Proven Winners plant trial, one month later
A little more than a month after planting them, the Proven Winners plants that I’m trialing in my garden are growing well and looking good. Considering the long, temperate spring and recent rainfall we’ve enjoyed, not to mention the good soil I brought in for my new beds, I would expect good results in May. The true test for these plants—or any plant in my garden—is high summer, July through September. Until then, we’re all enjoying our honeymoon.
Pictured above and at top is one of the seven Torenias , or wishbone flowers, they sent me: Catalina® Torenia Midnight Blue. It prefers shade or partial shade, so I planted it in the dappled shade of several live oaks, where it really brightens up the space with color.
Here’s another look. What a nice change from impatiens, don’t you think?
This one is Catalina® Torenia Gilded Grape, which may be my favorite of the bunch. Purple and yellow—fun! Although the name always makes me think of the movie What’s Eating Gilbert Grape?
Here’s Catalina® Torenia Pink.
And Catalina® Torenia Linen White, which has a little dab of yellow on the lower petals.
Aside from the Catalina® Torenias, they also sent me three from their Summer Wave® series, including Amethyst, above.
Summer Wave® Torenia Blue
Summer Wave® Torenia Large Violet. All the torenias established easily, haven’t shown much wilting, and have not required watering every day—my own Holy Grail in selecting plants, especially annuals.
I received three of their Graceful Grasses series, including the well-known Carex ‘Toffee Twist.’ I already had one of these sedges, inherited with the new house, and just added the new carex beside it. They’re doing well in dappled shade and look particularly nice paired with an orangey heuchera.
Receiving this Cyperus papyrus King Tut® was a bit of a surprise, as I’d requested only drought-tolerant plants from the Proven Winners rep who contacted me. This plant prefers wet conditions. In fact, I put a papyrus in the stock-tank pond in my old garden. However, so far so good. I planted it in a low spot near the patio in partial shade. I hope the extra runoff from watering and rainfall will keep it happy because I don’t plan to baby it with daily watering.
Juncus effusus Quartz Creek is the last of the Graceful Grasses I received, and it’s doing well in a sunnier bed. Again, this rush is a thirstier plant than I would have chosen myself, but I’m giving it a go.
Among the sun-lovers that were sent me, this Australian native looks the most like a native Texas plant to my eyes: Chrysocephalum apiculatum Flambe® Orange. This sprawler, commonly known as strawflower, has silvery green foliage and button-like flowers, and I quite like it.
The Flambe® Yellow is even more silver-green. Yum!
Two Ageratums, or flossflower, are sharing space in the sunnier bed: Artist® Purple…
…and Artist® Blue Violet. Compact and tidy, they look like a neatnik’s version of blue mistflower.
The Cuphea llavea Totally Tempted® has totally tempted several readers already, judging by my comments. I received two of these and am trialing them at opposite ends of my new garden. The one that receives morning to early afternoon sun is thriving. The one that receives early to late afternoon sun has struggled, its leaves crisping up and wilting quite a bit. I’ve even given that one extra water, which helps, but it’s not as happy. In Austin’s hot climate, with intense sun, I recommend afternoon shade for this beauty.
I’ve saved my favorites for last. A pair of Senorita Rosalita® Cleomes make me happy every time I see them. They’ve adapted well to the morning to mid-afternoon sun bed, growing taller immediately and blooming their little heads off. I love the color, there’s none of the stinkiness I’ve heard about with cleomes, and the foliage is nice-looking too. I would try a whole sweep of these next year, providing, of course, that they hold up all summer.
Diamond Frost® Euphorbia is my other favorite of the bunch. This one is pretty well known, and people seem to like to use it in containers. I planted the pair they sent me with a third that I inherited with the garden. They get mostly dappled shade but some late afternoon sun, and they really shine against the silver of the stock tank and the white-trunked Texas persimmon nearby. In fact, the existing one made it through the winter last year with almost no protection, making them perennials, perhaps, in a protected location in central Austin gardens.
Several readers have asked me whether these plants are already on the market, and the answer is yes. Some, like the euphorbia and sedge, among others, have been available for years. Perhaps some of these are brand-new introductions, but I’m not sure which ones. The big-box stores and some independent nurseries sell them, but to find out where in your region, go to the Proven Winners website.
As summer heats up, I’ll revisit the plant trial and let you know how these plants are performing in my garden.
All material © 2006-2009 by Pam Penick for Digging. Unauthorized reproduction prohibited.
I have had those torenias in my garden the past few years in pots. They do so well in partial shade for me. And the Diamond Frost I have planted in the ground around the base of a tree where it got not much love at all and it overcame the odds and bloomed until frost. Great plant if you ask me.
I agree, Lisa. I was impressed with ‘Diamond Frost’ before I even knew what it was called. I love having a trio of them and want more. —Pam
I know I already commented on this but my Proven Winners Senorita Rosalita cleomes are doing unbelievable here in south Houston. They get full scorching afternoon sun and are growing so high I need to cut them back but do not want to cut off all the flowers. I went to Home Depot to get more for my backyard and they are all gone. 🙁 I love reading your reviews of these plants. PW seems to do awesome for me every year and I do not know if it’s a fluke or what! Not sure what the real PW name of the grass was but I purchased several mexican feather grasses — maybe pony tail — and they started out 8 to 10 inches high and are two feet tall and beautiful only one month later. How often do you update your reviews for PW?
Hi, Vikki. My next update on the PW plants will probably come in late June or early July, after we’ve had a few weeks of serious summer. And then I’ll do another one at the end of the trial by fire, so to speak.
I’d never paid attention to the PW brand before the rep contacted me about trialing some plants for them. When I asked her to explain exactly what the brand meant, and how common plants like Mexican feathergrass could be trademarked under their label, she explained that the feathergrass and other native or commonly sold plants are marketed “under our Proven Selections brand, which is a regional brand compared to Proven Winners as a national brand. These varieties are not trademarked. You can tell if they are Proven Winners or Proven Selections by looking at the tag image.” That’s all I know. —Pam
I would love to have that first blue plant, as I have a lot of shade. In terms of the papyrus, I have one that grows from around the foundation of my house. Apparently wild. No water there to speak of. It’s not as pretty as yours. But it grows about six feet high and the tops are really big. So big it sways over to the ground a lot!
Brenda
It’s good to know that the papyrus can thrive without extra water or babying. It sounds like my kind of plant after all! —Pam
What a great opportunity – and how much fun to trial new plants! Looks like they are all thriving under your expert care.
Chloe M.
Expert? It’s nice to hear, but truly, it’s all trial and error with these new plants. Following the plant-tag recommendations has gotten me this far, Chloe. 😉 —Pam
Looking forward to your updates. So often “sun” doesn’t mean “Texas sun” so your comments on the conditions they are growing in at your garden are so much more useful in deciding if I can grow them too. My space is limited, so I can’t waste too much on something that is going to struggle.
Yes, Texas sun is in a whole ‘nother category of “sun,” isn’t it? And how about those seed packets that say sow in spring, when in Texas you have to sow them in fall or they’ll never make it (poppies, larkspur, sweet peas)? Gardening advice should always be local. That’s what makes reading local garden blogs so useful. Thanks for your comment, Nancy. —Pam
Pam, Hi! Torenias are not plants I would normally add to my garden…but the Catalina Pink is one that does tempt! The cleome is now on the list…I don’t even mind the sticky pre-improved version! Odd looking plants but Helen Campbell, an all white, is a dream. Twisted Sister and euphorbia are plants that I had to have. They add that something special to my garden. Thanks Pam for the reviews…If they can make it in Austin…think what they can do in our gardens! gail
That Catalina Pink would look nice in your garden, Gail. I remember how much you like pink! I don’t know the Twisted Sister—must look that one up. —Pam
Funny to see the Papyrus King Tut on your site too! I just went and purchased one over the weekend, love this plant. I hope yours continues to do well.
On the Chrysocephalum apiculatum Flambé® Orange, are the flowers actually round?
Yes, only they’re in clusters of three or five “buttons.” It’s a neat little plant. —Pam
Great review of these plants. Looking forward to seeing their continued progress! –Jackie
Thanks for following along, Jackie. —Pam
Pam .. you are familiar with this brand and might know something of a mystery for me. I have bought Proven Winner shrubs before .. I have Summer Wine (Ninebark) and it is a gorgeous shrub .. but a new one for Ninebark called Satin Chocolate has shown up here in Ontario (Canada) .. I can’t find information on this shrub at all other than the tag saying it is a new combination of Nana and Diablo .. which is also Summer Wine’s parentage .. do you know anything about a Ninebark called Satin Chocolate ?
Thanks for any information at all : )
Joy
Hi, Joy. I wish I could help, but I’m not particularly familiar with the brand, and I don’t know anything about Ninebark. Have you looked on the Proven Winners website for more info? —Pam
Quite a collection! I’m impressed, and looking forward to the summer report.
Me too, Town Mouse. That’s when these plants will show their true worth for an Austin garden, or not! —Pam
I’m following your Proven Winners trials with interest. I like how they sent you so many drought-tolerant plants for shade. I really need more drought-tolerant plants for shade. And as far as finding Proven Winners plants in Austin, I’ve found that Home Depot always tends to have a pretty good selection.
Thanks for the tip, Lori. I’ve seen them at Lowe’s too. Unfortunately, it looks like the local independents, which I favor, don’t carry them. —Pam
Everything looks great, Pam! Hmmmmm… I wonder if Texas Blue Bonnets will Prove to be a Winner for us. Seems we got some wonderful seeds in the mail yesterday. 😉
Thank you very much! 🙂
You’re welcome, Randy. I hope they do well for you! —Pam
Interesting. Many of these look like ones we have in our nursery right now but they’re not Proven Winners varieties (e.g. the Gilded Grape variety is called Clown Purple or something like that). I wonder what makes them different? A different gene here or there? Also I’m wondering, do you know what the common name is for Chrysocephalum apiculatum? I’ve seen the silver variety in a hanging basket with other things and it’s really beautiful. I especially like that cleome you have. Interesting post!
Hi, Jean. See my answer to Vikki’s comment, above, for a little more info about the brand and the trademarking they use. Frankly, I’m not entirely sure how all the trademarking of plants works. Some of it seems subject to marketers’ whims.
According to the plant tag, the common name for Chrysocephalum apiculatum is strawflower. I’ll add it to the post info. —Pam
This is a great post and I’m looking forward to the mid-summer update. The torenias look great, I’m definitely going to try some, as finding things that bloom all summer in the shade other than impatiens and begonias is tough. How big is your garden that you have room for so many new plants? My tiny garden and I are jealous.
In the past, my experience with Proven Winners plants has been that sometimes they are TOO vigorous, and end up taking over and becoming sprawly. Maybe because of the milder California weather.
Hi, Susan. Our lot size is about one-third of an acre. The 1970s-era ranch house that occupies it is long and sprawling, so I’m not sure how much garden-able space I have, but it’s more than in my old garden on a quarter-acre lot. So far, all my planting beds are in the back yard, and they don’t feel big enough. Or rather, I want more sunny beds. There’s room for more in the front, which I hope to start on next fall.
Thanks for the tip about the vigor of the PW plants. Austin’s climate is pretty mild too, so I’ll be tough on them if necessary. —Pam
Oooh, torenias. Haven’t thought of them, and I have a shady corner that needs work. My favourite is the first one, that stunning deep blue. Lovely!
The blue torenia is my favorite too, Chookie. —Pam
Pam, I have grown the torenias for years, they are one of my favorites for my shady garden. And they reseed themselves prolifically, at least here in South Carolina. I get volunteers coming up everywhere, although they don’t actually show up until mid-July. BTW your garden is beautiful, it must bring you much joy.
Thanks, Janine. My new garden is still in its infancy, but it’s coming along and it does bring me much joy. Thanks for sharing your experience with the torenias. I’d love to have them seed out in my garden. I’ve got some empty space to fill. —Pam