February 2022 - 22

MARKETING
'Bedazzled
Lavender'
Walters
Gardens
Flame Pro
Purple
Dümmen
Orange
Two of my favorite are: 'Opening Act
Ultrapink' - a dark pink hybrid phlox
that is covered with flowers in early
June (in Michigan), has glossy dark
green foliage, and a very long season of
bloom. If it is cut back after flowering,
it will rebloom a second time. The
other is 'Opalescence', a compact Phlox
paniculata with amazing dark green
foliage and soft pink flowers with a
darker eye zone. It has great mildew
resistance.
Jeff: I think what makes phlox so
special is the diversity from mass
groundcover types to the large
upright garden varieties, and that there is a series to
flower at any point of the year in the garden. My favorite, though, is the
Woodlander series because it was a true game changer for retailers and
consumers to fill the last void in the calendar. This interspecific series is
a mounding groundcover that flowers later than the traditional subulata
types, but before the garden paniculata varieties. The interspecific vigor
has also made this a bullet-proof solution for gardeners since it performs
in full sun or in an understory woodland shade situation.
GPN: In what ways can growers and
retailers capitalize on the
phlox category?
Hans: Phlox input
are fairly economical
since they can be
propagated by
cuttings, less
expensive
input cost
than tissue
Woodlander Lilac Dümmen Orange
22 FEBRUARY 2022 GPNMAG.COM
culture. Walters
Gardens offers
several sizes
including bare root
for a quicker
finish. This is a
great way to save time from a
finishing perspective. For a more
economical standpoint, liners
are another great option but will
take longer time to grow into a
flowering size retail plant.
Jeff: For growers, we've really
'Fashionably Early
Crystal'
Walters Gardens
revolutionized the traditional
paniculata types with excellent
branching, disease resistance
and a full array of new colors. Our
breeding has also really tightened
the attributes to create true series
so growers can offer a rainbow of
colors to the retailer all at the same
time with same heights, habits,
flower sizes, etc. Having a full bench or rack with multiple color options at
once is what really excites consumers at the retail level.
GPN: Does the production or sale of phlox present any challenges for
growers and retailers?
Jeff: Not anymore. Phlox has been around for so long now that growers
know how to handle it. But the advancements we've made in disease
resistance have taken the worry out of production, and the creation of
true grower series has made it very easy for growers to program and
deliver a full palette of colors together.
Hans: We offer bare root phlox, which is a really easy liner to produce
at a grower level.
GPN: Is there anything in the pipeline in the phlox category that you
can share?
Hans: We have new cultivars in both the Garden Girl series and
Luminary series with great mildew resistance and color range. It is a
category we continue to work on to expand the flower season, color
range, and improve disease resistance.
Jeff: We've achieved our goals in completing the calendar of varieties
that flower continuously from late winter through autumn, and with
exceptional disease resistance. The next few years will be focused on
new and unique color breakthroughs in each of the categories, as well
as tightening up each category into true grower series for that ultimate
predictability and profitability for growers and retailers.
http://www.GPNMAG.COM
February 2022

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of February 2022
