Page 12 - Griffin Gazette Issue 1 - 2018

Must-Have Varieties

for Can’t-Miss Fall Programs

Berry Awesome hibiscus -
Proven Winners from
Walters Gardens

3 Unforgettable Perennials to Try This Year

By Beth Engle, Assistant Product Business Manager
While you’re pondering new items for your annual offering, don’t forget to think
about your perennial benches. Here are a few plants to consider if they’re not
already on your open orders for 2018 and beyond.

First up: Allium ‘Millenium.’ Not all onions are bulbs! This plant, chosen as the
Perennial Plant of the Year for 2018 by the Perennial Plant Association, is a winner
and not a bulb at all. Jump on the bandwagon if you’re a PPA member, and use the
PPA-provided promotional materials to draw consumer attention to this wonderful
plant. Not only will your customers thank you for carrying it, they’ll be well rewarded
with the response of pollinators in their gardens, and doubly glad that deer don’t
find it of interest. This plant produces less seed than others in this class, reducing
Millenium allium from worries of overpopulation in your customer’s gardens. Don’t take my word for it; get
Walters Gardens
more details from the National Garden Bureau (NGB) (http://mailchi.mp/ngb.org/
lg6w6atsex).
If you haven’t tried the bare-root Hibiscus from Walters Gardens, you really
should. They’re traffic-stopping when in flower, and Walters produces and ships
very large plants. Hibiscus from Walters are recommended for 3-gallon pots, and
don’t cheat on this; you’d need to prune the roots down to get them into anything
smaller. Walters’ Hibiscus come in eye-catching flower colors, and many of the
varieties also have dark foliage, which helps to create a wonderful contrast and
makes the plant even more enticing to the consumer. While not the least expensive
item, this is one for which you can charge a premium price – and get it. In as little as
12 weeks, you can have a show-stopping display! The bare-root product starts to
become available at the beginning of April. Walters has two groups they’ve bred, the
Summerific Collection under the Proven Winners banner, and their other wonderful
Berry Blues sempervivum varieties. Do yourself, your sales and your customers a favor, and put in an order.
from Emerald Coast Growers
Lastly, you mustn’t overlook the recent succulent revolution in your perennial
programs! Have you seen the new line of Sempervivum in the Chick Charms
Bonus Digital Content program? Hardy to Zone 3, these charming Chicks would fit well in your customers’
gardens, up front and center to receive the ‘awwws’ they deserve. They’ll also
perform well in containers where they can be seen at closer range. With 14 varieties
in this year’s program, there’s plenty to mix and match. Encourage your customers
to collect the entire collection!