April 2, 2020
Trial garden favourites
2019 trial garden favourites from Milton and Guelph, Ont., sites.
BY RODGER TSCHANZ, UNIVERSITY OF GUELPH TRIAL GARDEN MANAGER
ANNUAL
Aromance Pink nemesia
The flower form of nemesia resembles a small snapdragon, with two tightly-closed lips and a lower lip usually tipped in bright yellow. The bright yellow spot acts as a target for pollinators, allowing access to the nectar inside. Petals can range from shades of pink and blue to red, yellow and orange. In Aromance Pink, we have a biocolour flower, with the lower lip being light pink and the upper displaying dark pink shades. What really stood out in the trial for this cultivar was fragrance. Whether growing in the greenhouse or in the field, the fragrance was noticeable from three metres or more.
ANNUAL
Sunsatia Cranberry Red nemesia
In contrast to Aromance Pink, the nemesia Sunsatia Cranberry Red has no noticeable fragrance. It does have an incredible show of intense red bloom throughout summer and into the fall.
ANNUAL
Superbena Sparkling Amethyst verbena
This verbena has a strong bushy trailing habit, which means it performs well when you are trying to fill in part-sun to sunny beds. It also works well in containers where you are looking for a colourful and vigorous spiller. Superbena Sparkling Amethyst has a two-toned flower composed of light and dark purple petals. This verbena bloomed consistently, well throughout the summer, regardless of weather conditions. On trial garden open house days, visitors chose it as a favourite.
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EDIBLE
Everleaf Emerald Towers basil
This Genovese-type of basil is propagated from seed and has a strong upright columnar growth habit, particularly well-suited for container growing. It produces dark green glossy leaves and is noticeably slower to flower, by many weeks, than similar basil cultivars. Since flowering is usually is associated with bitter flavour compounds in basil, this selection will produce greater quantities of culinary-grade foliage than others.
PERENNIAL