The Flowers You Need: 2006 Plant Trial Winners

Attended the Dallas Arboretum’s Field Day Wednesday morning where Jimmy Turner, director of horticulture research, revealed the results of their trial garden plants–the plants that stood up to the Texas sun, wind, rain, and ice and still looked lovely. Next summer look for all your neighbors to suddenly sprout the Pride of Barbados; the already popular pentas have a winner with their butterfly deep pink. Turner says peppers of all kinds are trendy, and one of the crowd faves is the ornamental pepper black pearl (in fact, plants and flowers with a touch of black are all the rage at the moment; see rudbekia, black violas, and queen of the night tulips for examples). For some 2006 trial garden winners and winners of the people’s choice awards, hit the jump. (There are 3000 plants in the trial, so I’m only including 2 lists for obvious reasons.)
2006 Trial Garden Winners- North Texas Winner’s Circle Awards

Carex Prairie Fire

Celosia New Look

Lantana Landmark Rose Glow Improved

Lantana Lucky Pot of Gold

Ornamental Pepper Poinsettia (no pic)
Ornamental Pepper NuMex Twilight

Pentas Butterfly Deep Pink (link before jump)
Salvia Mystic Spires Blue

Scaevola Mini Soft Blue

Vinca Nirvana series

People’s Picks 2006

Zinnia Zowie Yellow Flame

Zinnia Uproar Rose

Portulaca Rio Scarlet

Ornamental Pepper Black Pearl (link above)

Petunia Jamboree Light Blue

Petunia Sunray

Celosia New Look (pic in first list)
New Guinea Impatiens Sonic Salmon on Gold

Purple Pineapple Lily

For more winners, go to http://www.dallasplanttrials.org/