Members of The Garden Center Group presented Retailers Choice Awards for 15 products to 14 companies during Cultivate’25 earlier this month in Columbus, OH. To determine the winners, a group of garden retailers walked the trade show floor and selected their favorite new products they think would be of interest to garden center customers.
1 of 15
Hydrangea m. ‘Haba Soft Pink’ (Ball Seed)
2 of 15
Dahlia Dalaya Lace and Venti Bi-Color Series (Selecta One)
3 of 15
Rudbeckia ‘Solar Sisters’ (Bloomin’ Easy)
4 of 15
Brunnera m. ‘Frost King’ (Darwin Perennials)
5 of 15
Cortaderia selloana ‘Day1 Tiny Pampa’ (Dig Plant Company)
6 of 15
Begonia ‘I’Conia Bacio Lemon’ (Dümmen Orange)
7 of 15
Lilium – Asiatic Lily Looks ‘Tiny Massive’ (Growing Colors)
8 of 15
Hydrangea m. ‘Centennial Ruby’ (Monrovia Nursery)
9 of 15
Ajuga reptans ‘Princess Leia’ (North Carolina Farms/Concept Plants)
10 of 15
Azalea ‘Encore Autumn Kiss’ (Plant Development Services Inc.)
11 of 15
Caladium ‘Heart to Heart Midnight Oil’ (Proven Winners)
12 of 15
Climb-itt Climbing Poles, Stakes, Wire and Clips (Proven Winners – LeafJoy)
13 of 15
Catharanthus hybrid Soiree Flamenco Electric Salmon Eye & Plum Velvet (Suntory Flowers/SunFire Nurseries)
14 of 15
Tomato ‘Partyball’ and ‘Akoya’ (Syngenta Flowers)
15 of 15
Petunia ‘Fun House Black Widow’ (Syngenta Flowers)
Check out the complete list of winners below, and see each product in the slideshow on this page.
Hydrangea m. ‘Haba Soft Pink’ (Ball Seed)
Have you ever seen a Hydrangea macrophylla that was perfect for a hanging basket? This new, floriferous Hydrangea is a well-branched variety with many double flowers that cascade to create a phenomenal hanging basket. The retailers quickly knew this is a totally new option for blooms they never see in hanging baskets. With normal pH adjustments, Soft Pink can transform to Soft Blue. Ballseed.com
Dahlia Dalaya Lace and Venti Bi-Color Series (Selecta One)
Retailers were drawn to these two series of Dahlias, both with multiple color options and the different look between Dalaya and Venti. The new Dalaya Lace additions feature big blooms and exotic bicolors that charm with awesome retail appeal. An example is Pink Lace, with bold, pink flowers with white petal tips that bloom all season and are a magnet for butterflies and birds. The new Venti additions are a uniform, vigorous series of double-flowered dahlias that brings a broad range of core colors and exciting bicolors to the market. Selectanorthamerica.com
Rudbeckia ‘Solar Sisters’ (Bloomin’ Easy)
This unique Rudbeckia is a magnet for human eyes as well as pollinators and is hardy in Zones 7-9 and features large double blooms that open in a bright, sunny yellow with touches of orange, then gradually deepen to a rich copper as cooler nights set in. Expect nonstop flower power from June straight through to the first frost. Bloomineasyplants.com
Brunnera m. ‘Frost King’ (Darwin Perennials)
King is certainly the perfect word to be describing this new Brunnera — its king-size leaves are amazing. Frost King features extra-large leaves with a strong pattern of silver with dark green veins and it also has bright-blue flowers as a bonus in Spring. Darwin was also promoting that deer don’t like it Darwinperennials.com
Cortaderia selloana ‘Day 1 Tiny Pampa’ (Dig Plant Company)
Have you ever seen a Pampas Grass that is only 2 feet tall — in flower? This is it. A true dwarf, Tiny Pampa is absolutely the smallest Cortaderia on the market today; only about 2 feet tall, in flower. It also does not have the sharp texture of its large family members. Tiny Pampa flowers abundantly, even as a one- or two-year-old plant. Ideal for small spaces, patio gardens, and even large containers. Digplantco.com
Begonia ‘I’Conia Bacio Lemon’ (Dümmen Orange)
It’s easy to see why retailers would be drawn to this new Lemon color hybrid in the I’Conia Bacio series. Brilliant colors pop against deep-green foliage in this uniform plant that features lots of medium-to-large blooms. Soft yellow, double flower on dark-green foliage. It is a beautiful upright variety with a slight cascade, ideal for patio containers, hanging baskets, borders, and landscapes. Features large blooms on top of dark-green leaves. Heat and stress tolerant. na.dummenorange.com
Lilium – Asiatic Lily Looks ‘Tiny Massive’ (Growing Colors)
This is not AI at work — it is real. Tiny Massive is an amazing color combination of stunning bicolor of black-yellow flowers with a large bud presentation, with three to six large flowers per stem. Retailers were wowed by its big character, and they discussed how it would be a fantastic fall sales item. Growingcolors.com
Hydrangea m. ‘Centennial Ruby’ (Monrovia Nursery)
Retailers were drawn to this special release to celebrate Monrovia’s 100th anniversary, and the flowers of this hydrangea are simply stunning. The rich ruby-red mophead blooms deepen in color as the long-lasting flowers age, sometimes taking on almost black hues. This rebloomer has exceptionally sturdy strong stems and thick green leaves in a compact character. Monrovia.com
Ajuga reptans ‘Princess Leia’ (North Carolina Farms/Concept Plants)
This Ajuga has a dramatic contrast on uniquely patterned leaves with green and white variegated foliage that is crowned with deep purple flowers in spring. North Carolina Farms is a liner producer and wanted to give credit to Concept Plants who introduced ‘Princess Leia’. ncfarmsinc.com
Azalea ‘Encore Autumn Kiss’ (Plant Development Services Inc.)
This new addition to the Encore Azalea Series has been described as possibly the very best ever Autumn Kiss wows with truly unique bicolor blooms with a deep color center and outside edge, and of course it flowers heavily and reblooms season after season. The gorgeous semi-double blooms glow on a compact, rounded habit with Autumn Kiss maturing to 3 to 4 feet tall and wide. Plantdevelopment.com
Caladium ‘Heart to Heart Midnight Oil’ (Proven Winners)
Have you ever seen an oil slick in a plant leaf? That may be an exaggeration, but the name Midnight Oil tells the story for this totally unique new caladium. This near-black, strap style Heart to Heart caladium blends deep green and red tones on arrow-shaped leaves with undulating margins. Though it grows in part shade, you’ll find the coloration is darkest when exposed to direct sunlight, appearing dramatic charcoal black from a distance. Provenwinners.com
Climb-itt Climbing Poles, Stakes, Wire and Clips (Proven Winners – LeafJoy)
This is a new approach for plant supports made from elephant grass and potato skins to create a sustainable choice in climbing and vining houseplant poles. These 100% plastic- and chemical-free supports are designed with climbing plants’ natural habitat in mind. By offering the natural, bark-like texture plants would find in the wild, Climb-itt poles attract aerial roots, creating a plant-to-plant relationship that helps them thrive. While Climb-itt, poles will last for years indoors, they are completely biodegradable and will break down in the landfill. They’re truly an eco-friendly alternative to traditional supports. Provenwinners.com/Climb-itt
Catharanthus hybrid Soiree Flamenco Electric Salmon Eye & Plum Velvet (Suntory Flowers/SunFire Nurseries)
These two new colors in the Soiree series are stunning. Soiree Flamenco aren’t like any other vinca. They put on a fashion show in landscape beds, baskets, and containers with fringed, ruffled petals and striking bicolors. The Plum Velvet actually has the look and shimmer of real velvet fabric. And Electric Salmon Eye has a dark flower center, gradually transitioning to softer salmon toward the edges. Both are dramatic color for a different twist for Vincas. Suntoryflowers.com
Tomato ‘Partyball’ and ‘Akoya’ (Syngenta Flowers)
It takes a lot for a tomato to grab the attention of our retailers, and here’s two that really did. Partyball is a heavy-cropping variety with sweet, cherry-sized fruits and determinate growth habit. It is proven resistance to tomato mosaic virus (ToMV) strains 1 and 2 and features built-in tolerance to late blight. It also maintains plant health and productivity throughout the growing season. And Akoya features a glossy black color which matures to red with black shoulders. One exceptional trait of ‘Akoya’ is its ‘stay green’ characteristic. Unlike many other tomato varieties that gradually yellow with age, the leaves of ‘Akoya’ will remain a vibrant green throughout the plant’s life. Syngentaflowers-us.com
Petunia ‘Fun House Black Widow’ (Syngenta Flowers)
The idea of designing around specific colors for spotlighting during particular seasons is gaining traction, and for Fall and Halloween, here’s a petunia that fits right in. Fun House Black Widow is right at home with its spooky, slick and alluring color. This new color in the Fun House series is versatile, like the basic black dress, which looks good paired with just about any color. Syngentaflowers-us.com
The Garden Center Group focuses on business solutions designed to help garden centers increase sales, improve operations, and retain more profit. With a support team of leading industry professionals offering business management, financial, marketing, HR services and more, The Group offers retailers innovative resources to maximize their potential to succeed. For information about The Garden Center Group and the services it provides, visit www.thegardencentergroup.com.