LANCASTER, Pa. — Every year, horticultural breeders send their places to the Southeast Agricultural and Research Center (SEAREC), located in Lancaster County, to be grown and evaluated as part of the Penn State Flower Trials.
The results from 2021 were recently released.
Master Gardener Lois Miklas says one of the flowers ranked best in show is a new variety of coleus, called Copperhead.
“It’s a really, deeply serrated leaf, it’s dark burgundy with kind of a...bright green, greenish-gold edge to it," Miklas tells FOX43. "And it’s a really big coleus plant that would look great in its own container.”
Another standout flower available this year: Honeybells.
“It’s a nice little bell shaped flower," says Miklas. "It has lots and lots of these little flowers on the plant, it’s sort of a pink and purple bell shaped flower that’s attractive to hummingbirds, so I think that will be a really fun one to try."
Getting a rating of Best in Show isn’t an easy feat, given the location where the flower trials take place.
“It’s a little bit high on a hill and there’s a lot of wind, so it’s a good test for annual plants," Miklas says.
Most of the annuals from the flower trials will be available for planting this season. While it’s too early to start planting this years’ gardens, Miklas says it’s not too early to start planning them.
“I know things sold really quickly last year so it might not be too early to go ahead and place your order," she tells FOX43. "And they’re not going to send you the plants until it’s time to grow them where you live.”
A good place to look for these new annuals are catalogs for your local nursery.
If you’re new to gardening, Miklas suggests starting a plant from seeds, saying it's a rewarding process that allows you to explore different plant varieties. She also suggests getting creative by looking for places in your yard you could add flowers or taking advantage or porches and windows.