Part II — top 2016 annual trial performers

The Relentless Gardener
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Each year at Colorado State University, Professor James Klett of landscape horticulture, ornamentals and nursery management has a committee of professionals in the green industry rate annuals in their trial gardens.  
    The list is extensive, so there will be a series of articles in this column to highlight the best performers of 2016. As catalogs come to your mailbox this year, you can look to see how you can acquire these, if you wish, for your garden.
    The groups within this article will start alphabetically with annuals starting with G through P. In other words, geraniums to portulaca.
    If you wish to view the photos that go with each flower the link is as follows: http://www.flowertrials.colostate.edu. I encourage you to go to the internet and look up the photos. Some of these annuals are truly stunning.
    Each one that is listed has a breeding company or breeder’s name after the name of the flower such as Proven Winner or Ball Flora Plant. That is the original source of the seed, not the retailer or wholesale seed company.  But it does help if you wish to acquire some of these when you make the request when asking a greenhouse or nursery.
    —Best Geranium (interspecific) — “Calliope® Dark Red” from Syngenta. Impressive overall visual effect with robust plants and large flower heads. Intense color held strong enough in the high light of Colorado. Growth habit was exceptionally uniform.
    —Best Geranium (zonal) — “Brocade Fire Night” from Dummen Orange. Coral-colored flowers appeared bright against dark foliage created by a heavy reverse zonation. Plants were uniform and covered by flowers.
    —Best Impatiens — “Big Bounce™ Lilac” from Selecta. This is a multi-year winner due to its dependable vigorous plants which continually were covered in flowers. Plants had a perfect mounding growth habit.
 

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