All-America Selections (AAS) is an independent non-profit trialing organization established in 1932 and still going strong 92 years later! AAS trial sites and display gardens are spread across the US and Canada, including nine gardens in Iowa. Reiman Gardens is proud to be both a trial site for multiple categories and a display garden highlighting recent winners. Check out the AAS website for trial and display sites, winners, blogs, and so much more!
Be sure to visit Reiman Gardens to see what's in trials this year! Trial season is winding down and before you know it, plants will be going in the compost and final evaluations will be submitted. There are plenty of gorgeous days left for a late summer visit!
Here in central Iowa, monarchs are on the move! Bees are still foraging! I've seen hummingbirds just about every morning at Reiman, still looking for those late-season blooms! If you are looking to expand your pollinator garden to benefit your fall friends, take a look at these AAS Winners.
Celosia argentea 'Asian Garden': It's shocking to me that I haven't written about this pollinator magnet before! 'Asian Garden' celosia grows up to 40 inches tall and is simply covered in flowers. Don't let the glamor shot fool you, I find this celosia grows wild and wooly in the garden and I simply love it! 'Asian Garden' will reseed a little bit, but I don't think you'll mind having it year after year. Perfect for late summer drought and fluctuating temps, this celosia is a great cut flower and makes a wonderful dried flower as well.
Gaillardia x grandiflora 'Mesa Yellow': Blanket flower is easy to grow from seed and will flower first year if sown on time (120 days to flowering). 'Mesa Yellow' is a resistant plant with beautiful bright yellow blooms. Blanket flower can be perennial here in Iowa, but won't like a wet, cold site over the winter; if you have a spot where lavender lives happily, try a Gaillardia there as well! 'Mesa Yellow' also won a Fleuroselect Gold Medal award, so you can't go wrong with a plant with international acclaim!
Tithonia rotundifolia 'Fiesta Del Sol': Mexican sunflower is another plant whose popularity comes and goes in waves and I'm here to make the case that you want this in your yard next year! 'Fiesta Del Sol' grows up to 36" and has a bright orange bloom that will attract pollinators and add a bold texture to your floral arrangements. It's been several years since we've had Tithonia out in the beds at Reiman Gardens and we can't stop talking about how nice it's looked this year. Plenty of heat tolerance, stays upright without staking, why wouldn't you add this to your planting plan next year?
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