Each year gardeners look forward to seeing which plants will earn the All-America Selections award for being easy to grow and beautiful garden specimens.
This year we see three annual plants being awarded with the All-America Selections award and the plants are beautiful. The purpose of AAS is “To promote new garden seed varieties with superior garden performance judges in impartial trials in North America” and to achieve this many new varieties are grown in trial gardens throughout the United States. After rigorous testing the very best are awarded the All-America Selections award. See the 2007 All-America Selections Winners.
Osteospermum 'Asti White' 2008 AAS Bedding Plant Award Winner
This African Daisy is uniquely showy in the garden or container. Most Osteospermum have flowers that close up whenever the sun sets, or is hidden by a cloud, which means the daisy-like flowers aren't enjoyed as long as possible. The 'Asti White' has large, 2” wide flowers that stay open even in cloudy conditions which means gardeners can see and enjoy the bright, white flowers regardless of weather. The flower petals are a bright, crisp white and the centers of the daisy are a purple-blue color that is very unusual. Plant Osteospermum seeds and allow 17 weeks before the first bloom or purchase started plants from your local nursery or garden center. African daisy plants are fairly drought tolerant which makes them excellent for containers or low-water areas and they prefer full sun areas. Gardeners can expect the 'Asti White' Osteospermum to grow about 18” tall and wide.
Viola 'Skippy XL Plum-Gold' 2008 AAS Cool Season Bedding Plant Award Winner
The viola has been a popular cottage garden plant for centuries and just when you think it couldn't get any better the 'Skippy XL Plum-Gold' is introduced, stealing the hearts of the AAS judges with good reason. The flowers this viola produces are abundant and cover the plant so even though each individual flower is only about 1 ½ inches, the garden impact is beautiful. These viola flowers are purple and plum with bright yellow centers and black “whiskers” radiating out from the center. A gardener can expect the first flowers about 10 weeks after planting the seeds and like all violas, the Skippy Plum-Gold prefers cool weather. Southern gardeners can plant the seeds at the end of the summer heat to enjoy flowers most of the winter, while Northern gardeners should plant their seens in the early spring. Grow these violas in containers and perennial borders where the flowers combine well with other plants.
Eggplant 'Hansel' 2008 AAS Vegetable Award Winner
This eggplant is described on the website as a “miniature eggplant” because the fruit that 'Hansel' bears are small – only 3-10” long. The eggplant is strong and compact growing to 3' tall, making this an excellent vegetable for containers. A high-yield vegetable plant, the 'Hansel' eggplant will bear mature fruit in only 55 days and produce an abundance of tender and tasty eggplants for vegetable gardeners.
See More 2008 Plant Introductions:
- Perennial Plants for the New Year
- Rose Plants for the New Year
- Bulb and Bulb-Like Plants for the New Year
- Ornamental Shrubs for the New Year
- Shade and Ornamental Tree Introductions
- New Annual and Tender Perennial Plants
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