More than 175 industry professionals and advanced master gardeners rated over 1,050 flowering and foliage plants at the Annual Flower Trial, Aug. 6, 2019. Featured here are some of the top-rated plants. All were ranked over a four on a five-point scale during the evaluation day.

The garden is planned and maintained each year by the department of horticulture and landscape architecture with guidance from a committee of growers, flower seed companies and public garden horticulturists. For more information on these and other outstanding annuals from the 2019 trials, visit www.flowertrials.coloradostate.edu.

Argyranthemum Beauty Yellow from Westhoff (pictured above left)
The yellow flowers were very abundant from June until frost. The blanket of yellow on this plant, which is new for 2019, gives a spectacular show in any garden. It is also great for cut flowers. This variety buries it dead flowers with a very uniform growth habit and requires no deadheading.

Lantana Havana Sunrise from Dümmen Orange
Striking, multicolored blooms covered the dark green foliage. The plant gave a considerable show in the heat of July and August. Red, orange and yellow blooms interacted together giving a grand visual display in the garden bed or in a container. Honeybees and butterflies were attracted to this plant throughout the summer into fall.

Petunia Crazy Tunia^® Tiki Torch from Westhoff
The yellow and red mesh flower color stood out in the container petunia trials. Blooms were seen from May until hard freeze with no disease or insect problems. This petunia is new for 2019. The solid growth habit with total flower coverage makes it a favorite for containers or ground beds.

This story is an excerpt from an article that originally appeared in the November-December 2019 issue of Colorado Green magazine. See the full list in the digital edition.

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