The Best Picks

Most gardeners like to experiment. The same marigold or begonia every year gets stale, and when you read about all those new pepper, cucumber and tomato varieties in the catalogs, each one sounds tastier than the last.But is that new petunia really as super as the blurb claims? Is that new plum tomato the best saucer known in the history of pasta sauce? And is that chili pepper really going to burn off the roof of your mouth?

It’s not that easy to find out, and we sure can’t grow them all, no matter how much we’d like to. So where can we get this kind of information to help us out in our gardening adventures?

My initial response was to simply Google the question. So as a quick test I wanted to know what the best marigold was. In the search box I entered, “Which marigold is best?” I expected pages of results and, yes, I got them. Pages and pages of results with the answer, “The Best Exotic Marigold Hotel.” A funny movie but not quite what I was looking for. So a second try, and this time I substituted “petunia” for “marigold.” Much better results, and among the options were a variety of sources that offered me some insight.

Another way to find out this information is to look at a catalog like the White Flower Farm Catalog. They now sell a selection of vegetables and annuals as plants, and there are pictures and descriptions of each. If they are going to offer these plants, I have to think these are the best of the best, and in most cases you don’t have to buy the plants from them. Simply use the gleaned information and seek out the seed or cell packs at garden centers.

Then there are magazine and newspaper articles. Newsday and the Times often have articles on the hottest and newest, while Horticulture magazine will often have articles on ornamentals. Organic Gardening, now Organic Life magazine, frequently has pieces on their trials of vegetables, and more recently under their new name, they’ve also included ornamentals.

These are all well and good, but keep in mind that a tomato grown in Pennsylvania from the same seed batch as one grown in Bridgehampton in the same growing season may not taste the same. Soil types, temperatures, fertilizer and weather all play a part in how a vegetable will taste or how a geranium will flower and how long that flower will last.

Ah, but there is one system that averages all these vagaries out. It’s called the All-America Selections, or AAS.

All-America Selections is a nonprofit organization that’s been around since the 1930s with the objective of testing new varieties of plants and vegetables and then introducing them to American gardeners. The founder, W. Ray Hastings, first proposed AAS as a way for home gardeners to learn about new varieties that had been truly improved and not simply claimed to be better, faster or bigger. He recommended a national network of trial grounds throughout North America where flower and vegetable varieties would be grown and assessed by skilled, impartial judges.

There are now more than 80 trial gardens in about 50 locations with as many judges. We once had two trial gardens on Long Island, but the closest now are in Pennsylvania, Connecticut and up in Rochester. Three times a year, in November, January and July, the group announces the winners based on these trials and we get the benefits from their hard work. The trial gardens and judges represent universities, public gardens, breeders and seed houses, and most of the seed names like Johnny’s, Harris and Stokes are represented, as are more than a dozen universities. It’s a pretty unique group and they’ve been at this for a while.

What’s also interesting is their mission statement, “To promote new garden varieties with superior garden performance judged in impartial trials in North America.” In contrast, there is also a European group that aspires to do similar work. This group is called Fleuroselect and as a comparison of intent here’s what seems to be their mission statement, “Fleuroselect is run by the members, for the members.” Differing goals and aspirations, I’d say.

Some garden centers will clearly display the AAS winners and some plant tags may indicate that a particular bedding plant or vegetable is an AAS selection. You can also check their website periodically to see what’s new at all-americanselections.org. You’ll note that they have both regional winners that are intended for certain parts of the country and national winners that have a much wider appeal. So, when you’re out shopping for bedding plants or vegetable transplants this year, here are some to look for based on the AAS winners for 2016:

Geranium Brocade Cherry Night has a dark bronzed foliage that’s highlighted by a distinctive green zone on the leaf edge that’s a very unusual combination for geraniums. The flowers are a semi-double cherry that’s heat-resistant, and the plants are said to be great in planters, containers or right in the garden. Geranium Brocade Fire has a bi-colored leaf with semi-double orange flowers, giving the plant a unique look on a plant that will bloom all summer. Both these geraniums should be dead-headed to encourage new blooms, and they should also be fed several times during the growing season.

Cabbage Katarina is a cole perfect for those with small gardens or who grow in containers. It has only a 4-inch head, so it’s compact and it matures one to three weeks earlier than other cabbages. Once the main head is harvested, smaller heads will develop, and the overall taste is said to be less bitter than that of other cabbages. Kale Prizm produces short, ruffle-edged leaves, and this kale does well both in the garden and in containers. The foliage is nearly stemless and it re-leafs quickly, allowing for continuing harvest. The taste is said to be nutty and the leaves tender. Kohlrabi Konan was selected for its smooth, globe-shaped “bulbs” that can grow 6 inches in diameter. It has an upright habit and a size suited for both containers and gardens.

Japanese Red Kingdom is a mustard (mizuna) with reddish purple foliage throughout the season, and the judges indicated that it’s a flavorful, mild-tasting green. It serves a dual function as an edible ornamental that does not bolt easily and will yield better than most other mizunas. Pepper Cornito Giallo comes from Johnny’s Seeds, and one judge’s response after tasting this pepper was simply “Double Yum … The flavor of this one is a total winner.” Starting with small green fruits, this star develops into a bright yellow jewel with a delicious sweet and fruity flavor. An early bloomer, the plants produce plentiful fruits and were very durable, producing from summer into the fall. Pepper Escamillo was also a 2016 winner. It produces sweet, golden yellow peppers, and being early-bearing, it’s great for home gardens. The fruits are borne above the ground so there’s less rotting, and it gets excellent grades for taste eaten raw, cooked or fire-toasted. The plants are compact and high-yielding.

Strawberry Delizz can be grown from seed or transplants. It produces abundant berries throughout the season, even in the heat of the summer. The plants are compact and suited for containers, hanging baskets and garden plots.

Two tomatoes made the 2016 list. Candyland Red is a current-type tomato and is smaller than a cherry. The fruits are a dark red and very sweet, so the question is will they get eaten immediately in the garden or make it to the table? The fruits tend to set on the outside of the plant for easy picking and bear all summer. Chef’s Choice Green is uniquely colored with green fruits having subtle yellow stripes. The taste has a hint of citrus but with a classic tomato texture. The plants are disease-resistant and an interesting addition to the tomato plot for both color and taste.

Enough? Hope so. You can find many of these winners in seed catalogs and as transplants, but you can buy them knowing that they’re tested and made the grade. Keep growing.