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THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • JULY 2017
FLOWER TRIALS •
Looking For
Colour Inspiration?
2017Annual
Summer Showcase
10th July to28th July2017
Monday to Friday•9am to5pm
Spectacular colour themed gardens
Daily ʻNew Varietyʼ presentations
Inspirational retail ideas
Extensive container & basket trials
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Colour Collections
FLEUROSTAR2018
A calibrachoa variety from theGermanbreeding
companySelectaOne is the newly announcedwinner of
theprestigious FleuroStar award for 2018. This returns
the company to thepedestal it held for 2016, with the
still much talked-about petuniaMidnight Sky. Its double
calibrachoaMiniFamousDoublePinkTasticwill be next
year’s FleuroStar variety. It has very large fully double
flowerswith a colour pattern likely tohave strong appeal
tomany consumers. There are twobicolouredpink and
white circles of inner petals in each flower. The overall
effect is like adouble-flowered versionof someSweet
William varieties, such asDiabundaPurplePicotee, the
very first winner of the FleuroStar award, for 2010. Selecta
Onepublicity speaks of an ‘in-depth colour perception.’
The specimens displayed at Flower Trials locations – ten
of them -were verywell furnishedwith flowers, and at
retail would tempt impulsepurchases. Importantly from
aproducer’s standpoint, the variety is early-flowering
andmildew-tolerant. The choice ofMiniFamousDouble
PinkTastic from five candidate varietieswasmadeby an
international panel of judges. They hadbeen chosen to
provide abalance of views among retailers, producers,
marketing specialists andmediapeople. Each judge
What’snew?Plentyhere in theChannel Island
Plants’ display.
works independently of all the others, and returns his
or her scores to the Fleuroselect secretariat. The result
was announced at apresentation ceremony on the third
eveningof the Flower Trials. The other competitors for the
award included thedahlia LaBellaMaggioreRoseBicolour
fromBeekenkampPlants, the interspecific sunflower
Sunfinity fromSyngenta, and another calibrachoa, Conga
Sunset Kiss fromFlorensis. Therewas also an edible
variety that offeredornamental value, thepepperMamba
Red fromPrudac. The triumphant breeding company,
SelectaOne, specialises in vegetatively-propagated
ornamentals. Its varieties arewidely known in theUK, with
its Trixi combinations, three cuttings eachof adifferent
variety rooted together inoneplug, attractingparticularly
widespread interest. For 2018, not only does the company
againhave the FleuroStar Award, but following extensive
international trials last year it also has one of just three
varieties awarded a Fleuroselect GoldMedal. This is for
another calibrachoa,MiniFamousDoublePinkMania.
Did you attend the trials - ormaybe not!
Wewouldbe interested in your comments either way.
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