AAS Winners for 2017

Jennifer Polanz

All-America Selections has announced its first winners for the 2017 garden season, three of which are national winners and two that are regional.

The national winners are:

Celosia Asian Garden—Judges gave this entry high marks on the growing end for good branching, its almost bushy growth habit and early-to-bloom flower spikes. For gardeners, Asian Garden Celosia impressed judges with continued blooms that kept their bright pink color all summer long. It also was a pollinator magnet. Bred by Murakami Seed Co. (its first AAS Winner).

Okra Candle Fire—This brighter-red-than-normal okra received high marks for productivity, taste, texture and tenderness, as well as the ornamental value of its red pods on red stems. One judge noted it was quite maintenance free to grow, except for the frequent harvesting. It thrives in the heat and is disease resistant, even in hot, humid climates. Bred by Known-You Seed Co. Ltd.

Watermelon Mini Love F1—A personal-sized watermelon develops on shorter vines that still produce up to six fruits per plant and can be grown in smaller spaces. The deep red flesh has a thin, but strong, rind that can be carved into attractive shapes for fruit salad presentations. It has a high sugar content, resulting in sweet and crisp, juicy flesh. Bred by HM Clause.


Two of the AAS Winners that were regional are:

Pea Patio Pride (Southeast Region)—A compact plant, it produces uniform pods that only need 40 days to get to maturity. Patio Pride can be a first spring harvest or the last fall harvest from a Southeastern garden. Great in containers and is ideal in succession planting yielding a consistent harvest over many weeks. It can be planted in patio containers with cool-season flowers for an ornamental/edible combo. Bred by Terra Organics.

Squash Honeybaby F1 (Heartland Region)—Honeybaby is a productive variety of winter squash, producing numerous fruits on a compact plant. Shorter vines grow 2 to 3 ft. in a semi-bush habit, resisting powdery mildew later in the season. Short, wide fruits are slightly larger, sweet and nutty and more meaty than comparable varieties. Bred by Seeds by Design. GP