Want show-stopping annual flowers?
Take a peek at CSU’s trial garden, the plant some of the winners.
What happens when gardeners plant the winners from Colorado State University’s annual flower trials?
They get the chance to plant their own award-winning gardens.
Each year more than 1,000 varieties of annual bedding plants are put to the test in flower beds planted on the CSU campus in Fort Collins. One part research facility and one part tourist attraction, the gardens test how well new plants can stand up to Colorado’s challenging growing conditions.
Plant breeding companies pay to submit their top entries to the trials each year. Over the summer, CSU Extension master gardeners in Larimer County help manage nearly 3acres of annual flowers from planting until evaluation day in August. A smaller follow up visit confirms judging in September.
About 150 discerning judges rate each plant’s performance. Judges include the trial garden advisory committee, green industry professionals, university employees, and master gardeners. Annuals are rated on plant habit, quality of the foliage, disease resistance, flower power (number of flowers per plant), flower color, flower size and uniformity, vigorous growth, and overall appeal.
Because of the rigorous testing and evaluation process, home gardeners can be assured the ‘Best of ‘ winners will be beautiful and tough performers in their gardens, too. With more than 20 classes of plants included in the trial garden — from argryranthemum to vinca — there’s a likely bunch of winners for every spot in the landscape.
In addition to the individual classes of winners, the judges select three special awards: Best of Show, Best Novelty Plant and Best New Variety.
Best of Show honors went to Chameleon Indian Summer Improved calibrachoa for its split personality. The flowers tend to change colors depending on environmental conditions. Gardeners can enjoy an Indian Summer’s worth of flowers that shift between shades of red, rose, pink and yellow. Another winning characteristic of this calibrachoa (also called million bells) is the long bloom time through summer into September.
Copper Prince millet took the best novelty award. The key to Copper Prince is its long and arching brown leaves topped with upright fluffy flower heads. The judges especially liked the plant’s unique colors and uniform habit that can add some extra interest to any garden.
The Best New Variety award went to Luscious Royale Cosmo lantana for its “maximum flower power” in the form of small pink and yellow flowers that grow in clusters. The vibrant flower color and its vigorous growth could add a pop of tropical flavor to ordinary spaces.
A handful of other outstanding plants are worthy of consideration, too. These plants get special recognition for their appearance, heat tolerance, flower color or other eyecatching attributes, even if their individual plant class had limited numbers.
The Rockin’ Red dianthus is one of these winners because of its nature to flower the first season, like an annual, and return as a perennial the next season.