By Delilah Onofrey, Suntory Flowers
Photographs courtesy of Suntory Flowers
Every winter we begin our garden with a blank canvas. While perennials and shrubs will be returning friends, fresh annuals and tropicals provide splashes of color that will distinguish this year’s garden from last. Suntory Flowers has introduced several unique items that you will be pleased to find at your favorite garden retailers.
Pericallis ‘Senetti Magic Merlot’
Senetti varieties are famous for bright magentas and blues and their ability to thrive in cool conditions. Breeders have been working on color-changing hues. Magic Merlot has burgundy wine-colored daisy flowers with a splash of scarlet red orange that expands in the center as blooms age. Look for Senetti at retail in early spring, when you’d normally see pansies, osteospermum and nemesia.
Petunia ‘Surfinia Heavenly Cabernet’
Petunias are the queen of peak spring gardens. They are so abundant, familiar and versatile to plant everywhere. Surfinia petunias have a 30-year reputation for outstanding garden performance. New to the assortment is Heavenly Cabernet, a semi-trailing variety with burgundy/purple blooms and dark throats. Your beds, baskets and containers will runneth over in a controlled, pleasing way.
Scaevola ‘Surdiva Purple’
Compact and colorful Surdiva scaevolas are FAN-tastic in containers, baskets and beds. They play well with others in combinations, filling empty spaces with fan-shaped flowers. Purple is a new color in the assortment. Heat tolerant and low maintenance, Surdiva scaevolas shine until frost!
Soiree Flamenco catharanthus
Soiree Flamenco varieties are a new type of vinca with novel blooms that have ruffled petals and striking bicolors. Senorita Pink has light pink blooms with dark pink eyes, creating an ombre effect. Pink Twist has the most ruffled flower form in the Flamenco series. The tight, twisted shape creates a semi-double look. Excellent for summer baskets, containers and beds.
Mandevilla ‘Sun Parasol Original Sunbeam’
The most sought-after new variety at retail this season will be Sunbeam, the first yellow mandevilla in the Sun Parasol Original series. Plants are loaded with buttery yellow blooms with dark orange throats. Growth is bushy and more controlled for hanging baskets and containers. Sunbeam doesn’t have the aggressive vining vigor of the Sun Parasol Giant mandevillas. It is more like a dipladenia. You can train it to a trellis, but it will be a short one.
For more information and to stay current on Suntory varieties, visit www.suntoryflowers.com.
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