All-America Selections
has announced five ornamental winners and three vegetable winners for 2004. Look for the red, white and
blue logo of All-America Selections on
seed packets in retail stores, plant tags in bedding plants in garden centers or
nurseries, or in mail-order catalogs this spring. Success is almost guaranteed with these
varieties of reliable new
flower and vegetable varieties.
The non-profit All-America Selections (AAS) organization was founded in 1932 to foster the development, production and distribution of new and better horticultural and agricultural varieties, species, strains and kinds in and for North America. AAS winners are superior new annual flower and vegetable plants recognized for significant achievements – a promise of gardening success. Only the very best varieties receive this prestigious award. All AAS winners have been tested for home garden performance in more than 30 independent test sites, each under the responsibility of an AAS judge, all over the United States and Canada. Gardeners can rely on AAS Winners to perform in their garden because of these unbiased, independent tests. Most of the time only one to three flower varieties and the same number of vegetables get this award each year, and sometimes none qualifies.
The eight AAS winners for 2004 are:
 Gold Medal Flower Award Winner'Fresh Look Red' Celosia plumosa performs like a fresh floral arrangement all summer. Thriving in the summer heat and humidity with drought or rainy conditions, 'Fresh Look Red' decorates a garden or patio container with rosy red plumes. It won the coveted Gold Medal for its consistent performance with minimal maintenance and pest-free growth. 'Fresh Look Red' covers up spent plumes by producing new foliage and blooms. The plant always looks fresh, needing no grooming. When grown in the full sun, 'Fresh Look Red' plants mature at 12 to 18 inches tall and spread 12 to 20 inches. The central plume can be 8 to 10 inches tall and 5 inches wide. Like all Celosia plumosa, the flowers can be cut and dried for everlasting homemade bouquets. |
 AAS
Flower Award Winner'Fresh Look Yellow' Celosia plumosa offers season-long garden color with minimal care. The golden yellow plumes are produced in abundance, at times covering the plant. The central plume can be 9 inches tall and 6 inches wide. 'Fresh Look Yellow' grows numerous side shoots, which cover mature blooms, eliminating the need for deadheading. When grown in a full sun garden, 'Fresh Look Yellow' attains a height of about 12 to 17 inches and spreads 12 to 15 inches. Plants exhibit heat, humidity and severe weather tolerance. Like all Celosia plumosa, flowers can be cut for arrangements or dried as an everlasting bouquet. 'Fresh Look Yellow' is perfect for busy gardeners who want summer-long flower color on carefree plants. |
 AAS
Bedding Plant Award Winner'Gypsy Deep Rose' Gypsophila is an annual G. muralis with dainty, rose-like blooms. This new variety showed several improvements over comparisons. The flower form is double and semi-double, is a darker rose color and is a larger size, up to 3/8 of an inch. The plant produces a higher number of blooms over a longer flowering season. 'Gypsy Deep Rose' forms an enchanting mounded plant with a height of 8 to 10 inches, spreading 12 to 14 inches. This diminutive plant prefers full sun and adapts to container culture. 'Gypsy Deep Rose' is easily grown from seed or bedding plants. Plants require little maintenance. Gypsophila is often associated with weddings because of their use in bridal bouquets. |
 AAS
Flower Award Winner'Queeny Purple' Hollyhock is the shortest Alcea rosea and the first purple hollyhock available as a single color not part of a mixture. These unique traits combined with season-long flower color resulted in 'Queeny Purple' winning an AAS Award. The frilly edged blooms are a "powder puff" type having a cushion center. They measure 3 to 4 inches and are produced abundantly on the compact branching plants. 'Queeny Purple' plants will reach a mature height of 20 to 30 inches, perfect for smaller space gardens. 'Queeny Purple' is an annual that will flower prolifically the first year from a February or March sowing. 'Queeny Purple' seed will be available from mail order catalogs and plants may be purchased from garden centers. |
 AAS
Bedding Plant Award Winner'Limbo Violet' Petunia differs from all other single grandiflora petunias as a unique combination of large flowers on a compact plant. The habit is restricted. 'Limbo Violet' plants become mounds which, at times, are completely covered with blossoms. The ultimate plant size is only 6 to 7 inches tall, spreading 10 to 12 inches. 'Limbo Violet' is designed for small space gardens such as urban residences or formal gardens requiring neat, tidy plants. The dark violet blooms are perfect for gardeners who know "larger is better." At 3 inches or larger, 'Limbo Violet' blooms are huge but recover quickly from severe weather. Plants are virtually maintenance-free, no pinching needed. |
 AAS
Vegetable Award Winner'Amy' Melon exhibited improved qualities such as earliness and higher yield when grown next to similar "canary" type melons. 'Amy' melons are eye-catching. They are bright golden yellow with smooth skin; without netting or sutures. The radiant color indicates when the melon is ready for harvest. Cutting open the mature melon will release the distinctive melon aroma. There is a small seed cavity surrounded by moist, white flesh noted for its sweet flavor and firm texture. 'Amy' plants will produce melons in 70 to 80 days from transplanting. The vigorous spreading vines need 6 feet of garden space or they can be trained up a trellis. |
 AAS
Vegetable Award Winner'Sunshine' Winter Squash is a new squash that outshined other varieties in side-by-side trials across North America. The vibrant orange-red skin is distinctive, similar to sunshine, hence the name. The 3- to 4-pound fruit is a flattened globe shape. The bright orange flesh is sweet, nutty, creamy smooth and completely stringless when baked, steamed or microwaved. 'Sunshine' plants are adaptable to any growing location as long as the growing season is 80 to 95 days. Expect mature squash in about 95 to 100 days from sowing seed or 80 days from transplants. Harvest ripe fruit in the fall prior to or protect from frost. The short vines need 6 to 8 feet in the full-sun garden. |
 AAS
Vegetable Award Winner'Sweet Beauty' Watermelon offers consistently sweet flavor and crisp texture. It was praised by AAS Judges for its superior eating qualities. 'Sweet Beauty' melons are 5 to 7 pounds, an oblong shape with dark green skin and medium green stripes. Described as an "ice box" type, it means 'Sweet Beauty' is a single-serving size. Improved for earliness, 'Sweet Beauty' melons can be harvested in about 77 to 80 days from sowing seed directly into the garden. The vigorous plant spreads vines about 8 to 10 feet. |
There are many more AAS winners from previous years that still deserve a
place in the garden. The Annual Manual
lists
many of the winners from the last 65 years, and most seed catalogs indicate
which of their selections are winners.
Additional information
