The winners of the 2020 Green Thumb Awards have been announced, and a total of six new plants and products have taken home the “green” trophy. Here are this year’s winners:
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Clematis ‘Lady Kyoko’ from Spring Hill Nurseries
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European Beech InstantHedge from InstantHedge
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KangaRhu Rhubarb from Gurneys Seed
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Treasure Island Sweet Potatoes from Concept Plants
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Garden Tutor Online Course and Kit from Botaniworld
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Vertex Wall Trellis from Gardener’s Supply Company
The DGA Green Thumb Awards are presented by the Direct Gardening Association (DirectGardeningAssociation.com), a trade group of companies that sell gardening plants and products through catalogs and websites. Winners of the 2020 Green Thumb Awards were chosen by independent judges.
2020 Green Thumb Award Winners:
Ornamental Plants and Seeds Division
Clematis ‘Lady Kyoko’ (Clematis x ‘Lady Kyoko’)
Spring Hill Nurseries
Clematis ‘Lady Kyoko’ is a variety that was bred in Japan, but it has never been available in the USA until this year. This gorgeous flowering plant features medium-sized flowers with distinctive lavender-purple and white petals.
‘Lady Kyoko’ grows to 4-5 feet tall, which is smaller that most clematis varieties. This more compact size makes it great for planting in containers and in flower borders when given support to keep the vining plant upright. This variety thrives in full sun in moist, well-drained soil. Clematis ‘Lady Kyoko’ is an easy-to-grow plant that makes a colorful addition to any garden in USDA zones 7 to 9. Plants are available from springhillnursery.com.
European Beech InstantHedge
InstantHedge
InstantHedge is the only pre-grown, ready to plant hedge that offers both the beauty and privacy of a mature hedge on the day it is planted. European Beech InstantHedge is available in two sizes: 3-4 feet tall and 5-6 feet tall.
InstantHedge is also environmentally responsible. It is shipped in biodegradable cardboard boxes that can be planted right into the ground. No packaging waste since the box biodegrades in the soil. Other InstantHedge plant varieties are also available. Purchase European Beech InstantHedge from instanthedge.com or coniferkingdom.com.
2020 Green Thumb Award Winners:
Edible Plants Division
KangaRhu Rhubarb
Gurneys Seed
KangaRhu Rhubarb offers impressive quality—and lots of summertime rhubarb! Before KangaRhu Rhubarb, it was difficult to grow rhubarb in areas with warm summer nights. This award-winning variety makes it possible to grow yummy rhubarb in hotter climates.
This variety began with plants that were adapted to Australia—a really tough climate for vegetable growing. The dark red stalks of KangaRhu Rhubarb cook up a brilliant red. Plus, they are delicious. Grows up to three feet tall in USDA zones 4-8. KangaRhu Rhubarb bareroot plants are available at gurneys.com.
Treasure Island Sweet Potatoes
Concept Plants
Treasure Island is a new brand of edible sweet potatoes that also look great in ornamental gardens. These plants also offer gardeners the opportunity to turn pots, window boxes and self-watering containers into tropical gardens. The edible sweet potatoes come in a wide range of colors from orange to purple. Some of the varieties even have edible leaves, which range in color from dark purple to light green.
Unlike other ornamental Ipomoea (sweet potato) varieties, Treasure Island Sweet Potatoes deliver yields similar to commercial varieties. Treasure Island Sweet Potatoes are available at springhillnursery.com.
2020 Green Thumb Award Winners:
Gardening Tools and Accessories Division
Garden Tutor Online Course and Kit
Botaniworld
The Garden Tutor Online Course and Kit is a multimedia course that teaches beginning gardeners how to grow a garden like a professional. This course gives concise, step-by-step instruction along with many tools for effective hands-on education.
Say goodbye to trial-and-error learning. Garden Tutor lets beginning gardeners start a lifelong hobby of successfully growing plants of all kinds. The Garden Tutor Course and Kit includes essential tools needed for planning and planting a garden. Included in the kit are a compass, soil pH test kit, measuring tape, a soil testing jar, a handy reference guide and more. Available from gardentutor.com.
Vertex Wall Trellis
Gardener’s Supply Company
The Vertex Wall Trellis provides sturdy support for all types of vines and vining plants. This trellis is 97 inches tall, which is much taller other plant supports and trellises. The Vertex Wall Trellis is made of rust-proof aluminum, and it’s perfect for training vines up walls and fences. The geometric design facilitates lots of airflow and reduces the occurrence of siding rot.
The good-looking Vertex Wall Trellis is modular. So, it’s easy to combine several units to build a custom-fit trellis for larger walls. With the Vertex Wall Trellis, you can create a beautiful vertical garden almost anywhere. Available from gardeners.com.
If you like these plants and products, then read about the 2019 Green Thumb Award Winners.
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