Proven Winners®
Our story
A better garden starts with a better plant
Proven Winners® plants are the result of many years of breeding, testing and selection: only the best plants prove their worth and are selected to become a Proven Winners® plant: a better garden starts with a better plant!
Our mission is to develop plants that always offer something unique or extra. These are then extensively tested to ensure that, besides being unique, they are also strong and healthy plants. If they pass these tests, they are ready to be produced by our network of growers, obviously to the highest quality standards. The result: beautiful plants that deliver the best garden performance for both novice as well as experienced gardeners!
From a vision to global success!
Proven Winners® is no ordinary nursery, but a global network of top breeders and plant cultivators. It all started in 1992, when three ambitious US nurseries of annual plants joined forces. Their mission? To develop and cultivate plants that flower more beautifully and longer, grow stronger and are easier to care for. They introduced these plants under the Proven Winners® brand.
Its success did not go unnoticed and American growers of shrubs and perennials also joined the brand. In addition, Proven Winners® also expanded to countries outside the US including Europe, Asia and Australia.
All Proven Winners® partners in the various countries together form a strong international network with a passion for innovation which ensures that gardeners worldwide can enjoy the special Proven Winners® plants.
A look behind the scenes!
How do you develop a new plant?
Proven Winners® plants are specially developed to offer something unique or extra for consumers. The process of developing new plants is called breeding. Breeding is not genetic engineering, but a natural process in which breeders give nature a helping hand by deliberately crossing species. In this way, traits of different plants can be combined.
How does plant crossing work?
- Selection: selecting plants with properties to combine.
- Pollination: pollen from the flower of one plant is transferred to the flower of another plant.
- Seed formation: When pollination is successful, the flower develops into a fruit with seeds. These seeds contain the genetic material of both plants.
- Cultivation: the seeds are sown and the resulting young plants are grown.
But this is only the beginning! To finally select the best new plant, the new plants are first extensively tested.
How do the plants get tested?
The new plants are extensively tested. Such testing includes:
- Comparison with existing species: is the species different from existing species, does it have certain improved properties that are valuable to consumers.
- Assessment of disease resistance: at our test sites, we let nature take its course (we do not use pesticides). This way, we can see whether the plant is naturally resistant to diseases. Only healthy and disease resistant plants are selected to become a Proven Winners® plant.
- Climatological tests: these include tests for winter hardiness, but also for drought and heat resistance.
After several years of testing, the final decision to introduce a variety follows. Cuttings are taken from the selected plant from which production can be started. First on a small scale, but eventually on a large scale via the extensive network of Proven Winners® growers. The result is beautiful Proven Winners® plants that you can buy at your local garden centre!
Sustainability
At Proven Winners®, we are all about quality - not only in our plants, but also in the way we grow and package them. Sustainability is a major priority for us. For this reason, we work with growers we carefully select on the basis of expertise, craftsmanship and sustainable cultivation methods.
We are also continuously looking at how we can make our materials more sustainable. Our recognisable white pot that we use for our Proven Winners® shrubs? Those can of course be fully recycled and 90% of the pots we sell are made of 100% recycled consumer plastic. And our labels? These are made of recycled polypropylene (RPP), which not only consists of recycled material, but is also fully recyclable in its own. In this way, we contribute to a greener future together!
When developing & selecting plants, good resistance to pests and diseases is an important criterion. As a result, PW plants need fewer pesticides, or none at all.
Choose Proven Winners® and enjoy not only strong, healthy plants, but also a conscious choice for sustainability.
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