Georgia summers can be tough on landscape plants . That ’s why the University of Georgia Trial Gardens look until the end of the summer to unblock its annual list of best - do varieties .
Each twelvemonth the gardens ’ staff recognise the plant life that well weathered Georgia ’s warmth and humidity with the Trial Gardens ’ Classic City Awards . This year , after a soggy commencement to the summertime and a very ironical end , the staff selected 12 plant that were bad than most , aver Brandon Coker , handler of the gardens .
In addition to being a place to showcase fresh plants for the gardening world , the gardens assist an important intent in the research and development of unexampled decorative miscellany .
Gaillardia SpinTop , ' Red Starburst ' , from Dummen Orange , is among the Trial Gardens ' Classic City Award success .
The adeptness provides varying , real - domain conditions for quiz new varieties develop by commercial-grade nurseries and donnish stock breeder . This examination provides third - political party , verified data for consumer , retail merchant and plant breeders .
Trial plant are set every spring and are find out carefully throughout the summertime to square up which industrial plant will make the cut and be sold to Southeastern gardeners the following time of year .
Each summer presents its own unparalleled challenge , and this class , the season provide a mixing of abundant rain followed by almost no rain at all .
“ This class we had heat energy quick in the time of year , and then during the calendar month of May , it rain down 18 years true . I just knew everything was going to become flat , and we would be left with just a bunch of smoke in the garden , ” Coker said . “ But gratefully , these plant life were so unassailable , the vast absolute majority force through amercement . ”
The staff did have to be diligent about water the plants during the 2d one-half of the summertime .
When searching for Classic City Award winners , Coker order he looks for flora that can still wow him , and the gardens ’ visitors , between bloom bike .
“ Some of the standout groupings of plants this year were flame nettle , calibrachoa , salvia and geranium , ” Coker say . “ Each of those four group had an assortment of very high evaluation . But in the end , the plant that we choose to advance the Classic City Awards are the plant that give us the most beauty over our very long growing time of year . ”
This yr ’s laurels winners admit :
For full descriptions of this class ’s Classic City Award winners and information on next year ’s trials , visitugatrial.hort.uga.edu .
Source : University of Georgia ( Merritt Melancon )
