b'because at the beginning of his program, he just worked on creating as many hybrids as he could. Now, theres a lot of work every year for this, but we arent putting as much work as we had to 10 years ago, he says. Now, the only restrictor he has: space.Weve just about used all of our space, Malinowski says. We dont want to slow down and quit producing new hybrids, but were going to start making fewer but more focused crosses every year.Now, with the excitement of so many new varieties of winter-hardy hibiscus popping out, Vernon wants to celebrate it.Community CelebrationThis year, Mayor Jeffrey is working to put together a festival similar to their Summers Last Blast festival; however, this one is specifically only around the winter-hardy hibiscus. If you think about a diamond in theThis winter-hardy hibiscus is one of the first hybrids with a salmon flower color. rough, these winter-hardy hibiscuses are ours, he says. Mayor Jeffrey uses an analogy of a farmer whos not making any headway on a farm and decides to sell it to find otherWe have something that was born and bred in Vernon . The hibiscus is solutions. But, the next farmer who buys it finds a diamond.tough and its able to stand a harsher climate. If it can grow here, it can Thats the hibiscus, he says. Wegrow anywhere. have something that was born and bred in Vernon, and it kind of represents a Mayor Doug Jeffreyperson from Vernon in a way. We often have droughts here, and were used to a tough climate. All those things make people tough, and you cant get moreall along the Drag, Malinowski says. Wedown the Drag, and all of our hotels and Texan than that. The hibiscus is tough andhad so many visitors over the summer torestaurants are full, he says. We shoot its able to stand a harsher climateIf itsee the plants blooming, it was so intense,from a population of 11,000 to a popula-can grow here, it can grow anywhere. but its good to meet a different audience. tion of 30,000 during those days. I want Were excited that Vernon is promot- One reason Malinowski believesto take that model and build a hibiscus ing itself as the hibiscus capital of thepeople gravitate to the hibiscus isfestival around it.world, Malinowski says. The rose capitalbecause they see the fields blooming inMayor Jeffrey says to think about a fun of the world is in Tyler, Texas, and Vernonthe summer, and they want to know whatfestival right before school starts back. wants to do something similar. it is that looks so good.I dont think itll start as large as Malinowski says Texas A&M AgriLife Once established, the winter-hardySummers Last Blast, but I want to build gave them around 600 seedlings of thehibiscus grows great, he says. I haveit up, he says. Im thinking it would be hibiscus this past spring, that were extrasome at my house that I planted betweengreat to have a parade with a winter-plants from the growing season.2008-2009 that I dont water becausehardy hibiscus queen and king.Its so fun getting flower donationstheyre outside my fenced area, but theyreAgritourism speaks to people, Mayor from Texas A&M Agrilife, because its astill surviving and prospering. Theyre reallyJeffrey says. A lot of rural communities mystery, Mayor Jeffery says. You nevergood at growing in drought.are shriveling up, and if you dont have know what color youre going to get. As the festival, Mayor Jeffrey isanything to highlight a town, itll disap-Vernon planted them in parks, muse- excited.pear. I think the hardy hibiscus can do so ums, churches, outside of businesses andDuring Summers Last Blast, we shutmuch for us.SW22/ SEEDWORLD.COMFEBRUARY 2020'