All America Selections Plants
Grow Eggplant Hansel in Containers or Asti White in Evening Gardens
Gardeners love to grow new plants. The All America Selections plant winners of 2008 have been published. Find a vegetable plant, colorful annual or white daisy to try.
The All-America Selections plants are an extensive list from which to choose. These plant winners have been reliably grown and tested in a variety of environments across the United States and Canada. The 2008 All-America Selections plant winners list includes a plant for color, a vegetable plant for containers and a white flower for evening gardens.
Eggplant ‘Hansel’ In Containers
Eggplant F1 ‘Hansel’ is an excellent vegetable plant for containers. The clustered fruit may be harvested anytime 55 days after planting. The eggplant retains a tender skin and has fewer seeds. When the fruit reaches between 3 and 10 inches, it can be picked and, even at the bigger size, will keep a sweet flavor.
When you plant ‘Hansel’ keep in mind, the plant grows up to three feet tall, requiring two feet of garden spacing. The compact upright size is a definite choice for the container and small space garden.
Viola ‘Skippy’ for Color
Viola F1 ‘Skippy XL Plum-Gold” is a cool season bedding plant. It has a face of plum and gold shades with a center full of distinct whisker markings. Each 6-8 inch tall and wide plant is packed with flower power. Each flower is a respectable 1-1/2 inches in diameter.
Gardeners will like this plant for its wake-up color in early spring or fall and that it is simple to tuck into containers or flowerbeds. The variations of petal color make this plant easy to mix with many annual, bulb and perennial color combinations. Each plant needs 8 inches of spacing to grow well.
‘Asti White’ In Evening Gardens
Osteospermum F1 ‘Asti White’ is a bedding plant that can grow to 17-20 inches tall and wide. The large, white blooms with blue centers are 2-2 ½ inches in diameter. The leaves are fleshy and thick, indicating a tolerance for drought conditions. This osteospermum recovers from a late spring or early fall frost but definitely perfers full sun to thrive
The daisy flower remains open in overcast situations; this plant should be on the gardener's list of white flowers for evening gardens. When planting this large osteospermum in a container choose a 6-inch or wider pot size.
Resource of Plant Information & Gardens to Visit
The All-America Selections is a great garden resource to bookmark on your favorites list. It offers an abundance of information on trial and display gardens, a description of the selection process and a list, including photos, of past plant winners.
The AAS trial and display gardens are good places to visit during the summer. If you are lucky enough to live near a trial garden, visiting often will allow you to see, first hand, the criteria each plant is measured against. Display gardens help visitors visualize how a plant can be used, always an excellent source of new ideas.
