As product representatives, Chris Fifo and I understand that perennials present diverse challenges – especially for new growers looking to break into the perennial market. Have no fear! These next few blog posts from Chris and me will highlight several easy-to-grow perennials that are not only stress-free to produce, but they’re also Top Perennial Picks that hit major perennial classes and appeal to today’s garden shopper.
For this blog, see three of my top picks below to help greenhouse businesses be less hesitant to jump into growing perennial products. But you know what else helps eliminate fear? Step-by-step guidance from our culture experts! And we have that knowledge for you at our Darwin Perennials University archives of videos and tools. Chris, Seth and I take you from propagation through finishing, with the added bonus of several of the training videos translated in Spanish to help your full team stay on top of key culture milestones.
Nepeta Whispurr™ Blue
• It’s a First-Year-Flowering perennial! (Learn more about our special scheduling tool down below.)
• The Whispurr series works great as a landscape plant. It’s fantastic in mass-plantings and it doesn’t lodge open like the standard comparison on the market ('Walker’s Low').
• The plants feature large flower panicles – up to 8 inches / 20cm!
• PLUS it’s a phenomenal pollinator plant, attracting bees by the dozens.
Coreopsis UpTick™
• Another First-Year-Flowering perennial (see, we’ve made it so simple to program!).
• This series is quick-and-easy to finish and is perfect for 2.5 qt. up to gallon production.
• The UpTick series is known for its bigger flowers and more flowers than the market competition.
• For the home gardener, UpTick offers disease resistance for reliable performance and the plant doesn’t lodge open, retaining its tidy appearance.
Leucanthemum 'Whitecap'
• Yes, we’ll say it again ... it’s a First-Year-Flowering perennial. This means no vernalization needed to bulk-up and flower.
• Whitecap is a big improvement over the industry standard – traditional white daisy 'Snowcap'
• It’s early to flower and blooms two weeks earlier than 'Snowcap', too. So much to love!
• Another great feature: The plants are sturdy and compact, which helps them hold up well at retail – putting their best daisy-faces forward to appeal to consumers.
With all this talk-up about First-Year-Flowering perennial options, we want to promote once again the cool new tool offered by Darwin Perennials. www.FirstYearFloweringTool.com is your easy scheduling tool! Just pick the sales week and the system counts back to provide key culture touchpoints to help you program perennial color for your customers. Bookmark it! It’s all online and mobile-friendly, too.
Stay tuned for more Top Perennial Picks from me and Chris – and feel free to contact us with YOUR production obstacles. Your perennial freak-out could be the next educational series from Darwin Perennials to help you go from stress to success.