In 2022, All-America Selections is celebrating 90 years of trialing new varieties for the home gardener. There have been plenty of exciting new winners that merit a place in your garden that will be highlighted in this series.
AAS Winners are grown and planted at nearly 200 Display Gardens all over the US and Canada, including nine gardens in Iowa. To see these winners and more, check out www.all-americaselections.org and search under the Display Gardens tab. For a sneak peek at potential future winners, plan a visit to Reiman Gardens, an All-America Selections Trial Garden.
Just announced in late November, there are six new winners for home gardeners to consider adding for 2023! Look for the other half in the next month’s newsletter!
Jalapeno 'San Joaquin'
Capsicum annuum ‘San Joaquin’: A new jalapeno classified as determinate, so there are lots of fruits ready all at once--perfect for canning, pickling, or pepper parties. Peppers hold well without cracking, so if you’re not ready for all the peppers produced at once, they can stay on the plant without issue. Heat is rated at 2500-6000 Scoville units, so there is a lot of pepper flavor with relatively low heat.
Snapdragon DoubleShot™ Orange Bicolor F1
Antirrhinum majus DoubleShot™ Orange Bicolor F1: This snapdragon was gorgeous in our trials all summer! Plants grow around 18” and every bloom is a beautiful double. Color fades from an eye-catching orange to a dusky pink that will compliment any garden or cut flower arrangement.
Kabocha squash ‘Sweet Jade’
Cucurbita maxima ‘Sweet Jade’: Kabocha squash might not be a type many home gardeners are familiar with, but let’s change that! Kabocha squash is sweeter and has a firmer texture than butternut squash. ‘Sweet Jade’ is a truly personal-sized fruit, weighing between 1-2 lbs. and would be ideal as a soup bowl or a picture-perfect appetizer stuffed with cheese and topped with nuts and dried fruit or preserves.
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