We asked Plant Sale Committee Members what some of their favorite plants are from this year’s sale. Check out plants we look forward to offering at our sale this year.
What plants are you most excited about in this year’s Plant Sale? Why do you love it and how do you plant it?
Canary Wing Begonia is one of my favorite plants. I use Canary Wings on and around my east-facing covered front porch every year and I have never been disappointed. Canary Wing Begonia is an easy-to-grow chartreuse leaf begonia that is perfect for window boxes, pots, and hanging baskets. It grows large, 18” or more, and requires very little care aside from occasional fertilizer.
The only conditions it doesn’t seem like are full sun and too much water. Canary Wing Begonia flowers continuously all summer. But the main attraction is its bright chartreuse leaves which never fail to attract attention, right up until the first freeze of winter. I couldn’t love Canary Wing Begonia more and I highly recommend it.
Scaevola is another one of my favorite plants. FOPCON is offering 2 this year: Scaevola ‘Whirlwind White Improved’ and Scaevola ‘Pink Brilliance’. Scaevola is a nice medium-sized spreading plant that is covered with small fan-shaped flowers. I use Scaevola in full-sun planters that don’t necessarily get watered as often as they would like. But I also had great success with it on my covered eastern exposure porch. In other words, it’s just an all-around great plant that stands up to heat and humidity but also does well in partial shade.
Scaevola is often described as a season extender and it truly is. When my other plants are looking bedraggled later in the season, Scaevola just soldiers on, flowering right up until the first freeze. Scaevola is a really nice plant that doesn’t get nearly as much attention as it should. I highly recommend it.
— Karen Fischer
‘Whirlwind White Improved’
It isn’t easy to pick a favorite because there are so many beauties this year. I am excited about the Salvia “Icon Blue Bicolor”. The bicolor is a unique feature and with the shiny mildew-resistant foliage, the plants should perform successfully in our challenging Chicago environment. At a height of 18-22 inches, I am planning to use these Salvia in planters along with Petchoa ‘Caliburst Yellow’ and I will expect to see plenty of pollinators like bees and butterflies visiting my deck.
— Lorretta Wolak
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