The Trial Gardens at the University of Georgia recently announced the 12 2022 Classic City Award winners from 400 entries this year.
Each year, Trial Gardens staff plant and evaluate ornamental plant varieties sent to them by breeders around the world.
This year, the Trial Gardens team planted trial subjects between April 15 and May 15. Over the summer, the team monitored, maintained and judged the plants from 22 companies on a variety of factors that make them desirable to gardeners.
Trial Gardens Director John Ruter explained that plant breeding companies send plants they have developed to test their growth and performance in the Georgia heat and humidity, as UGA offers a prime location for these conditions. This testing can be especially necessary when the company is from a vastly different locale.
“A lot of these companies are in different climates and need to test their plants somewhere warmer and more humid, and we’re a good place for that,” Ruter said.
In addition to the general humidity and heat associated with Georgia summers, another challenge this year was the lack of rain relative to past years.
“It was a pretty dry summer,” said Ruter. “We didn’t get any drenching rains, but the heat was also a little more manageable this year.”
Sandra Begani, manager of the Trial Gardens, noted that she evaluates the plants for uniformity, disease resistance, good leaf color and minimal or no leaf dropping. These are good signs of predictability and ease of growth, which are valuable indicators of a marketable plant.
“If all the plants look really similar, that’s a sign of predictability,” she said. “And that means it will probably be easier to predict how it will behave for consumers.”
During the trial period, Begani and garden staff record the performance indicators for each plant, which are then published bi-weekly for breeders to view. Breeders can use this information to determine if the plant will be marketable in the Southeast, if the plants are better suited for markets in a different type of climate, or if there are certain properties of the plant they should improve.
The 2022 Classic City Award winners, and the judges' comments on each, are:
Calibrachoa Superbells® Prism™ 'Pink Lemonade' by Proven Winners
It is impossible not to smile when passing by this phenomenal beauty! Our visitors have regularly asked me if there are actually two different plants. This effect is fabulous and full of summer fun, and we are happy to highlight Prism™ 'Pink Lemonade' as one of our favorites. Perhaps there will be more in this series to come!
Caladium ‘Crystal Moon’ by Classic Caladiums
There were so many caladiums for both sun and shade at the top of our list this year, it was hard to choose the best one! The Crystal Moon is a shade variety that lights up any wooded space. This plant was also a gardeners' favorite and was selected by our entire staff as a top plant this year!
Catharanthus Soiree Flamenco® 'Senorita Pink' by Suntory
This new vinca hybrid is a part of the beloved Soiree collection that has wowed us for many years before. The new swirling introductions this year did not disappoint! The 'Senorita Pink' had the most interesting shape and healthy foliage in both moist and bone-dry locations, and is still looking as good as it did on day one.
Coleus Premium Sun™ ‘Ruby Heart’ by PanAmerican Seed
This seeded coleus crop has been outstanding. The plant is made up of waves of red, heart-shaped centers and golden edges. Plants form a perfect arrangement when planted in a group. The stems are sturdy without bolting, lodging or stretching, and pruning was not required.
Double Impatiens Glimmer™ ‘Appleblossom’ by Ball FloraPlant
Our garden visitors agree that the Glimmer™ series has been outstanding in our concrete planters and hanging fiber baskets. Both locations are partially shaded and require frequent water and fertilization, but they have produced bountiful double blooms all summer long and are all disease-free.
Gerbera Garvinea® 'Sweet Sparkle' by HilverdaFlorist
This larger variety has surprised us with continuous blooms all summer long on flawless crowns of foliage. The flower heads are upright, and the colors are very bright and cheerful. This climate can sometimes inhibit flowering during the hottest summer months, but we have not seen any wilting or crown rot from this series of daisies.
Hibiscus Hollywood™ ‘America’s Sweetheart’ by J. Berry Nursery
We look forward to the new colors and patterns in the tropical hibiscus world each year, and J. Berry does not disappoint. This variety has been successful in both containers and in the ground. This swirling beauty is as sweet as can be!
Lantana Gem™ 'Compact Orange Fire’ by Danziger Lantana
This lantana is a necessity in the Southeastern garden for heat, drought, pollinators and deer resistance. The Gem™ series provides a unique selection of color pallets. The ‘Compact Orange Fire’ makes a very bold statement with deep red-orange clusters. The plants are perfectly round on very solid stems, making life easier for the gardener.
MixMasters™ ‘Meant to Bee’ by Ball FloraPlant
This combination of calibrachoa was literally meant to be grown together! Words cannot describe the color-power of these little bells, with hues that grow deeper in the center and explode with a perfect yellow star. This combination is outlasting many others and continues to shine brightly.
Petunia DuraBloom® ‘Electric Lilac’ by DummenOrange
The best petunia of the bunch is the ‘Electric Lilac’ from DummenOrange. Both hanging baskets and containers were overflowing with gigantic purple blooms all summer. The color intensity of these petunias is amazing! We love a petunia that lasts all through the summer here in Georgia.
Portulaca Mojave® ‘Yellow 2023’ by Proven Winners
With so many great Portulaca entries this year, it is hard to pick a favorite, but ‘Mojave Yellow’ is special not only because of its larger flower heads and strong branching structure, but it remains open longer during the day while others have already closed before the afternoon hours.
Rex Begonia Jurassic Jr.™ ‘Fire Spike’ by Ball Ingenuity
We were honored to be invited to the American Begonia Society convention this year, and we could not stop talking about this series! Once again, the shade-loving colorful foliage has blown us away. The complex foliar patterns and abundant flowers on ‘Fire Spike’ had the best performance of all in both baskets and the landscape beds.
