All-America Selections Announces Four More 2013 Winners

Geranium ‘Pinto™ Premium White to Rose’ F1 - Photo courtesy All-America Selections

On chilly and rainy days like this, gardeners like to sit at the kitchen table and dream about their future spring plantings. That's exactly what I'm doing. Next year's seed catalogs have't arrived yet, but I'm checking out the newest All-America Selections (AAS) winners for 2013. Each winner was trialed beside a few other similar varieties on the market, then analyzed with regard to taste, growth habit, disease resistance, and similar considerations to determine if they are actually better than those already available. Only superior plants are granted the AAS Award. After the 2012 trialing season, two melons, a tomato and a geranium are the latest to receive official AAS recognition.

Melon 'Melemon' F1 - Photo courtesy All-America Selections

Melon ‘Melemon’ F1 received the AAS 2013 Vegetable Award. It yields early and heavily on strong plants. Each fruit is just enough for one person to enjoy. The taste, judged to be superior, is comparable to a honeydew, but with delightful tanginess. The flesh is crisp and sweet. The uniform shape makes it ideal for commercial growers and home gardeners.

Watermelon 'Harvest Moon' F1 - Photo courtesy All-America Selections

Watermelon ‘Harvest Moon’ F1 also received the AAS 2013 Vegetable Award. It's a hybrid, triploid seedless melon similar to the popular heirloom variety, 'Moon and Stars', but the healthy vines are shorter. I ripens early with a higher yield. Fruits are medium-sized with sweet, pinkish-red flesh. The rind is dark green with yellow dots.

Tomato 'Jasper' F1 - Photo courtesy All-America Selections

Tomato, Cherry ‘Jasper’ F1 is the third AAS 2013 Vegetable Award Winner. High yields of sweet fruits of uniform size are produced on vigorous plants. In fact, the vines are so strong they require little or no fertilization. Add to that Jasper's high disease resistance to Late Blight, Fusarium 1 and 2, and Early Blight, and its resistance to weather-related stresses. The fruits stay on the vine well after ripening, and last longer after they've been picked.
Geranium ‘Pinto™ Premium White to Rose’ F1 (see photo above) is a AAS 2013 Bedding Plant Award Winner. Loads of early, long-lasting 5" blooms change color from white to rose. The plants are full and dense with well-branched stems and dark green foliage. Even in the extreme heat of last year's summer, 'Pinto Premium White to Rose' performed extremely well. Gardeners who want a care-free, colorful garden next summer should definitely plant this one.

When your seed catalogs arrive in the next few months, look for Melon 'Melemon' F1, Watermelon 'Harvest Mood' F1, Tomato 'Jasper' F1 and Geranium 'Pinto Premium White to Rose' F1. If you prefer to buy your plants already started at retail, request your favorite garden center to carry them.

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