If you don’t have space for trial gardens of your own, these organizations do. Trialed and tested, the winners of these awards might need a place in your gardens.
For more info, click any award title to go to the page describing the award and the plants.
Please add any you’ve read about or heard about. And let us know if you’ve grown these and what your experiences have been.
AAS 2013 Winners
Canna ‘South Pacific Scarlet’
Echinacea ‘Cheyenne Spirit’
‘Melemon’ melon
‘Harvest Moon’, a hybrid watermelon
‘Jasper’ is a cherry-type tomato
AARS Winners
2012 Sunshine Daydream
Classic City 2012 Perennial Awards
(from UGA Trial gardens)
Coreopsis ‘Solanna Golden Crown’
Dianthus ‘Garden Spice Fuchsia’
Echinacea Sombrero series
Gaura ‘Belleza Dark Pink’
Helleborus ‘Pink Frost’
Heuchera ‘Georgia Peach’
Hibiscus ‘Royal Gems’
Lavandula ‘Silver Anouk’
Rosa First Impression
Rosa ‘SunRosa Red’
Sedum ‘Lemon Ball’
Classic City 2012 Annual Awards
(from UGA Trial gardens)
Begonia ‘Ikon Bronze’
Caladium ‘Blushing Bride’
Calibrachoa ‘MiniFamous Double Rose Chai’
Pelargonium Caliente series
Portulaca ‘Sundance Yellow’
Lobularia Lavender Stream
Phlox ‘Phloxy Lady Cherry Red’
Capsicum Basket of Fire
Flora Culture International 2012 Gold Medal Plants
Clematis ‘Princess Kate’ Best New Plant
Cornus kousa ‘Summer Gold’
Hydrangea serrata ‘MAK20’ (FLAIR&FLAVOURS COTTON CANDY – FLAIR&FLAVOURS BLUEBERRY CHEESECAKE)
Veronica longifolia ‘Charlotte’
The Garden Club of America 2013 Plant of the Year
Freeman Medal Winner: Cercis Canadensis (Eastern redbud, Judas tree)
Honorable Mention: Nyssa sylvatica (Black tupelo, Black gum, Sourgum)
Special Recognition: Torreya taxifolia (Stinking cedar, Gopherwood)
2013 Georgia Gold Medal Plants
Annual category: Wishbone flower (Torenia fournieri)
Perennial Category: Variegated Japanese Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum odoratum ‘Variegatum’)
Vines/Groundcover category: Sweet flag (Acorusgramineus ‘Ogon’ and Acorus gramineus ‘Minimus Aureus’)
Shrub category: 2013 -Compact gardenias (Gardenia jasminoides);
Shrub 2014 – Sweetbox (Sarcococca confusa and ruscifolia)�
Tree category: 2013 – no winner – delay to allow time for growers to produce stock
Tree 2014 – Chinese pistache (Pistacia chinensis)
Tree 2015 – Black gum (Nyssa sylvatica)
Green Thumb Award 2012
Hesperaloe parviflora Brakelights®
Delosperma Fire Spinner®
Black Magic™ Blackberry
Texas Early White Onion
Pennsylvania Horticultural Society 2012 Gold Medal Plants
Cercis canadensis The Rising Sun™ (Cercis canadensis ‘JNJ’ PPAF)
Cornus officinalis ‘Kintoki’ (Japanese Cornel Dogwood)
Prunus lusitanicaViburnum x rhytidophylloides ‘Darts Duke’
RHS Award of Garden Merit
Rhubarb chard ‘Bali
Indigofera ‘Claret Cascade
Broad bean ‘Witkiem Manita’
Lespedeza-thunbergii-subsp–thunbergii”
Lonicera ‘Mandarin’
Weigela Wine and Roses (‘Alexandra’)
Spring cabbage ‘Advantage’
Roscoea auriculata
Narcissus ‘Elka’Dianthus-Capri–Kocapri-”
Iris–Starwoman-”
Alstroemeria ‘Spitfire’
Canna ‘Bethany’
Iris sibirica ‘Salamander Crossing’
Spiranthes ‘Chadd’s Ford’
Dianthus Lily the Pink (‘WP05 Idare’)
French bean ‘Scuba’
Narcissus jonquilla var. henriquesii
Sweet pea ‘Duo Salmon’Winter squash ‘Little Dumpling’
Abelia x grandiflora ‘Hopleys’
Crocus ‘Snow Bunting’
Dahlia ‘Exotic Dwarf’Buddleja davidii Camberwell Beauty ‘
Camkeep’Carrot ‘Parmex’
Amaranthus cruentus’Oeschberg’
Bergenia ‘Eric Smith’
Ipomoea lobata
Sweet pea ‘Cherub Crimson’
Chrysanthemum‘Perry’s Peach’s
Kniphofia ‘Bees’ Sunset’
Cortaderia selloana Silver Feather
Begonia (Million Kisses Series) Devotion
Crocus ‘Snow Bunting’
Dianthus Candy Floss (‘Devon Flavia’)
PERENNIAL PLANT ASSOCIATION
2013 Perennial of the Year
Calibrachoa ‘Superbells Lemon Slice’
Celosia ‘Intenz’
Evolvulus ‘Blue my Mind’
Pentas ‘Graffiti Red Lace’
Pelargonium Caliente series
Portulaca ‘Sundance Yellow’
Lobularia Lavender Stream
Phlox ‘Phloxy Lady Cherry Red’
Capsicum Basket of Fire