This year’s New Plant Awards awards, sponsored by the RHS, attracted over 90 entries across five categories - annual, breeder innovation, hardy nursery stock, herbaceous perennial and houseplants - and the judges awarded 12 gold, 8 silver and 3 bronze.
The winners were
Annual
Gold and Best in category
Verbena hybrida ‘Lanai Twister Pink’ – Syngenta FloriPro Services
Gold
Mecardonia hybrid ‘Magic Carpet Yellow’ – Earley Ornamentals Limited
Pelargonium hybrid ‘Calliope Rose Splash’ – Syngenta FloriPro Services
Verbena ‘Wicked Purple’ – Young Plants Limited
Silver
Petunia hybrid ‘Mini Blast Rose’ – Earley Ornamentals Ltd
Bronze
Petunia ‘Sweetunia Johnny Flame’ – Young Plants Limited
Breeder Innovation
Gold and Best in category
Pear (Pyrus) ‘Benita Rafzas’ - Frank P Matthews Ltd
Silver
Aspilla ‘Brasilia Gold’ – Channel Island Plants (UK) Ltd
Diascia hybrid ‘Aurora’ Apricot – Ball Colegrave Ltd
Hardy Nursery Stock
Gold, Best in category and Best in Show
Clematis Beautiful Bride – New Leaf Plants
Gold
Hebe ‘Blue Ice’- Lowaters Nursery
Hydrangea macrophylla ‘Love’ ™ (H19-17) – Javado UK
Physocarpus ‘Amber Jubilee’ – John Woods Nurseries
Picea pungens ‘Blue Diamond’ – Kilworth Conifers
Silver
Hebe ‘Garden Beauty Pink’ (Lowpapi) – Lowaters Nursery
Lavatera ‘Ruby Star’ – West End Nuseries
Bronze
Sambucus nigra Blue Sheen – Hillier Nurseries
Herbaceous Perennial
Gold and Best in Category
Penstemon ‘Riding Hood Blue’- Fairweather’s Nursery
Silver
Leucantheum superbum ‘Real Glory’ – Eagle Plants Ltd
Tradescantia ‘Swallowtail’ – New Forest Plants
Bronze
Digitalis ‘Illumination Chelsea Gold’- Farplants Sales Ltd
Houseplant
Gold and Best in Category
Begonia elatior ‘Glory Lemon’ – Beekenkamp Plants
Silver
Phalaenopsis ‘Phantom’ – Javado UK
The New Plant Award judges were HTA President Caroline Owen from Scotsdales Garden Centre, Gardener and TV broadcaster Christine Walkden, well known plant breeder Peter Catt from Liss Forest Nurseries, RHS Trials Manager Mark Heath and Head of Horticulture at the Garden Centre Group Tim Clapp. HTA Operations Manager Martin Simmons chaired the judging panel.