After an exhausting week on the road – and in between passenger elbows and what passes for airline refreshments – I finally have time to reflect upon Scott Beuerlein and my experience at California Spring Trials last week, including how fascinating, engaging and educational the process was despite unpredictability weather conditions.
CAST Sign For those of you just tuning in, a full description of CAST (commonly known as PacTrials) and what we hoped to see can be found in my pre-road trip post here. Also important is noting that many of the new plants we saw will only become available at stores come 2024.
Where they end up (big box or independent garden centers) depends heavily on what buyers and brokers from those entities view as exciting, impulse-triggering products easily shippable by them.
Not to be overlooked, these plants are being showcased at their finest through excellent marketing efforts and have undergone trials, though some might still be in early testing stages; consumers should be wary that certain products could vanish from stores or gardens unexpectedly after only a few years in stores or gardens; our opinions reflect only what we observed; full judgement will come with time.
As is often the case, Scott will have different thoughts than me; however, when reviewing each night on our GardenRant Instagram feed after sipping on some tongue-loosening gin and tonic (you can find those posts here), we were in remarkable harmony about which plants caught our interest versus which ones we ignored altogether. Much to my dismay, Scott favors pink (in particular its insipid form found mostly in baby departments and My Little Pony marketing materials), though recently he has come around by discovering orange might become his new pink; something California Spring Trials almost overflowing with.
But First: the Weather. One of the more peculiar features of our trip was its weather – no doubt disappointing for growers looking to present their warm season plants at their finest and frustrating reception crews navigating hailstorms and fierce winds.
Aloe in Rain
This charming aloe plant from Scott’s sister’s garden in San Jose says it all: it represents rainy conditions perfectly.
Once again, after visiting my California family in early spring and reveling in their warmth before returning home to a grey brown Mid-Atlantic March, it was strange for me to experience snow flurries while Virginia lovers likely indulged in spring cocktails while basking in the sun. By the time we reached California’s Central Coast however, the sun had started shining again, and I could pull out my sandals once more for those last remaining days of my visit.
Thank you to all the companies for making our time with them so enjoyable, despite some challenging weather. From guided tours and lunch to afternoon drinks and even mid-day tipple offerings – they truly made our trip exceptional.
Scott and I enjoyed Benary’s incredible hospitality and are deeply appreciative.
Where to Start with Nine Stops Suffice it to say that trying to fit nine stops (some with multiple companies), 1235 photos and numerous side journeys into a post would be both unwieldy and tedious for both myself and you – although you could certainly check out our daily four minute wrap ups on Instagram which were much more entertaining for us). I prefer hitting some highlights now while Scott can fill in any gaps later.
At my count, over thirty companies visited. Proven Winners was conspicuously missing from this year’s roster; their focus on tropical lines has been particularly exciting over the last two years and I wanted to know if anything exciting was on tap for 2024.
At Dummen Orange in San Luis Obispo, Scott and I found ourselves agreeing on some exciting yet sad news: their debut of Revelation(tm), an innovative double flowered Dahlia series with bronze foliaged double flowered Dahlia cultivars featuring deep black flower buds with bright colors that were head-turning as well as strong stems – something no ordinary Dahlia could match! It truly made an impressionful statement at that event.
Unfortuantely, this series will replace the beloved Mystic(tm) series; one in particular – Mystic(tm) ‘Illusion’ is beloved to both Scott and me due to its resilience, color and excellent garden habit. Its stems are strong enough to support their single yellow flowers without needing support; yet not too thick that they snap in light winds and often weave their way between other plantings in delightful fashion. Though not compact itself, its main aim of the Revelation(tm) series was containers where it looked magnificent!
So while I look forward to growing Revelation(tm) Yellow and Soft Orange Dahlias (which may even outdo my traditional favorite, David Howard), Mystic(tm) Illusion will no longer be in trade; therefore I shall treat its tubers like gold bars for as long as possible. With each patent comes another pass-along plant!
Benary was an incredible stop, featuring their brand-new monumental wax begonia “Stonehedge(tm),” which stood out in a long greenhouse filled with some top-of-the-line container combinations and stunning Lubega(tm) and Lubega Power(tm) dahlias that truly stood out. Of course there were other varieties too but those two really stood out!
Benary’s Stonehedge(tm) landscape begonias (which in turn are larger than their predecessor, Big(r), stand 40-48 inches tall with bronze foliage and light pink flowers to form an eye-catching contrast that’s not overwhelming. Ideal for whiskey barrels on decks or as colorful hedges throughout a landscape – an attractive new series offering! Very attractive so far.
