All-America Selection Vegetable Winners Add Flavor, Color and Texture to Gardens and Containers

Add color, texture and flavor to your edible and ornamental gardens with a few of the 2017 National All-America Selections winners.

The ferny foliage of Antares Fennel, the first fennel to win an AAS award, is great in a container or the garden. The 4 to 5” edible bulb has a sweet anise or licorice-flavor, the plant produces lots of seeds and the leaves are a favorite food of the swallowtail caterpillar.

Light up your garden with the bright red pods of Candle Fire okra.  Enjoy the flavor, tenderness and texture of this winner.  And put overripe pods to use in flower arrangements.

Add a bit of interest with the uniquely shaped fruit of Mad Hatter pepper. The three-sided red peppers have a sweet citrusy-floral flavor and an occasional mild heat. Add these to your salads or enjoy them as an appetizer stuffed with cheese or pickled.

A bit more information:  And don’t overlook past winners. Bright Light Swiss chard makes a colorful thriller (vertical accent) in containers and combines nicely with annuals and perennials in the garden.  Hansel, Gretel, and Fairy Tale eggplants produce colorful cylindrical fruit that are tasty and attractive.