Best of the 2018-2019 CSU Cool Season Trial

Posted by Jim Klett

Growers, landscape contractors and homeowners will want to plant some of these winners in their gardens in the fall of 2019 from our 2018-2019 Cool Season Trials.  These trials included 121 different varieties of cool season plants.  These plants were planted on October 30, 2018 and grown through the fall, winter and early spring of 2019.  Additional water was added to these trial a total of ten times from October 30 through early April.  Watering was done when temperatures were above 40 degrees Fahrenheit and soil was dry.  Our lowest temperature recorded during the period was -8 F in early March.  We recorded frost damage, flowering data and overall appearance on a weekly basis when not covered in snow.  We had below average snow cover during the winter months which resulted in some  damage to the plants but provided a still provided a good trial as the winners that follow are truly the "toughest of the tough".

The Flower Trial Garden Committee evaluated these Cool Season Trial in May 2019 and picked the following six top performers.  The six winners include:

Cheiranthus 'Sugar Rush Orange' from Floranova

Plants were noted for superior cold hardiness and good uniformity. Would make a good companion plant for pansies. Provides color for both fall and early spring. Flowers are attractive with shades of orange and yellow. Plants had an attractive busy growth habit and dark green foliage.

Dianthus 'I.Q. Blueberry Picotee' from Floranova

Great uniformity even after a very harsh winter made this the best Dianthus in the trial. Plants had abundant bud count and excellent vigor with attractive green foliage.

Viola 'Admire® Deep Purple Face' from Benary

The rich, velvet purple flower color was very impressive. Prolific blooming and a mounded growth habit made a great looking plant. Plants were a little more upright and very uniform overall.

Viola 'Fuseabes® Sunny Skies' from PanAmerican Seed

Flowers were noted for their attractive blend of blue and yellow flowers that can't help but "create a happy feeling". Plants were very uniform with excellent vigor and great flower coverage. Nice mix of flowers also produce labor savings for growers that don't have to combine other plants to create the same effect.

Pansy 'Joker Mahogany-Gold' from Benary

Vibrant flowers had an impressive contrast for a very bold appearance. Blooms were noted for standing up with their face held upward to create maximum flower power. Plants had excellent winter survival and were very uniform overall.

Viola 'Admire® Deep Purple Face' from Benary

The rich, velvet purple flower color was very impressive. Prolific blooming and a mounded growth habit made a great looking plant. Plants were a little more upright and very uniform overall.

2018 CSU Cool Season Trial Results

Posted by James E. Klett, Professor, CSU Department of Horticulture and L.A.

The 2017-18 Cool Season Trial evaluated 121 varieties planted in mid-October 2017 through April 2018. Numerous varieties were selected as top performers by Flower Trial Garden Committee on April 25, 2018.

During the trial, all plants were monitored and observed weekly. They were watered and liquid feed until sprinklers were winterized in early November, then hand watered when soil was dry and temperature above 40ºF. There was some snow cover for about 6 to 8 weeks during the trial period. The top seven are described below. These cool season plants should be considered when planning your fall/spring color displays. They will brighten up your fall into winter displays and winter into spring displays. For more information visit our website, flowertrials.colostate.edu and click on cool season trials.

·         Best of Show Pansy- ‘FreefallXL Purple Face’ from Floranova

Plants were vigorous and sturdy as well as being covered by blooms. White centers really made the dark purple stands out. Vibrant flowers covered the plant all over including not just the top but also sides of plant. This entry also won the Best Trialing Pansy category.

·         Best Light Blue Pansy- Pansy Inspire® Plus Exp. Marina Improved from Benary 

Plants were very uniform and blooms covered the top as well as on the sides. The light blue color was around the outer edge of the flower followed by a band of white and a dark purple/blue center created a great combination of colors. A dainty appearance is created by the unique flower color combined with slightly ruffled petal edge.

·         Best White Pansy- Cats™ White from Benary 

Plants were noted for impressive flower power and a nice uniform growth habit. Attractive purple whiskers added interest to the slightly primrose colored flowers with a splash of yellow in the center. The color of this pansy would brighten up any landscape border or container planting.

·         Best Yellow Pansy- Spring Matrix™ Yellow Improved from Pan American Seed 

The bright yellow flowers were very abundant and eye catching as they were well above the foliage for maximum flower power. Clear yellow flowers had no markings so color really popped.  The abundant blooms were also noted for being weather resistant and maintained their shape.

·         Best of Show Viola- Viola Endurio® Blue Yellow with Purple Wing from Syngenta 

 

Plants were highly rated for great vigor and uniformity. Vibrant flowers were a combination of three different colors. Varying shades of dark purple, violet and yellow created a lot of interest and although flower color was variable the overall result was very captivating. A spreading habit makes it best massed in beds or dripping out of a container. This entry also won the Best Novelty Viola category.

·         Best Light Blue Viola- Bel Viso Marina Improved from Floranova   

Plants had a very nice mounding growth habit. The flowers were very abundant on uniform plants. The light blue flower with white centers had a smaller dark blotch for a unique eye. Its tidy and uniform growth habit makes it great for tight spaces, narrow boarders and window boxes or tucked into a rock garden. 

·          Best Yellow Viola- Bel Viso Yellow from Floranova

   

The vibrant blooms were a unique shade of yellow and had small dark whiskers. Flowers seemed to be slightly larger than others in this category.  The vigorous plants looked like a bouquet of prolific yellow flowers.  

Cool Season Trial Garden Winners

Posted by James E. Klett, Professor and Extension Landscape Horticulturist

The 2016-17 Colorado State University Cool Season Trials are completed and the winners have been announced.  In this trial we evaluated 119 different varieties of pansies and Violas for their performance in the fall of 2016 and winter and spring of 2017.  We evaluated them on April 19, 2017 and sixteen varieties were given high honors.  Overall, the Cool Season Trial was probably the best one we had in the past ten years.  Plants were planted in October 2017, watered and fertilized initially and hand watered throughout the winter when temperatures were above 40° F and when there was no snow cover.  The plants still look excellent and we will keep them in the trials till after Memorial Day 2017.  We then will remove them since we need the space for our annual flower trials.

Five of the outstanding varieties in this trial include:

Best of Show Pansy – ‘Cool Wave Morpho’ from Pan American Seed

This pansy stole the show in our trial with vibrant flower colors which were a striking contrast between blue and yellow and were held up high for easy viewing.  The flowers were numerous totally covering the plant which attributed to the larger spreading growth habit.  The entire Cool Wave Series was noted to have exceptional vigor and flower power but ‘Cool Wave Morpho’ was considered the best of the series.

Best Yellow Pansy – ‘Matrix Yellow’ Improved by Pan American Seed

The huge flowers alone draws attention to this plant.  The clear yellow flower creates this plant.  The clear yellow flower creates an array of bright and sunny looking flowers.  This pansy would brighten up any landscape in the winter and early spring.

Best Purple Pansy – ‘Inspire Plus Denim’ by Benary

This pansy had a unique flower color which was shades of blue and purple on sturdy stems with excellent green foliage.  This pansy had an attractive face with eyes adding character to upward facing flowers.

Best of Show Viola – ‘Endurio Blue Yellow with Purple Wing’ by Syngenta

The spreading growth habit makes this viola very attractive for borders and nostalgic looking flowers that bring back the idea of old-school violas.  The eye catching blue yellow with purple wing flower color is guaranteed to make everyone feel happy.  It was also designated as the “Best Novelty” Viola.

Best White Viola – ‘Admire White’ by Benary

This viola demonstrates a uniform and tidy growth habit with a petite flower size.  Flower are a pure white and very floriferous.

These are just five of the fifteen winners and a complete listing can be viewed on flowertrials.colostate.edu and click on the Cool Season Trial tab.

You will want to include some of these varieties as you plan your cool season garden for the 2017-18 season.

2015-16 Cool Season Trials Yield Top Picks for Off Season Color

Posted by James E. Klett, Professor, Colorado State University, Department of Horticulture and Landscape Architecture.

One hundred and sixteen varieties were evaluated in the 2015-16 Cool Season Trials from planting in mid-October 2015 through April 2016. At the end of the observations, eight plants were selected by the Annual Trial Garden Committee as top-rated performers. All varieties were monitored and observed weekly during the trial period. Plants were watered when the soil was dry and the temperature above 40 degrees Fahrenheit, but we had good snow cover for about two months of the trial period.  The eight winners are listed below.

Best of Show Pansy

Cool Wave^® Frost from Pan American. This is a spreading type of pansy and would be excellent for hanging baskets. This variety had good flower cover producing many blooms in a multi-color pastel blue and white.

Best Blue/Violet Pansy

Inspire^® Plus Marina from Benary. This pansy had a soft blue color with a contrasting eye of golden yellow. This is a traditional more upright type pansy with a very uniform habit with short pedicels and upward facing flowers.

Best Yellow Pansy

Freefall^® Golden Yellow from Flora Nova. This is again a spreading variety that would be excellent for baskets. The flowers are a clear golden yellow with prominent darker whiskers in center flower. It again provided excellent flower cover over the entire plant.

Best Orange Pansy

Spring Matrix^® Orange Deep from Pan American. This is a new category for 2015-16 since we had a lot of orange pansy entries. It is a traditional more upright growing pansy with deep orange, frilly flowers. This variety overwintered extremely well.

Best Violas

Pan American Seed Company’s Sorbet^® XP Series dominated in each of the categories in this year’s cool season trial.

Best of Show and Best Blue Violet Category

Sorbet^® XP Beaconsfield Improved won in both of these categories because of its eye-catching bicolor viola with a deep blue/violet center that faded to a lighter blue/violet with a nice bright orange eye. It had excellent flower cover and overall would add great curb appeal.

Best Yellow Viola Category

Sorbet^® XP Yellow Blotch from Pan American. The flower color was a deep yellow with a nice chocolate blotch. It had very uniform growth habit with strong flower stems and a very even flower cover.

Best White Viola Category

Sorbet^® XP White Blotch. This variety had a very uniform and consistent growth habit with many flowers with very large flowers for a viola. The flower color was white with a bluish blush.

Best Novelty Viola

This is also a new class this year with Sorbet^® XP Orange Jump Up winning the honor. Flowers were a stunning contrast of deep violet and vibrant orange and flowers showed no sign of fading.