The most recent attraction among Benary's FastraX novelties is 'Blue Glitter', the world's first vernalization-free eryngium. A well-branched bush 100 cm/33" tall that is easy to harvest while producing high yields, 'Blue Glitter' is ideal for commercial cut production. 'Blue Glitter' has been awarded the Fleuroselect Gold Medal for its extravagant plant quality combined with the deepest blue eryngium color available on the market. A profitable crop for growers because of its short crop time, it also gives retailers valuable benefits: extended vaselife and versatile marketing possibilities as a fresh and dried flower and as a long-lived perennial for borders.
The second "blue-blooded" FastraX now on the racecourse is the new Campanula 'Pearl Light Blue'. Its uniform compact habit crowned with masses of large upright flowers makes it a perfect match for 'Pearl White' and 'Pearl Deep Blue'. Sown as multipellets or multiple-sown, all three 'Pearl's have a very uniform plant development. They are 2-3 weeks earlier to flower than other campanulas. The 'Pearl's unrivalled short crop time helps growers clear the bench quickly. Especially bred for programmable bench-run pot production, the 'Pearl' trio also makes a perfect hardy perennial in window boxes, mixed containers, and borders.
Delphinium 'Benary's Pacific Giant King Arthur' adds another blue shade to this relay team of typical FastraX runners with particularly short and easy cultivation. At a height of 180 cm/6' with densely crowded flower spikes, it is one of the most impressive eye-catching perennials for cutting and borders.
FastraX perennials are versatile. This special FastraX quality is underscored by 'Astary'®, the first vernalization-free astilbe series on the market. Its large, dense flower spikes come in vibrant 'White', 'Pink' and 'Rose' that create an attractive contrast with the deep green leaf cover underneath. 'Astary'® can be grown as an annual and its compact habit helps save bench space. Not only is the production of 'Astary'® very profitable, but it can also be sold in several selling seasons in spring and the B&B period.
The new Arabis 'Snowfix' is another extremely versatile FastraX novelty. In its "main discipline" as a hardy hammock-forming perennial, it flowers early, uniformly and profusely from March onwards. As a FastraX sprinter, 'Snowfix' is also ideal as a high-quality B&B plant for May sales – for use as a ground cover in well-drained soils, in mixed containers, in tubs, or in window boxes.
Underlining Benary's innovative power in the range of classic vernalization-requiring perennials is the new 'Blue Hobbit, the world's first pot eryngium. Above a basal leaf rosette, 'Blue Hobbit' has silver blue stems that unfold into an abundance of small shimmering blue pincushion flowers. Although ‘Blue Hobbit’ does well in any climate, producing masses of flowers, it truly thrives in rich and dry soils. About 30 cm/1' in diameter, 'Blue Hobbit' is ideal for combination containers, borders, and as a specimen plant in the perennial garden.