Kernock Park Plants Antirrhinum 'Shiryu Kiss' has won Best in Show at the Horticultural Trades Association’s (HTA) prestigious New Plant Awards – sponsored by ICL – at this year’s HTA National Plant Show.

The industry’s must-attend event is currently taking place at NAEC in Stoneleigh, Warwickshire.

Antirrhinum ‘Shiryu Kiss’ produces rich purple flowers over a long season and is truly perennial in nature, offering excellent value in the garden. It has proven to be significantly resistant to rust (a common disease of Antirrhinum) and powdery mildew. It responds well to pruning, and the non-stop flowering with nectar-laden blooms is irresistible to bumblebees and butterflies. The name ‘Shiryu’, meaning “purple dragon” in Japanese, pays tribute to both the plant’s snapdragon heritage and the subtle purple hues in its flowers and foliage.

The new plant areas at the HTA National Plant Show are bursting with colour and ideas, with almost 100 plants entered in the New Plant Awards this year. Prizes are given to the most innovative and exceptional plant varieties launched in the past year.

The judging panel is made up of horticultural experts spanning the UK, including specialists from growers, retailers and educators, as well as garden media, to ensure a variety of perspectives and experiences are represented in the evaluation process. This year’s judging panel include:

• Steve Chapman – Technical Sales Manager, ICL Group – New Plant Awards Sponsor 
• Josh Egan-Wyer – Head of School for Animal Science, Land-based Studies & Horticulture, Pershore College 
• Alan Down, HTA Immediate Past president and ‘Down to Earth’
• Anisa Gress, Potting Shed Press  
• Gwyn Lloyd, Stratford Garden Centre

Pippa Greenwood, Horticulture Manager at the Horticultural Trades Association (HTA), said: “It’s been a fantastic display, showing what amazing growers we’ve got at the HTA National Plant Show who entered their new plants into the New Plant Awards. It was a very thorough process, and as ever there was some wrangling among the judges over who should get gold, silver and bronze medals, and, of course, best in category. Well done to all those who entered, and congratulations to Kernock Park Plants for taking home Best in Show.”

Steve Chapman, Technical Sales Manager at the ICL Group, commented: “The overall winner was exactly what I was looking for in a New Plant Award. It’s truly a perennial, which makes it unique compared to any other Antirrhinum.”

Bruce Harnett from Kernock Park Plants, said: “We’re super excited, what a great win! It's a commendation and recognition for an amazing variety which was bred in the UK by Peter Moore. We do a lot of work behind the scenes and there’s not always enough that we can give back to the team who are back at the site in Cornwall. To say that what they're doing really matters and is recognised by the trade is amazing.”

The winners

Herbaceous Perennials

Kernock Park Plants – Antirrhinum 'Shiryu Kiss'

Annuals, Tender Perennials and container & basket plants

Ball Colegrave  – Digitalis hybrida Arctic Fox Lemon Cream

Flowering Houseplants

Javado UK – Euphorbia Tiara Alexandra

Foliage Houseplants

Javado UK – Ananas Babyboom

Cacti & Succulents

Javado UK – Wild Kalanchoe “Octopus”

Trees

Frank P Matthews – Apple (Malus domestica) Legacy™

Shrubs (including Conifers) & Climbers

Javado UK – Chamaecyparis thyoides EL PASO™

 The judging process is thorough and based on a comprehensive set of criteria, including: 

• Aesthetic appeal 
• Commercial viability 
• Adaptability to various growing conditions 

Awards presented include Bronze, Silver, Gold, Best in Category, and Best in Show. Receiving a New Plant Award is a prestigious honour that brings significant recognition and publicity to both the plant and its creators.  

In addition to the formal awards announcement, judges joined visitors at the Sinclair Collaboration Area to discuss their choices for the winning plants, the key features and highlights of each winning entry, and how the recognition can help increase plant sales.