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The year, 1998, was a big one for the Colorado State University annual trial grounds at the W.D. Holley Plant Environmental Research Center (PERC) at Colorado State University. In 1998, PERC became an All-American Selection Outdoor Test Garden. A prime benefit of becoming an Outdoor Test Garden, is being eligible to judge potential winners in the in the annual flower trials.
Thus, researchers at PERC, in 1998, evaluated potential new All-American Selections. These flowers are given numbers and are compared to industry standards in the same class.
This activity differs from that in previous years when PERC was an All-American Selection Display Garden growing the current year's winners along with the winners for the next year. The CSU Garden will continue to display the current winners along with previous winners, but CSU staff and other personnel also will judge potential winners. Colorado State University joins with Welby Gardens in Denver as the only two official All-American Selection Test Gardens in the state.
In 1998, the Annual Trial Garden was planted with approximately 725 different varieties, which were then evaluated. The trial Garden continues to grow each year and will be larger in 1999.
During 1998, the annuals were transplanted to the trial beds from early to mid-June. Weather conditions were variable in the 1998 growing season with very cold temperatures in early June right after planting. This was followed by hot, dry conditions until late July. In late July-early August, the Front Range experienced more than the usual moisture as well as cooler temperatures. The remainder of August and September was on the hot and dry side.
In early August, the Colorado State University Trial Garden Advisory Committee, along with university personnel, seed company representatives and Master Gardeners judged the approximately 725 different annual varieties. Twenty-two different companies participated and financially supported the Gardens along with the Colorado Floriculture Foundation. The Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture manages the Gardens with advice from a committee of growers, seed company personnel and public Garden horticulturists. Generally, two dozen plants of each variety were planted on 12-inch, 10-inch or 8-inch centers in the row, depending on the mature size of the plant.
At the annual evaluation day, judges were asked to vote special recognition to best new variety, best of show and best in each category.
"Best of Show" was the 'Sugar Baby' Cobbitty Daisy. These are vegetatively propagated and were obtained from Euro American Propagators. It is a Marguerite daisy from Australia with more of a compact growth habit and many small profuse white flowers. The foliage is a lighter green and plants had continual bloom throughout the 1998 growing season.
The plant chosen by the committee as the "Best New Variety" was Goldsmith Seeds 'Labella Red and White' Snapdragon. This variety is seed propagated with many large flowers, velvety red with white throats. This variety appeared more heat-tolerant with a steady bloom.
The top performer from more than 75 petunia varieties in our test plots was 'Primetime Blue,' which was seed-propagated. It is a multiflora type of petunia from Goldsmith Seeds. These plants had dark purple flowers and were very vigorous in growth rate but also very uniform in growth habit.
The highest ranked marigold was 'Inca Orange' from Goldsmith Seeds. The flowers were large and orange in color and are held nicely above the foliage. No aster yellows were observed in this variety during 1998.
Highest ranked among the Impatiens was the Ball Flora Plant 'Fiesta Sparkler Rose.' This was a vegetatively propagated Impatiens with double pink and white flowers resembling miniature roses covering the plant. The plants were quite vigorous with good foliage, but they became taller in size by the end of the season.
'Boogie' from Fischer U.S.A., Inc. was the highest ranked New Guinea Impatiens in the trials. It is vegetatively propagated with large, prolific, orange-red flowers. The foliage is dark green and very glossy. This is part of the Danziger series from Fischer U.S.A. This year, the New Guinea Impatiens trials increased to include approximately 50 varieties.
In 1998, we also evaluated ivy geraniums, and 'Lila Compact Cascade' received the top honors. From Fischer U.S.A., Inc., this geranium features a shiny green foliage with profuse lavender flowers. The plants had a vigorous growth rate but were quite uniform in overall habit.
'Maverick Star' from Goldsmith Seeds was the highest-rated seed geranium in our trials. The plant had showy pink and white bicolored flowers with good leaf color and full growth habit.
The best zonal geranium was 'Americana New Violet' from Goldsmith Plants. It earned its high rating because of the profuse bright violet flowers and round, full and very vigorous growth habit.
CSU evaluated numerous different Vinca varieties in 1998; 'Rose Cooler Improved' from Pan American Seeds ranked the highest. It is a seed-propagated form with dark glossy green foliage and larger rose pink flowers.
The PERC Gardens received numerous vegetatively and seed-propagated Verbenas for trial in 1998. A vegetatively propagated Ternari variety from Euro American Propagators, dubbed Bright Red, received top honors. It bloomed striking red flowers and was a profuse bloomer even in times of extreme heat. Considering the variable temperatures and long hot, dry period and excessive rainfall in late July-early August, most of our annual verbena varieties still performed very well.
The Gardening public is welcome to visit the 1999 trials this season at the W.D. Holley Plant Environmental Research Center, 630 West Lake Street in Fort Collins. This year, the trials will be even larger than in past years. For a complete research report of the 1998 Annual Trial Gardens, send $5 to the Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture, Colorado State University, Fort Collins, CO 80523. This covers the cost of printing, handling and shipping.
For more information on Gardening, contact your
local Colorado State University Extension office.
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