Inspiring creative, colourful planting schemes is the mission of the annual series of open days held at the Ball Colegrave trials ground in West Adderbury, Oxfordshire and this year’s event did not disappoint, writes Gillian Taylor.

Garden managers, design teams, buyers, growers and retailers from across the UK gathered at this festival of colour to see extensive, varied plant presentations available in the future.
Themed displays, including flower and foliage choices, swathes of colourful perennials and impressive combinations of bedding plants all caught the eye.

Ball Colegrave has held plant variety trials for 62 years. Evaluation of hundreds of potential new lines before their introduction to the market ensures all plants in their catalogue have been assessed in UK conditions. The plants are displayed in beds, baskets, retail benches and merchandise trolleys to show their suitability for commercial use.

The company aims to provide customers with plants that perform well and that come with information on their cultural requirements and potential retail opportunities. Customers from national garden centre chains to small farm shops and specifiers for commercial gardens come to witness the full range of seeds, liners, plugs and bare root options.
All attenders can vote for their favourite ‘standout’ plant from the thousands on display. When I left the site, it looked as though the new Dahlia series Gardenetta was in the lead, with the colourful Echinacea (**photo) and compact Hebe series Kiwi not far behind.

An informative presentation gave details of the new plants including how, for some, their flowering times have been adjusted so that they can be ready to go on the shop floor earlier in the selling season.
With most new build housing having small gardens, customers seek instant, compact and longlasting colour and are happy to replace and renew through the seasons. An excellent marketing opportunity for the retail trade.

The new Dahlia Gardenetta will be released next year and won awards at Gardeners World Live and the HTA Show this year. The contrast of the dark foliage with the blooms is outstanding and these flowers stand just above the crown of foliage removing the need for staking but more importantly helping retailers as they fit on to Danish trolleys.
The Hebe Kiwi series will come in seven colours and should not suffer from black leaf problems as some of the older cultivars do.
From patio vegetables to fluorescent petunias there is something for everyone, so put it in your diary for 2026.