February 2023 - 54

VAUGHN'S VIEW
margin. It demonstrated excellent
flower stability and well-defined color
separation in a wide range of regional
summer conditions. The Fun House
varieties will offer colorful and creative
components in patio containers
and baskets. The accompanying
photograph is from the Plantpeddler
basket trial in mid-August 2022.
6. ZINNIA MARYLANDICA
ZYDECO SERIES
Syngenta Flowers
Zydeco zinnias are the first
6
interspecific series in the Syngenta
zinnia portfolio, and it is a significant
and exciting development in the
zinnia world. This series is comprised
of four colors: Cherry, Deep Yellow,
Fire and White. It combines the fully
double flowers of the Z. elegans
species and the mounded and bushy
architecture of the Z. marylandica
species. The superb characteristics
are the large double flowers, saturated
colors, prolific flower canopy and
summer long heat, humidity, and
rain tolerance. I was impressed by
the season-long performance in
many regional trials where the series
received high performance ratings.
The series will offer production
versatility in packs, mixed containers
and baskets. The accompanying
photograph is from the Young's Plant
Farm container trial in early June
2022, and it illustrates the four colors,
the flower size, uniformity and timing.
7
8
54
FEBRUARY 2023 GPNMAG.COM
7. SALVIA 'ROCKIN' DEEP
PURPLE IMPROVED'
Proven Winners
Just when you thought 'Rockin'
Deep Purple' could not get any
better, the new and improved variety
entered the market for 2023 with
a more compact habit and better
branching to match 'Rockin' Fuchsia',
which is the benchmark in the
collection. This variety manifested
these improvements in southern and
northern trials. It was recognized
as the best new variety in the
Colorado State trial and received
high performance ratings throughout
the country. This new selection will
offer many of the same attributes
as the original selection, which are
sterility, sturdy stems, dark foliage,
deep purple corollas with black
calyxes and prolific flowers positioned
above the foliage. This improved
variety will be more compatible in
patio containers as well as landscape
beds. I have grown many of the
Proven Winners salvia and other
salvia varieties in my container trial
and beds for many years, and Deep
Purple is the most outstanding
hummingbird magnet plant I have
ever grown. The accompanying
photograph is from the Colorado
State trial in September 2022.
8. VERBENA 'LASCAR
ORANGE LAVA'
Selecta One
I saw this new verbena selection
in the 2022 Costa Premier spring
trial in late February and again in
late April, and I was impressed
by its unique, vivid, and highly
saturated bright orange-red petals,
its earliness, and the prolific flower
canopy. I highlighted this new variety
in my June 2022 article for its hot
color and floriferousness, and it
continued to demonstrate these
attributes throughout the summer
and early fall. This series consists of
13 varieties, which includes the new
selections Blue+White, Purple+White
and Orange Lava. Orange Lava was
a top performer in multiple trials
last summer and was a grower and
consumer favorite. I grew Orange
Lava in my container trial and it
flowered profusely throughout the
summer. I trialed dozens of current
and 2023 introductions, and Orange
Lava was the only plant to withstand
two consecutive nights of freezing
temperatures in mid-September,
and it continued to flower until late
September. Orange Lava, with its
unique color and highly saturated
flowers, will have outstanding
application in mixed containers and
baskets. This is a medium vigor series
with excellent uniformity, mildew
resistance and semi-trailing habit.
The accompanying photograph
is from the Raker-Roberta's
container trial in August 2022.
http://www.GPNMAG.COM
February 2023

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2023
