Last week award-winning flowers, this week two more flowers, an
herb, an ornamental grass and two award-winning vegetables! All
have been named All America Selections winners for 2003. These
winners will be available this spring and summer at local garden
centers as already-started transplants, or you can order by seed
through major mail-order seed companies.
Last week award-winning flowers, this week two more flowers, an herb, an ornamental grass and two award-winning vegetables! All have been named All America Selections winners for 2003. These winners will be available this spring and summer at local garden centers as already-started transplants, or you can order by seed through major mail-order seed companies.
All the winners were deemed best after being trialed at test gardens across North America by garden professionals. All America Selections is a non-profit organization for evaluating new seed-grown flowers and vegetables. More information is available at their Web site: www.allamericaselections.org.
“Papaya Pear” summer squash
This is the first summer squash with a shape similar to a tropical papaya fruit. The bright-yellow squash looks like a light bulb with the widest section near the blossom end. It also is one of the earliest varieties, ripening in about 40 days from sowing seed. Fruits are best harvested when young at about 3 inches long and wide.
“Angel” melon
An early Mediterranean-type melon, Angel is a cantaloupe type with fruits 2 to 3 pounds each. It has a very sweet flavor with a white flesh and crisp texture. Fruits let the gardener know when they’re ripe as they turn a creamy yellow on the outside. Fruits mature about 60 days after transplanting.
“Golden Jubilee” agastache foeniculum
Don’t let the strange name fool you, this is a golden-leaved aromatic herb. It offers a mint fragrance and dense spikes of lavender-blue flowers in summer. Plants grow about 20 inches high and spread a foot. It’s great as an ornamental plant, and you can use the leaves in cool drinks and salads.
“Purple Majesty” ornamental millet
This ornamental grass features dark purple, sword-like leaves. Plants grow 3 to 5 feet high, and are embellished with 8-to-12-inch flower spikes. The immature spikes resemble cat tails and can be cut and used dramatically in indoor arrangements. Left on the plant, the millet seed attracts birds that snack on the seed.
“Sundance Bicolor” gaillardia pulchella and “Forever White” eustoma
“Sundance Bicolor” is the first consistently mahogany red and yellow bicolor gaillardia. The globe-shaped flowers are primarily double and spread. The trailing habit makes them desirable for hanging baskets or patio containers. “Forever White” eustoma also is known as lisianthus. The large, 3-inch, ivory white, bell-shaped flowers cover the plant at various times during the summer growing season. The compact, branching plant is great for containers. Plants attain a mature height of 12 inches.
Look for all the All America Selections winners at garden centers this spring and summer. They will be distinguished by red, white and blue AAS display signs. You also can buy seeds from large mail-order seed companies. More information is available on the AAS Web site: www.allamericaselections.org.
