PFE is proud to announce the addition of two new plants to our portfolio.

The first (alphabetically) is an exciting new Dianthus variety, Dianthus gratianopolitanus Red Devil (illustrated right).

Red Devil is a sport of the popular variety Feuerhexe (also known as Fire Witch) which will be Perennial Plant Association Plant of the Year 2006. It shares many features with Feuerhexe, including attractive steely grey evergreen foliage and a neat compact habit (growing to around 15cm or 6 inches). It is a free flowering plant with rich deep red clove-scented flowers. The main flower display is in spring and early summer but with repeat flowering in late summer and autumn.

Propagation is easy from cuttings, and this makes a fine plant for impulse sales in pot sizes from 10cm to 1.5 litre.

Test material will be available later this year, from June onwards. In the meantime, a specimen plant is being grown at PFE headquarters and may be viewed by appointment.

The second plant is Gaillardia Summers Kiss (illustrated right).

This plant, already popular in the United States (where it is protected by Plant Patent), originated in a batch of seedlings of Gaillardia Goblin. It has similar growth habits to its parent, with a low-growing, compact and upright habit. It is free flowering, displaying its large daisy-like flowers from mid-summer into autumn. The flowers open pink-orange and age to melon giving an overall peach-apricot effect.

Summers Kiss is an easy to grow plant, propagated by cuttings. It makes an excellent plant for the border or for container planting, and will make a good impulse purchase item for later in the season in 1 litre or 2 litre pots.

Test material is available now – contact us for more details. A specimen plant will also be added to the collection at PFE headquarters and may be viewed by appointment from mid summer.

Ajuga Black Scallop (BINBLASCA) has become the most-requested plant in the PFE portfolio, taking its position as the first-choice dark-leaved Ajuga in the European market.

Current licensees for Ajuga Black Scallop are:

• Globe Planter (FR)
• Gootjes AllPlant (NL)
• Kernock Park Plants (UK)
• Kientzler GmbH (DE)
• Seiont Nurseries (UK)

For contact details for any of these growers, or to request sample plants of Ajuga Black Scallop, please contact us.

FarPlants have announced that the excellent new Nemesia Celine will be launched in the UK for spring sales in 2005. For more details, contact FarPlants Sales.

Nemesia Celine was bred by Martine Tellwright of Fleurie Nursery. For more information on Martine’s Nemesias, see PFE’s portfolio pages (link at the top of this page). Plants For Europe is the global head agent for Martine’s new plant breeding.

The application for EU Plant Variety Rights will be filed in early 2006, and will be filed under the codename Nemesia FLEURCEL.