Spring Trials Day 2: Brews, blooms and a truck full of kalanchoe

After a rainy first day, the clouds parted and the sun came out for Day 2 of the 2016 California Spring Trials, where we began our day at Windmill Nursery. Chuck Pavlich, director of new product development for Terra Nova Nurseries, told us about an innovation in begonia breeding with their introduction of Revelation ‘Maroon,’ a red-leafed, trailing plant (see "A 'revelation' in begonias"). We also browsed a fragrant, colorful dianthus line, Scent from Heaven, from KiwiFlora, a New Zealand-based breeder that’s new to Spring Trials this year.

Next we made our way to Edna Valley Vineyard winery to tour Dümmen Orange’s annual offerings and HGTV HOME Plant Collection. Kate Santos, operations director for North America at Dümmen Orange, outlined highlights in the breeding company’s calibrachoa offerings, which include bright, bold colors, star-patterned plants and the Chameleon series, featuring five plants that change hue depending on the environmental conditions (see "Coming soon in calibrachoas"). She also pointed out new geraniums that feature dark foliage, great branching and a layering of colors with a subtle white eye to give the plants depth. HGTV HOME Plant Collection showcased its three-pack, quart-sized Patio Veggies & Herbs mixes that offers seven recipes with combinations of tomatoes, basil, pepper and eggplant, and discussed a new partnership with EuroAmerican Propagator’s that creates a “one-stop shop” for brokers and growers (see “A new alliance”).

Dümmen Orange presented its perennials, potted plants and herbs about an hour north of Edna Valley at BarrelHouse Brewery, and retail inspiration abounded. Kalanchoe “spilled” out of a BarrelHouse branded truck out front, and designer and consultant to Dümmen Orange Robyn Foreman presented an array of container designs featuring succulents surrounding bright kalanchoe to add some flower power to traditional succulent combinations. She also shared an idea to make shipping pre-made succulent combinations easier for growers and retailers — adding pebbles to the surface and using glue and water to stabilize the growing media. Zoltan Kovacs, perennials product manager, detailed the new perennials combo program, where growers can choose from 15 varieties that grow well together to create their own container mixes.

Stay tuned to the California Daily for day 3 of the trials, when we’ll be visiting Floricultura and Sakata Seed America.

Follow these links for video coverage of California Spring Trials Day 2:

• A 'revelation' in begonias
• Coming soon in calibrachoas
• A new alliance
• Ship shape perennials
• Pretty and palatable
• Simplifying the process

Pictured: The Dümmen Orange stop at BarrelHouse Brewery featured a truck filled with kalanchoe, a plant they prominently displayed on its own and mixed in succulent containers for some flower power.