A panel of volunteer judges coordinated by The Garden Center Group presented 15 Retailers' Choice Awards to 13 companies at the Farwest Show 2024 in Portland, Oregon.
Meet the award winners (in alphabetical order by company name) below:
Garden Gems Amethyst Cercis (Cercis canadensis), Alpha Nursery (introduced by Star Roses & Plants)
This compact Cercis tree is an elegant focal point in small gardens and when potted on patios. Its size and burgundy foliage give a similar effect as a Japanese maple, with the benefit of being native to North America. A spring flush of pink blooms will attract pollinators.
Everleaf Lemon Basil (Ocimum basilicum), Ball Seed Company
This late-flowering basil is a great addition to dressings, marinades and salads. Upright plants deliver an abundant harvest, and it performs well in-ground and in containers.
Lime Zest Japanese forest grass (Hakonechloa macra 'Hakbri2'), Briggs Nursery
A new addition to the Japanese forest grass family, Lime Zest features lime-colored foliage with white to cream variegation along with plum-colored shoots. Adding texture and movement to a landscape and accompanying well with dark leaved shrubs, Lime Zest complements its predecessor ‘HakBri1’ Lemon Zest and can be planted alone or in mass plantings to brighten up lower-light areas. Lime Zest reaches 12 to 14 inches tall by 18 to 24 inches wideand is hardy in zones 5–8.
Mojo Berry Mulberry (Morus rotundiloba), Briggs Nursery
Mojo Berry reaches 3 to 5 feet tall and produces fruit on old and new wood, allowing for fruit in the first year compared to the usual five to six years with other mulberries. Mojo Berry also has extended berry production, from late May through September. This European variety is self-pollinating with compact growth and grows well in full sun. Hardy to zone 8.
Philodendron ‘Caramel Marble’, Cascade Tropicals
This philodendron has serrated leaves and variegated foliage with streaks of cream, white and yellow.
Forsythia Hillier ‘Discovery’ (Forsythia x intermedia), Meridian Young Plants (introduced by Plant Haven)
Part of the Hillier Collection from Hillier Nurseries in the United Kingdom, this forsythia has cream-white, broadly edged foliage with a tidy compact habit.
Flame Thrower Redbud (Cercis canadensis), Monrovia
Light pink spring flowers are followed by an ever-changing display of foliage that continues to fall. New foliage emerges burgundy, fades to yellow and matures to green, with branches displaying all the colors at once.
Starway to Heaven Snowbell, Robinson Nursery
Starway to Heaven Snowbell is a reblooming Styrax with petite, five-petalled metallic flowers that bloom in spring and rebloom in fall. It features deep green, glossy foliage that emerges red, with a narrow, space-saving habit.
Beneficial insectary, Sound Horticulture
Ambylseius cucumeris is a predatory mite that feeds on immature thrips, broad mites, russet mites and spider mite eggs. Adults are pear-shaped, tan in color and less than 0.5 millimeter long. Eggs are round, transparent and 0.14 millimeter in diameter.
Water checker, Sustee Innovative
This home-grade moisture checker is equipped with a pF indicator (available water capacity), so the root's ability to absorb water, or the plant's "thirst," becomes visible, helping to prevent root rot caused by improper watering. Sustee is testing and researching in cooperation with the Tokyo University of Agriculture and farmers.
Cherry-Go-Round Reblooming Hydrangea (Hydrangea macrophylla 'Hokomaburlac'), Van Belle Nursery
Cherry red flowers adorn a compact frame that reblooms through summer and fall.
Artemisia GardenGhost, Walla Walla Nursery
One of the newest additions from Garden Genetics, GardenGhost starts out slightly green in color before maturing throughout the season to a bright silvery foliage accent piece. Reaching 12 to 24 inches tall and 24 to 30 inches wide, this densely branched, groundcover-type artemisia is Zone 4 hardy.
Skinny Skip Laurel, Woodburn Nursery & Azaleas (introduced by Colony Nursery)
Skinny Skip Laurel has glossy dark green leaves and dense upright growth habit, with little trimming required. USDA Zones 6-9.
Asian jasmine 'Ogon Nishiki' (Trachelospermum asiaticum), Youngblood Nursery
With bright orange, golden yellow and dark green foliage, and a trailing habit to 8 feet or more, this evergreen jasmine rarely flowers and thrives in part sun with regular watering. Zones 7–9.
Canna Red Golden Flame, Youngblood Nursery
This perennial is known for its red-orange blooms and golden foliage. Zones 7–11.
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