2026 Recipe Guide for Professional Growers


If there’s one sure thing you can count on, it’s that Proven Winners work. Sure, there will always be novelty plants that seem to lose favor as quickly as they arrive on scene. But when it comes to producing dependable yet inspired container recipes that your customers will come back for every year, you can’t beat the trialed, tested, award-winning plants in our lineup.
If you enjoy a little inspiration now and then, you’ll dig this useful guide which combines the expertise of our growers with what our surveys have shown consumers are looking to buy. Proven Winners propagators extensively trial new recipes each year for flowering performance, compatibility, weather endurance and more so we can deliver these reliable recommendations to you.
Not sure where to start? Grow our National Recipes of the Year™ as well as those that feature our National Plants of the Year™. Extensive consumer promotions for them are already planned for rollout in early 2026. We’ll take care of building demand so you can do what you do best – GROW!
CHOOSE: Select from the extensive list of kits available from Proven Winners U.S. propagators.
RECEIVE: Each of the ingredients for the recipes, one tray per variety.
LABELING: Each kit includes a matching recipe specific container garden tag designed to increase brand recognition and drive impulse sales.
EXCLUDED: Since branded containers are only needed for single small pot production, they will not be sent with kit orders.
Opposite: Moonlit Lavender
Container recipes are popular with home gardeners because they offer instant beauty and color in a convenient take-home package. So how do growers create the combinations customers love, and produce them as efficiently as possible? Here are seven tips from Brian Bourdon, Four Star Greenhouse’s Senior Manager of Offsites & Crop Supply Chain, who has created hundreds of our most popular recipes.
One of the biggest mistakes people make when designing container recipes is not matching plants with comparable vigor ratings. When a high vigor plant like Supertunia Vista® Bubblegum® is paired with plants that are less aggressive, it quickly overtakes the other plants and sets the combination off balance. But when it is grown with other high vigor plants, the recipe grows perfectly together.
We’ve tested and rated all of our annual plants for vigor using a scale of 1 to 4. Pay close attention to these ratings when designing your own recipes. If you are following one of our named recipes, we’ve already factored vigor into account.
Growers are savvy at pairing plants with similar needs together in production to increase efficiency. The same rule applies when matching up plants in container recipes. Factors to consider include: lighting and shade requirements, moisture, nutrients, growing temperature and heat tolerance. Most annuals will perform well at a pH of 5.8-6.2, so this detail is less critical to examine.
Once your top-selling recipes are established, let’s think beyond the standard 3-variety thriller-filler-spiller formula and create premium complex container recipes with higher price points. These can be sold in much larger, high quality decorative containers as cash and carry items.
Container recipes are trending larger and more complex as people look to create fewer plantings with higher impact for their decks and porches. Choose an unconventional thriller like a large Alocasia, then surround it with coordinating filler and spiller plants to create a dynamic mosaic of color and texture.
Our premium Island Paradise container recipe for part shade features lush foliage plants. It includes Emerald Isle™ Alocasia, Heart to Heart® ‘Snow Flurry’ caladium, Mezoo™ Trailing Red Aptenia, Asparagus Fern Asparagus and ColorBlaze® Strawberry Drop coleus.
Since all three plants in our Mango Madness recipe prefer shade in production and have similar vigor, they are a good match for one another.
We provide planting diagrams for all our hanging basket and upright container recipes found in this guide and online. It’s important to train your production department to follow these diagrams when transplanting liners into new hanging baskets and upright containers. This will ensure enough liners are used and that they are positioned to achieve the most attractive mix of colors and textures.
If you’re looking for an easy way to combine plants in premium quality hanging baskets and upright containers, the thriller-filler-spiller method continues to be a success. Consumers have come to know and love this formula, too.
There are countless varieties that will work in these types of recipes –the hardest part is narrowing down your choices. Instead of a typical spike or grass, try something different this year and use a salvia, sunflower or coleus as your thriller for a more premium finished product.
We all know that color sells. While pink and purple rank consistently as consumers’ favorite colors, blue also ranks near the top of that list. Color preferences tend to shift through the seasons. While pastel pink is often sought after for spring recipes, bold magenta pink plays prominently in warm season combinations.
To accommodate the color preferences of a broad array of consumers, we’ve created container recipes in 15 different color schemes. From pastel to patriotic, vibrant mixes to earth tones and more, you’ll find over 1,600 container recipe ideas at provenwinners.com.
Your design and production staff surely has a list of favorite container recipes they grow beautifully every year. In addition to the classics, don’t be afraid to branch out and try something a little less conventional that might appeal to a new, perhaps younger, audience.
As the popularity of houseplants grows, so do all sorts of plants with fun foliage like ferns, coleus, caladiums and cordylines. Colorful foliage plants are especially useful for shade gardens, and they often require less frequent feeding than flowering plants.
Following the planting diagram will ensure the container grows full and balanced.
Flair and Finesse recipe follows the classic thriller-fillerspiller formula.
Popular pink and purple varieties with a relatively early bloom time make our Happy and Healthy recipe a hit for Mother’s Day sales.
Our premium Force of Nature recipe brings tropical flair to shaded porches and patios, especially when grown in large containers where each plant can grow to its fullest potential. It features Heart to Heart® ‘Heart and Soul’ caladium, Pegasus® begonia, Hippo® Rose hypoestes with a Dwarf Holly Fern.
Want to produce lush, flower-covered container recipes like those you see in this guide? Lead growers from our propagation facilities share their top tips.
Starting with exceptional quality liners is the most important thing you can do to get your container recipes off to a great start. Even if you encounter issues along the way as you produce your crop, they will be far easier to navigate if you start with quality liners. Your propagator will be happy to work with you to determine the best liner size and delivery date to fit your production model.
Starting with robust liners is the key to success in growing premium quality container recipes. Work with your propagator to determine the best liner size to fit your needs.
Minimizing stress on newly planted liners will avoid complications down the road. As a standard practice, we apply a preventative broad spectrum fungicide drench one week after transplant to all newly transplanted liners. This protects their roots from potential attacks.
It is very easy to overwater newly transplanted liners, so take care not to create this unnecessary stress. During the first few weeks after transplant, the root system is still small and does not yet extend down the bottom of the container. At this time, frequent but low volume water applications are required to provide the liners just the right amount of water they need without becoming overly wet.
When your liners are young and are newly transplanted into hanging baskets, focus on developing a strong root system for the plants. Timing is key. We closely monitor the growing temperature, pH and EC of the growing media, and fertility while the plants are becoming established in the container.
As the plants are growing, a series of pinches and/or PGR applications are used to shape the plants in the containers. For many plants, we trim around the edges of the containers as needed, prior to spacing uprights and hanging the baskets. PGR rates are listed on our website for all of the plants we offer.
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Premium quality hanging baskets and upright containers will fly out of inventory, so be sure you are feeding those hungry plants so they reach their full potential. We’ve developed four primary and four specialty professional fertilizer products that will help minimize and correct pH-related issues in your production greenhouses. We’ll help you select the right product for your situation based on your water test results. All of our fertilizers contain minors and 100% EDDHA as the source of iron.
The eight professional fertilizers we offer can be used with every irrigation. The formula you will use is based on your specific water conditions or needs.
Packed with our top-selling, most distinctive varieties, our National Recipes have been proven in trials to work. We’ll take care of driving consumer demand while you watch them fly out of inventory.
SUPERTUNIA® HOOPLA® VIVID ORCHID™ Petunia 'DPETPW1782' USPPAF CanPBRAF
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA®
White Petunia 'USTUN87002' USPP30833 Can6295
SUPERBENA® Violet Ice Verbena 'RIKAV18302' USPP25396 Can4786
SUGGESTED THRILLER: METEOR SHOWER® Verbena 'INVEBPUTOW' USPP27722 Can5507
AquaPots® Lite Urban – Metro in Dark Blue
SUPERBELLS® Tropical
Sunrise Calibrachoa 'INCALTRSUN' USPP29029
SAFARI® DUSK™
Jamesbrittenia 'INJAMSAFDU' USPP35890 CanPBRAF
SUPERTUNIA® SAFFRON FINCH™ Petunia 'Balcobees' USPP32448
SUGGESTED THRILLER: EMERALD ISLE™ Alocasia 'AP091520' USPP34129
AquaPots® Lite Urban – Metro in White
Pixie Powder
DOUBLE DELIGHT® Appleblossom 'Kerbespipple' USPP36150 CanPBRAF
DIAMOND FROST® Euphorbia 'Inneuphdia' USPP17567 Can2830
ROCKAPULCO® Coral Impatiens 'Balcoree' USPP22992
SUGGESTED THRILLER: GRACEFUL GRASSES® QUEEN TUT™ Cyperus
AquaPots® Lite Legacy Stone –Boston Urn in Portico Marble
HEART TO HEART® ‘Lemon Blush’ Caladium USPP25450
HEART TO HEART® ‘Splash of Wine’ Caladium USPP31599
1 PLUM DANDY™ Alternanthera 2 VIRTUOSO® VIBRANT VIOLET™ Dahlia
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3 Bluebird Nemesia 'Kernembird' USPPAF
4
1 DOUBLE DELIGHT® Blush Rose Begonia 'KERBESPIROS' USPP29297
2 SOLENIA® Chocolate Orange Begonia
3 HEART TO HEART® ‘Chinook’ Caladium USPP27094
1 HEART TO HEART® ‘Chinook’ Caladium USPP27094
2 SUPERBELLS MAGIC® Double Grapefruit Calibrachoa ‘WNCALSBDBLGF26’ USPP36771 CanPBRAF
1 PEGASUS® Begonia
2 HEART TO HEART® ‘Chinook’
3 COLORBLAZE® Cherry Drop Coleus 'Baltazlord'
4 Big Leaf Creeping Wire Vine Muehlenbeckia
1 HEART TO HEART® ‘Chinook’ Caladium USPP27094
2 SUPERBELLS® Double Amber Calibrachoa 'KLECA20428' Can6671 US Utility 7786342
3 COLORBLAZE® MINI ME™ Watermelon Coleus
3 HIPPO® Red Hypoestes 'G14158' USPP32914 Can6961
1 HEART TO HEART® ‘Chinook’ Caladium USPP27094
2 COLORBLAZE® REDICULOUS® Coleus 3
4 COLORBLAZE® TORCHLIGHT® Coleus
Heart of the Matter
1 HEART TO HEART® ‘Chinook’ Caladium USPP27094
2 HEART TO HEART® ‘Clowning Around’ Caladium USPP32252
3 WAIKIKI SUNSET™ Lysimachia
4 Swedish Ivy Plectranthus
Looking for foolproof combinations that have been proven to thrive and sell? Try any of our top 60 most popular container recipes which include the colors consumers want, varieties retailers can really move, and easy plants for growers.
1. Gloria Rose DIAMOND FROST® Euphorbia HIPPO® Rose Hypoestes
ROCKAPULCO® Rose Impatiens
2. Bahama Beach
SUPERBELLS® LEMON SLICE® Calibrachoa LAGUNA® Sky Blue Lobelia
SUPERTUNIA® BORDEAUX™ Improved Petunia
3. Above & Beyond
SUPERTUNIA VISTA® BUBBLEGUM® Petunia
SUPERTUNIA VISTA® Fuchsia Petunia
SUPERTUNIA VISTA® Silverberry Petunia
4. Polar Peach
SUPERBELLS® Double Amber Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA® Indigo Petunia
SUPERBENA SPARKLING® Amethyst Verbena
6. Sunglasses
SUPERBELLS® Yellow Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® LOVIE
DOVIE™ Petunia
SUPERTUNIA MINI
VISTA® Hot Pink Petunia
7. Vista View
SUPERTUNIA VISTA®
BUBBLEGUM® Petunia
SUPERTUNIA VISTA®
JAZZBERRY® Petunia
SUPERTUNIA VISTA®
SNOWDRIFT™ Petunia
5. Bermuda Skies
SUPERBELLS® YELLOW
CHIFFON™ Calibrachoa
LAGUNA® Sky Blue Lobelia
SUPERTUNIA® BERMUDA BEACH® Petunia
SUPERTUNIA® BLACK CHERRY® Petunia
SUPERTUNIA® BORDEAUX™ Improved Petunia
SUPERTUNIA VISTA® Fuchsia Petunia
9. Blind Love
SUPERTUNIA® LOVIE DOVIE™ Petunia
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL
MAGENTA® Petunia
SUPERBENA® WHITEOUT™ Verbena
10. Acapulco Sun
SUPERBELLS® Coralina Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® BERMUDA
BEACH® Petunia
SUPERBENA® Peachy Keen Verbena
11. Ireland
GOLDILOCKS ROCKS® Bidens
SUPERBELLS® OVER EASY™ Calibrachoa
LUSCIOUS® Basket
TANGEGLOW® Lantana
12. Misty Seas
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA® Indigo Petunia
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA® Violet Star Petunia
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA® White Petunia
13. Amethyst Dreams
SUPERBELLS® GRAPE PUNCH™ Calibrachoa
SUPERBELLS® White Calibrachoa
SUPERBENA SPARKLING® Amethyst Verbena
14. Fruit Salad
SUPERBELLS® GRAPE PUNCH™ Calibrachoa
SUPERBELLS® LEMON SLICE® Calibrachoa
SUPERBENA ROYALE® Iced Cherry Verbena
16. Lilac Festival
SUPERTUNIA® Blue Veined Petunia
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL
VELVET® Petunia
SUPERBENA® Violet Ice Verbena
17. Candyland
SUPERBELLS® DREAMSICLE® Calibrachoa
SUPERBELLS® Pink Calibrachoa
SUPERBELLS® Yellow Calibrachoa
15. Beachside Drive
SUPERBELLS® Tropical Sunrise Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® HONEY™ Petunia
WHIRLWIND® Pink Scaevola
18. Rockin’ Rush
GOLDILOCKS ROCKS® Bidens
SUPERTUNIA® RASPBERRY RUSH™ Petunia
SUPERBENA® WHITEOUT™ Verbena
19. Sparkle and Glow
SUPERBELLS® GRAPE PUNCH™ Calibrachoa
LAGUNA® ULTRAVIOLET™ Lobelia
SUPERBENA SPARKLING® Amethyst Verbena
20. Nightingale
SUPERBELLS® DREAMSICLE® Calibrachoa
SUPERBELLS® HONEYBERRY™ Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA VISTA® JAZZBERRY® Petunia
21. Joy
SUPERBELLS® Red Calibrachoa
SUPERBELLS® Tropical Sunrise Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® HONEY™ Petunia
22. It’s So You
SUPERBELLS® DREAMSICLE® Calibrachoa
SUPERBELLS® Yellow Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® BLACK CHERRY® Petunia
23. Lady Luck COLORBLAZE® Chocolate Drop Coleus
White Licorice Helichrysum
Sweet Caroline RAVEN™ Ipomoea
26. Summer Punch
SUPERBELLS® GRAPE PUNCH™ Calibrachoa
SUPERBELLS® POMEGRANATE PUNCH™ Calibrachoa
SUPERBELLS® TANGERINE PUNCH™ Calibrachoa
24. Champagne Toast DOUBLE DELIGHT® Blush Rose Begonia
SILVER FALLS™ Dichondra
Sweet Caroline MEDUSA™ Green Ipomoea
27. Prime Time
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA® Indigo Petunia
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA®
Scarlet Petunia
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA®
Yellow Petunia
25. Starry Night
SUPERBELLS® LEMON SLICE® Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL
VELVET® Petunia
SURFINIA® Red Petunia
28. The North Shore
SUPERBELLS® Pink Calibrachoa
SUPERBELLS® Yellow Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL
VELVET® Petunia
29. Neptune
SUPERBELLS® YELLOW CHIFFON™ Calibrachoa
LAGUNA® Sky Blue Lobelia
SUPERBENA® Stormburst Verbena
30. Main Street USA
SUPERTUNIA® MINI VISTA® White Petunia
SUPERTUNIA® Really Red Petunia
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL
VELVET® Petunia
31. Velvet Skies BLUSHING PRINCESS® Lobularia
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL
VELVET® Petunia
SUPERTUNIA® Silver Petunia
32. Far and Away
SUPERTUNIA VISTA® BUBBLEGUM® Petunia
SUPERTUNIA VISTA® Paradise Petunia
SUPERTUNIA VISTA® SNOWDRIFT™ Petunia
33. Do You Lilac It?
SUPERTUNIA® Blue Veined Petunia
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL VELVET® Petunia
SUPERBENA® Stormburst Verbena
34. Ada
SUPERBELLS® EVENING STAR™ Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL
VELVET® Petunia
SUPERBENA ROYALE® Plum Wine Verbena
36. Hopscotch
SUPERBELLS® POMEGRANATE PUNCH™ Calibrachoa
LAGUNA® Dark Blue Lobelia
SUPERBENA® Cherryburst Verbena
37. Crushed Pineapple
SUPERBELLS® OVER EASY™ Calibrachoa
SUPERBELLS® Yellow Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® HONEY™ Petunia
35. Eclipse of the Sun ROCKAPULCO® Tropical Shades Impatiens
Sweet Caroline Sweetheart Lime Ipomoea
COLORBLAZE® Chocolate Drop Coleus
38. Sweet Star
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA® Pink Star Petunia
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA® Violet Star Petunia
SUPERTUNIA VISTA® Fuchsia Petunia
39. Tiger’s Blood GOLDILOCKS ROCKS® Bidens
SUPERBELLS® CORAL SUN™ Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA® Scarlet Petunia
40. In Our Element
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA® White Petunia
SUPERTUNIA VISTA® Fuchsia Petunia
SUPERBENA SPARKLING® Rosé Verbena
41. Color Statement
SUPERTUNIA® LOVIE
DOVIE™ Petunia
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL
MAGENTA® Petunia
SUPERTUNIA VISTA® Silverberry Petunia
42. Plum Perfection
SUPERTUNIA® BORDEAUX™ Improved Petunia
SUPERTUNIA® SAFFRON FINCH™ Petunia
SUPERBENA ROYALE® Plum Wine Verbena
43. Candy Store
SUPERBELLS® HOLY MOLY!® Calibrachoa
SUPERBELLS® Yellow Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA VISTA® Fuchsia Petunia
44. Autumn Breeze
SUPERBELLS® DREAMSICLE® Calibrachoa
SUPERBELLS® Yellow Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL VELVET® Petunia
46. Spirit of America
SUPERTUNIA® Really Red Petunia
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL
VELVET® Petunia
SNOWSTORM® GIANT
SNOWFLAKE® Sutera
47. Sunshine State
SUPERBELLS® CORAL SUN™ Calibrachoa
LUSCIOUS® GOLDENGATE™ Lantana WHIRLWIND® Blue Scaevola
45. Pumpkin Spice Latte
SUNSATIA® BLOOD ORANGE™ Nemesia
SUPERTUNIA® LATTE™ Petunia
SUPERBENA ROYALE® Plum Wine Verbena
48. My Crush
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA® Indigo Petunia
SUPERTUNIA MINI VISTA® White Petunia
SUPERBENA SPARKLING® Amethyst Verbena
49. Fired Up! GOLDILOCKS ROCKS® Bidens
SUPERBELLS® DREAMSICLE® Calibrachoa SUPERBENA® Red Verbena
50. Wine Country
SUPERBELLS® YELLOW CHIFFON™ Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® BORDEAUX™ Improved Petunia
SUPERBENA ROYALE® Plum Wine Verbena
51. Santa Belle
SUPERBELLS® Yellow Calibrachoa
LAGUNA® Dark Blue Lobelia
SUPERBENA® Red Verbena
52. Blossoms & Besties
SUPERTUNIA® HOOPLA® VIVID ORCHID™ Petunia
SUPERTUNIA® SAFFRON FINCH™ Petunia
SUPERBENA® WHITEOUT™ Verbena
53. Summer Splitz
SUPERBELLS® Yellow Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® Blue TIARA™ Petunia
SUPERBENA ROYALE® Iced Cherry Verbena
54. Afternoon Tea
SUPERBELLS® EVENING STAR™ Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL VELVET® Petunia
SUPERTUNIA® SAFFRON FINCH™ Petunia
56. Evening Breeze
SUPERBELLS® EVENING STAR™ Calibrachoa
SNOWSTORM® SNOW
GLOBE® Sutera
SUPERBENA ROYALE® Plum Wine Verbena
57. Irresistible SUPERBELLS® Yellow Calibrachoa
LAGUNA® ULTRAVIOLET™ Lobelia
SUNSATIA® BLOOD ORANGE™ Nemesia
55. Plum Crazy SUPERBELLS® LEMON SLICE® Calibrachoa
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL VELVET® Petunia
SNOWSTORM® Giant SNOWFLAKE® Sutera
58. Royal Spark CAMPFIRE® MARSHMALLOW™ Bidens
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL
VELVET® Petunia
SUPERBENA SPARKLING® Amethyst Verbena
59. Radiant Rose
SUPERBELLS® OVER EASY™ Calibrachoa
BRIGHT LIGHTS® HORIZON™ Sunset Osteospermum
SUPERTUNIA® ROYAL VELVET® Petunia
60. Rockin’ Out GOLDILOCKS ROCKS® Bidens
SUPERBELLS® HOLY SMOKES!® Calibrachoa
SUPERBENA® WHITEOUT™ Verbena
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1 MAESTRO® Gold Agastache
2
3
1 COLORBLAZE® Cherry Drop
Dahlia 'Baldenink' USPP29359 3
Jamesbrittenia‘INJAMLAVFL’
4 LUSCIOUS® GOLDENGATE™ Lantana 'LANZ0036' USPP32224
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2
3
Above: Pixie Powder
DOUBLE DELIGHT® Appleblossom Begonia 'Kerbespipple' USPP36150 CanPBRAF
DIAMOND FROST® Euphorbia 'Inneuphdia' USPP17567 Can2830
ROCKAPULCO® Coral Reef Impatiens 'Balcoree' USPP22992
SUGGESTED THRILLER:
GRACEFUL GRASSES® QUEEN TUT™ Cyperus
AquaPots® Lite Legacy Stone – Boston Urn in Portico Marble
Front cover: Saffron Sunrise
SUPERBELLS® Tropical Sunrise Calibrachoa 'INCALTRSUN' USPP29029
SAFARI® DUSK™ Jamesbrittenia 'INJAMSAFDU' USPP35890 CanPBRAF
SUPERTUNIA® SAFFRON FINCH™ Petunia Balcobees USPP32448
SUGGESTED THRILLER:
EMERALD ISLE™ Alocasia 'AP091520' USPP34129
AquaPots® Lite Urban – Metro in White
1600 E. Lincoln Highway, Suite F, DeKalb, IL 60115
815.895.1872 Fax: 815.895.1873
www.provenwinners.com www.beauty.provenwinners.com