Two new PVR applications

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.