Best Of The Best

- a quick compilation of some of the best plants in their class -

From the boardroom to the classroom, from the greenhouse to the field, people like to know they are working with the best. In our case, the color that fills the greenhouse is only as good as the demand to fill the landscape. That demand is predicated on having the best plants, with the best color, essentially those that perform well over a long period of time with the minimum of maintenance. Thank goodness, our breeders have yet to come up with real plastic plants, so we put up with a few warts and blemishes. Every year we share the half dozen or so finest plants from the University of Georgia Trial gardens, and describe them as the Classic City Award Winners. Click here for the Classic City Awards 2004 winners. We also expand that list each year to plants that simply were the finest among their leafy peers, such as the best red-flowered, or white-flowered begonia, or the best blue petunia.

At the UGA trials, plants are evaluated every two weeks throughout the season, and then averaged in November. Many cultivars performed heroically, only to give their lives to the challenge of heat, humidity and drought. However, others thrived, and these we share with you. Those that received the mantle of Best of the Best were chosen the good old fashioned way, they earned it. Congratulations to the breeders and distributors who shared these plants with us.

Plant Name	Company	Rating	Photo
Abutilon 'Fairy Coral Red'	Athens Select	4.44
Acalypha 'Ceylon Lime'		4.88
Acalypha 'Bourbon Street'	Athens Select	4.94
Ageratum houstonianum 'Artist Blue'	Proven Winners	4.06
Alternanthera 'Red Threads'		4.94
Angelonia augustifolia 'Angelina Pink' (Summer Snapdragon)	Selecta First Class, Inc.	4.44
Angelonia augustifolia 'Angelina Violet and White' (Summer Snapdragon)	Selecta First Class, Inc.	4.44
Angelonia augustifolia 'Angelmist Spreading Pink' (Summer Snapdragon)	Ball Floraplant	4.56
Angelonia augustifolia 'Angelmist Spreading White' (Summer Snapdragon)	Ball Floraplant	4.63
Begonia semperflorens 'Stara Scarlet' (Wax Begonia)	Floranova Seeds	4.81
Begonia semperflorens 'Inferno Pink' (Wax Begonia)	Sakata Seed America, Inc.	4.56
Begonia semperflorens 'Stara Deep Rose' (Wax Begonia)	Floranova Seeds	4.56
Bidens 'Yellow Glow'	Danziger Flower Farm	4.00
Calibrachoa hybrida 'Superbells Dreamsickle' (Trailing Petunia)	Proven Winners	4.63
Calibrachoa hybrida 'Cabaret Purple' (Trailing Petunia)	Ball Floraplant	4.44
Calibrachoa hybrida 'Noa Ultimate Pink' (Trailing Petunia)	Danziger Flower Farm	4.38
Capsicum annuum 'Medusa 07F05C-1' (Ornamental Pepper)	All American Selection*	4.63
Capsicum annuum 'Explosive Blast 07F05C-3' (Ornamental Pepper)	All American Selection*	4.63
Catharanthus roseus 'Cora Deep Lavender' (Periwinkle)	Goldsmith Seeds, Inc.	4.56
Catharanthus roseus 'Nirvana Cascade Rose' (Periwinkle)	Goldfisch	4.69
Catharanthus roseus 'Titan Pure White' (Periwinkle)	PanAmerican Seed Co.	4.81
Celosia plumosa 'Smart Look Red'	Benary Flower Seeds	4.63
Celosia spicata 'Fresh Look Gold'	All American Selection*, Benary Flower Seeds	4.63
Celosia spicata 'Punky Red'	Kieft Seeds	4.50
Chrysocephalum 'Helissia Silver Leaf'	Danziger Flower Farm	4.50
Euphorbia 'Diamond Frost'	Proven Winners	4.75
Gaillardia 'Torch Yellow'	Ball Floraplant	4.44
Gaura 'Geyser White'	Syngenta Seeds	4.44
Graptophyllum 'Chocolate'		4.88
Hibiscus 'Panama Red'	Athens Select	4.94
Impatiens hawkerii 'Sonic Orange' (New Guinea Impatiens)	Goldfisch	4.13
Impatiens hawkerii 'Kokomo XL Pink Frost' (New Guinea Impatiens)	Syngenta Seeds	4.13
Impatiens hawkerii 'Riviera Orange' (New Guinea Impatiens)	Dummen U.S.A.	4.38
Impatiens hawkerii 'Tamarinda Orange Orchid' (New Guinea Impatiens)	Fides North America	4.31
Impatiens hawkerii 'Celebration Sangria Improved' (New Guinea Impatiens)	Ball Horticulture Co.	4.38
Impatiens hybrid 'Fanfare Orchid' (Trailing Impatiens)	Ball Floraplant	4.38
Impatiens hybrid 'Fusion Peach Frost' (Exotic Impatiens)	Ball Floraplant	4.31
Impatiens hybrid 'SunPatiens Compact White '	Ecke Ranch, Paul Ecke Ranch	4.75
Impatiens walleriana 'Jambalaya Lilac'	Syngenta Seeds	4.63
Impatiens walleriana 'Super Elfin XP Punch'	PanAmerican Seed Co.	4.69
Impatiens walleriana 'Jambalaya Tropical Punch'	Syngenta Seeds	4.69
Impatiens walleriana 'Fiesta Stardust Pink' (Double Impatiens)	Ball Floraplant	4.38
Impatiens walleriana 'Shimmer Rose'	Syngenta Seeds	4.50
Impatiens walleriana 'Shimmer Violet'	Syngenta Seeds	4.69
Impatiens walleriana 'Super Elfin XP Deep Pink'	PanAmerican Seed Co.	4.63
Impatiens walleriana 'Silhouette Red Star' (Double Impatiens)	Goldfisch	4.25
Juncus inflexus 'Blue Arrows' (Juncus Grass)	PanAmerican Seed Co.	4.50
Lantana camara 'Landmark Sunrise Rose'	Ball Floraplant	4.63
Lantana camara 'Luscious Grape'	Proven Winners	4.56
Manihot esculenta 'Variegata'		4.94
Osteospermum ecklonis 'Tradewinds Purple Bicolor'	Goldfisch	4.19
Osteospermum ecklonis 'Crescendo Primrose'	Ecke Ranch, Paul Ecke Ranch	4.94
Osteospermum ecklonis 'Summertime White'	Dummen U.S.A.	4.13
Osteospermum ecklonis 'Margarita Lemon'	Fides North America	4.38
Pelargonium hybrid 'Caliente Coral' (Interspecific geranium)	Goldfisch	4.75
Pelargonium peltatum 'Pacific White' (Ivy Geranium)	Dummen U.S.A.	4.50
Pelargonium peltatum 'Meriholiday'	Fides North America	4.50
Pelargonium peltatum 'Galleria Pink Punch' (Ivy Geranium)	Ball Floraplant	4.56
Pelargonium peltatum 'Global Red' (Ivy Geranium)	Paul Ecke Ranch	4.56
Pelargonium x hortorum 'Fidelity L Bright Scarlet' (Zonal Geranium)	Syngenta Seeds	4.50
Pelargonium x hortorum 'Himalaya Fire' (Zonal geranium)	Goldfisch	4.56
Pelargonium x hortorum 'Allure Red Passion' (Zonal Geranium)	Ball Floraplant	4.63
Pelargonium x hortorum 'Designer Hot Coral' (Zonal Geranium)	Ball Floraplant	4.50
Pelargonium x hortorum 'Rocky Mountain Pink' (Zonal geranium)	Goldfisch	4.50
Pentas lanceolata 'Graffiti Lipstick'	Benary Flower Seeds	4.31
Pentas lanceolata 'Bahama White'	Ecke Ranch, Paul Ecke Ranch	4.31
Pentas lanceolata 'Pom Pom Rose'	Ecke Ranch, Proven Winners	4.31
Pentas lanceolata 'Starla Deep Rose'	Goldsmith Seeds, Inc.	4.38
Perilla 'Magilla Purple'	Ball Floraplant	4.69
Petunia x hybrida 'Supertunia Vista Bubblegum'	Proven Winners	4.69
Petunia x hybrida 'Surfinia Baby Pink Ice'	Bear Creek Gardens, Inc.	4.75
Petunia x hybrida 'Munchkin Appleblossom'		4.75
Petunia x hybrida 'Surfinia Pastel Pink'	Bear Creek Gardens, Inc.	4.75
Petunia x hybrida 'Sweetunia Soft Pink Morning'	Dummen U.S.A.	4.75
Petunia x hybrida 'Music Purple Twist'		4.75
Phlox 'Intensia Neon Pink'	Proven Winners	4.19
Phlox 'Intensia White'	Proven Winners	4.19
Pseuderanthemum 'Kaleidoscope'		4.50
Purslane 'Yubi Summer Joy White' (Portulaca)	Paul Ecke Ranch	4.75
Purslane 'Rio Yellow'	Ball Floraplant	4.63
Rudbeckia hybrida 'Radiance'	PanAmerican Seed Co.	3.92
Salvia 'Mystic Spires Blue'	Ball Floraplant	4.57
Salvia splendens 'Red Alert'	Hem Zaden	4.56
Salvia splendens 'Mojave Red'	Floranova Seeds	4.44
Salvia splendens 'Vista Rose'	Ball Horticulture Co.	4.44
Salvia splendens 'Oasis Red'	Floranova Seeds	4.44
Scaevola x hybrida 'Bombay Blue'	Goldfisch	4.44
Scaevola x hybrida 'Whirlwind Blue'	Proven Winners	4.63
Scaevola x hybrida 'Cajun Blue'	Athens Select	4.69
Solenostemon 'Oompah'	Baker's Acres Greenhouse	4.69
Solenostemon 'Stained Glassworks Wedding Train' (Coleus)	Ecke Ranch, Paul Ecke Ranch	4.94
Solenostemon 'Electric Lime' (Coleus)	Ball Floraplant	4.88
Solenostemon 'Velvet Lime'	Athens Select	4.81
Sutera cordata 'Gulliver Snow' (Bacopa)	Danziger Flower Farm	4.06
Sutera cordata 'Abunda Giant White' (Bacopa)	Ball Floraplant	4.19
Tagetes 'Moonstruck Yellow' (Marigold)	Syngenta Seeds	4.38
Tagetes patula x erecta 'Zenith Extra Orange and Red'	Floranova Seeds	4.25
Tagetes patula x erecta 'Zenith Extra Golden Yellow'	Floranova Seeds	4.19
Talinum paniculata 'Limon' (Talinum)	Ball Horticulture Co.	4.50
Torenia 'White Moon'	Danziger Flower Farm	4.38
Torenia 'Catalina Midnight Blue'	Proven Winners	4.44
Torenia 'Catalina White'	Proven Winners	4.63
Torenia 'Purple Moon'	Danziger Flower Farm	4.31
Turnera 'White Lights'		4.69
Verbena hybrida 'Rapunzel Lilac'	Goldfisch	4.38
Verbena hybrida 'Aztec Dark Red'	Ball Floraplant	4.44
Verbena hybrida 'Tropical Breeze Purple and White Improved'	Paul Ecke Ranch	4.31
Verbena hybrida 'Lanai Red '07'	Goldfisch	4.56
Verbena hybrida 'Empress Purple Improved'	Dummen U.S.A.	4.44
Verbena hybrida 'Ipanema Silver'	Syngenta Seeds	4.44
Zinnia 'Profusion Knee High Red'	Ball Horticulture Co.	4.00
Zinnia 'Profusion Knee High White'	Ball Horticulture Co.	4.07