The English Garden is home to amazing flora, but this year, we’ve included ones you’ve genuinely never heard of!

We are participating in a plant trial program with one of our plant suppliers, Ball Flora/Selecta One, to test different varieties of flowers that are not yet available for retail or have just been introduced to the market.

These annual florals come in new colours, shapes, and sizes, and we’re testing them in our garden to assess their quality, performance, and appeal.

The English Garden is a great place to trial plants because of our unique climate in Winnipeg, which tests them in extreme conditions. This also provides us with an opportunity to see them in the context of large garden beds, alongside perennials and permanent plant materials.

“Being part of the BallFlora plant trial program has been an amazing opportunity for our team and the Park,” says Gerald Dieleman, Senior Director, Horticulture. “It allows us to provide visitors with a truly unique experience showcasing these plants in our beloved gardens while testing them in our diverse summer conditions, which can be hot and dry or cool and wet.”

Visit the English Garden, the pollinator garden at the Zoo, and the planters throughout the Park to see these trial plants. To identify them, look for the “BallFlora” or “Selecta One” signs in front of them.

Current flowers in Ball Flora/Selecta One plant trial.

Want to see more of the BallFlora annuals? Watch our Instagram Reel about the program.