Note: Information for this trials report is provided by Denise Mullins, Director of Product Innovation at Smith Gardens. This information comes as of late September 2024.
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The overall weather in Washington was good this year, pretty average I would say. Normally in June we will have what we call a January, but this year we didn’t have much precipitation past May and the temperatures in the mid 70’s getting up in the high 80’s in July, with a little more rain in August and back down to the upper 70’s. We are just now getting into fall and our average 60-degree fall day temps with some rain a few days a week. Trials are still looking fabulous, but we usually pull them by the end of the month.
We usually trial around 1,500 varieties in ground and in baskets/planters. This year we had 22 breeders participate and we normally let them decide what they want to showcase in their beds.
This year was our 10th year anniversary with our trial garden as well as holding our trial event for the horticulture industry. The biggest challenges we have with field trials is soilborne diseases. We have had to change all of the soil out of all of our beds due to verticillium wilt we couldn’t keep on top of.
These were my top favorites this year:
- Coleus ‘Skeletal’ (Kientzler)
- Dahlia ‘Black Black Forest Ruby’ (American Takii)
- Ageratum ‘Monarch Magic’ (Ball FloraPlant)
- Petunia ‘Tea Flamingo’ (Beekenkamp)
- Echinacea SunMagic Vintage series (Bull Plant Genetics)
Ageratum ‘Monarch Magic’ was one of the best Ageratum I have seen in my 20 years of trialing. The plant was very vigorous and florific. It buried all of its dead and it looked amazing in ground, in planters, and in baskets. Plus the butterflies loved it!
The Echinacea SunMagic series is a beautiful vibrant colored series. The plants stay compact in the landscape with tons of flowers. They fill out space nicely and quickly.
Find more 2024 field trials information here.
