In this edition of DIG IT Peter Brown and Chris Day chat with Stuart Lowen, the Marketing Manager at Ball Colegrave, a leader in all areas of floriculture excellence. Stuart gives us the latest news from the seasonal plant industry, hanging basket advice, plus new bedding plants to look out for this summer.

The Blue Flag winner in 2024 was Lantana Passion Fruit, a trailing spreading variety with a long flowering season of fruity, coloured flowers.

The Tree of Life display at Ball featured Petunia Bee’s Knees.

Mad About Mangave ® Praying Hands, a unique foliage plant, similar to an artichoke that grows up like a teardrop.

Plants mentioned and to look out for this summer include; Antirrhinum Snap in Black Pink. Begonia Hula, Begonia Megawatt, Begonia Angel Wings, Trumpet Flower, Bidens Bee Happy, Coleus King Jr Rose, Coleus canina (Scaredy cat), Cosmos Cherry Chocolate (bright cherry pink flowers with the chocolate fragrance, Calibrachoas, Dahlia Gardenetta range of varieties, Geranium Moonflair (ivy leaf), Impatien Beacon ® Raspberry Sundae Mixed (highly resistant to downy mildew), Impatien Glimmer ® Pink, Mandevilla Tropica Jade Red, Osteospermum Akila Hawaii Sunset Mixed, Pansy Cool Wave (trailing pansy), Petunia Fanfare Heartbreaker, Petunia Surfinia and Sunflower PetiSol.

Kitchen Buddies, a range of compact growing vegetable plants including Cucumber Quick Snack, Pepper Hot Banana, Sweet Corn Pot of Gold and Tomato Tumbling Tom Yellow.

Product mentions: Control-release fertiliser, Miracle-Gro and a high potash fertiliser such as Tomato Food. Water-retaining granules such as Swell-Gel. Popular Speedplanters, Pop-In/ Drop-Ins, popular for instant colourful results.

The late Peter Seabrook created an amazing garden at RHS Hyde Hall in Essex called Floral Fantasia, the garden is designed to showcase and celebrate the spectacular potential of seasonal plants. The garden acts as a bridge between the growing industry and the general public. Peter’s legacy lives on in this garden which you can visit to see the latest innovations, including this summer, Begonia Trials. 2025 is the Year of the Begonia.

Our thanks to Chiltern Music Therapy for supplying the music.

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