Spring Trials Day 6: That’s a wrap

We wrapped up the 2016 California Spring Trials on Day 6 with tours of Danziger at Headstart Nursery and Proven Winners at Kirigin Cellars. Though the greenhouse was full of new introductions from Danziger, there were a few standout plants, including Navy Blue pericallis, which featured a mound of striking indigo blooms. Like we’ve seen at other stops at Spring Trials, plants – arranged in stadium-style shelves – were the focus here, but we did see informative and attractive display information. Signage for Sun Harmony New Guinea impatiens and the Colibri calibrachoa series included a hummingbird formed with Colibri blooms to emphasize that it’s pollinator-friendly, and a spiral sun created with impatiens to show that these are light-loving plants.

Hans Gerritsen from Headstart Nursery gave us an overview of the cyclamen market in the U.S., and explained why he moved his trials from January to April – he wanted Spring Trials attendees to see the range of varieties available in cyclamen and advances in breeding (see “Comparing and contrasting cyclamen”). Not all plants displayed were new – Gerritsen says he’s showcasing old and 2017 introductions side-by-side so that differences in breeding, color, shape and pattern can be easily seen and to create an educational tool for attendees. However, he did point out a few new plants, including Goblet, which features open blooms that resemble an African Violet.

Proven Winners had more space to spread out at their new location at Kirigin Cellars, enabling them to display old and new plants to reveal improvements in varieties. Attendees could pick up color-coded poker chips (to designate between men and women) and place their “bets” on their favorite plants. Though the original intent was for tourers to select their top-choice annuals, several placed their chips near colorful perennials, shrubs and mixed containers. Crowd favorites included Invincibelle Ruby hydrangea, which features red blooms and is hardy in zones 3a-9b (see “Showy shrubs”), and Dolce ‘Appletini’ heuchera, another plant with ruby-red blooms. Once again, Proven Winners put the spotlight on plants, but included suggestions for how retailers can group and categorize them on tables and shelves to create “silent salespeople” and educate consumers on when to best use the plants and where they thrive in the garden. One example is “Summer Celebrations,” a table of bright, established plants perfect for revising summer gardens. The roomier stop also allowed Proven Winners to show off its branded containers for specific seasons and plant types, another method to take the guesswork out of gardening for consumers.

The 2016 California Spring Trials, like in years past, was educational and inspiring. Companies showcased not only their cutting-edge plants, but also their creativity. We appreciate the time that passionate industry experts took to talk to us about what’s new.On Day 4, we caught up with the National Garden Bureau’s official #NGBplantnerds, the consumer gardening gurus who are traveling with NGB’s Diane Blazek to Spring Trials to learn more about the inner workings of the industry and to see exciting plants and concepts that will be coming down the pipeline for consumers. Check out their feedback from the tour in the video “Industry insights: Plant nerds speak up.” We also spoke with Geoff Denny, assistant professor at Mississippi State University Extension, on Day 5 to find out why he travels to California each April to tour greenhouses and see new plants, and what stood out to him. Check out the video "Industry insights: Geoff Denny." You can also hear our final thoughts from the trip in the video “Summing up Spring Trials.”

See you next year!

— Karen and Michelle 

See video coverage of Day 6 of the trials with the following links:

• Summing up Spring Trials
• Showy shrubs
• Industry insights: Geoff Denny
• Comparing and contrasting cyclamen
• A tour of plants
• Industry insights: Plant nerds speak up

Catch up on the previous days of our California Spring Trials tour:

• Spring Trials Day 1: Welcome to the California Daily
• Spring Trials Day 2: Brews, blooms and a truck full of kalanchoe
• Spring Trials Day 3: Ornamentals and edibles galore
• Spring Trials Day 4: Brains, bidens and berries
• Spring Trials Day 5: Plants take center stage

Pictured: Kirigin Cellars hosted the Proven Winners stop at Spring Trials.