All-America Selections has been trialing edible and ornamental plants for over 90 years, presenting awards to entries that will impress home gardeners with their performance regionally or nationally. 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.
This week is National Pollinator Week and Reiman Gardens is celebrating with Pollinator Fest on Saturday, June 24. Stop by for educational activities and displays that celebrate pollinators and take a stroll through the gardens to see plenty of pollinator-friend plants, including these AAS Winners!
Foeniculum vulgare 'Antares': Fennel is loved by people and pollinators alike! 'Antares' has a sweet anise flavor and grows a 4-5” bulb. The fronds are beautiful and add a soft texture to any ornamental planting. The bonus: swallowtail caterpillars will also love 'Antares'; I call that a win-win!
Penstemon barbatus 'Twizzle Purple': 'Twizzle Purple' beardtongue was trialed as a first-year blooming annual, but had performed beautifully in our trial display beds for over three seasons. The purple blooms burst open by mid-summer (it's in bloom right now at Reiman!) and will be visited by all sorts of pollinators through early fall. 'Twizzle Purple' can handle dry, lean conditions and is easy to start from seed in late fall for early summer blooms or mid-winter for mid-season color.
Abelmoschus esculentus 'Candle Fire': Wait, growing okra in Iowa, you might say?! Oh yes! 'Candle Fire' is a beautiful ornamental with red pods and stems, even if you never harvest a single pod to eat. Okra is in the hibiscus family, which means you'll have a tropical vibe that's so easy to start from seed! Pollinators will be drawn to the decorative yellow blooms and human visitors to your garden will be attracted by the novelty of growing okra “up north.”
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