PFE has recently made two new applications for EU Plant Variety Rights, both on behalf of Hardy’s Cottage Garden Plants:

• Gaura Ruby Ruby (HARRUBY) – CPVO file number 20110972
• Linaria purpurea Freefolk Piccolo (HARPICCOLO) – CPVO file number 20111199

Propagation for sale, import, export and marketing of these varieties is illegal without a licence from Plants For Europe.

Ruby Ruby is an excellent new variety of Gaura, neither too compact (some of the smallest varieties are really too small to make good garden plants) nor too tall (which makes some older varieties difficult or costly to transport when in flower). It has dark ruby flowers and foliage coloured with deep red, with red stems. It is easy to propagate and to condition for mother stock and is bound to be a commercial success. It was launched at the Chelsea Flower Show 2010 where it was placed second in the New Plant Competition and is part of this year’s Gold Medal stand by Rosy Hardy.

Freefolk Piccolo is a stunning new compact variety of Linaria purpurea – a well-known cottage garden plant that is generally considered too tall for mainstream container production for garden centre sales. Freefolk Piccolo will open up a new market for this genus by providing a product that can be grown for retail sales and yet is easy to transport. It makes a neat, upright plant with fine foliage and masses of dense heads of rich purple flowers in early to mid summer – a favourite with bees. It also exhibits low fertility, so does not self-seed and tends to produce more flowers than other varieties. Propagation is easy from cuttings and mother plants produce plenty of material for production. It was launched at the Hampton Court Flower Show 2010 and gained considerable press interest.

Please note that two new EU Plant Variety Rights applications have recently been submitted for plants in the PFE portfolio.

• Erysimum Walberton’s® Fragrant Star
• Philadelphus Starbright

Propagation, sale, distribution, import and export of these varieties is now illegal without a licence. Licences are only issued by PFE.

We have been busy – we have a whole list of new EU Plant Variety Rights granted in the last few weeks:

• Hebe TULLYRASPB – Raspberry Ripple
• Hebe TULLYSTRAW – Strawberries and Cream
• Lavandula stoechas WITH LOVE
• Nemesia FLEURPDBLU – Provencal Dusky Blue
• Nemesia FLEURPDPNK – Provencal Dusky Pink
• Nemesia FLEURRAS – Raspberries and Cream
• Nemesia CONFETTI FROSTED PINK – also known as Jubilee
• Prunella BINSUMDAZ – Summer Daze
• Zantedeschia aethiopica SNOW WHITE

That’s a 100% record – we filed nine applications and all nine were granted, including one variegated plant (which are always more tricky).

If we can help you with your application for EU Plant Variety Rights, contact us today. We offer two services – either full representation service, acting as your agent for trials, licensing, policing, marketing and more or we can simply act as your procedural representative for PVR filing only. Ask us for details.

PFE will celebrate its seventh birthday next Friday, 12th February. In that time, the business has developed from small beginnings to become the best independent plant breeders’ agent operating in Europe, looking after a huge range of plants from patio and balcony plants, through perennials, to a growing range of shrubs. More breeders are trusting us with their plants all the time and growers now come to PFE as a source of exciting new varieties to enliven their product range and differentiate them from the competition.

PFE has also gained much experience in prosecuting applications for European Plant Variety Rights on behalf of breeders, exemplified by three grants of EU PVR issued this month. Solidago DANSOLITLEM (Little Lemon) bred by Gabriel Danziger of Israel and Ajuga BINPARCOL (Party Colours) and BINSUGPLU (Sugar Plum), both bred by Mike Tristram of Binsted Nursery, UK, have all been granted PVR. The last two cases were both complex applications involving variegated plants that display intricate patterns of leaf colouring that required extended submissions of information to and dialogue with the Community Plant Variety Office – a process which leaves PFE well equipped to handle future applications for variegated plants, an area that can be difficult for the inexperienced.

Plants For Europe has recently filed two new EU PVR applications on behalf of breeders. These are

• Geranium pratense Laura – CPVO file number 20071771
• Lavandula stoechas With Love – CPVO file number 20071772

Many of you will be familiar with Lavandula With Love – it has just been launched in the UK by Farplants and in the Netherlands by Kwekerij van Heesbeen. Van Heesbeen have entered it into the new plant competition at next week’s Plantarium event. With Love is a fantastic variety, certainly the best pink-flowered type that is currently available, offering compact and bushy plants that are free-flowering and repeat-flowering.

Geranium pratense Laura may be new to you. It is an excellent new fully-double, pure white flowered form of the Meadow Cranesbill bred by Geranium enthusiast Christine Morley. Young plants are now available – contact us if you are interested in testing or growing this variety.

All five of the Phygelius varieties bred by Malcolm Spencer and represented by Plants For Europe have been granted EU Plant Variety Rights, effective 18 June. For details on these varieties, follow these links:

• Phygelius Croftway Coral Princess
• Phygelius Croftway Purple Prince
• Phygelius Croftway Red Emperor
• Phygelius Croftway Snow Queen
• Phygelius Croftway Yellow Sovereign