Sauk County Gardener: Picking winners

“I will go pick daisies and have a happy heart.” ~Kimber Annie Engstrom

I spent the weekend tweaking my garden plans and looking for my new plant(s) to try for this year. Every year, I like to try something new in my gardens as it helps me to continue to grow as a gardener (no pun intended). One place I look for new plant ideas is the All-American Selections (AAS) list. This group tests new, never-before-sold garden varieties and select winners based on their superior performance in the home garden. Winners are selected in these four categories – ornamentals from seeds, ornamentals from vegetative cuttings, edibles and herbaceous perennials. They announce the winners three times a year – November, January and July. The judges are independent, professional horticulturists who volunteer to judge all the entries next to comparisons. There are a variety of judging sites throughout the United States – universities, extension agents, public gardens, growers and more. What all this means to the gardener is when they see the AAS seal, the gardener can be assured of superior garden performance when they plant a AAS winner.

Six 2021 winners have been announced so far:

· Zinnia profusion red yellow bicolor – This gold medal winner is from the category of flowers from seeds. The flower starts out with petals that are bright red near the center of the flower and gold-yellow on the outer ends. As the flowers age, they change to orange, apricot and pinks shades of color. It is a compact plant (eight to 14” tall) with an abundance of flowers throughout the growing season. It likes full to partial sun, has normal water needs, and doesn’t need to be deadheaded or staked. This one is readily available and will grow well here in Wisconsin.

· Celosia Kelos candela pink – This regional winner (including our area) is from the category of flowers from a vegetative cutting. The flowers stand high above the foliage and keep its pink color all season long. It works great in containers as the “thrill” as it is 25 to 30 inches tall.  It will also work as for general gardening uses and has the added bonus that it can be used as a cut or dried flower. This plant like full to partial sun, dry to normal water and doesn’t need to be deadheaded or staked. This one may be more of a challenge to find in your local nurseries.

· Squash goldilocks F1 – This one is a national winner in the edible vegetable category. It is a golden-colored acorn squash has a nutty flavor and is vigorous, has high yield (10 or more fruits per plant), disease tolerant, and can serve as an ornamental decoration. This squash is bushy, compact, and has fruits 4” x 4” approximately one pound. It needs full sun, normal water, and warm weather.

· Echalion creme brulee (BGS-270) F1 – A regional winner in the edible vegetable category, this is the first shallot to win an AAS Winner designation. It has single-center bulbs that are easy to peel and matures earlier than its comparisons. It has a mild shallot-like flavor raw and no overpowering aftertastes when cooked. It needs full sun and normal water.

· Pepper pot-a-peno F1 – This regional winner is in the edible vegetable category. This jalapeno pepper has a compact form that makes it great for hanging baskets and containers, a bonus for those have limited garden space. Plus, they mature a little earlier than other jalapenos. They need full sun, normal water, and warm weather. I’ll definitely be looking to purchase this one, so I have jalapenos readily on hand when I make my fresh garden salsa this summer.

· Leucanthemum sweet daisy birdy (available in plant form only) – This is a regional winner (in the mountain and southwest regions) in the perennial category and is hardy in gardens down to zone three. This shasta daisy can be used as a cut flower or simply as a planting in your garden to attract lots of pollinators. Its white blooms are five inches and feature additional feathery little white petals surrounding the yellow center! It’s 18 to 24-inches tall, requires full sun, normal watering and deadheading if desired. I’m on the lookout for this plant as it sounds amazing and so I can share it with my father-in-law who lives in Missouri. He doesn’t like daisies (in particular, oxeye daisies) because he thinks they stink. I do agree the oxeye daisy is pungent in mass and is considered an aggressive, invasive species. However, I love daisies in the garden, so over the years I have teased him about them. One time I sent him a daisy bouquet for his birthday and another time I sent him a daisy plant labeled with its botanical family name (Once it bloomed, he mowed it over.) Maybe if I send him this new AAS Winner, I can still tease him with some “stinkin’ daisies” and it might stand a chance against the mower.

If you’d like to learn more about the All-American Selection winners (this year and past years) and where to you can purchase them, visit https://all-americaselections.org. If you want to find a list of display gardens where you can see AAS winners used in the garden (10 gardens in Wisconsin).

Remember to contact Extension Sauk County if you have any gardening questions. Please send an email to haley.weisert@saukcountywi.gov or call the University of Wisconsin Madison Division of Extension Sauk County office at 608-355-3250.

Jeannie Manis is president of the Sauk County Master Gardeners Association.