2006 All-America Winners - Flowers & Vegetables
By Bob Chapman
The prestigious All-America Selections awards for the best flower and vegetable introductions for 2006 go to some outstanding varieties of common flowers and vegetables. These winners have been tested nationally and proven locally. The All-America Selections program was started in 1932 by seedsman W. Ray Hastings, President of the Southern Seedsmen's Association of Atlanta, Georgia. He proposed the idea of All-America Selections as a way for home gardeners to learn which varieties are truly improved. As a result of his thinking, trial grounds were established throughout North America that would plant and grow these newly developed plants. These new introductions were to be assessed by skilled, impartial judges. Only new, previously unsold varieties are accepted. The eight current winners have been proven to be superior to all others on the market.
DIANTHUS 'SUPRA PURPLE'
This exceptional plant, Dianthus interspecific, has the desirable feature of blooming early and prolifically. It is heat tolerant. The wide, single purple flowers are lacy, with highly fringed petal edges.
Planted in full sun it will reach to 12 inches tall and spreads to about 10 inches wide. It has an upright bouquet habit. Dianthus 'Supra Purple' can be cut for fresh flower arrangements or enjoyed in any garden.
NICOTIANA 'PERFUME DEEP PURPLE'
This distinctive flower, Nicotiana x Sanderae, is named for the delicate evening fragrance that will charm the senses. This variety was bred for the scent and unique deep purple flower color. The single, 2-inch star-shaped flowers are produced in abundance. Nicotiana 'Perfume Deep Purple' can reach 20 inches and spread to 15-18 inches wide. Grow this plant in full sun or semi-shade gardens.
It readily adapts to containers, making this plant more useful to all gardeners. It is easy to grow and undemanding, a sure-fire combination.
ORNAMENTAL PEPPER 'BLACK PEARL'
This variation of the popular ornamental pepper (Capsicum annuum) features pure black leaves when grown in full sun. 'Black Pearl' also describes the color of the fruit. The edible, hot fruits grow in an upright manner and are small and shiny, similar to pearls. The young plants will sport green leaves when grown indoors or in a greenhouse, but turn black when planted in sunny areas The heat tolerant, vigorous plants grow to about 18 inches tall and about 12-16 inches wide. 'Black Pearl' is fairly easy to grow and is not known to have any serious disease or insect problems. They make a stunning addition to a container planting!
SALVIA FARINACEA 'EVOLUTION'
'Evolution' expands the color range of the very popular Salvia, a very common and widely planted flower that is usually known for its reddish hues. The 6-7 inch flower spikes are a violet color, very distinctive from blue. This annual flower grows to about 16-24 inches tall, spreading 16 to 19 inches.
'Evolution' is truly a plant with little maintenance requirements. It grows well in fertile soils with few disease or pest problems. Watering is the only requirement for consistent flowering. Water efficiency tests in Colorado show Salvia farinacea plants to be drought tolerant.
ZINNIA 'ZOWIE! YELLOW FLAME'
This AAS Winner really wakes up any garden. This zinnia (Zinnia elegans) features colors here-to-for not seen in the garden. 'Zowie! Yellow Flame' starts a new class of semi-tall zinnias with a truly novel bicolor pattern. Each 3-4 semi-double bloom contains a scarlet/rose center with yellow petal edges. The color combination is uniformly intense, and like its name implies, a yellow flame. This "hot" zinnia will grow to 24-29 inches high, spreading to 26-27 inches wide in a sunny garden. This zinnia flowers in 8-10 weeks after planting from seed, sending forth blooms until Jack Frost nips at its heels.
'PURPLE HAZE' CARROT
'Purple Haze' is the first imperator-shaped purple carrot. The 10-12 inch long, smooth purple carrots taper to a point and reveal a bright orange center when cut. In addition to its distinctive color, this carrot features a sweet flavor. This characteristic impressed the judges in the field trials.
The best presentation of 'Purple Haze' carrots will be when used raw, since cooking will dissolve the purple color.
The vigorous upright plants will reach 14-16 inches and will spread about same width. No special conditions are needed for growing 'Purple Haze.'
Grow these in containers along with such herbs as parsley and sage.
CILANTRO 'DELFINO'
'Defino' is an improved aromatic, edible variety of this popular herb. The plant looks different. It features a fine fern-like foliage that is more decorative than other coarse-leaved cilantros. 'Delfino' is easy to grow and leaves can be harvested in only 4-5 weeks after sowing. A "must" for container growers of herbs for the kitchen. Harvest the seeds when they turn green to brown for the spice coriander, used in may recipes.
'CARMEN' PEPPER
'Carmen' is an improved Italian-type sweet pepper. It is an improvement over other types. This pepper is ready to pick before others on the market. The distinctive horn-shaped peppers have wide shoulders and they taper to a fine point. The plants grow upright to 28 inches and spreads to 16 inches. The flavor is very sweet when ripe red, whether cooked or eaten raw.
PEPPER 'MARIACHI'
'Mariachi' won an AAS Award due to its superior fruit size, improved earliness, marvelous yield and an unusually fine flavor. It is an improved cone-shaped, mildly "hot" chili pepper. The attractive mature 8-24 inch plants set fruit continuously throughout the season. The peppers can become more pungent when plants are stressed by hot weather or lack of water. The fleshy 3-4 inch peppers ripen from yellow to red, but will mostly be used in the yellow stage for a variety of uses including salsas and sauces or for stuffing and grilling. Harvesting of the crop can begin within 65-68 days from transplanting.