2019 Trial and Idea Garden Annual Report

Plant Sources

Plants are chosen from a variety of resources. Websites and catalogs play a huge role but also suggestions and availability rate equally as high in our plant selection. The majority of the annuals are generously donated by Ashcombe Farm and Greenhouse in Mechanicsburg. We greatly appreciate their generosity! The owners and staff are very accommodating and are helpful in suggesting new plants to trial. We also receive what we call 'true trials' - plants sent to Ashcombe by growers meant to be trialed. These plants are not on the market for retail yet that year. These are especially fun for us, and we'll advise you of them throughout this report.

Methods

Annuals are planted in May after the danger of frost is gone and mulch a few weeks later. Our plants are not pampered, though they do receive regular weeding, watering and intermittent deadheading. Our garden is a mound of fertile soil that has been amended with compost from our own compost bins. We do not fertilize any plant or provide plant care beyond these methods.

The plants are rated on a scale of 1-4 (4 being the best) under the categories of uniformity, foliage, flower and overall appearance. We evaluate them on whether the plants are doing what they are supposed to be doing, rather than on personal feelings. At the end of August, we measure the plants and count their flowers; those values are listed within their results. Our evaluations start on the day we mulch and continue every 2 weeks until the middle of September when both we and many of the plants are ready to call it another year. We hope you enjoy the fruits of our much loved 'labor.'

Results

We start, as in the years past, from the bottom up. However, just because these plants did not work out for us, does not mean they will not work in your garden setting. We ask you to give them a try and learn from our mistakes.

Cosmos bipinnatus 'Lemonade' - Cosmos (92.5/144, 64%)
Who could resist the growing companies when they promised flowers to 'Quench your thirst for color with 'Lemonade' and 'Petals' that float like butterflies in the breeze?' Obviously not us! The foliage was bright green and delightfully light and dainty, and the flowers were so pretty, all earning 3's and 4's until about the middle of July. There were plants that had flowers while others did not; some foliage turned yellow and brown while the rest was lush and full; several plants just died out completely as the others lived to overtake everything it their way: reducing all categories down to 1's and 2's. Those that did well were charming with their dainty lemonade petals that really did float in the breeze. Sadly the good times did not last long enough to earn it anything other than last place this year. The plants that were remaining were tall and wide, 41" x 24", but only had approximately 10 flowers to show.

Petunia x hybrida Easy Wave® Lavender Sky Blue - Spreading Petunia (96.75/144, 67%)
This was one of our true trial plants this year. It advertises shades of lavender to sky blue, however ours were only different shade of lavenders. The flowers ranged from light purple to deep purple and showed all shades in between. The plants struggled a bit in the beginning, did amazingly well in July, then in August tanked and did not recover. So it went from 2's and 3's for a few weeks, up to 4's for a few weeks and then steadily down to 1's and 0's, keeping in mind that the flowers were on top of its game the whole time. Its worst attribute was the foliage; its best was the stunning color of the continuous blooming flowers. It grew 2" tall and 28" wide and had only 12 flowers when we measured.

Anagallis hybrid 'Wildcat Blue' (97.8/144, 68%)
When we first saw them, they were all huge masses of green stems spreading out in all directions and just enough flowers on each to get our attention. The flowers were royal blue and had tiny yellow/gold centers and were mesmerizing. They started out doing so well earning 4's in all categories; in fact, we wanted to give them 5's. They stayed that way until the end of July when the flowers became fewer in number and the foliage turned brown in different areas of the plant. It got progressively worse until eventually there were no flowers to be found and more brown than green to be seen. It grew 9" tall and 25" wide but had no flowers to count on the day we measured. This was a truly beautiful plant, until it just wasn't.

Calibrachoa Bloomtastic 'Rose Quartz' - Million Bells (107/144, 74%)
'Bloomtastic' series was bred to be one of the most vigorous of all calibrachoas. It has the potential to grow up to 10" high and 16" wide. Our largest grew to 4" tall and 24" wide. Each large tubular flower had petals with golden yellow centers surrounded by a circle of deep pink and then finished off in a wide layer of bubblegum pink. By the middle of July, we started to lose them one by one until the end of August when we only had 2 left, and then only one at the end of the season. The dieback was slow, a few branches at a time until eventually the entire plant was gone. It was strange though because the two that made it the longest were large and healthy with tons of flowers and pretty green foliage while those beside them slowly just died away. The two remaining each had approximately 160 sweet little bubblegum pink flowers at our time of measuring.

Malva sylvestries 'Zebrina' - Mallow (109.25/144, 76%)
These were large when we got them with large lush leaves, but no flowers. When we went back for our first evaluation, there were a few flowers, but the large leaves were gone. They were all eaten almost to the ground with only a few small leaves left on each plant, but there were at least a few flowers in their place. Two came back nicely; one did not, so we ended up rating just the two. The flowers were abundant, short-stalked, and looked crowded along the stem. They were unique flowers with lavender petals and deeper purple stripes starting from the center and coming out the veins. They looked like someone dipped their stalks in purple water and the color followed the veins out. Due to no fault of their own, they started out badly, came back a bit, but really never recovered to their potential or our expectations. It didn't help that the dead seed heads that remain on the stalk are brown and unsightly, definitely detracting from the beauty of the plant. Ours only grew 16" high and 20" wide with 12 flowers.

Zinnia elegans Zesty™ Pink (111.5/144, 77%)
Zesty™ is a series that features huge double flowers in several different vibrant colors. We didn't have a choice of colors since this was another true trial. From the beginning, one lagged the other two; it remained the underdog the entire season. Our color was hot pink at its peak, and a dull, drab washed out pink when it was not. Several faded blooms on the plant at the same time affected not only the flower category, but also the overall appearance; deadheading is a definite must. The foliage also became an issue due to insect damage. All of that was going on right up until the end of July when everything changed. The foliage recovered, the good flowers outnumbered the bad and the color became even more dramatic. Excluding the slow one, they grew 14" tall x 20" wide with 12 shocking pink double flowers to show. It is said to be a 'pollinator lover', however they did not seem to visit this zinnia as much as others we had planted nearby.

The following 15 plants are in the 90^th percentile

Tagetas 'Tangerine Star' - French Marigold (130.50/144, 91%)
They were tall and lanky with only a few golden yellow/tangerine flowers. The foliage was lacey green and fern-like. For a short time, uniformity took away a few points, but only for a short time because before long they were all growing together. 'Tangerine Star' was a delight not only to us, but many pollinators as well. It earned 4 for the majority of the season, losing the most points at the end of the season when both falling over plants and deadheading issues became the norm. Neither one affected the flowering of the plants; they continued to bloom right up to frost. They grew 13" x 31" with approximately 50 flowers per plant.

Salvia greggii 'Radio Red' - Autumn Sage (130.75/144, 91%)
'Radio Red' was a pretty little plant with rich green foliage and lipstick red flowers that matured with the ends of the petals looking as though they were dipped in white paint. It was not unusual for some to be bi-colored while others remained totally red on the same plant. Since the flowers grow so much taller than the foliage, the plants sometimes looked messy with a thick green base; a lot of sporadic red jutting out in all directions and long green stems trying to hold it all together. Its strong categories were foliage and flowers earning mostly 4's and the other two following closely behind earning mostly 3's. It grew 26" x 30" with 50 spikey flowers on the plants.

Zinnia hybrida 'Hidden Dragon' - Hybrid Zinnia (133/144, 92%)
'Hidden Dragon' is a hybrid zinnia that reproduces from seed. It has double raspberry blooms with white tips. Hidden Dragon's first stage of flowers is centered in golden yellow surrounded by a layer of hot pink and finished off with pinkish/white tips. The flowers change shape as they mature, starting out in the daisy form, later adding ruffs to their petals and finally maturing into fully double pom-poms. They change shades as they change stages creating a wondrous display of color on each plant. As in all zinnias, deadheading was an issue, but not enough to keep it down. They grew 32" x 28" with 35 gorgeous flowers blooming.

Zinnia hybrida 'Crouching Tiger' - Hybrid Zinnia (134.5/144, 93%)
'Crouching Tiger' has the same attributes as 'Hidden Dragon' and only beat it by 2½ points. 'Crouching Tiger' has deep red centers that eventually give way to golden yellow tips. The blooms mature in different stages as well, giving the plants that same unique look. It received mostly 4's this summer, losing most of its points the first few weeks until it got established and then again the last week when it started to fade. It grew 24" x 26" and had 28 big beautiful blooms.

Melampodium palusodum 'Jackpot Gold' (135/144, 94%)
Each plant grew only to 17" tall and 22" wide, but each small plant was covered with 250+ flowers and they grew and bloomed until our first frost. They started out in small mounds of green with touches of golden yellow flowers mixed in and ended up in large bushy mounds of golden yellow flowers interspersed with traces of green foliage. They grew up almost looking like one huge plant instead of the eight individuals they were. 'Jackpot Gold' is a vigorous grower that blooms its little heart out, never required deadheading, and delighted us all until the very end. It lost points at first due to uniformity and then at the end because some of the plants were so heavy they split, but even after that, they continued to bloom.

Angelonia angustifolia Serena® Rose - Summer Snapdragon (136/144, 94%)
Serena® is a new compact series of Angelonia that is available in shades of pink, purple, and white. The spiked inflorescence had deep rose, orchid-like flowers that started flowering in the spring and continued until the end of August when the flowers just stopped. Even without the flowers, foliage was an asset to the garden. It was lush and green and stayed that way until our first frost. This was a true trial and it came through with flying colors, growing 16" x 24" with approximately 120 spikes on each plant. We've trialed several angelonias in the past, but this is the first one that's lasted this long and done this well.

Lysmachia congestiflora 'Persian Chocolate' - Creeping Jenny (102.75/108, 95%)
It will grow in sun to part shade but flowers best in the shade. We didn't even know it flowered until a few popped unexpectantly the first week of July. These sweet little yellow flowers really surprised the heck out of us! So now we had to face the question, to rate or not to rate? Before we even made our decision, they were gone again, reappearing sporadically in just 1's or 2's. But, if we would have rated them, they would have earned a 4 in the flower category. The foliage was very pretty all on its own. The deep purple/chocolate leaves rested in abundance on red trailing stems.

Unfortunately, the entire plant easily got lost in the mulch due to its dark color. It grew only 4" tall but a whopping 33" wide. Only one plant hung back and didn't grow as vigorously as the others, so again uniformity took it down. But, the remaining plants grew into one huge beautiful creeping ground cover. And occasionally, when they did appear, the tiny lemon-yellow flowers were a delight to find.

Dipladenia Rio™ Pink (138.75/144, 96%)
Dipladenia is a relative of the Mandevilla, however short, moundy and neither climbs nor trails. But the same big, beautiful pink trumpet-like flowers adorn the same glossy deep green leaves. And these two categories earned top scores throughout the season. It was prettier and more vigorous in the beginning of the season as compared to the latter, but they still only lost a total of 5¼ points. It is supposed to be a butterfly and hummingbird favorite; unfortunately, that didn't seem to be the case in our garden. It grew to a 16" x 16" mound with at least 8 flowers; pretty enough, but 'did not set the world on fire!'

Gomphrena pulchella Truffula™ Pink - Globe Amaranth (138.75/144, 96%)
They took a few weeks to become established, but once they did, this plant was an 'over-the-top' great performer. Monrovia advertised, 'The blossoms are tufted, hot pink with the bracts tipped in tangerine' and we couldn't have said it any better than that. The plants are structured the same as 'Radio Red' salvia, but these flowers were larger and more independent, each making their own statement. The foliage and the flowers played well together, and it all just worked out perfectly. There were over 400 flowers on each 24" tall x 3½' (yep feet) wide plant. Even the ones that fell down to the ground continued to bloom and make a stunning display in the garden. These were true pollinator magnets with tiny little bees everywhere.

Euphorbia graminea 'Glamour' Improved (139.25/144, 96.7%)
'Glamour' Improved was a true trial. We had already chosen E. Diamond Mountain, so this was going to be interesting. Some of the foliage was eaten soon after they were planted so there was not good uniformity for a while. By the end of July, they all caught up to each and before long three plants became one, and they were receiving 4's in all categories. They were a huge mound of dainty green foliage topped with the tiniest most-delicate little white flowers; it looked like we just had a light dusting of snow. They grew 20" H x 32" W with MANY flowers on each; way too many to even begin to count. There was not one negative comment we could make about 'Glamour' Improved.

Catharanthus roseus Tattoo™ Papaya - Upright Vinca (140/144, 97%)
New for this year is the Tattoo™ series. There are three available colors in this series so far: Papaya, Black Cherry, and Raspberry. They are supposed to look like tattoo ink starting from the dark centers and air-brushed out onto their petals. Dark purple is the accent color paired with papaya and for a short while overtook the papaya leaving the plant looking faded and washed out. By July it all worked together, and the color was vivid and definitely looked like its namesake. Growing 13" x 22" and showing 100+ flowers per plant, it never required to be deadheaded and was a winner in our eyes.

Top 5 for 2019, all in the 98 or above percentile

Catharanthus hybrid Soiree Kawaii® White Peppermint - Suntory Vinca (141.25/144, 98%)
Soiree Kawaii® series comes in White Peppermint, Lavender, Pink, and shades of red. The plants are tiny dwarf-sized in stature, but giants in overall performance and appearance in the garden. White Peppermint grew only 7" tall and 17" wide, but it had over 200 tiny white flowers nestled into their moundy glossy green foliage. The 5-petaled white blooms had red centers, which describes the name perfectly. It started out earning 4's, lost 2¾ points during a rainy week in the middle of June and then went right back to 4's for the remainder of the season. This was one of the committee's favorites this year.

Salvia hybrid Rockin'® Fuchsia - Salvia (141.5/144, 98%)
We've trialed many new salvias through the years and rarely were we disappointed; this one was no exception to that rule. Rockin® Fuchsia only lost 2½ points, mostly due to uniformity. They started out pretty large, coming in 6" pots and were all equal at that time. They stayed uniform until the middle of August when one slowed down, not growing at the same rate as the other three. It did well, beautiful foliage and flowers, just a smaller version. The plants were lush with deep green leaves and spikes of fuschia trumpet-like flowers, some towering over while others were nestled down in. They grew 26" x 40" and had 90 spikey flowers to show. In true salvia form, all were stunning; loved by the bees and us alike.

Catharanthus roseus Tattoo™ Black Cherry - Upright Vinca (141.5/144, 98%)
Black Cherry beat Papaya by only a few points and that was because of the color. The magenta color was more intense than papaya and never had a time when it looked faded or washed out. It contrasted so beautifully with its deep green foliage. Both had that chlorotic-look during the rainy spell in early June, but it affected Papaya more than Black Cherry. With only a few minor bumps in the road both colors sailed through the season with flying colors and were a delight in the garden, giving us color, contrast and a wide array of pollinators to enjoy. They both were committee favorites and continued to bloom and grow up until the end. Black Cherry had 100 blooms on moundy 16" x 20" plants.

Euphorbia hybrid Diamond Mountain™ (143.50/144, 99.7%)
Heat and drought tolerant, continuous bloom, no deadheading…….yes, yes, and yes! The only points lost were due to uniformity (only ½ total) and at this point… who cares? It was everything we loved in Diamond Frost but bigger. They were huge, airy, moundy plants with tiny, dainty white flowers that filled their spaces to the max. At the point of measuring and counting we had trouble distinguishing where one plant ended and another started. To our best ability, we estimated that the average plant measured 22" H x 40" W with……..Way Too Many Flowers to Count! Seriously we couldn't even guess! This was a committee favorite and just a lovely addition to the garden, with all plants performing beautifully.

2019 Trial Garden Plant of the Year, received a perfect score

Catharanthus hybrid Soiree Kawaii® Lavender - Suntory Vinca (144/144, 100%) They love to be warm, dry and have lots of sun and that certainly explains why they did so well this summer. The rains early in the spring had them looking a bit chlorotic to start, but not enough to keep them from still being perfect. They were compact, moundy and reliable; a sweet, delicate, spunky little flower that got consistent reviews of 'wow', 'wow' and more 'wow'. Picture your favorite vinca of all times and then reduce it to the size of 9" H x 24" W. With 250 blooms of tiny vibrant flowers and even tinier deep green leaves, you're in 'Vinca Heaven!' Both Suntory Vincas were committee favorites; this one especially a true winner from start to finish. You don't have to give it a lot of space in your garden, but you do have to save some room for this one this year.

This report would not be possible without the dedication and hard work of the Penn State Master Gardener volunteers on the Trial and Idea Garden Committee, and on behalf of us all, we are delighted to share this with you!

Courtesy of Patricia Welfley, PCH, Penn State Extension Master Gardener