This Week in The Trial Garden August 17, 2012

Plant Of The Week: Caladiums for the Shade

Last week we looked at the 14 sun Caladiums we are growing in the garden. In addition to the sun caladium varieties from Classic Caladiums we evaluated 9 different ones in our shade garden. Like the sun ones we tested, the shade ones are doing great.

The top rated shade variety is Tapestry (http://www.metrolinagreenhouses.com/testgarden/8504.aspx). This is a great color and has filled in its bed space very nicely.  The ones in the container trial are doing great as well.

Strawberry Star is another very nice color with specks of red mixed in the white back ground. (http://www.metrolinagreenhouses.com/testgarden/8065.aspx)

Pink Splash is an interesting pink color that started off a little slow but is finishing the season very nicely (http://www.metrolinagreenhouses.com/testgarden/9232.aspx)

Caladiums for the Shade Current Ratings

Name	Rating
Tapestry	4.7
Strawberry Star	4.3
Cherry Tart	4.0
Moonlight	4.0
Garden White	3.7
Pink Splash	3.7
Royal Flush	3.3
Tricolor	3.3
White Butterfly	3.0

Dahlia Trial Garden

This week we made a stop at Carolina Dahlia Society’s trial garden in Cashiers, NC. It was little disappointing in how well it was marked and looked to have been just planted last month (ie do not make a special trip to Cashiers NC to see it). The varieties in this trial are much more vigorous than the typical ones we are doing (ok they are like shrubs) so it will take some work to get them to market. The flowers though are really cool.

The most interesting looking Dahlia was called Baron Keith.  The plant was about 3 feet tall and had the huge flower.

Another interesting one was called Show Time. The plant was very ugly but had huge beautiful flowers that really catches your eye.

Another huge flower one called Sugartown Sunrise. Again a rough look plant with a great flower.

This week we also made a visit to a Van Wingerden International Greenhouse trial garden in Mills River, NC. I will report more on that next week.

Regards,

Mark Yelanich Ph.D.

Past Plant of The Week!

Week 32: Sun Caladiums

Week 31: Top Petunias

Week 30: AAS Canna and Echinacea

Week 29:Trailing Begonia  ‘Santa Cruz’ Sunset from Benary

Week 28: Gomphrena Experimental from Sakata

Week 27:  Cleome Clio ‘Magenta’  from Danziger

Week 26: Angelonia Archangel Raspberry Improved from Ball FloraPlant.

Week 25: Open House Week

Week 24: Incarvillea (Incarvillea delavayi) Cheron Pink from PanAmerican

Week 23: Mecardonia  Magic Carpet Yellow from Sakata Ornamentals.

Week 22: Hibiscus “Mahogany Splendor” from Pan American Seed