What’s New: 2011 All-America Selections Winners (AAS)

Get your garden off to a winning start by including a few All-America Selections winners in this year’s garden. 

Look for the All-America Award Winners when planning your flower and vegetable gardens.  This non-profit organization has been testing and introducing flowers and vegetable varieties for the home garden since 1932. 

Judges across the country evaluate plants for improved growth habit, pest resistance, flower color or other unique features.  And the evaluation is based on how the plants perform in a home garden setting.

Add Summer Jewel Red salvia for early and numerous blossoms you and the hummingbirds will enjoy.  The compact 20 inch plant is covered with bright red flowers.  Allow a few flowers to go to seed and watch the goldfinches move in for a meal.

Lizzano tomato is the first late blight tolerant cherry fruited semi-determinant tomato on the market.  The low growing plant is great in containers or hanging baskets where they can be close at hand for easy picking.  Enjoy an abundance of one inch fruit as a snack, in salads and other dishes.

A bit more information:  Other winners for 2011 include Glamour Red, the first ornamental/edible kale to win the AAS distinction.  The shiny leaves produce a more intense vivid color than other ornamental kales.  Arizona Apricot Gaillardia was selected for its unique color.  The flowers have a rich apricot center that blends into the yellow edged petals.  For early and showy spring blooms grow the cool season bedding plant winner Shangri-La Marina Viola.  It puts on a great show in spring or can be planted and enjoyed in fall with a second showing the following spring. Hijinks pumpkin produces lots of 5 to 7 pound pumpkins with strong handles, making them great as jack-o-lanterns.  And finally, Terenzo, a tumbling tomato that produces lots of cherry-sized tomatoes on small trailing plants suited for hanging baskets and containers.

Tags

garden-landscape-design flowers-ornamental-grasses vegetables-herbs-fruits tomatoes kale all-america-selections hummingbirds texas-sage blanket-flower

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