Plant Pairings For Spring Pop

Ellen C. Wells

Pre-planted mixed combination containers are an easy solution to frenetic spring weekends. What are some of your Spring 2020 options? These companies share some of their latest offerings.

ColorMagic features primary colors with upgraded genetics for long-lasting color, including Calibrachoa Cabaret Deep Yellow, Lobelia Early Springs Dark Blue and Verbena Firehouse Red.

5 Alarm Chili pairs some hot and spiced varieties (if in name only). Three Flamethrower coleus varieties—Chili Pepper, Habanero and Spiced Curry.

These Selecta One Trixi combos are improvements for 2020, so you’ve seen these color combinations before. But now they feature upgraded genetics that help the combo last longer into the season with non-flower-cycling components.

Out of the Blue features Bidens Namid Early Yellow, Lobelia Magadi Dark Blue and Verbena Lascar White. It’s a soft, airy way to incorporate Pantone’s Classic Blue into the outdoor décor.

Walk On a Cloud includes Lobelia Magadi Basket White, Petunia Starlet White and Verbena Lascar White. White is the in-demand design choice for non-gardeners looking for balcony or patio livescapes.

DuraBella Combination Program

Danziger is introducing a new combination program this year, and California Spring Trials attendees will be able to see the colorful flower pairings in person. New to the North American market, the DuraBella Combination program features curated combos that pair well-matched and well-behaved varieties to create stunning combos consumers will love. These two- and three-plant recipes work together to create long-lasting baskets that perform throughout the season. No more eminent domination by one variety in these mixes. The combos come as unrooted cuttings.
Pictured: Danziger’s Hunka Burning Love DuraBella combo would be perfect for summer holidays if popped into a Classic Blue container.

Proven Winners provides consumers with so many colorful combo ideas billed as their National Recipes. The combo labeled Neptune plays off a blue theme and includes Lobelia Laguna Sky Blue, Calibrachoa Superbells Yellow Chiffon, Verbena Superbena Stormburst and Salvia Rockin Playin’ the Blues. Check out their website NationalPlantOfTheYear.com for this year’s crop of mixed container recipes. Pictured: Neptune, one of Proven Winners’ 2020 National Recipes.

The Herb-A-Licious program launched in 2019, but spring 2020 marks its first time at retail. Attract consumers with the insect-repelling combo called Buzz Off, a mix of Monarda Balmy Rose, Basil Kasar, Nepeta Junior Walker, Mint Pineapple Variegated and Thyme Coccineus. Buzz Off is one of six herb and perennial combos in the program. Pictured: Darwin Perennials’ Buzz Off combo in its Herb-A-Licious program.

Plug & Play Combos gets at least two new mixes for 2020.

Ocean Breezes combines Pansy Cool Wave Blue Skies, Purple and White for an early-spring basket that uses on-trend blues.

Sun Sea and Rosé mixes Echinacea PowWow Wild Berry, Gaillardia Mesa Peach and Lavender Blue Spear to create a pollinator magnet using seed perennials.

Dümmen Orange

Confetti Garden Calibrachoa Bloomtastic Summer Solstice
This is an amazing summer mix with Dümmen Orange’s best performing calibrachoa varieties. The Bloomtastic series is known for massive flower size and the best heat tolerance in summer trials across North America. The addition of Bloomtastic Yellow last year made this bright and summer mix possible. Pictured top: Bloomtastic Yellow in the Confetti Garden Calibrachoa Bloomtastic Summer Solstice combo really makes this container really pop.

Garden Party Aria Combinations
The Aria series of angelonia was bred specifically for combination planters. Large flowers on very full, but medium-sized plants are the perfect thriller component for patio combinations. These four new combos showcase Arias for exceptional summer combinations.  Pictured left to right:  Habanera, Queen of the Night, Senza Mama and Yankee Diva.