The Best of the Best All-American Selections

The Best of the Best All-American Selections

Every year, hundreds of new flower and vegetable plants are tested by a network of independent judges of All-America Selections (AAS). In 1932, W. Ray Hastings, president of the Southern Seedsmen’s Association of Atlanta, Georgia proposed the idea of All-American Selections as a way for home gardeners to learn which new varieties were truly improved. To do so, he encouraged all seed companies to set up trial grounds, cooperatively test new varieties and agree to develop marketing efforts for new vegetables and flowers. He recommended a network of trial grounds throughout North American climates where flower and vegetable varieties would be grown and assessed by skilled, impartial judges.

AAS was founded in 1932, and the first winners were announced a year later. Winners have been announced each year since 1933. In 1984 the AAS Board of Directors decided to simplify the award system and award only two types. There is an AAS Gold Medal award reserved for a breeding breakthrough. Gold Medal Awards have been rare, only given once or twice a decade. The other AAS Award recognizes a flower or vegetable for significant achievements, proven to be superior to all others on the market. These qualities consist of growth habit, adaptability, color, scent, taste and overall performance.

This year’s winners include Dianthus ‘Supra Purple’, a bedding plant award winner, a cross between various species that results in a strong plant that will flower under hot summer growing conditions. ‘Supra Purple’ plants remain under a foot in height, but they are vigorous and continue flowering through the growing season. The ‘Supra Purple’ single flowers have highly fringed petal edges which are perfect for decorations. Add them to salads, bouquets, or float some on water for an eye-catching centerpiece. The color is closer to a rosy-purple than the dark, almost black-purple, seen on some plants. ‘Supra Purple’ may become one of your favorite new annuals.

Flower award winner, Salvia farinacea ‘Evolution’ is the first Salvia farinacea with lilac flower spikes. This new color is desirable for garden use as it widens the color choices for “blue” annuals. Belonging to the mint family, ‘Evolution’ is easy to grow. Gardeners can begin with seed, young bedding plants or flowering potted plants with the confidence that ‘Evolution’ will provide continuous color from early summer to the first hard frost. Native to Texas, Salvia farinacea is heat and drought tolerant. ‘Evolution’ is low maintenance. No deadheading is needed for all-season color. Relatively disease and pest free, ‘Evolution’ will perform best in a full-sun location. An additional advantage of ‘Evolution’, it is quite adaptable and can be grown in patio containers or ceramic pots.

Pepper ‘Carmen’, a vegetable award winner is an improved sweet pepper with an unusual shape. ‘Carmen’ peppers are sweet even when immature or green. One of the improved traits is the earliness to ripe red. Gardeners can look for red peppers about 75 days after transplanting into warm garden soil. Proven widely adaptable, flowering and setting fruit over a wide temperature range, Carmen’ will produce the highest number of peppers when grown in full sun and given proper nutrients and water. Grow ‘Carmen’ plants with sun-loving, trailing annuals such as verbena to drape over the edge. This is the most trendy combination planter - growing edibles and annuals together. ‘Carmen’ is easy to grow in gardens or larger sized containers.

A cool season bedding plant award winner, Viola “Skippy XL Red-Gold” is the first Viola cornuta to earn the prestigious AAS award. Three improvements were exhibited in AAS trials. Most noticeably is the color. ‘Skippy XL Red-Gold’ flowers are ruby red with violet red shading below the golden yellow face containing whiskers. This combination is found on ‘Skippy XL Red-Gold’ only. The flower shape and size are definitely improved. The round 1 1/2 inch flower is similar to a pansy, and larger than many viola blossoms. Also notable is the lasting and enduring color provided by ‘Skippy XL Red-Gold’. Able to bud and flower in a wide range of temperatures, ‘Skippy XL Red-Gold’ can be relied on for flower color whether it is grown in an annual or perennial border, window box or patio planter.

Whatever you’re looking for, you can trust All-America Selections, the oldest, most established international testing organization in North America.

Information and photos provided courtesy of All-America Selections.
For more information on 2006 and past winners, please visit www.all-americaselections.org