Athens Select‚Ñ¢ Launches Four New Landscape Varieties for 2010

Gaillardia ‘Georgia Sunset’ (PPAF) and Gaillardia ‘Georgia Yellow’ (PPAF) (Gaillardia aristata) join Pennisetum ‘Princess Molly’ (PPAF) and Pennisetum ‘Princess Caroline (‘PPAF) (Pennisetum purpureum) as Athens Select™ 2010 plant varieties exceptionally suited for southern landscape gardening.

Athens Select™ markets top-rated plants tested at the UGA Horticulture Trial Gardens, Athens, GA. Further evaluations take place at the Dallas Arboretum and Botanical Garden and the University of TN Gardens in Knoxville. Assessments of trial plants’ ability to withstand the challenges of heat, humidity and drought take place every two weeks throughout the season. Computation of results for best plant standings occurs in the autumn.

Gaillardia Selections

‘Georgia Sunset’ PPAF and’Georgia Yellow’ PPAF are selections of Gaillardia aristata, a native, hardy, drought tolerant perennial found throughout much of the United States. Nicknamed blanket-flower or common gaillardia, the genus name derives from M.Gaillardde Charentonneau, an 18th-century French magistrate and patron of botany.

Both of these Athens Select™ varieties flower in full sun from late spring to autumn. They grow well in mixed container plantings, accent pots and landscape beds. Soil should be moist, but not constantly wet; feed with a well-balanced fertilizer monthly in landscape plantings and twice a month in containers.

These two plant varieties are compact, growing approximately 18″ tall, and producing flowers that each measures almost 2 inches across. They are reliable hardy perennials in plant zones 7b to 11.

‘Georgia Sunset’ (PPAF) produces brilliant gold- and- orange bicolor blossoms that give the impression of lighting up the landscape. According to Athens Select™ information, garden testers, as a group, from coast to coast call this the “best gaillardia I’ve grown.”

‘Georgia Yellow’ (PPAF) comes from the same breeding program as ‘Georgia Sunset’ (PPAF). It produces solid butter-yellow flowers and displays the same cultural habits and growth characteristics that make ‘Georgia Sunset’ (PPAF) a unique choice for southern gardens.

Pennisetum Selections

‘Princess Molly’ (PPAF) and ‘Princess Caroline’ (PPAF) are selections of Pennisetum purpureum, a hardy, drought-tolerant African grass with the common names ornamental Napier grass or elephant grass. They are forms from a breeding program that produced Pennisetum purpureum ‘Prince’ (Pat# 18,509) and ‘Princess'(Pat # 17,772).

‘Prince’ and ‘Princess’ are advances in ornamental grasses because their purple foliage becomes more purple and intense as summer weather gets hotter, instead of fading in the heat as other purple plants do. Athens Select™ test gardeners called ‘Princess’ “an absolute favorite” and a “show-stopper.” They flower only in completely frost-free zones and are reliable hardy perennials in plant zones 8 to 11.

‘Princess Molly’ (PPAF) produces thin, deep burgundy-colored leaves. This ornamental grass grows 14 to 20 inches tall, making it an ideal plant for small landscapes, patios or containers where color and small size are both important. ‘Princess Molly’ (PPAF) grows well as an annual across most of the U. S. and is perennial from plant hardiness zones 8 through 11. It will not flower except in totally frost-free areas. This variety exhibits excellent disease resistance and is tolerant of warm and humid weather.

‘Princess Caroline’ (PPAF) exhibits stunning purple foliage on sturdy plants that mature at about 3 feet with an almost equal spread. It is ideal for larger containers and massing in small landscape beds. ‘Princess Caroline’ is similar to its sister introduction ‘Princess Molly’ in that it grows well as an annual across most of the U. S. and is perennial from plant hardiness zones 8 through 11. It will not flower except in totally frost-free areas. ‘Princess Caroline’ is apparently a shorter version of ‘Princess’ but with better disease resistance and superior hot weather tolerance.

The Athens Select™ Program and Horticulture Trial Gardens at UGA

The Athens Select™ program for commercial plant introduction began in 1999 to offer plants that solve the southern landscape challenges of high heat and humidity. These are plants shared by breeders and distributors with the UGA Horticulture Trial Gardens and chosen by Horticulture Professor Allan Armitage to provide landscape gardeners with plants specifically suited to southern U. S. garden landscapes.

The Gardens at UGA are open all year and are a great source of ideas and information for students, gardeners, and industry professionals. Trial Gardens Open Houses are scheduled for commercial plants people on Tuesday, June 15, 2010, 8-1pm. and for the gardening public on Saturday, July 10, from 8-1pm.