Portland, Ore. — Some 45 different plants, all of them new to the market, competed for the adulation of Farwest Trade Show judges at the 2013 New Varieties Showcase. There were trees, shrubs, perennials and annuals boasting interesting shapes, colors, growth habits and many other unique and interesting characteristics. But in the end, only one selection could win the coveted Best in Show award. That winner was Wild Swan™ Anemone (Anemone x 'Macane001' USPP #25132), which was discovered by Elizabeth MacGregor and introduced by Monrovia Growers. It is available for fall or spring delivery from Monrovia in Booth #17037 at the Farwest Show. Wild Swan offers large, white flowers with a striking, lilac-blue color to the back of the petals. It is suitable to sun or part-shade areas with moist, well-drained soil.
“Our judges said they have seen it perform really well in the landscape,” said Ann Murphy, director of marketing for the Oregon Association of Nurseries, which produces the Farwest Show. “It's a good size, and it's not a spreader, so it's very suitable for today's yards and spaces. It's a proven, reliable performer.”
The winner was based on voting by a group of judges, all of them horticultural experts with longtime experience in the green industry. In addtion to the Best in Show winner, they chose four Plants of Merit. They were as follows:
Illumination Flame Digiplexis (Digitalis Illumination Flame USPPP), which was hybridized by Thompson & Morgan, U.K. It is offered by Skagit Gardens (Booth #23037).
Variegated Black Gum (Nyssa sylvatica 'Sheri's Cloud'), which was discovered by Jeff Flanagan in Arkansas. It is offered by Heritage Seedlings Inc. (Booth #9037).
Persian Spire Parrotia (Parrotia persica 'JLColumnar' PPAF), which was discovered by John Lewis and introduced by his nursery, JLPN Inc. It is available from JLPN Inc. (Booth #2049), Bailey Nurseries (Booth #17019), J. Frank Schmidt & Son Co. (Booth #19026), John Holmlund Nursery (Booth #10048), KCK Farms LLC (Booth #12015), Kuenzi Turf & Nursery (#16014), Miles Nursery (Booth #12043), Surface Nursery Inc. (Booth #15043) and Young's Ornamental Nursery (Booth #19063).
Scarlet Ovation Evergreen Huckleberry (Vaccinium ovatum 'Vacsid 1' PPAF), selected and introduced, and available from, Sidhu and Sons Nursery Ltd. (Booth #18057).
These winners, and the other New Varieties Showcase selections, can be viewed in an attractive display at the 2013 Farwest Trade Show, which will be open noon–6 p.m. Friday and noon–4 p.m. Saturday at the Oregon Convention Center, 777 N.E. Martin Luther King Jr. Blvd., Portland. The show is open to all professionals engaged in the nursery industry and related trades, including retail nurseries, wholesale growers, landscapers, landscape designers, and others involved in the green industry. Admission is $10 per person.
People attending the show can weigh in with their own opinions and vote for the People's Choice Awards. The top three People's Choice vote-getters will be announced Monday.
The New Varieties Showcase remains a very popular and unique feature at the Farwest Trade Show. “Every year, growers and retailers eagerly anticipate the new plants that are intr oduced at the New Varieties Showcase," Murphy said. "They consistently tell us the Showcase is a highlight of Farwest. Growers are always looking for new and interesting plants to offer to their garden center customers, and those retailers in turn are always on the lookout for new plants the home gardener won't be able to resist. The New Varieties Showcase offers dozens of new, high-quality selections in one place. It's easy to walk from the showcase right to the grower's booth and place an order for the fall or next spring."
To learn more about the varieties in this year’s New Varieties Showcase at Farwest Show, visit www.FarwestShow.com/nvs.
The Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), based in Wilsonville, represents more than 800 wholesale growers, retailers, landscapers and suppliers. Oregon's ornamental horticulture industry is among the state's largest agricultural commodities, with annual sales of $744 million. Oregon’s nursery industry is a traded sector; nearly 75 percent of the nursery plants grown in Oregon are shipped out of state. For information, visit www.oan.org or call 503-682-5089.
The Farwest Trade Show is produced by the Oregon Association of Nurseries (OAN), a trade organization that represents and serves the interests of the ornamental horticulture industry. Any revenue realized by the OAN is reinvested into the industry through education, research, marketing support and government relations. For more information about the 2013 Farwest Trade Show, visit www.farwestshow.com or call 503-682-5089.
Source: Oregon Association of Nurseries
