awards during a presentation on the Farwest Solutions Center. The Garden Center Group’s Danny Summers and Christina Salwitz lead the retailer search. Following is a list of firms and their products receiving recognition:

Petunia Headliner™ ‘Dark Saturn’ Ball Seed, Craig Yoshida

This new introduction was a showstopper as a real show off of mounding fluorescent colors of deep velveteen purple center with creamy-yellow halo margins. Height 10-16”, Width 20-30”, Exposure: Sun. 

Nepeta 'Blue Prelude' Ball Seed, Chris Fifo

This beautiful Nepeta hybrid had very prominent blooms and the judges were drawn to the iris-like blooms.  Darwin reports ‘Blue Prelude is a firstyear-flowering on a robust plant for the landscape with large flowers and medium controlled habit.  Scales to 3 ft. in the second year. Zones: 5a-9a

Metasequoia g. Dawn Redwood  'North Light' Bizon Nursery, Eric Bizon 

This dwarf dawn redwood is pretty amazing…it is a deciduous conifer that forms a round ball with minimal pruning needed. Irregular creamwhite markings over fresh green needles. Exposure: Full sun, Growth Rate: Slow, Mature Height: 3' in 10 years, Mature Spread: 3' in 10 years, Zone: 5-8 

Ginkgo biloba 'Mariken' Bountiful Farms, Todd Nelson 

Retailers were drawn to this dwarf Ginkgo, called Mariken. It not only is dwarf is stature but leaves are much smaller as well. Mariken was discovered in 1995 as a witch's broom growing in a Ginkgo tree in the Netherlands. Bountiful Farms featured this plan grafted on a standard. Extremely dwarfed and slow growing, it’s a male Ginkgo, but does not produce messy fruit. Summer foliage is soft green turning to brilliant yellow-gold in the fall. Mature size: Height: 2-3’, Spread: 2-8’, Zones 3-8.

Cretan Break cretica ‘Albolineata’ Casa Flora, Michelle Bundy 

 

‘Garden Like a Girl’ Branded Gloves and Apparel Garden Like a Girl, Mary Garlock 

This husband and wife team are designing garden gloves and apparel under the unique “Garden Like a Girl” brand. Gloves are designed with reinforced figure tips (protecting from fingernails) and shirts and other apparel made from recycled plastic bottles. With 70%+ of garden center customers being women, this brand and uniquely designed apparel are sure to be a hit! 

 

 

 

Pilea microphylla 'Variegata' Little Price of Oregon Nursery, Ryan Seely 

This little gem, also called known as Tricolor Artillery Fern, was a real find for our judges. It is a most unusual plant with very tiny leaves that are green and white with a hint of pink. Growing in a mounding habit, it is great for the house, patio, or garden. Adapts to most light conditions and always in color - looks like it has just has a dusting of snow. Height: 3-6:, Spread: 12”. Zone 10. 

 

 

Hollywood Hybiscus 'Rico Suave'  McHutchison, Jason Padden 

Introducing another in the Hollywood Series, this ultra bright goldorange ruffled petals leads to a deep burgundy center. A constant bloomer with full body of deep green foliage, Rico Suave is a great addition to the landscape or patio. 

 

 

 

RediRoot BREATH NurserySource, Sara Hogarth

One look at this new design and you quickly know this is different. Besides being beautiful this planter is made from 100% recycled materials and provides a variety of benefits such as reduced transplant shock, airflow to the root zone, and superior drainage. The design you see on the sides are actually holes allowing airflow. Inside, BREATH features a grow bag fabric liner to hold the soil and aiding in the air circulation and drainage. This newly designed product by RediRoot is available in several colors.

 

 

Caladium Heart to Heart™ Series Proven Winners®, Jessica DeGraaf 

The new Heart to Heart™ caladium series by Proven Winners is a partnership with Classic Caladiums to bring 20 of Classic's exclusive and most unique varieties and is available for the 2020 season. The range of color combinations gives the designer a world of opportunity. 

 

 

Cercis canadensis. ‘Flame Thrower’® Star® Roses & Plants, Joshua Long 

 This dramatic “eye-candy” Red Bud introduction by Dr. Denny Werner, this one has pink flowers that are followed by a most unique foliage, emerging deep burgundy-red, followed by bright yellow and green as it ages. Color display is persistent throughout the season, often showing four to five different shades on a single branch. Height: 15–20’, Spread: 15’. Exposure: Full Sun. Zones: 5-9. 

 

 

Weigela x. 'Strobe' Van Belle Nursery, Scott Erickson 

Our retailers were drawn to this new Weigela having such a color range. It brings bright pink flowers against a changing foliage first green bronze then orange and finally red shades. Height: 3’. Width: 3’. Exposure:  full sun to part shade. Zone 4. 

 

 

 

Solenostemon scutellarioides ColorBlaze® Wicked Witch™ Coleus Walla Wall Nursery Co., Nicole Smith 

WOW!  That’s what one Retailer said when they saw ColorBlaze® Wicked Witch™ Coleus. This Proven Winners® coleus features Deep Burgundy to Chocolate foliage with a ruffled edge outlined in chartreuse with well-branched plants.  Sun to shade tolerant and great in both landscapes and containers. It is late to bloom, which helps preserve the foliage presentation throughout the season. Height: 24-40”. Spread: 1836”. Exposure: Sun or Shade!  

 

 

Sedum takesimense ‘Atlantis’™ Walla Wall Nursery Co, Nicole Smith 

This is no ordinary Sedum… Sedum Atlantis wins Plant of the Year 2019 at the Chelsea Flower Show in London, England! You can't help but stop and stare at this beautifully variegated groundcover stonecrop from Hortech, Inc. Small, serrated leaves are dark green with very wide creamy yellow margins. From a distance, the margins are what catch your eye. You may notice that the creamy margins become tinged with pink blush tones with cold temperatures late in fall. A great choice for tucking into rock gardens or dry landscapes, or in combination container with succulents! Height: 4-6”. Spread: 10-12”. Exposure: Full Sun. Zones 4-9. 

 

 

 

 

Daphne x medfordensis 'Lawrence Crocker' Youngblood Nursery, Cody Hahnlen

 This dwarf Daphine caught the eye of several judges. Its dwarf in stature, flower and leaf size. 'Lawrence Crocker' is a small evergreen daphne hybrid (S. arbuscula x D. collina) and is mounding to 12" tall and as wide. It is a dense, slow-growing shrub which features small narrow, thickly-textured, dark green, evergreen leaves and fragrant deep pink flowers which bloom from late spring into summer. From the garden of Lawrence Crocker, one of the founders of the Siskiyou Rare Plant Nursery in Medford, Oregon. Height: 12-17”. Spread: 12-17”. Exposure: Full Sun and Light Shade. Zones: 6-9.