variety show Think pink! Which of these pink varieties do you love? Visit us on this month to comment on your favorites!
Princess Sakura New varieties of garden-style roses are coming out of Japan. In the past, Japanese rose growers typically kept exclusive control over their own unique varieties, but now some of these are being grown by gardenrose specialist Alexandra Farms in Colombia, making them more available and affordable for American florists. They include Princess Sakura (seen here), white with peachy-pink overtones in a deeply cupped bloom; Princess Kishi, hot pink with a chartreuse center; and peachy, peony-shaped Princess Aiko. These are on the market now; still to come from Alexandra Farms are Japanese garden roses bred at the famous Rose Farm Keiji. Keep an eye out! www.alexandrafarms.com
10 www.flowersandmagazine.com
Iggy Brand new from Dutch gerbera breeder and grower LG Flowers, Iggy will be on the market in August. With all those wild petals going every which way, you might think this gerbera is named after singer-songwriter Iggy Pop. But no, the name refers to a tropical cyclone; LG names its new varieties after storms. www.lgflowers.nl
Rosita Hot Lips Like its many sister varieties in the wide Rosita assortment, Rosita Hot Lips offers a double, top-flowering lisianthus with thick petals and rose-shaped blooms that travel well and last beautifully in the vase. But oh, those lips! Bred by Sakata, the Rosita Hot Lips seen here were grown by Dutch supplier Van der Vlugt, www.vdlugtlisianthus.nl
Tabledance Chosen as Best in Show at the Society of American Florists’ Outstanding Varieties Competition last September, Tabledance is an OT (Oriental trumpet) hybrid lily with large, upright heads and subtle fragrance. The pink petals, fading to white in the center, darken as the flower opens. At SAF, Tabledance was submitted by boutique California grower Green Valley Floral, www.greenvalleyfloral.com