Flower Trials 2021: Perennial Showcase

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- Well, here we are standing out in the perennial area at the Penn State flower trials, and today's production is revolving around the perennials that we've been growing in the system.

And what we do here is we have three years of study.

So plants are brought in on year one.

They're grown through the first winter.

Hopefully they all make it.

And then two more successive winters prior to their being retired from the program.

So this area is in constant motion on a long-term basis.

And what we're looking at here is the planting that went in last year.

From Darwin Perennials, we have this wonderful series of Buddleja that were planted out this year.

So we really can't talk about the overwintering of these plants, but I don't expect there's gonna be a problem there.

Five great colors: blue, cranberry, pink, purple and white.

Very nice compact habits.

But again, this is year one.

So we're looking forward to seeing how these things perform in year two.

And we hope we have a successful winter survival.

So here we are with some of the Coreopsis that were entered in 2020.

And these plants came to us from Dummen Orange.

They're all under number and they successfully overwintered.

Very nice presentation, and this is a series intended for fall use.

So these are under number.

This is 6781, which I don't expect you'll recollect, but it happens to have a very nice pink color and a good compact habit.

And it's blooming nicely here and in September, and there are a lot of buds coming, so it should be a good presentation in a fall application.

So here we are with the installation that was planted this year in 2021.

And those fall sensation numbered Coreopsis that are up slope were entered with names this year.

So here we have fall sensation amber, fall sensation sandstone, and behind me, Sunnyside and Vermilion, which are really, really nice cultivars.

Great bloom for September.

And these things would be a real good addition to a fall sales program.

- So this year in our one of our first year studies, we have a ton of Echinaceas and I'm surrounded by some entries by Terra Nova.

I really love the sunny days series, the ruby and lemon.

It has almost a double flower.

It's really fluffy, really fabulous color.

Right here in front of me is this prima saffron, which is almost an orangy kind of color.

And really one of my favorites is the Sandia.

It is a purple with a green tip on the leaf pedals.

It's really, really gorgeous.

And then all the way behind me is the Moab sunset.

And that one is just fabulous, a bright orange.

One more Dryopteris.

This is called Beautiful Wood Furn and it is beautiful.

It's a good size, probably two foot wide here.

Really great mounding habit, very little leaf scorch.

We had a really hot summer, really wet summer, but looking really great.

A great deep green.

It's really good.

So here's three more Dryopteris from Casa Flora.

This parsley male fern.

I really, really like this one.

It looks a lot like parsley.

It has a curly foliage, really great mounding habit, and it does have a blue flag, which means that it was rated excellent on every single rating this year.

And then here is the autumn fern, which has this gorgeous reddish yellow orange color in the young foliage.

Beautiful, beautiful.

- This is Heucherella Peach Tea, and Heucherella of course, is a hybrid between Heuchera and Tiarella.

And then you have to put a big X in front of the name so that you're correct botanically, but this one has a really nice form.

It's called Peach Tea and a strong color.

And it's been planted out here in full sun and it's done very, very well.

Okay, here's the plant from Intrinsic Perennials that is worth mentioning.

This is a Pennisetum.

It's called love and rockets, and it's a really, really nice plant.

It's got a great habit.

It's blooming it's head off and again, no losses over the winter.

So very strong performer here in zone six B.

So here's a Perovskia that comes to us from Proven Winners.

It's a beautiful, beautiful form.

Very compact and stature, and it blooms quite strongly.

This is the tail end of its bloom.

Here we are in the third week of September, but it's still got a lot of flower power and bloomed very, very well during the months of July and August.

Sedum Mojave Jewels Diamond, which comes to us from Plants Nouveau.

Really a lovely color.

And these heads of flowers are just great.

We've got a nice pink as it emerges, and then it ages to a little darker red, but a very strong performer.

No losses in 2020 over the winter, and a very good appearance at this time.

- So here I'm in front of me and next to me are two Sedums from Terra Nova Nurseries.

This one is conga line and then peach pearls.

And honestly, I think these would be fabulous for fall sales and in containers, but they are hardy here too, but we have this really great dark purple-ish foliage and almost ruby bronze coloration on the flowers, and the same thing with these peach pearls.

It is more of a peachy color.

Just really, really good, and I'm looking forward to seeing how these perform next year.

So right here in front of me and next to me are two Gaillardia spintops from Dummen Orange.

Orange halo improved in front of me, which is a really great mounding habit, has an awesome orange tip leaf margin.

And then beside me is the mariachi copper sun.

And this one is a little bit, I would say more muted in color, like a more coppery color as the name suggests, but really great mounding habit.

I'm really impressed with these.

We have great pollinator activity and I'm looking forward to seeing how they perform next year.

(lively music)