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New Flower Releases from Goldsmith Seeds

© Keith Muraoka

Looking for something different than everyone else when it comes to unique bedding plants? Goldsmith Seeds, a wholesale flower breeder in Gilroy, California, is unveiling 18 new flowers for the year 2000-2001. These introductions include a dark-leafed impatiens, a black-leafed pansy and a new hybrid dianthus series.

Goldsmith Seeds, still family owned and operated since 1962, is a multi-national company with more than 4,000 employees on three continents. Goldsmith is headquartered in Gilroy, California.

Being strictly wholesale, home gardeners can not buy flowers directly from Goldsmith Seeds. Instead, seeds are available from mail-order seed companies under Goldsmith variety names. Likewise, transplants are available as bedding plants at nurseries everywhere. Again, consumers must shop for Goldsmith flowers by variety name.

Goldsmith Seeds President Joel Goldsmith says of the introductions, "Our plant breeding team continues to be the best and largest in the flower business. We are proud to introduce new and innovative bedding plants to the world. These new flowers should become mainstays to the gardening public."

"Accent" impatiens "Accent Midnight Rose" impatiens is the first dark-leafed variety in the most popular impatiens series around. "Accent" impatiens bloom earlier, are more uniform and bring hybrid vigor to this most popular bedding plant. This dark-leafed variety will tolerate more sun than most impatiens. It grows 10-12 inches high, and will bloom all summer long until heavy frost.

"Super Parfait" dianthus Whether you know them as dianthus, sweet William, border carnations or "pinks," many home gardeners overlook the advantages of these bedding plants. "Super Parfait" dianthus features large, 2-inch fringed flowers in strawberry and raspberry colors. "Super parfaits" are appropriately named for their unique layering of rich color. Flowers bloom on dwarf plants 8-10 inches high, and can be grown practically year-round in mild-winter climates.

"Accord" pansy Except for black spot on roses, the color black gets little attention in the garden. "Accord Black Beauty" is the first black pansy from Goldsmith. If you want something different, try this variety! Two other new colors include "Accord Clear Purple" and "Accord Purple Picotee." Plants grow 6-8 inches high, and prefer cool conditions.

"Libre" primula obconica "Libre" continues to be primin-free and hypo-allergenic, eliminating the possibility of skin irritation. Three new colors all in difefrent shades of red are new. They include "Libre Red," "Libre Fuchsia" and "Libre Carmine." These cool-season favorites are all dwarf.

"Penny" viola Hybrid vigor, performance and uniformity are all attributes of these two new colors to this series. "Penny Porcelain" is a soft mid-blue, while "Penny Yellow Jump-up" has upper petals of deep violat and lower petals of golden yellow. All "Penny" grows on 6-inch plants in cooler weather.

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