All-America Selections herald new year in garden
Orange hues have piqued curiosity of independent judging panel for 2018
The Christmas season is over and it’s time to turn our attention back to gardening. For some of us that attention never wavers, but this time of the year is always an exciting one for me as the new All-America Selections winners are announced.
For those of you new to gardening, All-America Selections (AAS) is an independent, nonprofit organization that tests new varieties and then introduces only the best garden performers as AAS winners. Independent AAS judges determine the AAS winners by judging and scoring the entries.
Today we start off with some of the winners in the flower categories.
Canna South Pacific Orange F1:
I know of at least one of my gardening friends who collects cannas and will be jumping for joy with this new variety. This plant is compact in habit and suited for both landscape and container use. The variety is more vigorous, more uniform, and has more basal branching than other comparable cannas, offering a vivid orange bloom colour that just pops next to the bright green foliage on the plant.
For me, orange is the new orange, as I find myself attracted to the new striking oranges that plant breeders are introducing. If you are looking for a good pollinator for your garden this plant is for you. The blooms last a long time, making them very attractive to a variety of pollinators. The bonus is that this plant is grown from seed and not from tubers, making it more resistant to disease.
Marigold Super Hero Spry: This plant is a compact (25-30 centimetres) French marigold with dark maroon lower petals and golden yellow upper petals that sit on top of the dark green foliage. The positives of this plant include a more uniform and stable colour pattern, earlier to bloom, without any deadheading needed.
Gypsophila Gypsy White Improved: This new and improved variety of Gypsophila features semi-double blossoms. The flowers are also larger in size and produce more flowers per plant. The result is a mound of fuzzy white brilliance. The plant also features better branching and growth habits than its predecessor, making it perfect for containers, small spaces and garden beds alike. A much longer blooming season and better heat tolerance than Gypsy Compact White make this plant a winner in more ways than one.
Cuphea Floriglory Diana: This plant was a winner in the ornamental vegetative category. The plant is commonly known as Mexican heather and is an ideal plant for borders and mass plantings, and also works particularly well in containers. Floriglory Diana was highly praised by the AAS judges for its larger flowers, increased numbers of flowers, and the more intense dark magenta colour of the blooms. The dark green foliage makes the flower colour stand out even more. The plant is a compact (25-30 centimetres) in size, features a long bloom time, and is resistant to heat and tolerant of weather conditions.
Zinnia Queeny Lime Orange: I have saved the best for last with this zinnia. I have already added it to my must-have list, and I think you will too. The flowers are large and dahlia-like. The blooms are borne on a sturdy and compact plant, and are very good as cut flowers. The colour is unique (to say the least) and evolves from a dark coral/peach/ orange to a light peach with a dark centre as the flower ages. The flowers are perfect for the cut flower garden, as each plant produces prolific, deeply fluted blooms that last as cut flowers for about three weeks without preservatives or feed.
Before you seek out these AAS winners, let me offer a reminder that these plants are very new to the market and may not be available at your local garden centres or greenhouses for the upcoming growing season. So please don’t write in asking where you can find these plants or the seeds, as I cannot tell you since I don’t know when (or if ) they will arrive locally this season.
With each new year we get a fresh, clean page to start over. Here’s hoping that life writes a beautiful new chapter for all of you and your gardening goals in 2018.