Six of the best new ornamental plants, garden products and edible plants have won 2019 Green Thumb Awards presented by the Direct Gardening Association (DirectGardeningAssociation.com).
Honored in the Ornamental Seeds, Bulbs and Plants division were:
Honored in the Ornamental Seeds, Bulbs and Plants division were:- Illuminati Tiny Tower Mock Orange from Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs.
- Peppy Le Pom Ornamental Pomegranate from Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs.
Honored in the Gardening Tools and Accessories division were:
- Vertex Lifetime Tomato Cage from Gardener’s Supply Co.
- Bamboo Home LED Grow Light Garden from Gardener’s Supply Co.
Honored in the Edible Plants division were:
- Wood Prairie Organic Colossal Potato Collection from Wood Prairie Family Farm.
- Tomato Purple Boy Hybrid from Park Seed.
Winners of the 2019 Green Thumb Awards were chosen by an independent panel of garden writers and editors. The winning products were selected based on their uniqueness, technological innovation, ability to solve a gardening problem or provide a gardening opportunity, and potential appeal to gardeners. The Green Thumb Awards recognize outstanding new garden products available by mail or online. The awards are sponsored by the Direct Gardening Association (DGA), a nonprofit association of companies that sell garden products directly to consumers via catalogs and websites.
2019 Green Thumb Awards:
Ornamental Plants, Bulbs and Seeds
Illuminati Tiny Tower™ Mock Orange (Philadelphus coronarius ‘SMNPVG’)
Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs
Mock oranges have long been prized for their fragrant flowers in early June. But when not in bloom, a traditional mock orange is a rather ordinary-looking bush. Illuminati Tiny Tower changes that with lush green foliage borne in a unique “stacked” foliage arrangement. The branches look like towers of beautiful deep green leaves. Between the foliage are hundreds of white flowers in early summer. Those flowers spread the sweet fragrance that has made mock orange a perennial favorite in the landscape and flower garden.
Illuminati Tiny Tower has a dwarf growing habit that fits easily into most garden spaces. This plant resists pests and diseases, and it is also deer resistant. It is cold hardy and easy to grow. Illuminati Tiny Tower is available from GardenCrossings.com.
Peppy Le Pom Ornamental Pomegranate (Punica granatum ‘SMNPGMF’)
Proven Winners ColorChoice Shrubs
Pomegranates are beautiful plants, and they have a fascinating and storied history. But many cold climate gardeners have missed out on the chance to grow them. Peppy Le Pom Pomegranate is a dwarf variety that can be brought indoors as a houseplant, especially in colder climates. This extremely floriferous variety is covered in traffic-cone-orange flowers all summer, which develop into small, round fruits for additional ornamental appeal.
Peppy Le Pom Ornamental Pomegranate is the first introduction from plant breeder Megan Mathey. Her goal was to create a dwarf variety that would expand the growing opportunities for the plant because it could be successfully grown in a container. A useful dwarf shrub in garden areas where pomegranate is cold hardy, Peppy Le Pom makes a unique patio plant in colder climates that can be brought indoors for the winter. Available at GardenCrossings.com.
2019 Green Thumb Awards:
Gardening Tools and Accessories
Bamboo Home LED Grow Light Garden
Gardener’s Supply Company
The Bamboo Home LED Grow Light Garden is a modular system of high-intensity LED grow lights housed in meticulously crafted bamboo frames. These are specifically designed to successfully grow and nurture a wide array of plants. The Bamboo Home LED Grow Light Garden features two modules that can be stacked or used separately. The shorter of the two units is intended for seed starting and growing small plants such as succulents or African violets. The larger unit accommodates taller houseplants as well as seedlings and transplants.
The Bamboo Home LED Grow Light Garden includes rust-proof galvanized trays (an eco-friendly alternative to plastic) that are designed to catch water spills. A coordinating rolling base makes moving the modules easy. This is especially true when the modules are stacked together. The high-intensity LED lights give plants the light they need at every stage of growth. This Green Thumb Award winning product is available from Gardeners.com.
Vertex Lifetime Tomato Cage
Gardener’s Supply Company
The Vertex Lifetime Tomato Cage is sturdier, more versatile and easier to store than conventional tomato supports. The formed aluminum wires are joined together with heavy duty nylon fasteners that allow the cage to fold from flat to open to flat again in seconds. The design draws its inspiration from the technology behind super-tall skyscrapers. The extra-long wires that sink into the ground provide superior stability. Meanwhile, the cantilever design of the wires allows for the cage to sway with the wind. Where a traditional cage would blow over, a Vertex Lifetime Tomato Cage will remain standing.
The allowance for some movement promotes stronger stem development of a tomato plant. The wires create large hexagonal openings that gently cradle the branches of the plant. These also allow for easy access to the fruit when it’s time to harvest. There are no welded joints that can break, and the aluminum wires will never rust. So, this tomato cage will last in the garden for many years. The Vertex Lifetime Tomato Cage and the taller Vertex Lifetime Tomato Tower are available from Gardeners.com.
2019 Green Thumb Awards:
Edible Plants
The Wood Prairie Organic Colossal Potato Collection
Wood Prairie Family Farm
The Wood Prairie Organic Colossal Potato Collection is a super-sized seed potato assortment containing all 19 organic potato varieties grown as Maine Certified Seed by the friendly folks at Wood Prairie Family Farm. For over 40 years, Wood Prairie Family Farm has been testing and selecting the very best potatoes based on two essential criteria: the potatoes must taste good and they must perform well under organic growing conditions.
The Wood Prairie Organic Colossal Potato Collection includes Early-Season varieties Yukon Gold, Reddale, Prairie Blush, Red Cloud, Caribe and Dark Red Norland. Mid-Season varieties include Adirondack Blue and Adirondack Red, Huckleberry Gold, King Harry and Rose Gold. The collection also includes Late Season varieties Butte Russet, Yukon Gem, Elba, heirloom All-Blue, Carola and Island Sunshine. Rounding out the Collection are two delicious fingerling varieties—Russian Banana and Rose Finn Apple. All these varieties are traditionally bred, non-GMO potatoes. The Wood Prairie Organic Colossal Potato Collection is available exclusively from WoodPrairie.com.
Tomato Purple Boy Hybrid
Park Seed
Tomato Purple Boy Hybrid combines the flavor of the heirloom Cherokee Purple with the improved disease resistance found in modern hybrid tomatoes. This new hybrid variety can be successfully grown where heirloom Cherokee Purple succumbs to common tomato diseases. Tomato Purple Boy Hybrid is resistant to nematodes, verticillium wilt, Fusarium wilt and tobacco mosaic virus.
Tomato Purple Boy Hybrid fruits are beautifully round tomatoes with a delightful deep purple color. The tomatoes boast an intensely rich flavor that offers true homegrown tomato tang! These juicy tomatoes, which are slightly ridged and very symmetrically shaped, are a welcome addition to any home garden. They ripen just 80 days from setting out transplants. Seeds are available exclusively from ParkSeed.com.
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