All-America Selections Winners

Year in and year out, gardeners can count on the All-America Selections plant winners. Among these carefully chosen varieties are vegetables, herbs, flowers, and bedding plants. What makes these different is that you can grow them from seed.

For 2008, three winners were selected, one vegetable and two bedding plants. These seeds will be available in time for spring planting in 2008.

Hansel eggplant is a unique, early yielding, miniature variety. Less than three feet in height, this is perfect for small gardens and containers. These sturdy, fast growing plants are so eager to begin bearing fruits. They start in 55 days, which is about ten days earlier than comparable varieties.

You can harvest the glossy, dark purple fruits in the baby stage when they’re only several inches long. In addition, those left to mature‚Äîup to ten inches‚Äîwill remain sweet, succulent, tender, and bitter-free. These white-fleshed fruits contain very few seeds. Hansel eggplants grow in finger-like clusters with three to six per bunch.

For best results, start Hansel seeds indoors at least eight weeks before you plan on transplanting them to the garden. Seeds will germinate in about a week to 12 days or so. Transplant outdoors when the weather is sufficiently warm as eggplants are heat-loving vegetables.

For 2008, two flowers were named bedding plant winners. Asti White osteospermum is an amazingly versatile variety that tolerates both heat and cold. Withstanding light frost, it is perfect for both spring and fall gardens. Unlike most other osteospermums grown from seed, this is the only white that is sold as a single color rather than in a seed mix. Its huge, daisy-like blooms reach nearly three inches in diameter. The shimmering white petals beautifully offset the intriguing blue centers.

Asti White looks great in the landscape because the plants tend to be uniform in shape and size, about 1½ feet tall and wide. During the hot summer months, the thick, fleshy leaves help the plant to withstand drought. Asti White begins flowering about four months from the time the seeds are sown. So, you’ll probably want to start them indoors for the earliest blooms.

Skippy XL Plum Gold viola was named a cool season bedding plant winner by All-America Selections. This adaptable variety laughs at the heat and cold. Throughout all regions of the country, it is suited to spring and autumn gardens. In addition, the plants perform beautifully in winter landscapes in warmer areas.

These plants reach eight inches in height. They’re noted for the unique color combination seen in the flowers. The golden faces with whiskers are surrounded by a mix of intriguing, light and dark, velvety purple plum. These large blooms are 1½ inches wide.

Skippy XL Plum Gold begins blooming about ten weeks from the time the seeds are planted. For that reason, start them indoors about four to six weeks before your last expected frost date. These will germinate in about a week to ten days.

View photos of these exciting new varieties at this link.