10 years of success!
This year The Exceptionals program celebrates its 10th anniversary. Created by passionate horticulturists,
this competition’s unique formula of has conquered the heart of gardeners throughout Quebec and
beyond.
Unique in the world, the The Exceptionals program is becoming ever more popular in the province of
Quebec. Designed to increase consumer enthusiasm for annual plants, this program has had a positive
impact on growers, producers, distributors, garden centres, and the entire horticultural industry. The
Exceptionals winners also receive media coverage valued at over one million dollars annually, making it
an extraordinary platform for annual plants.
Each year, hundreds of varieties are presented and evaluated in the test plots of the Daniel A. Séguin
Garden. This garden of international renown, located in Saint Hyacinth, Quebec, is a member of the
National Plant Trials Database and is open all summer to both the public in general and the horticultural
industry. Each year, over 13,000 visitors are invited to vote for their favourite plants from among those
displayed in the trial. Of this number, 3,000 actually do participate, placing flags on the plants they find
the most attractive, and thus help target the thirty plants the public most appreciates. An expert jury
then selects, according to strict performance criteria, which plants among the thirty chosen deserve the
title of The Exceptionals. This mode of operation, which is both neutral and oriented toward consumer
satisfaction, is the winning formula behind The Exceptionals.
The winners of the 10th anniversary selection are:
Caladium Painted Frog™ Red-Bellied Tree Frog
Height: 40-50 cm (15-20 in)
Diameter: 40-60 cm (15-24 in)
Exposition: partial shade, sun
Thanks to the originality and luxuriance of its waxy heart-shaped
lava-red leaves framed in green. Caladium Painted Frog™ 'RedBellied Tree Frog' literally captivated visitors to the Daniel A. Séguin
Garden. Of course, there’s no denying the plant certainly does catch
the eye with its unusual colour.
The unexpected name of this cultivar and its association with frogs
comes from a decision of breeder, Brian Williams, who wanted to
educate gardeners about the disappearance of hundreds of amphibian species around the globe since
the 1980s. The destruction and fragmentation of natural habitats, pollution, disease and increased
ultraviolet radiation are among the many causes of this tragic loss of biodiversity. On top of the fact that
their vivid colouring is reminiscent of the vivid shades of many tropical frogs, the three cultivars of the
Painted Frog™ series serve as a gentle reminder to gardeners that their actions in the garden should
never interfere with the proper development of amphibians and that they are considered living bioindicators and proof of the pristine quality of the environment.
Use this The Exceptionals winner both in the garden and in containers, noting that it gives an especially
striking effect in mass plantings. When grown in pots, additional heat reaches the roots and promotes
better leaf development.
Although caladiums are generally fond of moist, well-drained soils rich in organic matter, heat and partial
shade, 'Red-Bellied Tree Frog’ has proven to be surprisingly tolerant of sunny conditions.
Caladium tubers can be harvested by digging the plants up in the autumn, with their leaves intact, and
letting them dry out in a well-ventilated, rain-free spot for about two weeks. Once the leaves have died
back, cut the stems off and roughly clean the tubers, storing them dry in a paper bag at temperatures
above 16 °C (60 °F) during the winter. Pot the tubers up again in March. You can plant the plants back
out in the garden when temperatures are above 16 °C (60 °F).
Cuphea Vermillionaire™
Height: 30-60 cm (12-24 in)
Diameter: 30-60 cm (12-24 in)
Exposition: sun
Here’s a helping hand for the backyard environment!
Cuphea Vermillionnaire™, rich in nectar, is like a magnet for
hummingbirds and many pollinators. Requiring no special
care, Vermillionnaire™ loves warm spots in the garden and
is covered all summer with hundreds of small drooping
tubular orange-red flowers. Since Cuphea Vermillionnaire™
grows robustly, but not aggressively, it is easy to mix with
other plants in arrangements. It stands out particularly well
against lime green foliage. This small shrub is perfect for
containers and grows just as well in when planted in the
garden. It blooms most heavily in full sun, but also will
perform very well in partial shade. Its unusual blooms give
it a contemporary look. A tough plant ideal for those who
don’t have a green thumb!
Gerbera jamesonii Patio® Karoo®
Height: 40-50 (12-20 in)
Diameter: 30-35 cm (12-14 in)
Exposition: sun
The gerbera is one of the world’s five best-selling cut flowers and
gardeners absolutely flip over this striking flower that
symbolizes innocence, purity and joy. Although it has been
traditionally reserved for use as a florist plant or a cut flower,
the excellent performance of new cultivars now makes it
possible for this species to be used as an annual in the average
garden. The Patio® series, hybridized by the Dutch firm Florist
Holland BV, was specifically selected for outdoor planting. The
plants are vigorous, relatively compact, disease resistant and
very floriferous. They grow equally well in containers and in the
garden.
The cultivar Karoo® produces a profusion of large semi-double
bicolour flowers in cream and pink. They measure from 10 to 12
cm (4-5 in) in diameter and are borne on stems up to 40-45 cm (15-18 in) tall. Since Karoo® is able to
produce several flowers at once, gardeners can easily harvest a few for indoor decoration as well.
Gomphrena Pinball™ Purple
Height: 30-35 cm (12-14 in)
Diameter: 30-35 cm (12-14 in)
Exposition: sun
Gomphrenas or globe amaranths are known for their
resistance to heat and drought. The cultivar Pinball™ Purple
produces a multitude of stems covered with globular
flowers in an electrifying purple shade, blooming
continuously throughout the season. The 1.5 cm (1/2 in)
blooms make excellent dried flowers and attract butterflies.
Although globe amaranths are traditionally grown by seed, the remarkable vigour of Pinball™ series
can’t be transmitted by sexual reproduction, so growers produce this series from cuttings, making it
the first ever series of vegetative globe amaranths.
Pinball™ Purple is perfect for low hedges or borders 30-35 cm (12-14 in) high, for mass plantings and
for container gardens. It’s a tough, problem-free plant that will certainly be adopted by many
municipalities for their landscaping projects.
Impatiens Big Bounce™ White
Height: 40-50 (12-20 in)
Diameter: 40-70 cm (15-27 in)
Exposition: shade, sun
Whoever said the show was over for
impatiens?
It is true enough that the garden
impatiens (Impatiens walleriana) is
severely affected by a highly virulent
strain of impatiens downy mildew
(Plasmopara
obducens),
so
horticulturists can no longer
recommend growing this plant in most parts of Canada. However, the good news is that New Guinea
impatiens (Impatiens hawkeri) and interspecific impatiens are not affected by this disease. The
interspecific impatiens Big Bounce™ White is in this group and has a special genetic background that
gives it the general appearance of a garden impatiens while ensuring excellent bloom in both sun and
shade.
The name of this new series of impatiens, Bounce, comes from its amazing ability to bounce right back
from lack of water, going from limp and wilted to fully turgid without losing any flower buds. The cultivar
'White', with its light-reflecting flowers that will stand out in dark spots, will be especially useful in
reintroducing impatiens to the shade garden.
Osteospermum ecklonis Blue Eyed Beauty™
Height: 25-40 cm (10-14 in)
Diameter: 40-50 cm (15-20 in)
Exposition: sun
Wow! With its brilliantly coloured flowers, this
plant certainly grabs your attention. It’s impossible
not to be amazed by this bicolour beauty whose
purple eye is accented by brillant yellow petals
with a halo of white at their base. Graceful and
luminous, Blue Eyed Beauty™ blooms right through
the season, unlike other osteospermums that stop
blooming in the heat of summer. This explains why
this is the first osteospermum cultivar to be named
a The Exceptionals winner.
Blue Eyed Beauty™ forms a robust, well-branched plant that goes with everything, either in the garden
or in containers. And it makes a perfect gift plant!
Petunia Cascadias™ Indian Summer
Height: 20-30 cm (8-12 in)
Diameter: 45-50 cm (18-20 in)
Exposition: sun
It’s like an irresistible Indian summer sunset! You’ll be
surprised by this cultivar’s unusual palette of flower colours,
with shades of yellow, orange, pink and terracotta. True to the
Cascadias™ series name, the cultivar 'Indian Summer' is wellbranched, trailing, disease-resistant and extremely
floriferous: the perfect petunia for hanging baskets,
containers or mass plantings. 'Indian Summer' performed
beautifully in all the North American test gardens and won
Best New Variety at Colorado State University’s annual flower
trial gardens. This novelty will bring a touch of warmth and
originality to any garden!
Petunia Blanket® Yellow
Height: 15-25 cm (6-10 in)
Diameter: 25-35 cm (10-14 in)
Exposition: sun
This is a petunia that truly merits it
name! Blanket® Yellow petunia flowers
profusely, as if a lemon-coloured doily
had been dropped onto the ground.
Robust and aggressive, the plants
quickly cover both gardens and
containers. Very rain resistant, this
cultivar’s small yellow flowers edged in
white are renewed constantly and need
no cleaning: they simply disappear after flowering. For all those who enjoy playing with colours, consider
making this petunia is your main colouring tool, as it goes perfectly with all other colours, both warm
and cool.
Thunbergia alata ‘Arizona Glow’
Height: 1,5-2,5 m (5-8 ft)
Diameter: 40-60 cm (15-24 in)
Exposition: sun, partial shade
Make room for opulence! This generous annual can dress
up pretty much anything. The numerous twining stems
of this thunbergia wrap around everything they
encounter: fences, arbors, obelisks, branches, railings,
etc. And if it doesn’t find anything to cling to, the plant
will continue on its way, forming a dense ground-level
mat of leaves and flowers. Few annual vines are so
generous in their covering abilty and the abundance of
their bloom. You can use garden twine to turn the plant
into a unique visual display. Used in pots or in the ground,
the cultivar 'Arizona Glow' produces a multitude of
orange red flowers with a dark eye, the latter giving this
species the nickname Black-eyed Susan vine. Although
you may hesitate to try something so little known, once
you’ve discovered the unrivaled luxuriance offered by this little bit of garden paradise, you will want
to use it year after year.
The Exceptionals: easy and reliable plants!
The Exceptionals is a registered trademark of the Fondation en horticulture ornementale de l’ITA de
Saint-Hyacinthe (Foundation in Ornamental Horticulture of the Saint-Hyacinthe Institute of Agri-food
Technology), a non-profit organization that administers the school’s Daniel A. Séguin Garden, and whose
mandate is to promote and support the development of knowledge in ornamental horticulture
throughout Quebec. Chosen by both the public and by experts, the title The Exceptionals is awarded to
new plant introductions that stand out for their garden performance, ease of cultivation and resistance
to insects and diseases.
Choosing a plant bearing the logo The Exceptionals not only makes life easier for gardeners, but also
supports a Foundation that, year after year, tests hundreds of new plant introductions in order to select
the very best for your garden.
The Exceptionals program is also part of a partnership that combines the expertise of four public gardens
in Quebec: the Daniel A. Séguin Garden, the Montreal Botanical Garden, Laval University’s Roger Van
den Hende Botanical Garden and the Reford Gardens
The Exceptionals plants are available at the following locations:
Passion Jardins Garden Centres: www.passionjardins.com
Botanix Garden Centres: www.botanix.com
W.H Perron: www.whperron.com
And all the best garden centres in the province of Quebec.
The Exceptionals website: www.lesexceptionnelles.ca
Facebook page: www.facebook.com/LesExceptionnelles
Text prepared by:
Claude Vallée agr. M.Sc., Horticulture Professor at l’ITA, The Exceptionals Program Coordinator
And
Annie Lachapelle, T.P., Trial garden manager, program The Exceptionals®