Our area is known for many things, but most people don’t know
that when it comes to breeding new flowers and vegetables, our
local area has a worldwide reputation. And 2007 is no exception as
many new flowers and vegetables hybridized by local breeders will
hit the market.
Our area is known for many things, but most people don’t know that when it comes to breeding new flowers and vegetables, our local area has a worldwide reputation. And 2007 is no exception as many new flowers and vegetables hybridized by local breeders will hit the market.
The local breeding companies include Goldsmith Seeds and Syngenta Seeds in Gilroy, Sakata Seeds in Morgan Hill and Seminis in San Juan Bautista. The introductions have been highlighted by the National Garden Bureau, a nonprofit organization of the seed industry located in Illinois. The introductions can also be found on the National Garden Bureau’s Web site at www.ngb.org. All of the new flowers and vegetables will be available to the gardening public in 2007. Home gardeners may buy seeds of the varieties from mail-order seed companies or purchase already-started transplants at retail garden centers.
Goldsmith Seeds, founded by Glenn and Jane Goldsmith in 1962, has three flower introductions recommended by the National Garden Bureau. They are “Xtreme Utopia Mixture” impatiens, “Go Go Light Yellow” begonia and “Maverick Scarlet Eye” geranium. The other three local companies have vegetable varieties deemed significant by the National Garden Bureau.
“Xtreme Utopia Mixture” impatiens is a designer mix of lavender, rose, salmon and violet flowers. Large (2-inch) flowers bloom on compact, 8- to 10-inch plants. “Go Go Light Yellow” begonia is a tuberous variety that features extra large (3-inch) flowers on plants 14 to 16 inches high. “Maverick Scarlet Eye” geranium offers red and white flowers that are 5-inches in diameter on compact, 14- to 16-inch plants.
Sakata Seeds is releasing three vegetables: “Sweet Hearts” tomato, “Yellow Buttercup” watermelon and “Little Guy” pumpkin. “Sweet Hearts” tomato is a red uniformly shaped grape tomato, “Yellow Buttercup” watermelon has bright yellow flesh and “Little Guy” pumpkin yields bright orange pumpkins that are less than 4 inches in size.
Seminis in San Juan Bautista offers “Sweet Ann” snap pea, which features sweet, smooth, stringless 3-inch pods of snap peas, and “Twinkle” eggplant, which has plum and white variegated fruit.
Finally, Syngenta Seeds in Gilroy will offer “Indy” tomato under its Rogers brand. This tomato is a large to extra large red beefsteak type with uniform, green-shouldered fruit.
Look for all these new varieties from local companies in 2007.
