Here's something new

Latest Japanese releases show promise

- Peter Seabrook

LEADING Japanese seed and young plant company Sakata replaced its usual new plant launches in Holland last month with a series of regional displays, including one for British growers at Pershore, Worcestershire. Most of the plants on display were subsequently transported to the Floral Fantasia area at the Royal Horticultural Society Garden, Hyde Hall, Essex, where they are now planted and on public display for all to enjoy.

There are three new colours in the Petchoa BeautiCal Series, a cross between a petunia and a calibrachoa; a hybrid showing great promise not just for the unique colours, but also weather resistance, very free and long flowering, less stickiness than found on petunia, and remarkably good garden performance. The original four, launched at the last BBC Gardeners’ World Live Exhibition in 2019, flowered non-stop pretty well until Christmas, and some even survived over winter in a sheltered position.

“New colours had been added to the SunPatiens”