14
THECOMMERCIAL GREENHOUSEGROWER • MARCH 2017
• IPM FLOWERS
one. Bred by Baumschule Artmeyer, here is amini-tree,
perhaps for the landing or the porch.
In the bedding andbalcony plant category, the awardwent
toBrocade FireNight, a zonal pelargonium introduction from
DummenOrange. The foliage – dark bronzewith a green
margin - contributed importantly to its success.
The ‘TubPlants’ category is for plants suited to larger patio
containers. Here a new variety for theMandevillaSundaville
collectionMini Scarlet was thewinner. Mini Scarlet was
entered byMNP Flowers (formerlyMoerheimNewPlants).
The plant produces ‘petals’ that are narrower than in other
Sundaville varieties, giving the flower a unique star-like effect.
Hibiscus rosa-sinensis Petit Orangewas probably the showiest
plant in the competition, andwon in the FloweringHouse Plant
category. It is fromGraff Breeding inDenmark, who claim it is
also suitable for tubs outdoors.
In the cut flower category, it was the alstroemeria varietyWhite
Pearls that took the award. The flowers are very reduced in size
and simple in form, but very numerous in each inflorescence.
Bredby Konst Alstroemeria, it is trendily different, looking right
inmodern interiors.
Also trendily different was thewinner of a special prize,
the rose variety SheraldaGreenShow. It was verymuch a
speciality item for progressive florists, with a cluster of leaves
at the tips of long, spiral stems. It was bred by Twelve Energy
Societa Agricola from Italy.
For the first time this year, visitors to the IPM Innovation
Showcasewere invited to vote for their choice of themost
arresting novelty. On the last day of the show, the Ice n’ Roses
hellebore trio fromHeuger was announced as the onewith the
most public support.
On the floor
British growers of ornamentals under glass and plastic found
plenty of exhibitors very familiar to them through trade shows
like Four Oaks, through visiting representatives, through the
trade press and even, via catalogues through the post. And
inmany stands on the show floor, they found familiar faces in
attendance, British, Dutch andGerman,
Young plant supplierswere verywell represented. Examples
included Florensis, Syngenta andSchneider YoungPlants.
Some of their competitors in theUK, not themselves IPM
exhibitors, are known for close associationwithmajor breeding
companies that were at Essen. TheNeweyGroup, for one, is
theUKdistributor for DummenOrange, which had one of the
largest IPM stands of all. And through theNewey company,
Eagle Plants, tissue-cultured varieties are available from
Vitroflora, one of over thirty exhibitors fromPoland.
IPM is importantly used as a showcase for new varieties and
new concepts that had first seen the light of day as brand new
during the previous growing season. Amongmany examples
in January this year were theArgyranthemum hybrid series
Grandaisy fromMNP Flowers, and varieties inSyngenta’s viola
series Endurio, Deltini andRocky. Also new fromSyngenta
were introductions for the petunia series Sanguna Patio and
the verbena series Lanai. The recently introduced trailing pansy
seriesCool Wave, fromPanAmericanSeed, was foregrounded
on its stand.
FitzgeraldNurseries from Ireland had a new ornamental grass,
namedEvercream, an addition to the EverColor range. Elsner
PAC had a new regal pelargoniumSmiley, and a new dark red
Growcoons fromKlasmannDeilmann. These
containers arebiodegradable.
