Best of the Best

A quick compilation of some of the best plants in their class

People like to know they are working with the best from the boardroom to the classroom, from the greenhouse to the field. 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 with minimum maintenance. Every year, we share the dozen or so finest plants from the Gardens at UGA and describe them as the Classic City Award Winners. We also expand that list each year to plants that were the finest among their leafy peers, such as the best red-foliaged, white-flowered begonia, or a two-tone calibrachoa. At the Gardens at UGA, plants are evaluated monthly throughout the season and then averaged over the season. Many cultivars perform heroically, only to give their lives to the challenge of heat, humidity, and drought. However, others thrived, and these we share with you. Those who received the mantle of Best of the Best were chosen the old-fashioned way; they earned it. Congratulations to the breeders and distributors who shared these plants with us.