Please click here for the 2016 Raker / Hort Couture New Variety webinar delivered by Steve Reed on October 3, 2016.

In his presentation, Steve uses the 2016 Raker Trial Gardens (RTG) as his backdrop to explain the exciting new varieties for 2017. RTG 16 featured over 3,400 unique varieties (approximately 100,000 plants). To access RTG trial data, click here.

And, get ready for RTG17! RTG17 will open the gates each weekday morning from July 19 thru September 1, 2107. If you have not experienced the Raker Trial Gardens – 2017 is your year! The RTG is a proud member of the Michigan Garden Plant Tour (July 24 - August 4, 2017). Plus, make the Connection (July 27 & 28, 2017) - join us for our annual celebration of the Horticulture industry - barbecue, bands, and beer!

The 2017 Raker List includes over 3,000 plant items – more than 230 NEW items – in 7 categories: Annuals, Florist Pot Crops & Cut Flowers, Grasses, Herbs, Perennials, Succulents, and Vegetables.

The 2017 Raker List includes over 3,000 high resolution plant images, plus:

The 2016-17 Raker Order Calendar lists the eight dates vital to ordering Raker product (e.g., order 2017 Raker Peak Season Plugs and Liners October 7 (Week 40)).

Enhanced Begonia: Seed, Begonia: URC/TC, Coleus: Seed, Coleus URC, Geranium: Seed, Geranium: URC, Impatiens: Seed, Impatiens: URC, Petunia: Trailing Seed, Petunia Bedding: Seed, and Petunia: URC listings with input type (seed, unrooted cutting, or tissue culture) and habit (trailing or bedding).

Perennial listings that includes bloom season, zones, height, sun exposure, and flower first year information.

Updated patent, tag, and input fields. Each plant listing details whether the plant is patented, tags are included, and whether seed or unrooted cutting (URC) is used as an input.

Ship Weeks indicate if an item has limited availability. Most vegetative liners are available only during specific weeks of the year. Verify the Ship Weeks correspond with your order delivery dates.

Please contact Raker (517-542-2316) for a printed copy of the 2017 Raker List.

Hort Couture offers a diverse collection of 245 unique and exotic plants – including 41 NEW items. These fashionable, easy-to-grow plants are distinguished as Avant Garde Annuals, Culinary Couture, Runway Ready Grasses, Sunny Succulents, and Tres Chic Tropicals. Check out the 2016-17 Hort Couture Order Calendar for when to order Hort Couture Plants to qualify for the Early Order 10% Discount and ensure product is available.

For 2017, Hort Couture expanded and improved Culinary Couture with 33 NEW vegetable varieties. New varieties include Basil Pesto™ Bambino Green, Bambino Purple, Black Patina, & Macchiatto; Cabbage Edibliss™ Heavy Metal, Cucumber Mexican Gherkin & Patio Snacker; Eggplant Patio Perfect™ Green Tiger, Orange Tiger, Purple Eggs, & Purple Tiger; Endive Edibliss™ Tres Fine; Eucalyptus Baby Dwarf Florist Blue; Fennel Zest™ Licorice Towers; Kale Edibliss™ Italian Black; Mentha Zest™ Corsican Carpet; Mustard Moonshine; Nasturtium Garnish™ Canary and Finch; Oregano Zest™ Pizzeria; Parsley Zest™ Italian Stallian; Pepper PatioPerfect™ Carolina Reaper, Count Dracula, & Jamaican Rainbow; Rosemary Zest™ Avalanche; Rungia Zest™ Wild Mushroom; Sage Zest™ Intensia; Santolina Zest™ Kalamata; and Strawberry Kiss. Tomato Mixology™ includes Apple Martini, Black Russian, Bloody Mary, Cosmopolitan, Dirty Martini, Gin Bloody Mary, and Hair of the Dog.

There are 8 NEW Avant Garde Annuals for 2017. In addition to Calibrachoa Catwalk™ Paprika and Coleus Under The Sea™ Pink Reef, Hort Couture added two new series of micro Coleus. Both series ( Sea Urchin and Sea Monkey) are true dwarf series and are simply amazing in fairy gardens and any size container. Sea Urchins have a compact habit and cascading, lancet leaves. The series includes Copper, Neon, and Red. Sea Monkeys have a slightly taller habit and crustacean-shaped leaves, much like the original Under The Sea™ Coleus. Sea Monkeys include Apricot, Purple, and Rust.

The goal of the Hort Couture brand is to offer small- and medium-sized, independent growers and retailers an alternative to “big box” offerings. Hort Couture is continuously searching for robust plant varieties that will set our customers apart from their larger competitors.

Container and tag requirements apply. All Raker Brokers are licensed to sell Hort Couture Plants & Merchandise. You may combine Raker and Hort Couture orders to qualify for volume discounts.

Please contact Hort Couture (517-542-2316) for a printed copy of the 2017 Hort Couture List. If you have any questions, please contact Hort Couture or your favorite Broker.

For 2017, Raker offers 239 Pansies – including 3 NEW varieties – and 110 Violas – including 9 NEW varieties. Raker sources Pansy and Viola seeds from American Takii, Ball Seed, Floranova, Pan American, Sakata, and Syngenta Flowers – offering the broadest wholesale collection in the horticulture industry.

Raker Pansy and Viola plugs are grown in 128-, 285-, and 335-plug trays. Pansy and Viola plugs are six to seven weeks old at delivery and ready to take-off immediately after transplant.

program release: week 11
delivery: weeks 18-52

The 2017 Season Saver program offers Annuals, Vegetables, and Herbs for weeks 18-30 (May 1 – July 30). Extend your sales season with Season Saver! Items are sown in 128- & 288-plug trays. Transplant for late Summer 2nd & 3rd Turn Vegetables; Fresh Herb 6-packs; Summer Bedding; 6-inch, 8-inch, and Gallon Summer Color; Hanging Baskets; and/or Mixed Containers. Season Saver offers a program discount of 20% (+ Volume & EO Discounts).

Click here for a complete Season Saver listing

program release: week 18
delivery: weeks 18-52

For 2017, Raker offers 120 Poinsettias – including 3 NEW varieties. Raker sources Poinsettia cuttings from Dummen Orange (Ecke), Selecta, and Syngenta – offering the broadest wholesale collection in the industry. Raker Poinsettia liners are grown in a 25-strip tray (36-strip tray with 11 empty cells to promote lateral branching). Poinsettia liners are well rooted at delivery and ready to take-off immediately after transplant.

program release: week 5
delivery: weeks 28-37

For 2017, Raker offers 259 Garden Mums – including 26 NEW varieties – from Gediflora, Syngenta, and Dummen. Colors available are Red, Bronze, Coral, Orange, Yellow, Pink, Purple and White.

In addition to Gardens Mums, Raker offers 15 Asters, 1 Montauk Daisy, 13 Igloo Dendranthemum and 16 Raker EXCLUSIVE Mumbos!

Mumbos are triple-stuck Garden Mum liners and are the newest and hottest trend in Garden Mums. Using select families of Garden Mums, Mumbos offer totally unique color combinations. All Raker Mumbos use Garden Mum and Aster families with the same flower dates, growth habit, flower shape, and flower size. They have all been vigorously tested in the Raker Trial Gardens season after season.

Raker is proud to offer for the 2017 season the entire line of Igloo Hardy Mums – Including three new colors! Product is limited availability so book early. Igloos are a true Zone 5 Perennial and will come back year after year. They have similar growth and cultural requirements making them easy to incorporate into your existing Mum Aster Daisy Program.

Please click here for the 2017 Mum Aster Daisy webinar delivered by Steve Reed on 12/19/2016.

program release: week 41
delivery: weeks 5-12 and 17-38