The winter trials at Benary
The winter trials at Benary
Pansies, violas, and some BTS breeding tidbits!
How do you feel about pansies? I must admit, it took me a few years to fully appreciate them, as the word ‘pansy’ was used as a slur in my high school. No explanation required…
Anyway, a few weeks ago, I had a short trip to the Netherlands, to catch up with some family, and to film some content with hydrangeas (you can find the exclusive audio interview HERE).
My trip happily coincided with the winter trials of German breeding company, Benary. Pim Kaagman gave me a comprehensive tour - but it wasn’t just pansies, there was also forget-me-nots, double daisies, and a few other gems…
The first thing you notice about the trials at Benary was, they looked very traditional, like the trials I used to visit when I was just 18 years old on my first trips overseas. Not only do they show their own varieties, but they show a comprehensive comparison for each of the varieties. This means any visitors can accurately judge the pansy and viola varieties against their rivals.
I love this honest approach to things, and when you know a company is helping you in this way, you are going to trust more long-term. You could run your eye across the benches, and see which was the strongest variety, but of course, with some colours, there was no comparison. Benary breeding was obviously ahead of the game in those instances. But it also happened the other way round too, of course.
So, despite it being 9am, I had my third coffee of the day and sat and had a lovely chat with Pim… we talked about breeding, and the importance, and how the customers don’t see a lot of the benefits.
Breeding a new plant isn’t just about how nice it looks, but you also need to consider everything from germination of the seed, quality of the young plant, how easy it is to transplant, how uniform the young plants are… All in all, it’s all about how “programmable” the plant is.
We also talked about peat-free mediums, as another important breeding element is that breeding plants will grow successfully in peat-free. Of course, that’s another aspect that needs considering when creating a new plant for the future.
Our first stop was a quite well-known lawn plant: the common daisy. However, these were another world, the double flowered types, more often referred to plainly as Bellis!
Looking across the benches, the untrained eye might think they are all the same. But, when you get up close, you can see the nuances. I couldn’t help leaving Pim with a few ideas though; perhaps smaller, more spherical flowers, and in larger quantities on the plant… let’s call it “Buttons”.
We also talked about where the breeding could go next, could there be a new colour break? I wondered if we could go back to the original single form, perhaps with some large flowered, single pink daisies. What do you think?
Forget-me-nots (Myosotis) next… it was interesting to see these comparisons. It’s a plant you might typically grow from seed, but of course buying plants is a big market place as well. Especially if you want that Scandinavian look in your spring pots.
Looking across the plants, I could see that Benary had the darkest blue. I also wondered if they take advantage of the natural colour change within some varieties as they age, and isolate this as a new variety… Sometimes “new plants” are plants you already know, just repackaged, and that’s ok!
Next, it was on to the pansy and viola comparison trials. When buyers visit the trials, they might actually mix and match across the varieties, selecting from different breeders. Benary are certainly ahead with some varieties, in particular, the Admire series; the Cream Unique was absolutely gorgeous. Also, the Jackanapes type! Love them!
I did wonder how consumers could buy separate colours, though, as this isn’t always possible in a retail environment. Generally, a mixture is put out for sale. However, if you have a colour or variety you like, it’s always worth looking up on mail order to see if you can buy it as-is.
The Inspire Plus Series is the largest flowering series, and rapidly becoming the benchmark for big blooms. The strongest competition is always laid out directly next to the plants in trial, and Inspire certainly performed. I learnt something here, as I had always assumed Matrix was the biggest and best. It turns out that I fell for my own marketing!
Inspire Plus Scarlet in itself was a very unique colour, and behind-the-scenes information tells us it has very good germination. Scarlet shades can often be very bad in this respect. Red also work very well in markets where red features in the flag, such as Turkey and China.
Next, Inspire Plus Marina, this is celebrated for the fact that the flowers do not bleach, so it’s a very uniform selection. Flower stems are short, and plants never stretch.
Looking across the benches, I happen to notice Beacon Rosa, an absolute classic variety. Bred by Sakata, and a favourite in the mail order catalogues, but this specific shade and combo has never been emulated by any other breeder.
Pim told me a little bit more about the breeding program. At this point, they find (sorry to be sexist) that women are the best at choosing the most successful colours for retail. Pastel colours find their way into home gardens, and the brighter colours into municipal areas, apparently.
Another way they judge the plants is to put them on the floor, and look at them from above. The flowers need to be nicely visible, because mostly you would be planting pansies at ground level, and looking down on them!
Not that I’m a breeder, but a little bit of technical information: pansies are “octoploid”. Therefore, ALL the genes are involved in creating the colour. This is what makes it very hard to fix and to get a consistent shade with a new colour tone.
We spoke a little bit about fragrance, and generally yellow and orange bring the best scent. However, breeders seldom select for fragrance, as it can be a little bit difficult…
Another pansy of note was Marina Lavender, Benary are very excited about this, it’s a very, very unique type and colour.
Although pansies and violas are for the winter market, and the colder months, they can also be grown in the summer, but it is a much, much smaller market.
The best series for this is Inspire Deluxxe as it is bred to give larger flowers in warm weather. Definitely worth a try!
Always the innovator, I asked about whether they test plants on the windowsill indoors. I think viola would work very well, especially the non-stretching varieties, or perhaps a fragrant pansy.
I couldn’t help thinking about them as cut flowers as well, because in the Japanese auctions, they actually sell long-stem pansies for posies! How amazing is that! I’ll do some tests in my wacky lab ASAP!
I had such a beautiful visit, and I really felt on the same wavelength as Pim. I really love my job, and meeting people that are just as passionate about plants.
He also took me behind the scenes, which was a real privilege, but my phone stayed firmly in my pocket!
Just for your information, it takes about four years to breed a variety, and then three more years in order to test it at grower level. And, let’s refer back to the first few paragraphs, where we realise it’s not just about how the plant looks in the garden…
Pim actually said to me that being a plant breeder is “the most beautiful job in the world”. I think someone should print that on a mug, and send him one for his next cup of Dutch coffee!