Try something new!
It’s always fun to grow and share the newest varieties in your garden and All-America Selections is here to help. Not only are these varieties new to the market, but each was trialed throughout North America by professional, independent, volunteer judges who grew them next to comparisons that were already considered best-in-class. These varieties performed better than their comparisons and were granted the prestigious AAS award designation.
The first-ever coleus to be named an AAS Winner! Main Street Beale Street coleus is an outstanding variety exhibiting deep red foliage that holds its color extremely well in the garden. The rich color doesn’t fade, bleach or get spotty as the season moves into late summer. The lush, bushy plant grows uniformly and as a huge bonus, does not flower until very late in the season – up to 6 weeks later than the comparisons! A unique feature of this coleus is that it can be successfully grown from full sun to full shade, making it an ideal foliage item for anywhere in the garden. Growers, retailers, landscapers and homeowners will all appreciate the beautiful color and uniform height of this coleus.
Tip Top Rose is a strong yet compact nasturtium with unique and showy rose- colored flowers showcased above medium green foliage. These 14×18” mounded plants were more floriferous than the comparisons varieties in the AAS trials, producing a bigger and better garden show. The uniquely colored flowers are a great addition to the nasturtium family especially since they don’t fade as they age. Judges described the color as “a warm, bright rose with less of the black undertones typical in nasturtium flowers.” Tip Top Rose remained healthy throughout the season. It makes a great winter annual in warmer climates and a spring annual in other areas, whether used in containers or in the landscape. The whole plant stayed uniform and healthy whereas other varieties struggled. Bonus: This nasturtium is great for pollinator gardens and both the leaves and flowers are edible!
“Princely” is defined as being sumptuous and splendid; this AAS Winner lives up to its name! For any edible entry to become an AAS Winner, it must outperform the comparisons and Blue Prince Pumpkin certainly scored high in the areas of maturity (earlier), yield, fruit size and uniformity, color, taste and texture. Vigorous trailing vines produce 7-9 beautiful blue flattened pumpkins with non-stringy, deep orange flesh with a savory sweetness. These pumpkins are as pretty as they are delicious. After fall decorating, bake the flesh for a smooth and creamy treat. Of all the varieties trialed, Blue Prince was first to flower and fruit which is beneficial for gardeners with a shorter growing season. Plus, this winner has slightly better disease resistance than the comparisons. A judge’s testimonial: “Overall, if I was looking for a blue pumpkin to display AND eat, I’d pick this entry every time!”
The Proof is in the Plant™ when you grow these AAS Winners!
“This post is provided as an education/inspirational service of All-America Selections. Please credit and link to All-America Selections when using all or parts of this article.”
AAS Winners
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