Dave,

Hanging Baskets & Planters: There are numerous trade-named combos that are designed by the plant breeder. The plant varieties are chosen for colour combination and plant growth habits. They typically have special name tags for these combos.

For example: Trixi Mix combo: "Blueberry Parfait", which includes a specific variety of Calibrachoa, Bacopa & Verbena. Or Ball Floraplant MixMaster's "Twinkle Toes" Planter combo.
Dummen Red Fox has an entire line of named combos: Confetti Garden. Again 3 different plants sold in one pot

Many seed variety annuals are available as mixes. For example: Dreams Petunia Waterfall mix. This is actually Dreams White, Dreams Sky Blue and Dreams Midnight Blue. There are many other annuals sold as 6 pack plants or seed packs ie Durango Outback Mix Marigold

Since these examples are not an individual variety, it doesn't suit out Plant Database for entering them. Is there a possibility that you can create a way to have these mixes/combos in the data base that links to the individual varieties? Sorta like the member's plant lists that link the plant database info for each variety.

There are a few existing entries in the annuals database that are mixes. I don't want to delete those files, but they are not an individual variety.

What are your thoughts? Typically there are 3 or 4 individual varieties and/or plants in these named mixes and combos
Thanks,
Joanne

What an amazing coincidence that you brought this up just at this moment. I've been working all morning on the series name issue. I'll have a new post to make soon. Stay tuned.

First of all, we now have a new Series field in the name. This is a very big change from where we previously doing this just through the databox area:

The thread "The Series name is now part of the main plant's name" in Plant Database forum

Now if I'm reading this right, it looks like you are describing a situation where a series name is shared across multiple different kinds of plants. In that case, I don't see a reason how that changes anything. We can input that series name into the series name field.

I'm going to use the Dreams Petunias for this example:

The Series is: Dreams
There are 16 individual varieties: Appleblossom, Burgundy, Burgundy Picotee etc
There are 4 mixes: Day Dreams: includes varieties Rose Morn, Rose and White; Patriot Mix includes Red, White and Midnight

The mixes are not unique individual varieties. They are a combination of 3 individual varieties that can be bought in a mix seed package or bought in a 606 (annual 6 pack). The gardener would have the mix of the 3 varieties with their purchase.

The database has the individual varieties.

All the varieties and mixes are part of one series

My thinking is that if I take three different cultivars and sell them as a mix then that doesn't mean that ATP should include the mix itself as a plant.

The individual cultivars would, of course, be listed.

I guess. Although, these mixes are named and readily available as a one pack purchase. They are a legitimate part of the Series. It not just the 6 pack plants that are available that way. One seed package will have the 3 varieties of the "mix", not individually packaged.

For the Series Mix, a very simple fix would be add a Flower Choice Colour of " Mix" with an option to type the individual colours.

I think that would work fine and we don't need to delete any existing database entries of a named mix. It will also allow us to enter in the entire series

two examples of the Plant Breeder Combos


http://www.selectanorthamerica...

http://www.confetti-garden.com...

I wonder if this is where the "Also sold as" field would come into play?

It may be an option, but it is only one ingredient of 3 or 4

Maybe this thread should be divided from Mixes and Combos

Mixes being same cultivar, same series, different variety
Combos being different cultivars

I think the solution for mixes is adding the option to check in the flower colour. That would work for any of the plants, be it marigold, petunias or what ever. So the Trade Name will be the mix name

Thinking out loud, are these definitions correct?

Individual varieties/cultivars are permanent, generally registered entities.
Series Names (marketing tools) may be ephemeral, as sales and new developments dictate. They are not necessarily tied to a specific genus or species. They are sometimes, but not always cooked into a cv. name and therefor become permanent.
Mixes and Combos are likely ephemeral and could disappear or be changed in future years, as sales and new developments dictate. These may or may not be part of a Series.

eclayne said:
Mixes and Combos are likely ephemeral and could disappear or be changed in future years, as sales and new developments dictate. These may or may not be part of a Series.

I think Mixes are part of a Series and Combos are not.

Let's resolve the Mix selection within a series 1st and talk about combos at a later time

An alternative approach would be to define Series names as identifying single plant entities and to use a separate field to identify multiple plant entities like mixes and combos.

This separate field could be "Also sold as" although I admit that I've been viewing this as the place to put those names which don't meet the defined criteria, i.e. they're wrong but used.

Both mixes and combos are correct and valuable and I'm wondering if worthy of a separate field.