All-America Selections (AAS), with over 90 years of trials and award winners, is the only national, non-profit plant trialing program in North America. Reiman Gardens is proud to be both a trial site for ornamentals, edibles, and perennials showcased as both in-ground and containerized trials and a display garden highlighting recent winners. Check out the AAS website for trial and display sites, winners, blogs, and so much more!
As of 2025, 16% of Story County residents are food insecure, 10% have limited access to healthy food, and 26.5% of Story County students are eligible for free and reduced meals at school. The Food Bank of Iowa said last year that 1 in 9 Iowans don't know where their next meal will come from.
As you finish planting your gardens this year, consider planting an extra plant or row to donate produce to a food pantry or collection program in your area. If you live near Reiman Gardens, our Grow and Give program collects from the community on Monday mornings from 7:30-9:00, starting June 16. Visit the Reiman Gardens Grow and Give webpage for more about our program or the Growing Together Iowa website for other participating counties in Iowa.
Reiman Gardens donates all produce from our trial beds. Here are a few AAS Winners we've planted to share this year.
Lactuca sativa 'Bauer': This lettuce is slow to bolt with a beautiful dark green color, and ready in a month at baby leaf stage and two months for full head. Ready for fresh salads every night!
Solanum lycopersicum 'Pink Delicious': It’s no secret at this point, my favorite tomatoes have heirloom look and flavor, but hybrid genetics for improved foliar disease resistance and better field fruit holding. 'Pink Delicious' is a fantastic producer, pumping out 8-10 ounce tomatoes through mid-fall that show less cracking than other big slicers. Some pink tomatoes can have a mild flavor, but 'Pink Delicious' is sweet with excellent texture. This tomato is sure to be your new favorite on sandwiches or just sprinkled with S&P!
Capsicum annuum 'Red Impact': 'Red Impact' is a Lamuyo-type pepper, popular for its versatility in the kitchen. This pepper is thick-walled with a sweet flavor, which makes it equally as useful raw in salads as it is stuffed and grilled! Fruits can be 7" so these plants do benefit from staking to keep the fruit easy to reach. 'Red Impact' can reach 36"x24"; it's best to plant in-ground unless you have a very large patio pot! You'll be impressed with how easy it is to grow this tasty treat with the improved disease-resistance of 'Red Impact.'
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