Trials, Trials & More Trials
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The PlantHaven trial gardens are bursting with blooms with the warm weather and sunshine we’ve been having here in California. Several crops are looking particularly gorgeous at the moment. Caryopteris ‘White Surprise’ has filled out to produce a stunning 3’ x 3’ clump of tight branching with gorgeous blooms. Hebe Raspberry Ripple has formed a compact mound of tight, pointed, green foliage with spectacular racemes of raspberry pink flowers. Euphorbia ‘Glacier Blue’ has dominated for attention with its lovely blue-green variegated foliage and sprays of eye catching variegated bracts. |
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Agapanthus ‘Gold Strike’ is also flowering like mad in the garden showing off electric blue flowers against striking variegated foliage. It makes a tidy, clumping mass measuring 16” x 16” with flowers rising to a height of 24”. A real stunner in the border, it’s also a great specimen in containers.
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PlantHaven Fall Comparison Trials
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PlantHaven will be conducting our first Fall Open Day Comparison Trials of our two largest portfolios: Whetman Dianthus and Mystic Dahlias. The event will be held at GroLink Nursery, 4107 West Gonzales Rd, Oxnard, CA on Monday August 15th from 8 am – 3 pm.
The crops have been grown side by side with the industry standards in 2 gallon containers. It will be a great opportunity for you to review the portfolio and meet the PlantHaven team along with other industry professionals. We’ll also be showing sneak peeks of some of the up and coming selections for 2012/2013.
We will also be delighted to introduce the breeder of the Mystic Dahlia’s, Dr. Keith Hammett from New Zealand who will be joining us for the day. A light lunch and drinks will be served at noon. Please email denise.frey@planthaven.com if you can attend.
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Dalhia Comparisons
Dr. Keith Hammett
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Portland Calling: Farwest 2011
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It’s the countdown to Farwest in Oregon, August 25-27 when the green industry will be treated to seminars, tours and displays of exciting new trees, shrubs, and perennials. The New Varieties Showcase is the must-see look into the future. We will be proudly displaying the PlantHaven selections of Cercis ‘Ruby Falls’, Dianthus ‘Sugar Plum’, and Hydrangea ‘You Me Passion’. Be sure to stop by our Booths 6080 & 6082 and say hello. |
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PlantHaven European Visits
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PlantHaven will be hosting a booth the Four Oaks Trade Show in the UK on September 6 through 7th. It is the UK’s premier show for commercial ornamental horticulture. Visitors will include commercial growers, retailers, garden centers, landscapers, designers, and florists. PlantHaven will be presenting Gaillardia ‘Fanfare Blaze’ from the Realflor™ breeding program of Richard Read and Keith Lintott in the UK. ‘Fanfare Blaze’ has unique pinwheels of warm orange tubular blooms, an exceptionally long flowering period, and the same great habit as Gaillardia ‘Fanfare’ of worldwide success. Please stop Stand D9 to visit with us if you’re in the area.
Also on the horizon will be breeder and nursery visits and a stop at Plantarium which takes place August 24-27 in the Netherlands. Over 300 participants from many different countries will present a collection of nursery stock for the consumer market. |
Gaillardia 'Fanfare Blaze'
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Maureen's Cocktail Corner
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We have decided to add to our food theme by doing an occasional piece on ‘The Cocktail Hour’. Tell us what you think of this section of the E-brief. Maureen, the Queen of the Cocktail has supplied us with one of her favorites below.
Making cocktails does not require a full liquor cabinet. For example, citrus vodka and orange liqueur are your basics and by using various ingredients such as orange juice, lemon juice, cranberry juice (sounds healthy huh) you can make a variety of martinis. Once we master these, we’ll add more complex ones. Let’s get started…
Cocktail shaker: go to Ross and get one for $10. You can often get good buys on martini glasses too. Otherwise try BevMo!
Alcohol: your choice of brand for the vodka. I like Absolute Citrus Vodka or Skyy Citrus Vodka. I use DeKuyper Orange Liqueur. Much less expensive than the brand named stuff and it is fine for cocktails.
Always put your martini glasses in the freezer before you start mixing. |
Maureen & Lucy
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Recipe:
Lemon Bomb: This is my version of Lemon Drop.
1 ½ measure Citrus Vodka
½ measure Orange Liqueur
1 measure of lemonade (I use Trader Joe’s Yellow Lemonade)
Squeeze of a lemon quarter
Sugar
Method
Mix all together and shake with ice. Take a slice of lemon and rim the martini glass with the lemon then dip the glass into the sugar to create a rim of sugar. Pour into chilled and frosted martini glass. Garnish with half a lemon slice or a lemon twist. For something special: add a teaspoon of Lemoncello. Adds a touch of class!
Cheers!
Until next month have a wonderful August.
Kind regards
Geoff, Maureen & The PlantHaven Team |
