Growing perennials for a fall retail program offers several strategic advantages for retailers and grower-retailers. The warmer temperatures and increased light during late summer and early fall lead to faster crop times, allowing for quicker turnaround and fresher inventory.
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A little planning goes a long way. Build stunning endcaps by choosing ahead of time what perennials you will be featuring throughout the year. Sequencing a different set of perennials to show color in each of the four core seasons will ensure the high value areas of your garden center are always looking nice, and keep things fresh for returning visitors.
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North America is resplendent with native plants, with more beauty occurring just down the street than most homeowners realize. Proven Winners® Perennials includes a broad selection of plants with native roots. These are plants that may be single species hybrids, or crosses of multiple species that do not naturally interact in nature.
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Each year thousands of perennial seedlings and selections are trialed for addition to the Proven Winners Perennials Program. They are evaluated for their performance in the landscape, production, and containers. Those that passed the trials, showing notable ornamental characteristics along the way, are detailed in this article.
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Walters Gardens and Proven Winners have teamed up to highlight the very best of the best with this program, ensuring consistent promotion of the top Proven Winners Perennials to both trade and retail audiences.
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These remarkable new plant varieties and selections represent the pinnacle of horticultural innovation and excellence. Available to the wholesale trade starting in 2025, these exceptional plants are set to grace garden centers by 2026, bringing unparalleled beauty, resilience, and performance to gardeners and growers alike.
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Mangave meet the needs of the modern gardener. These large succulent-esque hybrids retain the excellent heat and drought tolerance of their Agave background, while adding fast growing, tropical attributes from their Manfreda parentage. They can be grown solitary, in the landscape, or in mixed or mono decorative containers. Their tolerance of a wide variety of moisture conditions allows them to be mixed with succulents, annuals, and tropicals. Mangave are perennial in southern zones, with the option of being grown as an annual in northern zones or overwintered as a houseplant.
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EZ Scapes are curated perennial recipes providing frost-to-frost garden interest. Each recipe is made of 3-4 perennials that traditionally grow well together and complement each other in the landscape. All recipes are built to a theme, including recipes for deer resistance, pollinator attracting, shade tolerance, and more!
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Summerific® Hibiscus are one of the most iconic landscape perennials with massive 8” flowers and a head turning midsummer display. We are choosing the first full week of August every year to highlight this collection and feature one of our absolute favorite perennials.
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As December ushers in the festive season, we are thrilled to unveil the new Proven Winners Perennials for 2025-2026! These exceptional plants will be available for wholesale starting July 1, 2025, and ready for retail in 2026. Now is the perfect time to start planning your wish list and get a head start on discovering the varieties that will enhance your perennial lineup.
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These plants are among the finest new varieties and selections introduced to the market. They will be available to the wholesale trade starting in 2024 and will reach garden centers by 2025.
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The target of this program is towards commercial and municipal landscapes, where longevity and reliability are paramount. Winners of this award might be lacking in container presence that makes them popular at retail, but have the traits for enduring, vibrant landscapes.
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When picking this list out of the broad and diverse collection of perennials from Proven Winners, it was difficult to point to one, two, or even five perennials as the best. In the end, it became a list of favorites that met all of the following criteria: low yearly maintenance, long lived in the landscape, and a long season of interest.
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These plants are some of the best new varieties and selections added to the market. They can be found new to the wholesale trade starting in 2023 and will be available in garden centers in 2024.
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These perennials will be widely available in 2024, but might be found as early release items or in industry production in 2023. The class of 2024 includes 2 new genera for the program and 15 new varieties.
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This color guide is packed with helpful information for green industry businesses who are growing and merchandising perennials.
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These plants are some of the best new varieties and selections added to the market. They can be found new to the wholesale trade starting in 2022 and will be available in garden centers in 2023.
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Each year the Walters Gardens Trials department conducts an extensive bare root grow out trial. The purpose of this trial is to examine the best planting time and display the potential benefits of "cycle" or successive planting.
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These perennials will be widely available in 2023, but might be found as early release items or in industry production in 2022. The class of 2023 includes 2 new genus for the program and 25 new varieties.
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New at to the trade in 2021, these plants will be available at retail in 2022. Below are some of our favorite upcoming plants.
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If you have a bit of shade in your garden, odds are you have a hosta or two in your garden as well. Year in and year out, Hostas remain one of the most popular perennials. They are a staple of every shade garden with thousands of cultivars available at garden centers. So if you already have Hostas in your garden the question becomes, what do you pair with it? Here are a few options.
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These perennials will be new in 2021 for industry professionals to trial, and will be widely available in 2022. Dark leaves are a trending theme for the year between 'Back in Black' Sedum, 'Edge of Night' Hibiscus, and 'Evening Gown' Heuchera. Look also for a refreshed AMAZING DAISIES® collection and new Monarda for both the Leading Lady and Pardon My Series.
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Due to the globalization of the perennial industry and the subsequent threat of new viruses, we understand the utmost importance of starting with clean stock.
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Mangave is a relatively new phenomenon, as a cross between the genus Manfreda and Agave. These rare hybrids combine the best of both worlds: the better growth rate and the interesting patterns of Manfreda, and the habit and refinement of Agave.
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Our best of the best - these plants are sure to turn heads when they hit the market.
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2021 promises an exceptional class of new Proven Winners Perennials. From a color breakthrough in Hardy Hibiscus with the creamy yellow flowers of 'French Vanilla', to the new gold standard in mildew resistance among Tall Garden Phlox with 'Opalescence'. Get a full preview of the new class in the list below.
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Creating a space devoted to Proven Winners shows the trust your business has in the brand. When customers see this trust, they respond by spending time in the destination and purchasing those products. So far, every retailer who has invested in a Proven Winners Destination in their store has seen growth in sales of Proven Winners plants and products.
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If you are looking to fill your garden with near-black or darkly colored plants, here is a list of 12 perennials to help get you started.
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If you are looking to fill your garden with silver leaved plants, here is a list of 7 perennials to help get you started.
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If you are looking to fill your garden with colorful plants, here is a list of 13 perennials with multi-colored flowers to help get you started.
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If you are looking to fill your garden with purple plants, here is a list of 14 perennials to get you started.
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If you are looking to fill your garden with yellow plants, here is a list of 16 perennials to help get you started.
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If you are looking to fill your garden with orange plants, here is a list of 8 perennials to help get you started.
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If you are looking to fill your garden with red plants, here is a list of 14 perennials to help get you started.
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If you are looking to fill your garden with pink plants, here is a list of 20 perennials to help get you started.
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If you are looking to fill your garden with white plants, here is a list of 15 perennials to help get you started.
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If you are looking to fill your garden with blue plants, here is a list of 17 perennials to help get you started.
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Newly emerging and tender foliage often attracts browsing animals, so planning a landscape that skews away from salad greens is a good way to get success even when rabbits are present.
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Deer are one of the most visible of garden pests (in part because they are also one of the largest). When a browsing deer has been through the damage is almost always immediately evident. Short of fencing, not much works to keep them out. Therefore, landscapes that have learned to resist deer browsing tend to remain beautiful just a little bit longer.
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Perennials are the rugged workhorses of the landscape, but have the underused ability to occupy so many more roles in the garden. Here are 25 perennials that command attention in the container, all by themselves.
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The Proven Winners National Plant of the Year program selects plants for their exceptional performance. These plants have been chosen for their proven excellence and ability to be used successfully nationwide by growers and gardeners alike.
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Here is a list of some of our very best and brightest new perennials making their debut in 2020! This class includes a number of Proven Winners plants and other breakthrough varieties.
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Perennials offer an expanded range of flowers and textures to liven up decorative containers. There is a lot of value in mixed perennial containers, which are often ideal for anyone who likes changing their containers seasonally. These perennials can be added to the landscape after they have finished blooming for additional years of enjoyment.
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Having trouble with pests eating your plants? These perennials resist both deer and rabbits. Note: nothing is deer and rabbit PROOF, but these aren't their first choice for snacking.
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Another year and another exciting new group of introductions for Proven Winners perennials. The class of 2019-2020 includes some exciting additions of groundcover Sedum and new options for shade perennials. Preview every new perennial below to get acquainted with these upcoming beauties!
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The Proven Winners National Plant of the Year program selects plants for their exceptional performance. These plants have been chosen for their proven excellence and ability to be used successfully nationwide by growers and gardeners alike.
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There is no clear line to cross for a daylily to qualify as premium. This list is based off our decades of experience growing and observing the many daylily cultivars and represents our top 20. We evaluate a daylily for a variety of characteristics such as exceptional rebloom, garden vigor, and consistency of flower form. Each daylily marked premium is evaluated for a minimum of 6-10 years must be exceptional against current market standards.
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Hostas are an incredibly popular perennial with lots of options to choose from. We have grown and trialed thousands of Hostas with our top 20 making this list. Premium Hostas are chosen for their vigor, leaf substance, color quality, and a variety of other factors.
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‘Millenium’ been voted the 2018 Perennial Plant of the Year™, one of the highest honors a perennial can earn and given to only one plant per year.
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In 2018 Proven Winners® perennials announced its largest class of new introductions. 31 varieties will be added to the collection, including 3 new genus and a series of compact, hybrid spring phlox. Here is the complete list of new perennials for 2018, appearing at retail in 2019.
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Mangave are a hybrid of the genus Agave and Manfreda. Here are four reasons they are better together:
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Astilbe's brightly colored, stately plumes comprised of tiny, densely packed flowers are absolutely spectacular when planted en masse and are one of the most colorful flowers for the shade. The panicles range in shape from tall and narrow to dense and stocky. Still others are more open and airy or cascade outward. In order to more accurately identify the traits of a particular cultivar, they have been divided into groups.
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When is the best time to prune Clematis? This climbing vine can be separated into three pruning groups.
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Do you love Hellebores and a quick turn crop? Then our 20ct Hellebore program for Fall planting might be for you.
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So often, we're asked for advice on which perennials bloom all summer or those that can really take the heat. As we walk our display gardens, fields, and greenhouses all season, there are always some perennials that stand out far above the rest.
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Although they have been acclimated to a protected greenhouse environment, they will still require some tender care for the next few months.
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Working closely with a broad network of hybridizers worldwide, we typically add about 100 new varieties annually to our main listing of over 1,000 perennials
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Helleborus are amazing plants with a long season of spring bloom and evergreen foliage. Our challenge as growers is to get them started on the right path. Here are a few things we’ve learned.
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Walters Gardens has been Neonicotinoid free since 2014. We pride ourselves on being environmentally conscious and keeping the “green” in green industry. Here are a few takeaways we have for going Neonic free and exercising best plant health practices.
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Our product line consists primarily of generously graded bare root and plug perennials which are sold to independent garden centers, wholesale growers, landscapers, municipalities, and online retail companies across the US and Canada.
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Plan and plant your perennial crops using this table of when to plant, finish sizes, and average finish times.
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The Dykes Medal is the highest award given by the American Iris Society. It is awarded annually to only one iris. Only AIS registered judges may vote for the winner.
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A virtually hassle-free, very long lived perennial, offering three months of tangerine orange blooms (occasionally red or yellow) from early through late summer.
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The highest award a daylily cultivar can receive is the Stout Silver Medal, given in memory of Dr. Arlow Burdette Stout, who is considered to be the father of modern daylily breeding in North America.
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Perovskia, or Russian Sage, has been a long-time staple of landscapes and gardens due to its unique texture, airy look, and drought tolerance. Perovskia are easy to grow, but to get great-looking finished plants we have some tips and recommendations.
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You might be able to finish some plants in spring, but they'll look so much better if planted the year before!
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Growers have come to recognize the benefits of growing a high margin, quick turn perennial like Hibiscus, starting with a field-grown bare root. Hibiscus is an easy crop to grow if you follow some of the following guidelines.
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Tired of spending money on annuals for your containers every spring? Why not use perennials instead?
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From our experience and trials, we've learned the critical importance of knowing how to schedule your perennial crops.
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With their ease of growth, variety of plant shapes and sizes available, and diversity of leaf colorations, hostas are one of the most desirable perennials for gardens with partial to full shade. In the landscape, the foliage can provide a bold presence while softening the appearance of well-defined areas.
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Out of the 1,000+ varieties of perennials we sell, daylilies stand miles above the rest when it comes to the broad selection of flower colors and forms as well as bloom times.
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The exotic looking intergeneric foxglove hybrid DIGIPLEXIS® was invented by crossing a hardy Digitalis purpurea with a tropical orange flowered Digitalis relative native to the Canary Islands called Isoplexis canariensis
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BELARINA® Primulas completely embody the joy and hope that spring offers. Their sizable double blossoms in a rainbow of colors bloom profusely throughout the spring season atop the compact, bright green foliage. Sterile flowers result in plants that are particularly long blooming.
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'Northwind' is a dark green, upright, rigid clumping grass selected by Roy Diblik from Northwind Perennial Farm.
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The perennials finished growers produce are often placed into two categories: “Bread and Butter” and “Premium”. Bread and butter perennials are those varieties which have been commoditized, are widely grown, and are considered the backbone of most perennial programs.
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Historically, bare root divisions were one of the main sources of starting materials for greenhouses and nurseries. With the popularity of plugs and liners in the past couple of decades, some growers have reduced their dependency on bare root divisions and switched to other types of starter plants.
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Like many ornamental plants, perennials are susceptible to numerous types of plant viruses. Growers often jump to conclusions when they hear the word “virus” and don’t consider that plant viruses are often not as destructive or common as diseases caused by fungal pathogens.
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Producing high quality perennials involves a combination of genetic, environmental and cultural factors. In the case of most perennials, high quality finished plants can be produced in several different types of environments.
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Peonies are one of the longest lived perennials, often surviving for 50 or more years. Their large, showy blossoms are the highlight of the garden in late spring and they also make excellent cut flowers.
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Daylilies (Hemerocallis) have long been popular perennials at retail and in the garden because they are beautiful and very easy to grow. The challenge for retailers is having daylilies in bloom while retail traffic is at its peak since they naturally bloom in mid through late summer.
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With the popularity of ornamental grasses and their use in the landscape, many perennial growers are offering them in their perennial product lines. However, numerous growers handle and produce ornamental grasses as if they were all the same.
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Hardy Hibiscus continues to be a popular perennial grown for summer sales. A few years ago, Walters Gardens, Inc. began to offer bare root starting materials of Hibiscus to the industry. Although bare root Hibiscus offers numerous benefits, many growers are not familiar with this type of starting material.
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Start here to browse some of the best selling perennials we have to offer!
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One of the final tasks of a successful year is overwintering your potted perennials. If properly cared for over the winter, they will grow vigorously once again the following spring.
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Though echinacea is easy to grow once it's in the landscape, it can be a bit of a challenge for growers especially when it comes to overwintering
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Different shades of the same color, like those on a paint swatch card. The contrast in light and dark hues can either be subtle, softly contrasted, or strongly apparent.
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To read a complete and informative article about hosta diseases and pests, click the link below.
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Sometimes plugs just can't top the performance of bare root plants. Here are three plants that deliver the best value for the money in bare root form.
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We strive to send every Elle plug with sufficient moisture to last through shipping. Upon delivery of your order, inspect all Elle plugs for soil moisture.
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For well over a century, peonies have proven themselves to be beautiful yet tough, low maintenance perennials.
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Each year, members of the Perennial Plant Association (PPA) nominate perennials for the Plant of the Year (POY) based on...
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It's the middle of winter here in Michigan and while most gardeners have put away their trowels for the year, many perennials are still hard at work providing winter interest in the garden.
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What could be more instantly relaxing than walking into a garden at the end of a busy day? The surprising appearance of a new flower, the scent of fresh foliage and blooms, the sounds of birds singing happily, the various textures and soft shapes surround you and draw you in.
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They might all come in boxes but they won't all grow the same. Read through this list of bare root recommendations!
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Profitability can go hand in hand with sustainable production; doing what's best for the earth can also be very good for business.
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This article describes three common plant health issues growers face with perennials
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MYTH - Plants infected with a virus may recover. FACT - Viruses do not just disappear, nor does a plant "fight off" an infection.
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With a charm all their own, Bleeding Hearts are the all-time favorite perennials for Valentine's Day. In fact, they have been extraordinarily popular since their introduction in 1842. Their latin name, spectabilis, translates to "spectacular", which indeed they are!
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To get your late-breaking plants started off on the right root, remember these four simple but important guidelines:
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Here are a few hints for growing success with Heuchera villosa hybrids
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Here in Michigan, the leaves on the trees have offered up their last show of color for the year and have begun to fall, the first frost appeared early one morning last week, and the birds are gathering, making plans to fly south for the winter.
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As many of you know, fall is an excellent time for planting perennials. Studies have shown that plants started in fall have an advantage over those planted in spring. They are stronger, more well-established, and can even be more disease resistant.
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