Plants Picked by the Public

As many of you know, the Trial Gardens had its annual Public Open House just a couple of weeks ago on July 13th. We had a great turn out this year, as we expected with all there was to see. This year not only did the beautiful plants draw a crowd, but also the celebration of the retirement of Trial Gardens co-founder Dr. Allan Armitage had people coming in herds. In addition to Dr. A’s famous Garden tours, there were plants for sale, and several special people spoke on Dr A’s behalf. We welcomed our new director, Dr. John Ruter, giving the public a chance to meet the new guy in charge. You can probably tell this was a great day to be at the Gardens. 

In order to maintain the Open House tradition, guests were given flags upon arrival which they were to use to identify their favorite plants. After scouting and collecting flags for the last couple of weeks, I am ready to announce the top plants as chosen by the public. Enjoy!

(By the way, these are in no particular order.)

Begonia ‘BIG Red with Bronze Leaf’ – Benary

 

 

Coleus ‘Colorblaze Marooned’ – Proven Winners

 

Coleus ‘Stained Glassworks Luminesce’ – Ecke

 

Cuphea ‘Batface’ – Almost Eden

 

 

Echinacea ‘Pure Green Jewel’ – Darwin Perennials

 

 

 

Evolvulus ‘Blue My Mind’ – Proven Winners

 

 

Bouvardia ternifolia Firecracker bush

 

 

Hibiscus ‘Panama Red’ – UGA

 

 

Hydrangea ‘Pinky Winky’ – Proven Winners

 

 

Portulaca ‘Pazazz Tangerine’ – Danziger

 

2012 Classic City Awards for Perennials

The Classic City Awards

The best plants from the Gardens at UGA—Perennials

 

           Athens is known as The Classic City of the South. Many of you have visited this lovely college town. The Classic City awards are based on garden performance over the entire season in the Gardens at UGA, where spring is glorious, and summers are hot, often dry, and rather miserable.

          Every year we discuss, we debate, and we fight over the best plants in the Garden. Well, not really, because the best plants, like cream, seem to rise to the top.  When I ask Meg, BJ, or the student workers what plants they think have performed the best over the entire year, we tend to agree.

          Choosing perennials is a little different than choosing annuals.  Few perennials flower all season long, but we do not select one-week wonders; and if they are not flowering, the foliage should not detract from the plant. We try to choose mainstream bedding plants as well as a few off-the-wall plants that should be grown more. However, this year for the first time, we have included landscape roses in our bag of perennials.  They seem to be neglected by anyone other than rose growers, so let’s get off the pot, they are perennial and they are being grown alongside other herbaceous perennials.

          You will agree with some our choices and disagree with others; regardless, get them on the shelf so the consumer can have a fair chance of success.  These are presented Pin no particular order.

 

Rosa First Impression: Greenheart Roses:  I cannot tell you how impressed everyone is with this rose.  We received it last year and knew nothing about it.  The foliage was glossy green, absolutely bullet proof for disease and flowered and flowered and flowered.  The vibrant yellow flowers simply caught the eye of all passers-by, and simply would not be ignnot liking an ice cream cone because it melts.  Great plant. 

Rosa ‘SunRosa Red’, Suntory:  I was very pleased to see a rose program develop from one of best flower breeders.  Suntory unveiled two colors in this dwarf rose series, yellow and red ,at the California Spring Trials in April. I was taken with their retail friendly size and wanted to see evaluate leaf health and flower power in the very challenging heat & humidity of Athens, GA.  ‘SunRosa Red’ was glorious, and even though considerably smaller than all other roses we were grading, plants more than held their own.  And, here it is – on our most prestigious award list, need I say more.?  Healthy foliage, flowers all season, and a short stature (~12-15” tall), a winner – congratulations.   

Helleborus ‘Pink Frost’:  Heuger Trading Co  Without doubt, the breeding of hellebores has changed dramatically in the last five years. With dozens of flowers standing erect above the leaves, handsome foliage, and heat and cold tolerance, the new breed of hellebores will make major inroads to the hellebore market already established in this country.  We have trialed over 50 new ones in the Trial gardens, and ‘Pink Frost’ is outstanding.  There are many others behind it, but I expect this cultivar to be important for many years to come.

Lavandula ‘Silver Anouk’ : Darwin Plants:  Lavenders seem to fit in everywhere, as herbal favorites to outstanding companion plants in the landscape, to perfumes and oils.  We have trialed many fine lavenders at UGA, looking for one that will flower well, but more importantly maintain its habit and clean foliage throughout the season.  In hot, humid climes, that is not an easy find.   ‘Silver Anouk’ does all those things brilliantly and provides the added bonus of silvery foliage, a characteristic that sets it apart on the retail shelf and the garden bed.   

Echinacea Sombrero series (Hot Coral, Solero):  Darwin Plants: A lot of press has already been exhausted extolling the virtues of these plants.  I have been one of the extollers and do so again – with pleasure.  So many echinaceas are now so much better than even 5 years ago, that it is increasingly difficult to find any that stand out.  These two do.  Their compact habit, their ability to initiate vibrant flowers for a long period of time, and even reasonable healthy foliage for much of the season puts them on this list. 

Sedum ‘Lemon Ball’:  What a wonderful surprise this turned out to be.  As a potted plant in the spring, these absolutely flew off our shelves during our plant sales.  The chartreuse foliage and the vigorous habit simply attracted eyes and wallets – all plants were gone in an hour.  In the garden, they simply grew bigger and produced a round shimmering ball of leaves that became a 55-mph plant.  Flowers formed but are definitely secondary.  I am not sure of the breeder; we obtained plants from James Greenhouse, Bogart, GA. and they are part of the Treadwell Program from Perennial Farm, MD.

Dianthus ‘Garden Spice Fuchsia’: Fides:  Over the years, we have trialed over 50 different dianthus, all touted as being better than the one before.  Some were, most were not.  The Garden Spice series has always been one of our highest rated groups of plants, year in and year out.  The silver gray foliage and the handsome double flowers in many colors should be the number one choice for growers, retailers and landscapers if considering dianthus in their plant palettes.  ‘Garden Spice Pink’ has earned this award before, ‘Garden Spice Fuchsia’ is just as good.

Hibiscus ‘Royal Gems’:  Fleming’s Flower Fields:  The perennial hibiscus are slowly going through a transition, from large-flowered large plants to large-flowered compact forms.  Big flowers are selling points, but while many of the hibiscus we have trialed are stunning to be sure, they simply are too big to ensure repeat sales.  I believe there is a tsunami of more compact material in breeder pipelines, but right now, ‘Royal Gems’ is quite exceptional.  The dark green foliage enhances the beautiful rose-pink blooms, and while the flowers are indeed large, they appear even bigger because of the compact size of the plant.  People stopped, and asked about it, and admired.  Without doubt, all perennial hibiscus have problems, still a little too large, not sufficient breaking, insect problems, but heck, what would breeders do without problems to solve?  ‘Royal Gems’ will soften the criticism of this fine plant; give it a try.

Heuchera ‘Georgia Peach’: Terra Nova Nurseries:  Having trialed way too many coral bells in the last 10 years, we were a wee bit leery of another onslaught we knew was just around the corner.  However, we have been in love with ‘Caramel’ and a few others for a number of years, and ‘Georgia Peach’ came along.  We have evaluated it for nearly three years and it has risen to the top of the heuchera basket.  Everyone comments on it in the spring, it is reasonably handsome in the summer, and if temperatures don’t get too cold and there is not a foot of snow, it can look very good in winter.  Regardless, in the pot, there is a shopper-stopper.   Congratulations to Terra Nova.

Gaura ‘Belleza Dark Pink’ : Darwin Plants:  Gauras are always a tough sale – plants often grow too leggy, don’t flower when needed, get lost in the landscape.  There are some fine guaras, however, nothing eye-popping has come forward lately.  We are pleased to sing the praises of We kept noting how the plant kept flowering all season, with a gentle haircut to help it along.  Plants are not dwarf to be sure, but nor are they out of control.  Flower color is rich and foliage is healthy.  If a new gaura is on your list, take a close look at this one.

Coreopsis ‘Solanna Golden Crown’: Danziger:  The common tickseed (C. grandiflora) is hard to get excited about.  Not that growers, don’t appreciate the rapid growth and first year flowering, and not that gardeners and landscapers don’t appreciate the bright colors, but as a perennial, they usually disappoint by the end of the season, and are seldom “perennial”. We have looked at the Solanna series for a couple of years, and ‘Golden Crown’ has been impressive.  Early to flower, bright big double flowers, and reasonable foliage and toughness has earned its way on to this list.   And for a common tickseed, that is a feat to be proud of.  If it looks good next year (year 3), I will shout its name to the heavens.  

2012 Classic City Awards for Annuals

The Classic City Awards

A baker’s dozen of the best from the Gardens at UGA—Annuals

 

 

Athens is known as The Classic City of the South. Many of you have visited this lovely college town. The Classic City awards are based on garden performance over the entire season in the Gardens at UGA, where spring is glorious, and summers are hot, often dry, and rather miserable.

 

Every year we discuss, we debate, and we fight over the best plants in the Garden. Well, not really, because the best plants, like cream, seem to rise to the top.  When I ask Meg, BJ, or the student workers what plants they think have performed the best over the entire year, we tend to agree.

 

We choose no one-week wonders; cultivars must impress us week after week after week.  We try to choose mainstream bedding plants as well as a few off-the-wall plants that should be grown more. Ideally, you will agree with some our choices and disagree with others; regardless, get them on the shelf so the consumer can have a fair chance of success.  These are in no particular order.

 

Begonia ‘Ikon Bronze’ (Floranova) I have always been impressed with ‘Ikon Green’ begonia, in fact, I have highlighted it occasionally in past columns. I was pleased when ‘Ikon Bronze’ was introduced at the 2012 California Spring Trials and hopeful it would perform well in the real world. That it did, flowering all season, holding its excellent silver-green foliage, and competing well with more colorful neighboring begonias. A perfect plant for a basket or container, but it did well in the ground as well.  A bit more subtle, but an excellent addition to the begonia palette.

Caladium ‘Blushing Bride’ (Classic Caladium) We have just started getting serious about caladiums, for the obvious reasons of shade performance and color, and the not so obvious reasons concerning substitutions for bedding impatiens. We had over a dozen quite wonderful entries and they all could have won blue ribbons. However, our eyeballs kept going backto ‘Blushing Bride’ with its subtle colors, moderate stature, and its ability to comport with its neighbors.   Growers can obtain excellent growing instructions and proper scheduling to make these look good at retail. It was a fight to select between this plant and ‘Candyland’.

 

 

Calibrachoa ‘MiniFamous Double Rose Chai’ (Selecta First Class) The breeding of some crops is vastly improved, and calibrachoa is a good example. It was so difficult to select one or two blue ribbon cultivars but ‘Double Rose Chai’ emerged as one of the finest new plants in the garden. Plants flowered all season, the foliage remained fresh, and as one got nearer to the plant, the details of the color and the double flowers could not help but enthrall.  With over 75 calibrachoas in the garden, it was quite amazing how people always commented on this one.

 

 

Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Lemon Slice’ (Proven Winners) As mentioned above, we had our fair share of calibrachoas. I first saw ‘Lemon Slice’ at the California Trials; it looked wonderful but I didn’t believe any of the hype until I trialed it. We kept waiting for the yellow color to fade, it did not; we kept waiting for the pattern to break up, it did not; we kept waiting for the plant to fall apart, it maintained a great habit all season.  Of course, I was not the only one impressed, lots of industry and garden people commented on this basket. As the Monkees once sang, “Now I’m a believer.”

 

                       

Evolvulus ‘Blue my Mind’ (Proven Winners) Few people will argue about the desirability of blue, and the need of good fillers for containers and baskets. The latter is not too difficult to find, but the former is. ‘Blue My Mind’ was a little slow to fill out, and initially I was not as impressed as I hoped to be. Over the season, however, it simply got better and better. Plants held up well to the rigors of a southeastern summer and produced flowers until frost. There is a tremendous demand from designers, landscapers and gardeners for blue fillers—if shown off properly, this should be a real winner.

 

                       

Combination S4 basket (Suntory) Nothing has changed so rapidly as the combination basket – how fortunate is this industry to have access to combinations such as TRIXIs, CONFETTIs, and others yet to come down the pipe?   We trialed them all and many were quite brilliant but the one with perhaps the most boring name was the one people kept staring at.  Combination basket C3 is not a name to make one write home about, but the combination of petunias was outstanding all season.  We loved the colors, the ability to grow well together, and the persistent performance.  Here’s hoping Suntory continues their excellent combo research and perhaps comes up with a wee bit more exciting name in the future. 

 

 

Celosia ‘Intenz’ (Ball Ingenuity) There are celosias and then there are celosias. ‘Intenz’ is unlike any we have ever trialed. Its flowers are similar in shape to the old “wheat” celosias that came and went a number of years ago, however, at 2-3’ the height is one half of the older forms. Far more brilliant are the electric intense rose-colored flowers that bloom continuously, attracting oohs and ahs like magnets. Plants have looked good much of the season and only got better over time. All I can say is “Wow”.

 

                       

Pentas ‘Graffiti Red Lace’ (Benary) The Graffiti series has always performed well, and we have always been pleased with the diversity of color and strength of stems.   This year ‘Graffiti Red Lace’ left all the competition behind, flowering consistently, persistently, and making everything around it even better. Pentas is an up-and-coming plant, but still not enjoying the success it should be having. This one will change your mind.

 

 

Pelargonium Caliente series (Syngenta) There are not enough adjectives to allow me to tell you how much I love these plants. I have been saying this for three years now, and every year, I figure I will get tired of them, but they continue to light up the garden. While ‘Caliente Orange’ is still tops on my list, the entire series is simply a no-brainer. Many other ivies and hybrids are catching up, but the Calientes still lead the pack.

 

                       

Portulaca ‘Sundance Yellow’ (Sakata) I have long since stopped being excited by the purslanes. As spectacular as they can be, they continue to disappoint with their slow-to-open, quick-to-close ways. They are all pretty during the day, but colors aside, there have really been no differences between them. Until now. The Sundance series as a whole stayed open significantly longer than did its competitors, and ‘Sundance Yellow’ was the best of all. It provided excellent color, good vigor, and stayed open about an hour longer than others. This is not yet long enough, but I will shout it to the rooftops nevertheless.

 

                       

Lobularia Lavender Stream (Danziger) Ask me how pleased I was to trial this group of plants. The Stream series, consisting of 4 colors, was excellent, but ‘Lavender Stream’ was the biggest hit. As I watched plants flower right through the hell days of summer, stay compact and never fade, I thought they must be made of plastic. Color, habit and persistence, what more could I ask? Oh yes, the fragrance was glorious.

 

 

Phlox ‘Phloxy Lady Cherry Red’ (Dummen) The annual phlox are just keep getting better.  Ten years ago, they were terrible, 5 years ago, they were fair, and today receive this prestigious award. The Phloxy Lady series has earned considerable kudos since it was introduced, and my recommendation is certainly not needed.  However, they performed as advertised, they maintained their compact habit, and ‘Cherry Red’ was brilliant. If I have changed my mind about annual phlox in this part of the world, it has been because of great genetics.

 

 

Capsicum Basket of Fire (Vegetalis) We were pleased to receive so many new ornamental peppers, and none disappointed. Fat and round, long and narrow, black, red and yellow fruit appeared in the garden. Dark foliage—even variegated foliage—was part of the landscape this year. However, the pepper that just awed everyone almost from the day it was planted was ‘Basket of Fire’. The fruits were ornamental from the get-go, the foliage was handsome, and flowers and fruit were always present. Of course, all I had to say was, “You probably don’t want to taste this, it may be too hot.” and the brave and stupid couldn’t help himself or herself.  And yes, they are hot! At least the pepper gene pool is strong.

 

 

 

Runnersup

 

            So close, but not quite enough votes. Some of these such as SunPatiens and Alternanthera ‘Little Ruby’ were winners last year (designated with *) and we felt others needed a little loving as well.

 

Sakata                         Impatiens ‘SunPatiens Compact Electric Orange’ *

Athena                        Alternanthera ‘Little Ruby’*

Ball Ingenuity:              Begonia ‘Whopper Red Bronze’

Proven Winners           Cyperus ‘Baby Tut’

                                  Petunia ‘Vista Silverberry ‘

Benary                         Gomphrena Las Vegas White

Syngenta                      Petunia ‘Sanguna Light Blue ‘

Dummen                      Petunia ‘Peppy Lavender’

Fides                           Petunia ‘Fortunia Purple Picotee’

Vegetalis                     Tomato ‘Sweet & Neat Cherry Red’

 

            Please go to our website www.ugatrial.hort.uga.edu for more information on other great Plants of Distinction. And as always, please visit the Gardens in person. We’ll give you a Classic City welcome.

Tasty & Tantalizing Tomatoes!

by Lauren Luscre

In a tomato tasting held at the UGA Trial Gardens’ open house on July 10^th, our visitors were asked to taste several varieties of tomatoes and choose their favorite. At the end of the tasting, we counted the votes and collected the top five favorite tomatoes based on taste. (The tomatoes are ranked 1-5, with 1 being the tomato chosen most often.)

        1.) Power Pops

        2.) Sweet ‘n’ Neat Yellow

        3.) Topsy Tom and Peardrops (tie)

        4.) Sweet ‘n’ Neat Cherry Red

        5.) Gold Stripe

As far as aesthetics go, all of the varieties grown this year have been keeping on even after the scorching months of June and July. However, there a few that stand out to me as the heat continues and the rain remains scarce as September begins.

        1.) Sweet ‘n’ Neat – Cherry Red, Yellow, Scarlet

These plants looked great from the very beginning and despite the heat they have managed to keep looking good. Their compact shape makes them especially wonderful patio tomatoes and contributes to a less “leggy” tomato once they begin to grow taller.

        2.) Peardrops

I recognize this plant mainly due to its attractive fruit. The fruit is shaped like a pear, hence the name, and has a soft golden color. This trailing tomato falls subtly and looks great in a container.

        3.) Red Stripe and Gold Stripe

Much like Peardrops, the tomatoes on this plant make it what it is. Red Stripe has green stripes on a red tomato and Gold Stripe has green stripes on a yellow tomato. They are extremely attractive even at the beginning when fruit first begins to form.

Liz’s Baptisias

Just wanted to share a few of the best looking baptisias as selected by the lovely Liz…

Baptisia ‘Purple Smoke’:  This is the best Baptisia in the Gardens. It has the best foliar health and overall shape. The leaves are a lush green color and have withstood the summer sun and heat very well. The growth has been very compact and dense, though still very vigorous, so the plant stands upright without stakes.

Baptisia ‘Twilight Prairie Blues’: This is definitely the most vigorous Baptisia in the garden. It has grown so large that it had to be staked in order to keep it from falling on neighboring plants. This Baptisia has also kept up its good performance all summer and still looks very healthy.

 

Baptisia minor ‘Blue Pearls’:  This is a smaller Baptisia that has great shape and dense, healthy foliage. The way the foliage seems to fall from top to bottom makes it look like a weeping baptisia. The blue tint of the leaves adds to this effect.

Baptisia ‘Starlite Prairieblues’: The foliage of this Baptisia is beautifully blue. It really stands out when nestled in between plants with dark green foliage, and has performed well in the summer sun.

Baptisia ‘Screamin’ Yellow’: This Baptisia has the most eye-catching display of flowers in the spring, but seems to have been hit by the heat and sunlight this summer. It is the color and endurance of the flowers that make this Baptisia irresistible.

Top 10 Roses!

(#1 is ranked as our top choice!)

10. Sunrosa Red/Yellow:These minis are so surprisingly charming and uniform, you’ll want one in each color! Equally gorgeous foliage, flowers & form – tons of blossoms all across deep green leaves. Disease free.

9. Balconia Innocencia:So you can’t make it to Italy?This cascading plant comes to you from Venice with love and sends delicate white blooms all along its dark green leafy branches. Lenten-rose shaped flowers look terrific in hanging baskets, patio containers or on balconies & terraces. Very clean!

8. Rosa CP – 06-5587:Stop the experiment and get this to market! Prolific petite pale pink blooms reminiscent of Phlox flowers atop light green leaves – a definite head turner for those who desire a truly “different” specimen. Healthy, uniform plant with abundant display of tiny flowers makes this a keeper. The UNrose rose. In a word: DAINTY! 

7. Francis Meidiland:To-die-for fragrance only adds to the massive display of huge cream-colored flowers. These love  potion-scented blooms start as out as enormous buds and then cover beautiful, healthy foliage for a 1-2 punch of traditional rose power. Zero flaws from top to bottom…very heat tolerant. She’s big, she’s bold, and she’s been around forever…aging quite gracefully. 

6. Veranda Brilliant Orange:Utterly gorgeous dark green foliage that stays low growing with luscious bright blooms flowing along each branch. Disease-free leaves despite its proximity to the ground. Trails nicely in pots or baskets; remains exceedingly eye-catching with a juicy orange color that screams summer. 

5. Apricot Drift:Pale scent but a prolific bloomer in a compact plant that works well in any space. Leaves are clean, shiny and deep green to compliment the amazing floral display – looks regal & stays rotund.

4. White Out:Unusual and enticing petal shape with a squared, rolled appearance at edges – almost a contemporary look within a traditional flower. Large white blooms from head to toe against very lovely, very healthy, dark green leaves. Holds it shape even in wildly windy weather. Completely disease free.

3. Thrive: Beware: it’s so pretty you may think it’s wax! Still, very true to its name when other roses melt. Naturally shiny & uniform leaves compliment abundant floral display. Flowers resemble Camellias with showy stamens that beautifully contrast velvety red petals. Tightly formed, no sprawl, perfect for tight places.

2. Peppermint Pop:A Conard Pyle must have even for folks not crazy about pink! But, after gazing at this one, you WILL be crazy about pink! Numerous electric  hot pink blooms atop a compact, perfect plant. Even as the dazzling flowers fade, they hold their shape w/o messy petal drop. No rogue shoots, easy to maintain and well-worth adding more pink to your rose garden.  

1. Tequila Gold:Brought to you by Conard Pyle. Gorgeous honey-yellow blooms showy enough to make every tea-totaler take a second look…evenly shaped plant with fabulous scent & flawless foliage. Looks great & grows well even on a slope, even in triple digit heat!

 

Plantapalooza:

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia, The UGA Horticulture Club

and The Trial Gardens at UGA Combine Spring Plant Sales in Athens on April 14^th

Athens, GA. – Athens, Georgia, the hotspot of horticulture, is home to outstanding public gardens, including The State Botanical Garden of Georgia and The Trial Gardens at UGA, as well as many specialty nurseries, the top school in horticulture, and horticulture celebrities. Athens has long been a travel destination for plant enthusiasts, but on Saturday, April 14, 2012 many gardeners will journey to Athens to attend Plantapalooza at the State Botanical Garden, the UGA Horticulture Club and The Trial Gardens at UGA. A wide array of garden plants that thrive in the Southeast will be available at each location from 8:00 am to 2:00 pm, along with horticulturists, volunteers and Master Gardeners to help with plant selections. Admission is free for all plant sales.

The Trial Gardens at UGA grows and tests the newest annuals and perennials from plant breeders throughout the world and will offer unique plants that are difficult to find anywhere else in the state. Dr. Allan Armitage will be available to sign his books (which will be for sale) and lead tours of the Trial Garden (www.ugatrialgardens.com). Profits from all sales help fund research and student employees in the gardens.

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia (botgarden.uga.edu), headquarters of the Georgia Gold Medal Plant Program (www.georgiagoldmedalplants.org), will have Gold Medal plants noted among its broad selection of trees, shrubs, perennials, annuals, herbs, vegetables, and more. This sale will also offer many native plants grown at the State Botanical Garden. The Garden Gift Shop and Donderos’ Kitchen (serving coffee drinks and a selection of handmade breakfast and lunch items) will be open.

The UGA Horticulture Club will be selling a wide range of garden and landscape plants near the intersection of Riverbend Road and College Station Road.  Profits from all sales fund projects for students in the Horticulture program.

Gardeners who participate in the 2012 Plantapalooza will be able to get a special card stamped to receive discounts in many area nurseries. Each participating retailer will have a drawing for $25 worth of plants for Plantapalooza participants. Directions andinformation about participating retailers are available online at ugatrialgardens.com. Information on Athens hotels and attractions can be found at www.VisitAthensGA.com.

 

Participating retailers:

 

Cofer’s Home and Garden Showplace

1145 Mitchell Bridge Road, Athens

(706) 353-1519, cofers.com

 

Goodness Grows

332 Elberton Road, Lexington

(706) 743-5055, goodnessgrows.com

 

Specialty Ornamentals

3650 Colham Ferry Road, Watkinsville

(706) 310-0143, specialtyornamentals.com

 

Thomas Orchard and Nursery

6091 Macon Highway, Bishop

(706) 769-5011, thomasorchardsandnursery.com

 

Thyme After Thyme

550 Athens Road, Winterville

(706) 742-7149, thymeafterthyme.com

 

Wildwood Specialty Nursery

4970 Lexington Road, Athens

(706) 201-6559, wildwoodspecialtynursery.com

 

Wolfskin Nursery

10325 Double Bridges Road, Winterville

(706)543-5051.

 

 

Site Locations:

The State Botanical Garden of Georgia            botgarden.uga.edu

2450 S. Milledge Avenue, Athens

The Trial Gardens at UGA                                     http://www.ugatrialgardens.com

220 W Green Street, Athens behind Snelling Dining Hall

The UGA Horticulture Club                                     http://www.hortclub.uga.edu

near the intersection of Riverbend Road and College Station Road

 

Perennials, Classic City Awards 2011

Dear Friends of The Trial Garden at UGA

We take great pride in the Trials at the University of Georgia.  We don’t trial for the sake of trialing or to make us look good or to give us something to do – we trial in the steadfast belief that what we do makes a difference.  When we provide real data under real world conditions, we do so in the belief that someone, breeders, growers, retailers and consumers, will pay attention.  That they are, as seen by better plants being put in front of my daughters, speaks to quality of selection and freshness in the marketplace.   Quality is not limited to fertility standards and spacing, quality is also what consumers, from landscapers to buyers, see when they have a little money to spend.

So, in the steadfast belief that what we do does make a difference, here are the Classic City^* Perennial Award winners for 2011, the very best perennials in the trial gardens, based on year round performance and/or eye-clutching beauty.  Of the over 2000 plants in the garden, being a Classic City Award winner is equivalent to the Oscar and Tony rolled up as one.

The Perennials: (in alphabetical order.  All are winter hardy to at least zone 5, unless otherwise noted). The companies in parentheses either bred the plant or supplied the plant to us; however, your broker should be able to obtain all of the winners.

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Classic City Awards 2011 Annuals

Dear All,

We take great pride in the Trials at the University of Georgia.  We don’t trial for the sake of trialing or to make us look good or to give us something to do – we trial in the steadfast belief that what we do makes a difference.  When we provide real data under real world conditions, we do so in the belief that someone, breeders, growers, retailers and consumers, will pay attention.  Quality is not limited to fertility standards and spacing, quality is also what consumers, from landscapers to buyers, see when they have a little money to spend.

So, in the steadfast belief that what we do does make a difference, here are the Classic City^* Award winners for 2011, the very best plants in the trial gardens, based on year round performance and/or eye-clutching beauty.  Of the over 2000 plants in the garden, being a Classic City Award winner is equivalent to the Oscar and Tony rolled up as one.

Happy Gardening,

Dr. Allan Armitage

P.S. Check your inboxes for the full write-up and breeder of each plant. Not on our mailing list? Send your name and email address to contact@ugatrialgardens.com and we will send you the Classic City Awards 2011 and our weekly Plants of Distinctions.

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“An Evening in the Gardens” Great Success

The UGA Trial Gardens hosted their annual “Evening in the Gardens” on Thursday, September 29, 2011. It was a tremendous success with over 230 people in the garden! Real gardeners walked through our garden and flagged their favorite plants that looked the best this late in the season. Enjoy the slideshow!

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